<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:106%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>I Should Have Known<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Marcia J. Wick<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>June 2023<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Word Count: 201<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As your mom, I should have known. You told me when you were twelve that you liked girls more than boys. I said I did not see it in you. I said I would know. I would have told you if I thought you were gay. I would not mind if you were, but I said you would not know at your age. I was wrong. You went out with men; once or twice, you thought you were in love. You would be a man’s wife. You would walk down the aisle. You might have a child…or not. You fought with the men. Who was in charge? You knew who you were, but fought to swim up the stream. The cops were called. You broke down. When at last I stepped back, you stepped up. You searched the web and found a girl like you. She was both straight and gay. Her heart was warm. She liked you for you. She woke up your soul. The two of you are like one. Who was I to say? I was wrong to think I knew more than you. You have taught me that love knows no bounds. Thank you. I love you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>