Paula said, ‘I’m here, Franzi.’ Then Paula went to the other side of Franzi’s bed, across from her parents. Gertrud had her look of contempt and anger on Paula like a hawk ready to strike while Andreas just looked at Franzi’s face. Paula held Franzi’s hand and Gertrud stood like a statue.

Paula said, ‘I guess the pleasantries can wait.’ Paula sent a look to Gertrud telling her that she knew what Gertrud had said. But Franzi’s mother did not budge.

Gertrud said, ‘Get out.’ Paula refused to move. ‘Get…out.’ Paula still didn’t move.

Franzi said, ‘Mother’ and Gertrud glanced at Franzi then looked back at Paula. Franzi felt her mother’s hand and gently tugged saying, ‘Mother.’ This got her attention. ‘Can you please try and be polite to her? This is the woman who saved my life.’

Gertrud asked, ‘And now you think you owe her by turning into a lesbian?’

Franzi was outraged and said, ‘Hang on there. You can’t turn somebody into a lesbian! Plus, she is standing right here so it would be nice OF YOU to show a little bit of gratitude and respect. The kind of things you would want from her and me and everyone else you know.’

Andreas said, ‘Wait a minute. Please. Let’s just…give ourselves some time and we’ll start over again. All right?’

Andreas tried to calm Gertrud down but she was here to see her daughter; not to find out she was gay or that she was perverted by a woman. Paula sat in the visitor’s chair beside Franzi’s bed.

Paula exhaled and said, ‘Well, that could have been better.’

Franzi said, ‘Paula. Believe me. It isn’t you.’

Paula felt the sweat on her head and replied, ‘It sure feels like it is me. I mean, she only just met me and she’s saying that I might as well have killed you myself.’

Franzi said, ‘Don’t talk yourself down like that, Paula, and don’t let her get to you.’ Then Franzi gave a brief history about her mother. ‘She’s been out of the loop for 3 years so she doesn’t know about me, Philip, or you. She brought me up to be normal, or whatever she thought was normal.’

Paula asked, ‘So you never…?’

Franzi said, ‘No. You were my first.’

Paula replied, ‘And probably your last if this goes how I think it’s gonna go.’

Franzi said, ‘Don’t worry. Just let me do some talking. But trust me, my father is more well behaved.’

Paula said, ‘I got that from the way he held himself together. But what about us?’ Paula almost let herself whine nervously.

Franzi answered, ‘Don’t worry about us right now. Let’s just get through this and see what happens next. That’s all; just wait and see.’ Paula complied and said, ‘Ich Liebe Dich, Franzi’ and kissed Franzi on the lips.

Franzi replied, ‘Ich Liebe Dich, auch Paula.’