Page 79 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly
“No, you do, it’s just…I don’t know.”Callie sighed.“It just felt weird.Like stuff you’re not supposed to talk to your mom about ‘cause moms don’t want to hear that about their daughters.”
“I don’t needallthe details.”Cat made an exaggerated roll of her eyes.It made Callie smile, at least.
“Okay.”Callie steeled herself.
Callie explained the situation, skipping the part about how the three of them got together in the first place.Cat sipped her tea, keeping her face as neutral as possible, though she did catch the blush on her daughter’s face when she glossed over parts.She didn’t want to know, but she was glad Callie had found someone,someones, who made her happy.
“Isn’t that going to cause a population bottleneck?”Cat asked once Callie had finished, skippingmanydetails.
Callie shrugged.“I don’t know everything.I assume they’ll try to find other willing women who don’t carry the organelles.”
Cat poured herself some more tea and returned to the booth.“And she won’t use men because she’s a lesbian?”
“Mom!”
“What?I’m allowed to ask!”
“I don’t know.All I know is that she askedme.”Callie slumped onto her elbows.
Cat refilled her tea.“What are you really worried about?”
Callie sighed and leaned back into the plastic cushion.She took a few more breaths to sort her thoughts.Cat waited.
“I guess, I just don’t know anything about kids.I never wanted one.It was never a realistic thing anyway.And now, I’ve been offered this opportunity to have one, way past twenty-four, with two amazing women that I’ve known for less than a month and I feel like if I pass on this because I’m not a hundred percent sure, I’ll never have this opportunity again and I’ll regret it forever.”Callie heaved.Cat slid into her side of the booth and held Callie close until she calmed down.
Cat squeezed Callie’s arm.“So, basically the same choice as every woman ever.”
“What?”
Cat laughed.“Every woman goes through this.”Callie made to interrupt, but her mom cut her off, “At least, every woman who can have kids.I didn’t forget about Sparx.”
“He’s inhemode right now.”
“What?When?”Cat frowned.
“A few days ago.”
Cat shrugged.“Almostevery woman goes through this.None of them think they’re good enough, life goes on.”
“But I’ve only known them for…” Callie protested before she got cut off again.
“I knew your father for three days before I got pregnant with you.I could have had an abortion.No-one would have judged me.But I worried that if I did, I would never have another chance again.”Cat sighed.“Turns out, I was right.”
“You got Sparx,” Callie offered.
“I never would have gotten Sparx if it weren’t for you being such an amazing daughter.Sparx is extremely lucky to have you.”Cat kissed the top of her head.
Callie lay against her mother’s shoulder for a few moments.“You’re saying that Ishouldgive them an egg?”
“No, I’m saying that it worked out for me.”
“What’s the chance that it won’t work out for me?”
Cat chuckled.“This is why you always got along with Sparx.He needed someone to boss around and you needed to be told what to do.”
“So…”
“So, nothing.It’s a decisionyouhave to make.I can only tell you what happened to me.If you talk to a hundred women, they’ll all tell you something different.They all have their own stories and their own experiences.”Cat squeezed tighter.Callie sulked.“There’s no right answer, Cal.Foranyof this.This isyourstory andyourexperience.It might work out.It might not.It’ll probably be a mix of good and bad.But you have to choose to do it or not.”
