Beth Jenkins, raised in an Irish Catholic family outside Chicago, with her father a retired Chicago cop, would not acknowledge to her family that she was gay, fearing how they would react. She moved to New York, visiting her home occasionally. At Christmas just over three years before the story begins, and against her better judgment, she responds to the when-I-you-going-to-find-a-man question by coming out.<br><br>Any hopes of staying are shattered when her father says he will not sit at the same table with this creature. For three years she speaks to neither her parents. Then her sister calls. "Dad is dying. He's turned over a new leaf." She agrees to come, but only with her girlfriend, with whom she is living in Brooklyn.<br><br>This is the story of their journey to Beth's home and what happens when she gets there.

The Prodigal Daughter

“I think Melissa should lay low at least until you see Dad.”


“Are you okay with her staying with me in your house.”


“Do I have a choice. I’m sorry. That came out wrong. She’s your friend and she can of course stay with you as long as you don’t—”


I looked to the backseat, and a trace of her demon smile crossed her lips and she winked at me. I shook my head with a smile.


“Not to worry Tim. We’re not rabbits. We’ll be good.”


He fell over himself trying to mumble an apology but before he managed it, we were at the house. There was a line of cars in the driveway, and he pulled behind another car on the street. We were in front of the Johnson’s so we would not be seen by my family until we were on the front walk.


Chapter 5