Safe and Sound

The five of us gathered in the living room. The grandparents, Paul and Sheryl, sat on the couch; Skylar sat in the recliner chair and I stood behind her. Katie sat at one of the dining room chairs. She looked like she was ready to watch a movie.
“Now, who are you and what gives you the right to call my grand daughter anything?” Paul asked. He didn’t say it in a threatening manner, more like he knew there was a good reason for what I said.
“I was defending Sky.”
“Sky?”
“Skylar,” I replied as I glanced down. Skylar had her head drooped down. She didn’t want to look at anyone.
“His name is Stephen,” Paul replied as he looked at his wife. “Do you know anything about this?”
“Shelly did say something happened last year with a girl named Skylar.”
“Was this the girl who you talked to us about at your school, Katie?”
“No, I said that Steph wanted to be called Skylar, but we took care of it.”
“Doesn’t look like anyone took care of anything,” her grandfather replied.
“There’s nothing to take care of,” I said as my eyes locked with Katie.
“Who are you again?” Paul asked.
“He thinks he’s some kind of big-shot successful writer.”
“Are you?” Paul asked as he leaned towards me.
“He is,” Skylar replied as she picked up a book from the coffee table and handed it to her grandfather.
He flipped between looking at front and back covers. “Looks like you alright.”
“Thank you.”
“He’s probably a keeper, Stephen, or Skylar, or whatever you want to call yourself.”
“Grandpa, seriously, you can’t just let him do that. Think about what they’ll say back home.”
“We already know what they say, but the good Lord tells me not to care about the opinion of others,” her grandmother replied and nodded at Katie.
“But this is all wrong, I mean, what’s he wearing underneath that dress?”
“I’m going commando myself,” Paul said as he laid back on the couch. “And here I thought you were dealing drugs.”
“No sir,” I replied.
Skylar looked up at me and then to her grandparents. “I wanted to tell you, but, I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Well, mom and dad, they—”
“We’re not your parents. Thank God.” Paul replied with a loud breath.
“Grandpa!”
“Your dad knows how I feel about him, Katie.”’
Katie’s eyes darted back and forth between me and her grandparents. “Whatever! That’s what everything’s going to become. A do whatever you want! You can pretend to a girl and you,” she pointed at me with her middle fingers, “can pretend all you want, but you’re going to have to face the fact you’re gay, man. What would your readers say?”
“Kathleen Isabel Dorian.”
“Yes, Grandma.”
“We do not lower ourselves to that level. It is childish, inconsiderate and flat-out rude.”
“Stephen’s flat out rude to us! He’s an insult to all women!”
Skylar tried to get up but I held onto her shoulders and tried to make her stay. Seeing that wasn’t going to work, I moved around the chair and grabbed her around the waist. “You’re who you want to be, Skylar. That’s all that matters. So, don’t worry about what she says.”
Skye left her head down so I raised her chin up.
“Hey, we’re all here for you.”
“I just don’t know what to think right now.”
“Just know that you look great in that dress and in anything you’d ever want to wear.”
“Thank you.”
I kissed Skyler on the forehead which caused Katie to jump out of her chair. “Holy Sodom and Gomorrah. You see this, right?”
I turned to look at their grandparents.
Paul looked at his wife. “Did you cancel the reservation Cheryl?”
“No, not yet.”
“Good,” he replied with a light slap to her arm. “I think we can still make it. Coming, Mr. Logan?”
“I’d love to, but, I will need to check in with my family.”
“Well, you two go and do that. We have about thirty minutes.”