Chapter Text
“I just…her relationship with her mom is special and I-I can’t mess with-” Jerry Frank was interrupted by turbulence. He picked up the speaker. “Attention passengers, turbulence while landing is normal. Take deep breaths if you’re nervous, it’ll be okay.”
He wobbled as he put it back, his friend Arthur Broussard steadied him. “Jerry, man, are you sure you don’t want to tell her? I mean, she basically thinks her mom’s a saint and you walked out. She and the entire church cast you out of their lives because you’re gay. You confided in your ex and she put you on blast, probably hiding everything you ever sent your daughter.”
“Her mom’s her rock, if I take it away, the whole pile of oranges tumbles down.”
“That was…the weirdest application of that-why is it echoing?”
Jerry turned and gasped, fixing the speaker. The entire cabin just heard that. Jerry groaned, head in his hands. “Oh no no no no…what have I done? That wasn’t a literal question, I know what I just did.”
“I got the implication. Well, it’s a whole mess of a thing now, honey. All you can do is what we been doing since coming out. Face the music.”
“I wish I could face real music…at least I could dance to it.”
Arthur sighed and pat Jerry’s back. “Don’t be so afraid, Jerry.”
Jerry tried to be brave. He took deep breaths as the plane landed and passengers began disembarking. He didn’t see Becca as they left. Then an old lady needed help, so Jerry helped her. Arthur was getting off, so he had to exit. He saw Becca looking around for Jerry and noticed that Jerry had gone back to the plane.
“The one time I don’t want to be involved in nobody’s family drama.” He muttered to himself before putting on a friendly face and approaching her. “Hey, I’m Arthur, Jerry’s friend.”
Becca’s face fell slightly. “He um…that wasn’t on purpose, was it?”
“Not in the slightest. Poor guy looked like he wanted a hatch to open up below him-that’s not a thing.” He added hurriedly.
“I know.”
“Ah, just uh, your dad’s cute and all but he can sometimes not be the brightest bulb.”
“Can I have his address?” Becca asked, pulling a notebook out of her backpack. “I’ll be coming back around Palm Springs and I-don’t tell him, but I want to talk to him. I-there’s so many things I need to know…did he…did he mean what he said?”
“As someone who’s known him very well since he came out, yes. I’d seen some things he’d send and I kept my mouth shut. Ain’t no good come out of meddling in someone’s family drama when they said they left it behind, but you…you were always the one person he wished he hadn’t been forced to leave behind.” He gave her the notepad with the address and house phone number, figuring Sybil and Bunny could yell at him later about giving out their info.
Becca sniffled, wiping her eyes. “Thanks, Arthur. Did you and he ever…sorry, that’s a personal question, I shouldn’t ask.”
“We tried a relationship, decided to be friends.” Arthur said. “We live with our best friend, Bunny Schneiderman and his mom.”
“I don’t even know what to do right now.” Becca said. “Do I confront her? Do I-do I try to look for the things he sent if she didn’t throw them away? What if she-what if I get thrown away?”
“You’d be more than welcome to be around us, if you don’t mind three wild gays and a judgmental old lady who smells of cottage cheese and pineapple. That would be Bunny’s mom. He owns the Bunny Hutch.”
“I heard of it.”
Arthur nodded. “If you decide to confront her, I’d get social security info, passport if you didn’t bring it with you, the important stuff. I don’t want to scare you, but there’s a chance, you know…she might not take it well.”
“Yeah, I-I’ll keep that in mind.”
…
Arthur didn’t know if anything would come of it, so he didn’t tell Jerry. He probably should’ve told Bunny or Sybil that he gave their address to someone, but he partially got distracted working at a fashion department after Tevin admitted he needed help…and he was still offended by Arthur calling him a ‘basic ginger jackass’ and wanted to prove him wrong.
“Are you sure you don’t want a style revision, dear?” Tevin asked a customer.
“N-no, sir, I um…I was just looking for Arthur Broussard.”
“I can help you too, really.”
“Um…”
“Tevin, you’re being overbearing again.” Liz said.
“My apologies, madam. May I inquire as to why you wish to speak with Arthur?” Tevin asked
“Girl, stop trying to get tea from people who aren’t customers.” Arthur said, shoving a box into Tevin’s hands.
“Rude.” Tevin grumbled, taking the box to the back. Liz went to help another customer.
“Sorry about him. He’s a bit…he’s a cactus in the blazing desert, but he’s not unwilling to change his mind. I keep him on because not all his ideas look like a used toilet brush.”
“Heard that! At least say it’s unused!”
“Fine, unused. We got another customer coming in and I have to speak with this one on a personal matter.”
Arthur had Becca follow him to the office and closed the door. “I thought Sybil might’ve been home. Did she kick you out? She can be…” He made a face.
“No, I um-I did drive by the house, but I got scared. And I didn’t know if he was home. So I went to the Bunny Hutch and I was going to ask, but I-I don’t know Bunny and I got nervous again because I felt bad about taking up his time. N-not that I don’t feel bad about taking your time, I just-I feel like you were the only one to talk to at the moment.”
Arthur nodded. “I absolutely understand, dear. It just takes some courage and determination. For example, I was determined not to let Tevin run this mess of a show that would never see a children’s theatre. And I got the job.”
“What if you took over? What would happen then?”
“I’d keep him on, because as much of an ass as he is, not all his ideas look like five year olds made it. He has some good ideas, but absolutely poor execution and more often than not, his bad ideas take up his attention more.”
“I couldn’t confront my mom.” Becca sighed sadly. “I was determined, I wanted to ask. I looked around to see if she hid stuff and maybe she forgot she was going to show me when I was older, but she didn’t. I asked a few basic questions and she was very…I don’t want to say strict, but like cold? She didn’t want to talk about him and just said the same things she’d been telling me my whole life. This time I asked why he left and she said he never told her why. I asked around a bit in my neighborhood and finally, someone from the church said that he was kicked out of the church for being gay. The guy didn’t tell me who outed my dad and he didn’t know the details around him leaving town. I just…I don’t believe her anymore. I-I don’t know why I ever did and I don’t know what to do.” Becca sniffled.
“You seem like you want to talk to your dad, which is why you’re out here. So, let’s do that first.” Arthur said. “Would you like a hug?”
Becca nodded and hugged him. Then started crying. “Oh gosh, I’m getting your shirt dirty-”
“It’s fine, you need to cry. And this is Bunny’s.” Arthur said, comforting her. Becca chuckled slightly. “Why don’t I leave early and we can go to the house. It’ll give Bunny and Sybil time to be upset at me for you having their address and get over it. They’re not heartless…I’m pretty sure Sybil isn’t.”
“I know they care about my dad and let him stay at their house.” Becca said, taking a tissue. “I think I can do this knowing I’m not alone now.”
…
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Arthur told Tevin when he was leaving.
“I’m not that bad!” Tevin said defensively. “Most of the time.”
“Mm-hm.” Arthur shook his head.
Arthur brought Becca to the house as Bunny was just getting home. Sybil was eating cottage cheese with pineapple and looked at Becca in confusion.
“I already have a housekeeper.” Sybil said.
“She’s not a housekeeper, she’s Jerry’s daughter and I gave her the address.”
Bunny’s jaw dropped. “YOU-”
“Bunny!” Sybil said. “Our guest is obviously upset and she’s not a total stranger. Jerry’s daughter, I assume is an innocent person in whatever drama might be pulled up. I’m a sucker for drama, my apologies uh-what’s your name?”
“Becca.” She said, slightly nervous due to Arthur’s description of her. “I’m sorry for the trouble. You have a very nice house, but I’m not after anything like money or stuff. I just want to try to have a relationship with my dad and I need his help to decide what to do.”
“Does your mom know?”
Becca shook her head. “I couldn’t find it in me to actually confront her. I basically have all the proof that she screwed him over, but it-it’s hard to separate the person I found out about from…my mother. My rock. The woman who said she loved me for who I was and that I was her entire world. Would she have loved me if I was lesbian? Feel like the answer’s obvious considering she couldn’t accept my dad enough to let him be in my life.”
Bunny sighed. “I’m sorry for my reaction, Becca. I suppose since Jerry and Arthur live here, they can invite whoever they want over.”
“Apology accepted.” Arthur said. Bunny scowled at him.
The door opened and Jerry entered. His face fell slightly when he saw Becca’s tearful face turn to him. Before he could think of something to say, she hugged him. It took a minute of hugging her back to find something to say.
“Becca, are you okay? How-where-when did you come from?” Jerry couldn’t process the multiple questions he had, so he stuck to the first. “Are you okay?”
“Not really.” Becca mumbled.
“I don’t know if you remember on the plane, um…I-”
“I heard it and I wanted to talk to my mom, I just couldn’t. I couldn’t be brave enough. The church told me you were kicked out, but they didn’t say who told. I don’t know what to do about my mom, but I’d like to know more about you first if that’s okay.”
“Of course it is. ”
Arthur, Bunny, and Sybil gave them space to talk. Jerry explained what he remembered saying in his letters. Some things he forgot, but he always said he loved her and wished he could see her. He didn’t remember some of the gifts he sent, but he’d sent things a girl would like, apologizing for being generic but he had no idea what she liked.
“I would’ve told you what I liked. It’s the thought that counts.”
“I’m really sorry you had to find out like that and I’m sorry I lied. You were telling me how important your mom was to you and…I know what it’s like to have and need a support system and I-I couldn’t take away that from you.”
“I appreciate you for trying to spare my feelings. I didn’t know much about you growing up. I had these family tree assignments from time to time and I just put ‘Jerry’ and that’s all I knew about you. I didn’t have a picture or anything.”
“Well, I was trying to figure out my identity and hoping that your mom would at least let you write back or let me call. I’ve been a lot of places, mostly Fire Island. The reason Arthur and I live here is because of the recent passing of one of our best friends. We decided we didn’t want to lose sight of each other.”
Becca smiled. “That’s sweet and I’m sorry for your loss.”
“I appreciate it. George was a good man. He always told me everything with my family would work itself out.”
"I guess it did, just not the way we expected. I feel like it goes without saying, but I want to say it anyway. I accept you as gay, I just didn’t want to be unwanted by you. I’m actually…it’s a relief knowing that you didn’t just abandon us. It must’ve been really hard right after.”
“It was. I didn’t have anyone safe there and I was on my own.” Jerry looked downcast for a moment, then smiled brightly. “But hey, let’s not feel too bad about the past. It happened and we’re here now. I feel like you want me to tell you what to do about your mom. I’m really sorry, I don’t know what to say. Maybe the others have ideas?”
“I could use all the help I can get. Arthur suggested gathering my personal information if I was going to confront her but I…well, you know.”
Jerry nodded. “Okay, you guys can stop trying not to eavesdrop!”
Bunny and Arthur fell through the door. “We-we weren’t…”
“Please, your ears were going to stick to the door.” Sybil said. “So, what happens now?”
“My mom doesn’t know about this and I’m afraid to confront her. I’m afraid she’ll use my bad moments against me and remind me how much she’s done for me.” Becca said.
“Has she guilt tripped you or anyone else before?”
“Not that I know of.“
“A child’s entire lifetime of resenting and keeping their father from them, I don’t know that it’ll be a very positive response.” Bunny said. “I don’t think she’ll be very easy to change if you think it’s possible.”
“I don’t want to make my dad go back there, but I want him to be able to talk to her…if there’s anything left to say.”
“Sometimes there isn’t.” Arthur said. “But you have us if it doesn’t work.”
Becca’s phone chimed and she looked at it. “My mom’s asking how my trip’s going…I want to talk to her.”
“Do you want us to leave you alone?” Jerry asked.
Becca shook her head. “No, I-I need support. All of you even if I just met two of you.”
Becca took a deep breath and called her mom.