A/N: Fast update, because this one was on my laptop for a little while. Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks to everyone who commented on the previous one :)

K ~ Kindergarten

October 14, 1985

I took a deep breath before knocking on the principal's door. He had called me this morning to discuss something about my daughter and asked me to pay him a visit before the end of the day. Nothing serious, just a brief conversation to inform me about my daughter's conspicuous behavior. He opened the door and I immediately spotted another woman in the room.

"Hi Miss Vause. Thank you for coming. Please have a seat," he greeted me.

I stepped inside and glanced at the woman sitting in the opposite chair. Fuck, it's Martha, my sister's best friend from high school who seemed to have vanished into thin air after they graduated.

"Hi Diane. It's been a while." She still has that screeching voice that almost damaged my hearing when I was a kid. I noticed that she was dressed in the most expensive clothes and was wearing diamond earrings. She probably married a wealthy guy.

"Martha," I said and gave her a little nod before sitting down in the chair.

"Miss Vause, your daughter's teacher and Misses Young both have some concerns regarding your child's behavior in the classroom and on the playground. She seems very impressed with Misses Young's child and is expressing her appreciation in an unacceptable way. That's why I called you, so we can talk about it. Misses Young, maybe you can inform Miss Vause about what happened?"

An unacceptable way? Alex? I know Alex is not good at making friends and can be a little overwhelming when she tries to play with other children and sometimes, kids are caught off guard by her clumsy attempts to make contact, but she has never done anything unacceptable. This doesn't sound as Alex at all.

"Diane, Alex seems to like my child a lot, but I'm not comfortable with the way she's expressing her… admiration. She's giving Chris hugs and kisses for two weeks now. Chris doesn't want it, but is scared to tell her and if I'm honest with you, I'm not comfortable with Alex's behavior either," Martha said.

This was not what I was expecting, but I could easily picture Alex doing something like that. She's having a hard time understanding social rules and interaction since she entered kindergarten and started playing with other children, but I'm doing the best I can to help her developing all of those skills.

"I'm sorry to hear that Martha, I'll tell Alex she can't hug or kiss your son without his permission."

As soon as the words left my mouth, all the color drained from Martha's face and she turned as white as a sheet.

"Chris is my daughter," she whispered in an aggravated voice.

Oh fuck. A girl? I instantly felt a little stupid. I gave my daughter an unisex name too. I could have known that there was a possibility that Chris was a girl.

"I think you should talk to her as soon as possible Diane. You don't want this to escalate do you?" she continued.

"Escalate?"

"Yes, Alex is just a little girl, but apparently she's already interested in stuff like that . Don't you think you should teach her a few boundaries? I mean, you're barely twenty-three years old Diane, Alex is five and you and I both know who her father is… it's important to pick up the early signals to prevent Alex from going down the same road as you."

A feeling of anger shot through me when the words left her mouth. What was she implying?

"Are you saying my daughter is destined to grow up into a promiscuous skank just because I had her at eighteen and her father fucked every girl in town… including you?" I cringed at my own word choice. I sounded just like my mother. Martha's face turned crimson when I mentioned her one night stand with Lee.

"No Diane, it's just, I mean… both of your genes combined…" she stuttered.

"Say what you wanna say Martha, for fucks sake."

"All I'm saying is… you should keep an eye on your daughter now that she's still so young. You don't want her to turn into some unrestrained sexual explosion once she turns sixteen, do you?"

"Oh please." I rolled my eyes at her, but tried to stay calm. "Don't you think you're exaggerating?" I sighed. "They're kids, it's completely innocent. They don't even know what their doing."

"No I'm not exaggerating, Alex is hugging and kissing my child while Chris' body language screams she doesn't want it."

"Jezus Martha, Alex is five years old. She's still developing social skills. You can't expect her to read someone's body language at her age."

"Diane, I can't believe you're okay with your daughter kissing a girl. Alex's behavior is totally inappropriate"

My body froze in its seat. I didn't even think about that, but I instantly understood the reason why Martha was making such a big deal about all of this.

"You're not concerned about my daughter's minimal knowledge of social rules. The fact that she's kissing a girl is what makes you uncomfortable."

"Yes it does. It's not normal and I think you need to tell her before it's too late"

"Too late?" I asked while I stared at her wide-eyed.

"Yes, you need to teach her that girls aren't supposed to kiss other girls. It's against God's will," she almost shouted.

I couldn't believe this woman, but I could totally understand why Martha and my sister liked each other in the past.

"The only thing I'm going to teach my daughter is that she can't force other kids to hug and kiss her, but I refuse te tell her that's not appropriate to kiss a girl. Fucking hell Martha, it's people like you who keep kids from accepting themselves. You fucking closed-minded…" I had to swallow the last word that threatened to escape my mouth.

I looked at the principal. He shot me a apologetic smile.

"Miss Vause, the children in Alex's class are making fun of her because she gave Chris a kiss when they were on the playground this morning. One of the boys pushed her and Alex fell over," he informed me.

"Okay, and where is his mother? You didn't call her to inform her about her son's unacceptable behavior?" He averted his gaze from mine and glanced down at his desk while a flush crept up his face.

I stood up from my seat and walked to the door. "I fucking hope you precious little girl introduces you to her girlfriend when she's sixteen Martha," I spat before slamming it behind me.

I stormed off to my daughter's classroom and spotted her sitting at the corner table, drawing something with a crayon… alone, while all the other kids were playing together. Fuck.

I walked up to her, put my hand on the back of her head and her green eyes met my gaze.

"Hi sweetheart. Class is over," I lied "Please get you're jacket and let's go home."

She stood up from her chair and ran towards the door, waving goodbye to her teacher. I would explain everything to Misses Smith later.

"Can I sit in the front mom?" Alex asked me when we approached the car. I nodded and stepped inside.

"You wanna go to Wendy's for a Frosty Al?"

She looked up at me with a huge grin on her face. A pure feeling of love flowed through my veins as her eyes sparkled in excitement. She looked so utterly cute in her jeans overall and grey vintage glasses that were a tad too big for her. She had allowed me to finally braid her long hair this morning. Her dark hair was growing so fast all of a sudden and it was already nearing waist-length. Alex is not a girly girl and it's something I have to accept after five years of trying. She's probably never going to wear a dress until she's in high school and wants to impress boys.

Thirty minutes later, we were sitting at a table and sipping our milkshakes. Alex was taking in her surroundings, observing other customers while I was considering different ways to start a conversation about today's events. I didn't know how to approach the subject. I didn't want to upset her or give her a feeling like she had done something wrong. She's such a smart kid, but sometimes she interpreted words the wrong way.

"How was school Al?" I finally managed to ask.

She looked down at her drink, swirling the straw through the icy liquid.

"Fine."

"Did you make any new friends today?"

Her head snapped up and she looked at me in a suspicious way as if she knew where this conversation was heading.

"No."

Shit. This would have been so much easier if she just started telling me about Chris.

"I spoke to the principal today. He told me you're friends with Chris."

A smile formed on her face and her eyes started twinkling again.

"Yeah."

"I'm so happy for you Al. It's always nice to have a good friend."

She didn't respond and took another sip of her drink. Alex has never been very responsive to questions and always seemed to live in her own little world. Usually, it didn't bother me, but it kind of frustrated me right now.

"Is Chris nicer than Ryan?" I continued.

"Yes."

"How come?"

"Because Ryan is in my head mom. He's not real," she giggled as if I just had asked her the stupidest question ever.

Alex had created a imaginary friend when she turned three years old. It worried me at first, but now I just play along. I'm convinced this phase will pass when she gets more involved in social interactions.

"I've noticed that there's a hole in your overalls. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Jake pushed me."

My heart clenched in pain. I hate the fact I can't protect my daughter from bullies.

"Why?"

"I don't know." Her voice sounded confused and I immediately believed her. She truly didn't know the reason why the boy had bullied her.

"Okay, well…. tell me about Chris, sweetheart. What do you girls like to do?"

"Playing."

This was going to take hours. I decided on a more straightforward approach.

"Have you told Chris that you like her?"

She shook her head and took another sip of her drink.

"Does she know you like her Alex?"

"I guess."

"But you just said you haven't told her," I whispered, trying to be as clear as possible.

"Yeah, but she knows because I give her hugs and kisses and hold her hand in class," she shrugged her little shoulders as if it were no big deal.

I swallowed the laugh that almost escaped my throat at my daugther's careless expression.

"That sounds nice Al. Do you like to give Chris hugs and kisses?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

She tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Because she has pretty watch."

A watch? What five-year old kid owns a watch? She can't even read time yet. I instantly relaxed at my daughter's explanation. Of course it was all about the material stuff. If some boy in her class had owned that exact same watch, Alex would have admired and kissed him too. This wasn't about gender, it's just a little kid who is drawn to pretty things and nothing else. I couldn't help but feel ashamed when a wave of relief washed over me. Damn Martha for suggesting that my daughter was already showing some signs of being a lesbian! Jesus Christ, she's only five.

"Does Chris like it when you give her kisses?" I continued.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Are you sure?" I was very surprised at her certainty.

"Yes."

Shit. I couldn't do this. I don't want to hurt my child's feelings, but it's also my job as a mother to teach her about personal space and social behavior.

"Honey, I've spoken to Chris' mom today and she told me that Chris doesn't like the hugs and kisses as much as you do," I said while trying to sound as casually as possible.

"Oh," she looked at me as if she was waiting for me to explain all of this.

"Do you understand what I'm saying Al?"

She shook her head and pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her little nose. I didn't want to hurt her, but I needed to be clear.

"You can't give Chris hugs and kisses baby. She doesn't want it."

Her bottom lip started to quiver and tears welled up in her eyes. It crushed my heart.

"Alex, please don't cry. It doesn't mean she doesn't like you. She still wants to play with you, but without the hugs and kisses."

"I can't kiss her anymore?" Tears were flowing down her cheeks.

"No, you can't. I'm sorry," I whispered.

"But Andrea and Robert give each other kisses all the time, so why can't I kiss Chris anymore? What's the difference?"

The difference is that Robert is a boy and Andrea is a girl and the parents and the school are not comfortable with two little girls who give each other kisses, but of course… I wasn't going to tell her that. She wasn't going to understand anyway. Boy or girl… it's all the same to her at this young age.

"The difference is that Chris doesn't want it and… you know what Alex? Maybe you can ask her from now on? Ask her if she wants a hug or a kiss okay? If she says no, you can't and if she says yes, you're allowed to give her one."

"Yeah, because she didn't say she didn't want it."

"I know kid. That's why you need to ask her before you do something like that okay?"

She nodded at me. I couldn't teach her about body language yet, she was way too young to understand. Asking directly if some of her actions were allowed was the best option for now.

I covered her hand with mine, stroking it with my thumb.

"Friendships are fun and difficult at the same time, but you're doing a fantastic job. I'm so proud of you Alex."

She beamed at me, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

We enjoyed our drinks in silence as I fantasized about my teenage daughter bringing a boyfriend home for the very first time. I hope our bond is still strong and Alex is feeling safe enough to introduce me to him when the time comes. The fact that she likes to kiss a girl at age five doesn't prove anything. I'm convinced that Alex will date a boy when she's ready and old enough.

"Mom?" The sound of her voice pulled me out of my daydream.

"Yes?"

"Can I ride my bike to Steven when we get home?"

Alex had met Steven on the playground a few weeks ago. I'm so happy for her, because he lives in the same trailerpark. She can play with him whenever she wants.

"Sure."

A sudden question popped into in my head and I couldn't suppress the urge to ask her.

"Do you like to give Steven kisses too?"

Her eyes widened in shock, she covered her mouth with her hands and started giggling uncontrollably.

"What's so funny Alex?" I asked in an amused tone, not sure what was so hilarious about my question.

"I'm not going to kiss a boy," she practically screamed.

"Why not?"

"Because that's gross mom." She rolled her eyes at me.

My breath hitched in my throat, my heart rate increased and a slight dizziness clouded my vision.

"Oh," is all I could say.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Maybe I was wrong, maybe Alex wasn't going to be interested in boys when she's a teenager. Suddenly, everything fell into place… the fact that Alex admires Chris and likes to hug and kiss her… the way Alex and Steven end up fighting all the time, because my daughter always forces him to take on a female role when they're playing house. Steven had told her many times that he wanted to play the father, but Alex always keeps insisting on two moms. I instantly felt stupid for not sensing something sooner. I'm her mother for fucks sake.

"Did I say something wrong?" she whispered. I could hear the fear and confusion in her voice.

"Oh no Al! Of course not." I said as I gave her a soft smile, "What do you like about girls sweetheart? Boys are nice too right?"

She furrowed her brow in concentration before opening her mouth to answer my question.

"Boys are okay, but girls are sweet and beautiful and they have pretty hair."

I nibbled on my bottom lip and tried to keep my breathing steady. I'll definitely accept it if Alex turns out to be gay. I'll support her in every way possible, but the idea of Alex falling in love with a girl when she's older, is making me feel a little uneasy. I've nothing against homosexuals, but many people do. I don't want people to judge or exclude my daughter because she's probably gay and is not going to live by society's standards. For the first time since Alex was born, I was glad Lee was not a part of Alex's life. I'm sure he would've disowned her the minute she would tell him.

I settled back into my seat, took the last sip of my milkshake and glanced at my daughter. She's such a beautiful little girl and I already know she's going to be a beautiful woman when she's an adult. A few minutes ago, I still believed the fact that Alex liked to kiss this girl didn't say anything about her future love life, but who the fuck was I kidding? It's so, so obvious and I sincerely hope that nobody is going to give her a hard time for being into girls. I know she'll tell me when she discovers it herself and until then, I'm going to take all those years to get used to the idea that she probably will never give me any grandbabies. Every mother fantasises about their child's future and I had pictured my daughter as a business woman, married to a guy, a loving mother of two kids and traveling the world with her little family. But maybe this was all going to change, maybe she will be a business woman, traveling the world with her girlfriend and without any kids, but I'll support her either way.

"Hey Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever is going to happen in the future and no matter what people will say, I'll always be there for you and I'll always heart you."

She didn't respond and I knew the meaning behind the words was too difficult for her to understand.

"I'm going to marry Chris" she said in a happy voice.

She sat there, sipping her milkshake in her cute overalls, completely oblivious to all the judgment and hatred in the world. I wonder what the future has in store for her. I hope she'll meet a sweet girl who will love her for who she is and hopefully, the law would allow my daughter to get married by then… and I?

I'll be crying my eyes out when I'm helping my gorgeous full-grown little girl into her wedding dress and mourn at the fact that she no longer needs me, because some other woman is taking care of her.

"I'm sure you and Chris will be very happy sweetheart," I whispered and leaned over the table to kiss the top of her head. "I'm so proud of you."

I guess my face was contorted in some kind of concerned expression, because Alex's little hand touched mine.

"Hey mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll always heart you too."