An hour passed, an hour of joy and affirmation. Then the doorbell rang. Through the laughter of her friends, Kitten heard Mrs. Beaumont’s voice. She could not make out the words, but she knew the afternoon had ended.
A moment later, Mama and Mrs. Beaumont walked through the bedroom door. They surveyed the scarves and the lipstick tube discarded on the carpet. Mama lifted Karen from the floor, where she had collapsed in laughter. Tammy had also tipped sideways in her chair, but she still wore the yellow feather bo Mrs. Beaumont pulled Tammy back into an upright position and secured the straps.
Karen hoped they were not in trouble. Then Tammy’s sister Sandra came in. Her eyebrows closed into a frown. “Tammy, are you okay?” she asked.
Tammy raised her head, and as it twitched from side to side, she said, “This was the best afternoon of my life. Kitten and Kimberly accepted me as I am.”
Original text ©2022 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.
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