“Well said,” I commented.
Miss Mattie walked around us and straight to the door. She opened it like a doorman at a fine hotel. “Take good care of my girl,” she said with eyes fixed on me.
I still could not bring myself not to feel uncomfortable that she referred to Stephen as a girl. I could not bring myself to feel comfortable that he referred to himself as a girl, that he insisted he was female, but one thing I knew for sure was that this old woman loved him. He listened to her guidance, obviously very good guidance, and she was probably the only person he knew who didn’t hurt him or put him down. I placed my hand on Stephen’s shoulder and directed him toward the door.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said as we passed by Miss Mattie into the hall.
“Bye, baby,” she said to Stephen once we had stepped
