Thorns

4 - Whitney

Carlie needed my help with a school project. Daddy was supposed to do that; he loves to help us with school stuff.

But first, I gotta take care of myself, like Daddy says. In my bathroom, I opened my black pouch and grabbed the glucose meter, then the needle and poked my forefinger. Ok, it was normal; good. Now I could have breakfast.

I was worried about the fact that I had a cocktail this weekend. Portia asked me a million times if I could really have one. And yes, I could, but alcohol isn't something I can do very often, I gotta be responsible.

I refuse to wear a stupid bracelet with a name tag, like I'm some sort of branded animal. Can't take it in. I refuse. I would do anything for my dads except that.

When Tom and Greg Gordon decided to expand their family, they were thrilled to get their hands on a baby. Little did they know, that things wouldn't be so easy. The adoption agency found it hard to help a gay couple. But, alas, there was a little girl with no parents. A little pink chubby diabetic baby. Greg and Tom couldn't care less about the disease. All they wanted was to have children. All they wanted was to take care of a child, and love him/her.

Carlie came later. After adopting a baby with a lifetime disease, Greg and Tom decided to add another member to our family; and little Carlie came along. I was only five when she became my sister. She was a little cute round bold baby with big greenish eyes. Always reliable to their reputation, their new daughter also had a lifelong disease. Carlie has Crohn's Disease, and Greg - or Daddy for us - is always nervous about when will she have another crisis. For now, she's stable. And so am I.

"I have no idea what a ribosome is, baby."

I smiled as I saw Jackie - or Auntie Jack - taking a seat in our round table at the kitchen. The three angled window let the Autumn light of the morning shine in the glass table.

"Auntie Jack, a ribosome is what reads the RNA so it can become your DNA" Carlie was explaining her, sitting next to her in the white chairs.

"Science in the morning is bad for your bowel." I teased her, and Dad - Tom - laughed "Just let people eat first, Carlie."

"Oatmeal again?" Carlie groaned when Daddy laid the bowl in front of her.

"If you eat it all, I promise to let you wear lipstick today" Daddy said.

"Greg..." Dad whispered to his husband, shooting him a warning look over the table.

"It's just lipstick. And it can only be light pink or peach" Daddy said, his green eyes on a smiling Carlie.

Jackie is a smoking blue eyed woman. She looks exactly like Jennifer Anniston! She has that tanned Californian blonde look. Tall and thin, with a great smile. She's none other than Daddy's ex-wife.

Yeah, Greg was married to a woman once. They were high school sweethearts, and went through college together. It seemed only natural for them to get married. But Greg was actually living a lie, and one day he decided to talk to his wife whom, with no doubt, he loved. They parted ways, and Jackie went through a heavy depression.

All went well when Greg and Tom adopted me. She says that we're like her nieces and she's the cool aunt, whatever legal issues there would be. I see her has an aunt whom I can go to. She's so funny and cool, I don't even know why she's still single.

"So I'll take you girls to school today" Jackie said "And we can have some girl shopping spree after school. What do you say?"

"Jackie, the girls have extracurricular activities" Dad said, his blue eyes focused on his toast with homey.