Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  NIGHTSPOTS

dateland
by Jennifer Parello
2007-06-20

This article shared 2483 times since Wed Jun 20, 2007
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


Although I have no desire to have children myself, I've often fantasized about getting involved with a single mother. Being a stepmother seemed to have all the benefits of motherhood without the hassles. You'd be the kid's fun, cool friend; the person they'd turn to when they needed someone to talk some sense into their mother. The adult who let them sneak sips of beer and winked in commiseration when they needed money to buy condoms.

So, a couple of years ago, I was delighted to develop a crush on a single mom.

When I met Leigh, she told me that she had recently resurfaced into the dating world after ending a long-term relationship. The breakup was amicable and she and her former lover shared custody of Billy, their son. Carol, her ex-girlfriend, lived upstairs so they could both see Billy every day.

I met Carol on my first date with Leigh. She greeted me at the door with a cold, deadly stare. She turned her back on me and walked inside without a word. Obviously, Carol had not been told that their breakup was amicable.

I didn't meet Billy until our third date. He possessed an unsettling stillness that made him seem like a desperately unhappy middle-aged man squeezed into a little-boy body. I handed Billy the toy I had been carrying with me since my first date with Leigh. I had come to the first date fully prepared to buy Billy's affection. But I didn't remove the toy from my bag on that occasion because I was fairly certain that Carol would kill me if I made a move on her son.

Billy accepted the gift without a thank you. He sat on the floor playing with it, ignoring my attempts to make conversation with him. Over the next few weeks, I left other presents with his mother to give to him. He must have viewed me as his own personal Boo Radley, someone who was kept chained to a drainpipe and only emerged to leave small presents at his doorstep.

After a few weeks, Billy began to warm up to me in that way that a wild animal will if he thinks you are going to give him food. One day, Billy asked me to hold him upside down by the feet. There was nothing playful about the request. Billy was all business. I dutifully picked him up by the feet. 'Now, swing me around,' he demanded. I did so, and he endured the session joylessly.

I don't know if it was the weird kid or the homicidal ex-girlfriend, but my infatuation with Leigh waned the moment I first stepped into her house. Still, I felt compelled to sleep with her. So, one evening, when Billy was spending the night upstairs at Carol's apartment, I slept over.

I awoke the next morning early, determined to get out of the house before Billy returned home. While I was in the bathroom washing my face, I heard a door slam and tiny feet pounding down the hallway. The feet ran past the bathroom, but then skidded to a stop. A small voice called into the bathroom.

'Mommy?'

I froze.

'Mommy? Mommy?'

I had no idea what to do. I prayed that the kid would give up and walk away.

'Mommy?'

'Yes,' I said finally.

'I love you,' he said in a singsong.

I stared at myself in the mirror, my eyes wide with panic.

'Mommy? I love you,' he repeated. He wasn't going to leave without a response.

'I love you, too,' I said finally, not meaning a word of it.

You got somethin' to say to me? Contact me at my web site: www.jenniferparello.com


This article shared 2483 times since Wed Jun 20, 2007
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

WORLD World leaders, Namibia attack, Taiwan electoral win, Irish LGBTQ+ groups 2024-01-19
- In the wake of Gabriel Attal being named France's newest prime minister, PinkNews published a list of every out LGBTQ+ world leader to date. They include ex-San Marino head of state Paolo Rondelli, former Iceland Prime ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ 'Shucked,' Melissa Etheridge, 'Elite,' composer dies, Orville Peck 2023-10-19
- The Broadway production Shucked has set a closing date of Jan. 14, 2024 at the Nederlander Theatre, Playbill noted. At closing, the Tony-nominated musical will have played 28 previews and 327 regular performances. A North American ...


Gay News

Beyonce concert film 'Renaissance' debuting Dec. 1 2023-10-03
- Media outlets have reported that the theatrical release date for Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce—a movie chronicling the superstar's most recent world tour—is Dec. 1. Advance tickets are already available for sale on major theater chains ...


Gay News

Support group for LGBT widows and widowers unites members in grief 2023-09-30
- In May of 2016, C. Russell Bond of Wilmette founded a Meetup.com monthly support group for LGBT widows and widowers. The group's most recent September meeting happened to fall one day after an anniversary date with ...


Gay News

"The Mattachine Family" to open Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Fest Sept. 21 2023-08-02
--From a press release - Chicago, Illinois (August 2, 2023) — Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival today announced the dates and opening night presentation for its 41st edition, running Sept. 21 - Oct. 8, 2023. This year, the second-longest ...


Gay News

Equality Illinois heralds July 1 effective date of trans-affirming birth certificate law 2023-06-28
--From a press release - CHICAGO — Effective July 1, trans and gender-expansive individuals born in Illinois will be able to self-identify for gender marker corrections on their birth certificates because of a law approved by Governor JB Pritzker earlier this ...


Gay News

Billy Masters: And Anderson doesn't makes three 2023-05-22
- "We could have some good threesomes, me and Anderson." —Andy Cohen's response to Sherri Shepherd's question about his sex life, threesomes, and why he doesn't just date Anderson Cooper. Andy quickly added, "Because, by the way—excuse ...


Gay News

Vermont enacts most comprehensive transgender healthcare protections to date 2023-05-11
--From a press release - May 10, 2023 (MONTPELIER) — Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed into law two bills—HB 89 and SB 37—protecting access to essential healthcare for transgender people. The new laws come as at least 18 states have moved ...


Gay News

WORLD Grindr in Egypt, police report, queer tango, Human Rights Watch, Gay Games 2023-03-31
- Dating app Grindr is warning its users in Egypt that police are allegedly using fake accounts to entrap those seeking dates on the platform, after a spike in recent arrests of LGBTQ+ people, MSN noted via ...


Gay News

Mayor Lightfoot, DCASE announce dates for summer festivals and events 2023-03-13
--From a press release - CHICAGO—Today, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the 2023 dates for some of the City of Chicago's most beloved summertime traditions. Returning festivals and events include ...


Gay News

At 'FIRST(ISH)' Sight: Producer Ashley Flowers speaks on 'honest' representation 2023-02-22
- Ashley Flowers—a producer, co-creator and actor in the short film First(ish) Date, now in pre-production—wears many creative hats. She also has an extensive resume working with stage and film props as well; Flowers has been working ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars announce 2023 schedule 2023-02-08
--From a press release - CHICAGO, Ill. (February 8, 2022) — The Chicago Red Stars and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) announced today the schedule for the 2023 NWSL season. In addition to releasing regular-season dates, the NWSL revealed the ...


Gay News

Beyonce adds second Chicago date to tour 2023-02-05
- Beyonce—now the most-decorated singer in Grammys history—has added a second Chicago date to her newly announced "Renaissance" world tour, according to The Chicago Tribune. She will now perform at Soldier Field on July 22-23. H ...


Gay News

WORLD Brazilian musician, top LGBTQ+ cruises, Elon Musk, anti-trans attack 2022-11-20
- Brazilian musician Pedro Sampaio revealed that he dates men and women, Out noted. Sampaio has 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, more than 5 million followers on Instagram and several music videos with more than 50 ...


Gay News

Russian court sets Brittney Griner's appeal date 2022-10-03
- Brittney Griner's date in front of an appeals court has been set. ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.