fingers。 ?Or the Chelsea dudes with too many hair products who always wear those fantastic Marc
Jacobs shirts? Or the nerdy intellectual…but…still…hot…hipster Brooklyn guys girls always wish were
straight? That?s probably more your scene。? She smiled knowingly and stretched her arms over
her head。
Dan shook his head in disbelief。 He felt like he?d just landed on Planet Strange。 Who was this
person pretending to be his baby sister? ?Since when do you hang out onChristopher Street ?? he
muttered; pletely astonished。 Even his little sister knew more about being gay than he did。 It
was totally depressing。
?Never mind about that。? Jenny giggled; reaching down and unzipping her bursting…at…the…seams
L。L。 Bean duffel bag。 ?Is Mom in your room?? She whispered; gesturing toward the closed
bedroom doors on the other end of the apartment。
?Yeah;? Dan replied; sitting up and scratching his arms sleepily。 Jenny had apparently cured his
insomnia。 ?Vanessa and I are sharing your old room。? ?Then I guess it?s sofa city for me。? His
sister sighed; pulling out a bulging floral toiletry case from her bag。 Dan stood up; raising his arms
over his head and yawning loudly。 As weird and unexpected as it was to have both his mother and
Jenny home; it felt kind of nice to have everybody under one roof。
Well;almost everybody 。 。 。 there?s one roommate still missing。
Just then; the door to his room creaked open; and their mom shuffled out; picking sleep from the
corners of her eyes。 Her voluminous pink robe billowed out behind her as she moved; her fuzzy
slippers scraping the floor。 Dan watched as her eyes focused on her youngest child; and her face lit
up with surprise。
?Jenny!? she exclaimed rushing over and folding her daughter into her tentlike arms; ?You?re
here! You didn?t burn my apartment down; did you?? ?Nope。 I just wanted to be with you guys。?
She squeezed her mother back。 Dan watched as his mom smoothed back Jenny?s unruly nest of
hair and kissed her on the forehead。 He couldn?t help but be touched at Jenny?s optimistic; girlish
enthusiasm。 If his being gay had brought his family together; maybe it wasn?t such a bad thing
after all。
?Such a sweetheart。? Jeanette touched Jenny?s face with her palm。 ?I?ll make some oolong。? She
breezed past Dan; stopping to smooth his hair like a mother who?d been smoothing hair all her
life。
Tea? That probably meant girl talk。 And Dan wasn?t sure he was ready to be one of the
girls。 ?I?m going to bed;? he announced; shuffling toward his room。
?See you in a few hours;? Jenny replied with a yawn; stretching as she followed their mom into
the kitchen。
??Night; baby!? Jeanette called out from the kitchen sink; where she was busily filling the kettle
with water。
Dan walked into his room and shut the door; then climbed into the empty bed。 He could hear his