Please don't make me...

          Driving in the rain, past the little flower shop on the corner or Peridot and Madeline, Terri decided to go back and buy her so called 'mum' a floral arrangement for Mother's Day. Oh, what the hey, she thought, no harm in a few flowers. She went in and came out with a dozen yellow roses. "She's got to love this; they're beautiful," Terri said to no one in particular while she hurried back into her car trying to avoid getting soaked.


          On the drive to her mother's house, Terri thought back to the last time she actually spoke to her. It'd been six months since Terri had finally confessed accompanied by her roommate, Sarah, telling her mother Sarah was a transgender that went by 'Shane', and that they were a bit more than roommates. The scene had been sewn into her brain; the heater on full blast making her cheeks red, a 'The Simpsons" marathon in the background and both her and Shane holding a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers. Sick of the repeated question her mother asked every time they'd meet up, she got hold of Shane's unoccupied hand and finally answered her.


                                                            * * *


          Terri's mother called them both 'dirty, sinful lesbians' and made Shane get out of the house into the cold to have a few words with Terri.
          "You're going to hell for this… this disgusting act of whatever you want to call it," she said in a low, hateful voice, her eyes tearing up as she started pacing in the living room.
          "Mum," Terri puts down the plate of food on the coffee table and grabs her mother's wrist from behind; her mother turns around. "I thought you'd understand of all people. Sarah's really Shane. He's just a man trapped inside a –"
          Terri's mother snatches her arm away. "I don't know how she planted this nonsense inside your head. She's just a Filthy Dyke, Terri, how can you not see that?! Just because she dresses in men's clothing, it does not make her a man!"
          Terri could see her mother's veins bulging from her skin. "And you tell ME that I need to be a bit more open to new things and optimistic with life?!" Terri really didn't feel the need to argue over something her mother would apparently never understand, but continued anyway, her eyes now watery. "Who are you to judge who I love? Look at all the stupid wankers–"
          "I didn't say go out and turn into a Raging Lesbian! How can you possibly love that… that whatever the hell it is?!"
          "His name. Is Shane. And he sees me as a person, not a piece of stinking meat like all the drooly boys you try to hook me up with and besides that, Mum, I am not a fucking lesbian!"
          Fed up with the argument, Terri led herself out, slamming the front door and joined Shane, who was waiting in the car.
          "Oh Jesus, Terri," Shane extends his arms from the passenger's seat, pulling Terri into an embrace, "I'm so sorry…" Terri puts her head on Shane's shoulder, sobbing silently. Shane rubs her back then pulls away, holding her head up slightly with his left hand, tears now in his own eyes. "It's going to be ok, Terri," He wipes the tears sliding down her cheeks with his right, "You just have to give it time to settle in…"


                                                           * * *


          At a stoplight, a tear rolling down her cheeks from the memory of one of the worst days of her life, Terri rolls down her car's window and throws the roses out on the street. She leaves the window open, letting the rain soak her and the inside of her car; her head leaning on the hand gripping the steering wheel and she starts to cry. "Fuck you, Mum!"
          The light turns green and cars behind her blare their horns, "Fuck you all!" she looks up and presses hard on the gas, spinning her car out of control just as an eighteen wheeler runs the red light on the other side; it slams into her, making her car stop spinning before making it flip over six times.

          While lying unconsciously halfway out of the car, Terri's cell phone vibrates on the concrete next to her; 'Mum Calling' blinking on the screen…


          Hey, it's Terri and I'm not answering any of the phones, so I must be somewhere exciting without you! Leave me a message anyway and I'll make sure to call back!


          -BEEP-


          "Terri, it's Mum… and I'd really like to talk to you as soon as possible." Terri's mother sniffles. "I miss you Ter; I don't care who you're in love with as long as the two of you are good to each other…" She sniffles again. "Call me back, please? I love you Ter..."