1A/N - Days later ..
Chapter 7
Someone covered Roger's eyes. "Guess who!"
Roger pretended to be confused for a short time. "The only person I know who lives in this apartment building that smells like perfume and has bright blue fingernails. Mark?"
Mimi uncovered his eyes and turn around to face Roger. "Very funny. I haven't seen him this morning, have you?"
Roger didn't admit that he had just woken up minutes before Mimi came in. "Not this morning. Oh look." He gestured to the wall where Mark's bike was parked when not in use. "His bike isn't here. He must be out filming." Roger turned and looked at the table where Mark's camera often got set down. "His bike and his camera are both missing. He's definitely out."
Mimi laughed. "Sometimes I swear the only think Mark has 'ridden' in the past year is his bike. But don't let the camera know that he's cheating on it for a transportation device."
"Touche. Can I use that one?", Roger asked his girlfriend.
"Anytime, pookie." Mimi froze, wide-eyed as soon as the words came out of her mouth. "Oh my god, no, Roger .."
Roger started turning interesting shades of pink, his face quickly becoming flushed. "You .. My girlfriend .. Mimi .. You're turning into her. Into Maur .." He stopped, out of breath and whispered the next word as if it were a sin to let it be heard. "Maureen."
Mimi lost her comical deer-in-the-headlights look instantly and snapped, a rareity. "What's wrong with Maureen? If it weren't for her I wouldn't even be here and you'd be moping around in your stupid plaid pajamas."
"Down, girl." Roger had pressed a bad button and needed to find the off switch quickly. He embraced Mimi and started kissing her fiercely. Mimi pulled back.
"Well, that's a stupid way to try to get me quiet." She kissed him back, but Roger pulled away.
"It worked, didn't it? I know you too well."
"Back off a little, stud, and save it for Friday." Mimi looked into his eyes, waiting for a sign that he remembered what important event was happening on Friday.
'Think Roger, don't screw up again. The surprise party has to actually be a surprise this year!'
"Uhmm .. our anniversary! I love you!"
Mimi smacked him on the side of the head. "That not for 3 months! Idiot. How about MY BIRTHDAY?"
Roger started to sweat. 'I need a cover. Fast! She's gonna kick my ass.' "I WAS JUST KIDDING! Of .. Course .. I knew it was your birthday. Right."
Mimi nodded skeptically. He better not forget AGAIN. He had two days to pull off something special. Little did she know that she was in for the party of her life.
"I have to go, baby. I'll see you later this afternoon." Mimi grabbed her jacket and made it halfway to the door when the phone rang, letting the machine pick it up.
SPEEEEEEAAAAAAKKKKKKK
A business-like woman spoke to the answering machine. "This is Helen Sanders from Gouverneur Hospital calling for a Miss Marima Marquez. I know that this isn't your phone number, but I was told I could reach you here. I'm calling on account of your mother. I am not permitted to share information over an answering machine, but we recommend you come visit your mother very soon; she is asking for you. Please return my call as quickly as possible at 212-690-1292."
Mimi stood dazed, staring at the answering machine. She hadn't spoken to her mother since she ran away from home, and if she was asking to see her, it definitely wasn't a good sign.
Roger watched Mimi stand staring at the machine in shock. "Honey, would you like me to dial. 212-690-1292, wasn't it?"
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Back at home, Joanne was flipping through the phone book looking for New York City adoption agencies.
"Honeybear, isn't this a little .. FAST?" Maureen stood watching Joanne from over her shoulder search the white pages.
"Mo, didn't we both decide we wanted kids? It can take years for a family to get placed with a child. There is so much to do, you don't go grocery shopping for babies! You have to fill out a lifesyle survey, then wait to be accepted, and then wait more for an available child. If we want children within the next 3 years we had better start now. Oh look at this." Joanne's finger traced over bold type. "Adoption Center of NY, a New York State Non-Profit Adoption Agency. That means that we would be adopting a child from around this area. Is that what you would like, Maureen?"
Maureen honestly didn't know what to say. She was still in shock from agreeing to have children, and now she was supposed to pick out an agency and start planning? She shook her head. "It's really up to you, I'm not an expert with these things. A kid is a kid, other than one thing. Are we going to get a baby or an older kid? I hate moody teenagers."
Joanne gave her a partly condescending look. "Babies turn INTO teenagers, Maureen. That's the way things go. I have to see your point there though, I'm not so sure that I want to start by raising a 14 year old. It really depends on who we're offered. We might not get a lot of choices."
"This sounds like a restaurant, you know. You walk in, find a friendly person who will serve you, open up the menu, pick out something that sounds good, and they give it to you, and you eat it, and go home." Maureen was babbling.
Joanne laughed. "Maureen, I'd prefer you not consume our future children if it's all the same to you, but I agree. It seems so .. impersonal. I'll call and see if we can arrange a meeting with a social worker."
Joanne went back to her phone book, locating a telephone number within the ad. Maureen hesitantly stopped her from picking up the phone.
"Are you scared, Joanne? That they won't like us. People like us. You know. Not everyone .. Wants that for their children. It's stupid, but I'm scared. What if?"
Joanne took Maureen's hands in hers. "Say it Maureen. It's not an evil word. I'm a lesbian. You're a lesbian. But, I was thinking the same thing in the back of my mind. I guess the best way to find out is to call." She picked up the phone and dialed the A.C.N.Y.'s number. Maureen was still holding Joanne's hand.
"Hello? My name is Joanne Jefferson, and I had a few questions about adoption."
"What may I help you with, Ms. Jefferson? Our agency provides child placement with various types of families. Because of the large number of children of different ages available for adoption, you will be placed with a child almost immediately at the time of your choosing. Let me ask you a few questions about yourself. Would you like to complete our lifestyle survey over the telephone?"
This all sounded perfect. They could choose a date to adopt, choose the age of their child, and it seemed that this agency was open-minded towards their lifestyle.
"Of course. This sounds perfect for us."
"This survey will be shown to birth parents to aid them in the placement of their child. First off, we need to know about your family. Wife: Joanne Jefferson? Did I get that right? What is the name of your husband?"
'Oh no!', she thought. 'This could be an uncomfortable situation. "I don't have a husband."
"That's fine, Ms. Jefferson, most birth parents are fine with placement to a single mother. How about your profession? What do you do for a living?"
Joanne interrupted her. "My partner, Maureen Johnson, would also like to be included in the adoption process. Would it be better to just schedule a meeting with you?"
"Oh .. Ms. Jefferson. I regret to inform you that most birth parents opt against placing their child with a gay couple. You may still fill out a profile with us, but it is almost certain that you will have a long waiting period to find an accepting birth mother. Being lesbian isn't something that self-respecting people go around doing. Are you sure I can help you?"
Joanne didn't bother hiding her fury. "Go to hell, bitch. And for your sake I hope you don't run into any lesbians along the way!" She slammed the phone and brushed off her hands, pleased with herself that she had taken a stand for herself.
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"Hello? Ms. Sanders? This is Roger Davis calling on behalf of Mimi Marquez. I'm sorry that we couldn't answer the phone when you called. Is everything alright? How's Mrs. Marquez? What should I tell Mimi?"
"I'm sorry Mr. Davis, but I'm not authorized to share any information to persons other than Miss Marquez. If she can't speak to me over the phone, I highly recommend you bring her to the hospital as soon as possible and we can straighten out matters there."
"Wait, I'll see if Mimi will take the phone."He turned around to her and gave a pleading look. She walked over in a daze and held the receiver to her ear, listening.
She handed him back the phone and Roger hung up without saying goodbye. "Mimi? Baby? We really have to go to the hospital."
Mimi was still standing on the spot. "I know we do. My mom is dying of AIDS." That's all the Mimi remembers because she passed out cold on the floor.
Roger picked her up and proceeded to carry her light body down the steps and towards the hospital, hoping she would regain consciousness along the way.