The Gang’s All Here
Part I
Therese Szymanski
Dee just walked right into Patty’s townhouse. She figured no one would be able to hear the doorbell over the loud music and crowd of people talking and laughing. She stopped near the door and looked around.
Uh oh, Christi was there. Dee hoped she hadn’t seen her, and headed in the opposite direction...until she spotted Diane chatting with Kathy. She veered off toward the kitchen, and tried to sneak out to the balcony without Carrie seeing her.
But out on the balcony Melinda was laughing about something that was obviously uproarious with Cheryl, Anne, Ricky and Jennifer.
Dee stopped in her tracks, feeling for all the world like a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming semi — there was no place to go, no way to turn!
“Hey honey, when’d you get here?” Patty said, running up to her and pulling her into a very tight, full-body hug.
“Patty, what the heck did you do? Invite all of my exes to this?”
“Of course! It is your birthday party after all!”
Part II
Peggy J. Herring
“Are you nuts?”
“You’ll never even believe whose idea this was,” Patty said.
“She’s here!” a familiar voice announced. “Where have you been, baby?”
“Skeeter?” Dee said with eyes wide open and mouth agape. “How did you know about this?”
“It’s your birthday,” Skeeter said. “All I had to do was find out which femme you were involved with these days and the next thing I knew I was on my way to a birthday party.”
“There she is!” Juanita squealed. “Dee honey. Babykins. Tell them that I was your favorite. Remember that night in Reno? Remember what you told me?”
Dee could feel her face glowing a bright red. Who the hell else is here, she wondered. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the delighted expression on Patty’s face.
“Tell us about that night in Reno, Dee Babykins,” Patty said. “Why don’t we all gather around and exchange some of our favorite Dee stories?”
“That might not be such a good idea,” Dee said. “So do I have presents? Do I have a cake? Where can a girl get a drink?”
“I got your present right here, darlin’,” came another vaguely familiar voice from her past.
Oh, no, Dee thought. No way. No way!! It can’t be her! No way!!
Part III
Laura DeHart Young
“Are you embarrassed, honey?” the same, all too familiar voice asked.
Dee slowly turned around. Yep, they were all there - all the women of her past and then some. “Yeah, Mom. I’m a little embarrassed. I assume you’ve met everyone.”
“Yes - and it’s about time!” Her mother kissed her on the cheek and handed her a beautifully wrapped present. “Every time I want to meet that special someone in your life - it becomes someone else, then someone else. So, I thought this was my one and only chance to meet them all.”
“This was your idea?” Dee asked incredulously.
“It was,” her mother replied matter-of-factly.
“That’s right,” Patty agreed. “And I helped. Just think, Dee. All your women in one room. Past, present - and maybe even the future. We almost had to rent a banquet hall.”
“You’re all hilarious,” Dee said while massaging her now throbbing temples. “Absolutely hilarious. Now can someone please pour me a drink?”