#sh:lou

There’s not just one way to start a family, and no one knows that better than me and my husband Paul.

Paul’s upbringing was very traditional; a mom and a dad who had all 5 of their children the old fashioned way. His mom, Lucinda, stayed at home until the kids were older while Dad Lou, a lawyer, worked out of the home. 

My family situation was a little more atypical. You see, at the time me and my twin sister Chantal were conceived, my Pops (Solomon) was still in the closet trying to convince himself and the world that he was a straight man. Before my Mom could tell him about the pregnancy, she found out the truth and decided not to tell him about me and my sister. It was 13 long years before my Pops found out we existed. By then, he was married to my Dad David, who had a 15-year-old daughter of his own.

My sister Cece had her own unique upbringing. Dad and his close friend Amelia decided to have a child together. They were both out of the closet and unsure of a better pathway for them to each have children. It wasn’t as easy to become a parent as a gay person back then, and with them both being single and ready for parenthood, it seemed like the easiest solution. Now they’re both married to their respective partners and Cece has four loving parents in her life.

When Paul and I decided to have kids, we had a lot more options at our disposal. Still, two men having kids together isn’t a very straightforward path. We arrived at our own unconventional arrangement and we now have two beautiful daughters, Rachel and Chelsea. Like with Cece, their mom is involved in their lives and they have 3 parents looking out for them. This is the story of how our family came to be.

One thing that changed when Paul and I got together was that I had to come out as pansexual. Not that I was worried about being accepted; I wouldn’t be friends with anyone who wasn’t supportive of the LGBT+ community, and a lot of the people close to me were a part of the community themselves.

But it’s still nerve wracking to realize your concept of yourself was misguided and having to let everyone know that you got it wrong. No one else saw it that way, of course. Everyone was supportive of me, and they all thought Paul was great.

Paul was already out to his family, but I think us being together was still a surprise. I wasn’t the type of person he normally brought home. His previous relationships were with people more like him–responsible, polished, presentable people. Meanwhile, there I was with holes in my jeans and my face, cracking inappropriate jokes.

Still, his parents liked me. I think Lucinda was pleased that I could banter with her, and Lou is such a friendly guy that he would give almost anyone a chance. 

His sister Lucy is my boss and my best friend. Telling her about our relationship was awkward since we didn’t know how she would react. To be honest, she was a little worried. She didn’t want to be forced to choose between us should we break up, but after a while she realized we were the real deal.

Eventually she would tell us that she was happy two of her favorite people were in love with each other. 

We also had to connect with each other’s friends. This was pretty easy for the most part as my friends were all pretty cool and Paul had already set boundaries with some of his more difficult friendships. Besides, we already knew the important people in each others’ lives.

I didn’t get along with his best friend Danica at first, but she’d put some serious effort into being less of a busybody and we eventually became like family. Our connection was good for her, too, as it led to her meeting my friend Chase, who would become her husband.

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Lou: Chantal, I just want to say I appreciate you helping out with this case. You could’ve just walked away and washed your hands of all of this, but what you’re doing is going to help a lot of people.

Chantal: I hope so. I feel bad enough that I’ve been working for a company that’s doing such horrible things.

Lou: The important thing is that you’re doing something about it now. I understand you have some reservations about this whole thing. I know lawyers don’t have the greatest reputations, but I promise you–and your dads– that you’re in good hands.

David: Father to father, we’re worried about what this company is capable of. How do we know that testifying against them won’t have consequences for Chantal?

Lou: Look, as a father, I wouldn’t put a young woman through this if I didn’t think we had a strong case. Thanks to your daughter, we do. The evidence speaks for itself, but with Chantal’s testimony, we have it in the bag.

Solomon: Well, it’s up to Chantal if she wants to proceed with testifying. What do you think, honey?

Chantal: I want to do what I can to make things right. If that means testifying against SNOOT and putting myself at risk for retaliation, then so be it. I just can’t walk away knowing I could’ve done something and didn’t.

Lou: You’re doing the right thing. I’ll work with you to prepare you for what kind of questions they might ask and how to answer them. I promise you, everything’s going to be fine. And if they try anything after the trial, let me know and I’ll help you however I can.

Chantal: Thanks so much! I feel better now. I can’t wait to see Ambrose get what she deserves.

Lilian: Chantal, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. This is my sister, Julianne.

Julianne: I just wanted to thank you for coming forward with all of the information you had. It really helped my case. Now that Ambrose is responsible for paying my medical bills, I’ll finally be able to continue my medical treatments. And the award for pain and suffering will make up for the income I lost after losing my job.

Chantal: It was the least I could do. I’m glad you and the other victims can finally move on and that Ambrose will be paying for what she’s done.

Lilian: If you need anything let me know. I hope I’ll see you around.

Chantal: Sure, see you!

[Ambrose and Nico approach Chantal. David starts to walk towards them, but Solomon stops him]

Solomon: She can handle this.

Ambrose: You! You sneaky little rat! You were supposed to be on my side. You’ll pay for this, Chantel!

Chantal: My name is Chantal! And from what I hear, I think you’re the one who’ll be paying. I do want to thank you, though. I did learn a lot from you about how not to run a business. 

Chantal: [turns to Nico] And Nico, I want to thank you for teaching me what kind of man I don’t want. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of big plans I need to focus on, and I’m not letting either of you stand in my way.

Chantal: [continues] Oh, and if you contact me again, you’ll be hearing from my lawyer.

David: We’re so proud of you honey!

Solomon: You did the right thing, and it really paid off.

Chantal: Yeah, I’m just glad some good came from this whole situation. This whole thing made me realize that I do have some trauma from my upbringing that I need to address. I’ve always tried to ignore it, but I think it’s time I started therapy.

David: I think that’s a great idea.

Solomon: I hope you feel more comfortable coming to us with your problems. 

Chantal: I do! Thanks for being there for me today...and every day.