Meeting Sam

Carrie and Sam gave each other a big hug and settled down at a table at Sam's favorite sushi restaurant. Carrie was looking forward to this; she didn't get much sushi with your dad.

"So two weeks in town to see little ole me?" Sam asked amiably. Carrie chuckled.

"Well, we have an appointment with Dr. Ortiz tomorrow," Carrie said, stretching out after the travel.

"I thought Ortiz died."

"This is the nephew, not the uncle. And yes, I know he did Cathleen's work." Sam appraised Carrie quietly, but said nothing. Carrie was so -- formal, envious perhaps? -- about Cathleen.

"So boobs or butt?"

"Boobs, probably will get my butt done in the spring."

"Hmmm, you really are the new Barbie." Sam paused, playing with her blonde hair. At 6'2, a former Olympian and college national champion, and now a recruiter for a large law firm, Sam was not used to being stumped for words, but the topic of you always did that. "So listen ... I have this older brother, you probably have never even heard of him ... John Jr. So when I was growing up, he was effeminate. Like really effeminate. Like when we played house, I was daddy and he was mommy. And mom protected that and encouraged that. And when she died, he had to hide all that. And then he and my dad had this huge blowup after he turned 18. I mean, it's a broken family, and I don't think you know what you're stepping into." Carrie sat silent for a moment.

"I do know. It took me awhile to figure it out, but I have. I've talked to your dad about this at length, and I've talked to your brother about this as well. I've set him up with a sexual orientation counselor and a gender identity counselor." Sam's jaw dropped.

"Holy shit. I thought you were going to be some dumb 25 year old bimbo who maybe sucked dick better than the strippers. But you're serious. Sexual orientation counseling?"

"He's had unsuccessful relationships with women. I think he's confused. Sam, I may look like a bimbo, especially after the boob job ... but I'm no dummy."

"Will you be my mom?"