Megan had picked Lacey up on her own so they could have some time together, just the two of them, before they met Kate at Lacey's favorite restaurant. Megan figured it couldn't hurt.
"Lacey, you know Dr. Murphy."
"Yeah, we met when I was doing my school project. You had really nice things to say about my mom."
Kate smiled and blushed slightly as she caught Megan grinning out of the corner of her eye.
"Well, your mother is amazing. The best."
"I know, but you're her boss. Aren't you supposed to be the best?"
Megan was beginning to realize her daughter lacked a certain tact at times. It must have been genetic.
"We are equally good at what we do," Megan jumped in. "We come from different backgrounds, so we can bring our own expertise to the table. That's why it's best when we work together."
She smiled and looked over at Kate, who didn't seem too phased.
"So, you said you had something to tell me?" Lacey cut in. "What is it?"
"Don't you want to order first?"
"No, I hate waiting. Is it about the guy you've been dating? Can I finally see a pic?"
Kate dropped her menu and looked at Megan, stunned.
"No, no. Okay…Lacey, there's no guy. I haven't been dating a guy."
"You lied? Why would you make up something like that?"
"I didn't lie… I just didn't tell you the whole truth."
Kate made a funny noise in the back of her throat as she continued to peruse the menu, though she was listening very attentively. Megan kicked her under the table, and she dropped her menu again. Lacey looked at her like she was strange, then looked back at her mom, confused.
"So you're not dating anyone?"
"No," Megan took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, then at Kate, then back at Lacey. "I am seeing someone, just…not a guy."
Lacey stared at her blankly for a moment. Megan looked over at Kate, who was smiling as she continued to look at the menu, which shook nervously in her hands. Then she looked back at Lacey again, whose face was finally becoming unfrozen.
"Oh…so…are you saying?"
"Dr. Murphy…Kate…and I, are together. Yes."
Lacey looked a little uncomfortable, and Megan started to feel sick to her stomach. This was one of the hardest things she had ever done.
"But…I don't get it. So…you're gay all of a sudden?"
"Well, not really all of a sudden. I think I've always kind of felt an attraction to women, I just never cared to act on it until…"
"What about dad?"
Megan had expected this part.
"I loved your father, Lacey. But this has nothing to do with him. This is just something that happened, and I don't really have all the answers as to why, even within myself. But I'm very happy, and I hope that you will eventually be happy for me too."
Lacey looked like she was trying to figure it out. Megan thought she was handling it very maturely so far.
"I do want you to be happy. I'm just… a little shocked. I had no idea."
"Well, that's why I wanted to wait to tell you, until I was sure."
Lacey looked at Kate. Kate felt her stomach do a somersault.
"Is that why you were so nice in the interview?"
Kate laughed a little, nervous still. "No. I mean, I think your mom is a genius, and that's part of what I love about her, but no, I was being honest. It was based solely on her work."
Megan smirked incredulously.
"But you love her?"
Lacey knew exactly what questions to ask. She was good at this. Megan felt proud.
"Yes, I do," Kate said without batting an eyelash.
"Mom?"
"What?" She had spaced out, her mind zooming in a million different directions.
"Are you in love with Kate?"
Megan's cheeks turned red, not because she wasn't sure of the answer, but because it felt funny being interrogated her twelve year old.
"Yes," she looked over at Kate, who seemed to be letting go over her nerves. She reached under the table and held her hand. "A lot."
Lacey still looked unsure, but she tried to smile.
"Then… I'm gonna try to be happy for you. I mean, I am happy for you. I'm still just…kind of shocked."
"Understandable."
The waiter came up just in time to take their order, and then they sat in silence for what seemed like forever, until Kate finally tried to break the ice.
"Lacey, do you like football?"
"Not really," she admitted. "But I'm trying to learn more about it. A lot of my friends do." Lacey took a big gulp of her soda. "Do you?"
"Love it," Kate relished. "That's one of the things you're required to like when you grow up on an army base. Though, lucky for me, I didn't have to pretend."
"You lived on an army base? That's kind of cool."
"Sometimes it was. Other times it was…challenging."
"Did you see a lot of dead people? Is that why you became a medical examiner?"
Kate smiled. "They tend to hide the dead and wounded from kids. But who knows, maybe it subconsciously had an effect on me."
Lacey continued to look curious.
"Anyway, I'm taking your mom to an Eagles game soon. Maybe you'd like to come with us?"
Lacey's eyes went wide and she looked at Megan.
"Mom? You're going to a football game?"
"I don't have much of a choice," Megan smirked. "But hey, I'm willing to try new things. If the two of you are there, it can't be that bad."
Lacey smiled as she looked back and forth between her mom and Kate. She was suddenly very happy for her, indeed.