Shego waited until the girls were asleep and she and Kim were in bed before she brought up the subject. “They're eleven now,” she said seriously. “This is the year they need to decide. I want them to go through preparation for their Bat Mitzvahs.”
“I know, and I want them to attend confirmation classes at the church. What are we going to do?”
“It's hard on them, but can we ask them to go through both? Once they decide they won't have to go to church anymore.”
“You mean synagogue.”
“I mean church.”
“This isn't competition between us. We need to remember that.”
Shego took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You're right. I'm sorry.” The pale green woman hesitated, then spoke again, “Umm, there's a little problem.”
“What is it?”
“Bat Mitzvah lessons are on Sunday.”
“Sunday is my day.”
“You can take them to early services. Please, Kim. If it was the other way around I'd be happy to let them go to confirmation lessons on Saturday afternoon.”
“Really?”
“Really, swear to God.”
“I wish I could be as noble as you. But I feel like I've been in the synagogue a lot more during the last ten years than you've been in church.”
“KIM! You're not fair! Sunday is the only day they have for Bat Mitzvah preparation.”
“Well, since you said you would have let them go to confirmation classes on Saturday afternoon, I'm willing to cut a deal with you.”
“What sort of deal?” Shego asked, the suspicion obvious in her voice.
“The choir director has been giving me a hungry look--”
“You want me to beat him up?”
“SHEGO! He wants me in the choir.”
“You in the choir? It was easier to believe he was hitting on you. You are one sexy lady.”
Kim kissed her partner on the cheek, “Idiot. My voice isn't that bad. I've got a perfectly good voice for the alto section. But the idea hit me, we need new choir members and I know someone with a solo quality voice--”
“No, Kim, I'm Jewish, remember? I don't sing in the church choir.”
“I'm sorry, I thought you wanted the girls to go to Bat Mitzvah preparation.”
“You're being unfair.”
“That's the proposal. Take it or leave it.”
“Will you join choir too?”
“If you want me to. Rehearsals are on Wednesday night.”
“Okay, we're both in.”
“Fine. Oh, promise me you won't do anything to embarrass the old blue-haired ladies or I'll never speak to you again.”
“I promise.” It had not gone as well as she wanted, but at least the girls would be able to study towards Bat Mitzvahs.
Kim closed her eyes and snuggled up to Shego, getting ready to go to sleep. “Oh, by the way, the pale woman asked, “When are confirmation classes at the church?”
“Umm, Saturday afternoons,” the redhead murmured. “I'm so glad you said you wouldn't make a fuss.”
As the family ate dinner the following evening Shego brought up the topic. “Kasy, Sheki, I know sometimes you complain about how busy you are every weekend. This next year is going to be even worse for you, I'm afraid. You need to decide whether you're going to be Christian or Jewish. And your mommy and I want you to go through the lessons for both, so you can make up your minds for yourselves.”
“And it will be your choice,” Kim assured them. “Eemah and I will not try to force you either way. We love you, no matter how you decide.”
“Right, your mother will still love you if you decide Jewish. I'll just never speak to you again if you don't.”
“Shego!” Kim swatted her partner on the arm. “Stop that!”
“Notice how the Christians persecute the Jews,” Shego told the twins.
Kim swatted her on the arm again, “We agreed not to put pressure on them!”
“All's fair in love and war, Kim. Remember girls, eight nights of Chanukah, only one for Christmas--”
“All's fair in love?” Kim interrupted.
“Yes, and war--” Shego's words were cut off suddenly as Kim grabbed her and threw the pale woman over her shoulder, then headed for the door out of the kitchen.
“Finish supper and load the dishwasher,” Kim told the twins. “Eemah and I have to, ah, review our conversation on the subject. We'll be back in fifteen minutes.”
Shego giggled, “It had better take us at least forty-five minutes to review our conversation.”
As Kim's footsteps could be heard going up the stairs Sheki moved her plate and laid her head down on the table, “Why couldn't we have normal parents like all our friends?”
“Come on, Shek. They're not that bad. Whose parents would you trade them for?”
The girl with the dark green hair thought for a minute. “Okay. We've got better parents than any of our friends. But this is really going to be tough.”
“Yeah, we're going to be busy every weekend for a year.”
“No. It doesn't matter what we do, you know we're going to disappoint either Mommy or Eemah.”
“You're looking at it wrong. It's not about them. It's about us deciding who we are.”
Sheki looked up, “Wow, I didn't know you could be profound. You're right.”
“And I say one of us decides to be a Buddhist, the other converts to Islam. It would serve them both right.”
Sheki giggled, “Ever heard of the Rastafarians?”
---The End---