Susan

Susan, Gideon’s mother and one of his two mothers alongside Mandy, is portrayed as affectionate, candid, and unembarrassed by difficult conversations. In the family’s everyday teasing and in its responses to Gideon’s distress, she offers a distinctive kind of support: direct without being distant, protective without avoiding the subjects that make others uncomfortable.

Identity and Place in the Family

Susan belongs to a close household that includes Gideon and his sister Annie. A domestic scene in the lounge room captures the family’s ease with one another: Mandy and Annie are joking together, Susan joins their exaggerated argument, and the question of which wallpaper to choose becomes an occasion for further teasing and a hug. Susan is not an observer at the edge of family life; she takes part in its jokes and affection, including when the joke is at her own expense.

That ease has a more serious counterpart. Susan’s place in the family is also defined by her willingness to act when Gideon needs help. She is one of the adults who responds to his self-harm history, and she later takes part in conversations about his wellbeing and sexual safety. The narrative presents these roles together rather than separating a light-hearted household from a crisis: joking and serious care are both part of how this family relates.

Responding to Gideon’s Self-Harm History

During a family holiday to the Barrier Reef, Gideon refused to snorkel and kept his arms covered with long sleeves. After he had showered, Susan saw his arms. Gideon clarifies that she did not catch him in the act of hurting himself; she saw evidence that prompted the family to confront what had been happening. The scene marks a change from concealment toward disclosure, with Susan’s discovery becoming the start of a family response rather than a moment of punishment.

Susan and Mandy sat with Gideon and talked with him for a long time. They also searched for information and supported him as he spoke with several people to find a therapist he liked. That sequence gives Susan’s care a practical dimension: it involves listening, seeking information, and helping Gideon reach ongoing support. It also preserves his agency. The family does not simply declare the problem solved; Gideon participates in finding someone he can trust.

The account of Susan’s later parenting carries the memory of this earlier crisis. When Gideon is in trouble, Mandy explains that the family has been close to losing him and that the possibility remains frightening to her. Susan is present in the conversation, and her later, pointed joke helps break the tension. The past crisis therefore remains part of the family’s understanding of risk, even as they try to speak to Gideon as a person who can make choices and take responsibility.

Candor and Everyday Communication

Susan’s directness is a recurring feature of family life. Gideon describes her as someone who does not lie and whose answers can be more frank than he is prepared for. Mandy, by contrast, tends toward softer phrasing and metaphor. The difference is not presented as a division between a caring parent and an uncaring one: Gideon recalls that each mother’s approach could help at different times. Mandy could reassure him, while Susan could make immediate safety measures explicit.

Their contrasting styles become especially visible when Gideon and Mandy are reluctant to discuss an uncomfortable subject. Susan insists that the conversation need not be awkward and moves it toward boundaries and safety. Gideon’s description of her comfort in such moments makes her candor more than a sharp mannerism: it is a way of refusing to let embarrassment prevent necessary communication. The family’s willingness to joke with Susan and to rely on her honesty both depend on knowing what to expect from her.

Susan also shares ordinary, low-stakes exchanges with Gideon. On a drive to work, he asks her for help with suitable topics for conversation, and she immediately rules out the weather. The brief exchange shows the same conversational directness in a playful register. Her response is specific and teasing, not a general lecture, and gives their relationship a texture beyond the scenes in which parenting means intervening or setting limits.

Boundaries, Safety, and Trust

When Gideon and Ava’s relationship raises questions about sex, Susan does not treat the topic as unspeakable. She names responsibility, consent, protection, and pregnancy as matters the family needs to discuss; Mandy adds sexually transmitted diseases. The exchange makes Susan’s approach clear: she wants the young people to have concrete information, even when the conversation embarrasses them.

Susan also admits that she is unsure how she feels about Gideon having sex in the family home. Rather than turning that unease into a simple prohibition, she acknowledges a competing concern: she does not want him to go elsewhere. She asks whether condoms are available, bringing the conversation back to practical safety. Her position holds discomfort and care together; she sets a boundary discussion in motion without pretending that a rule alone can settle every concern.

This openness complements the earlier response to Gideon’s mental health. In both contexts, Susan makes room for difficult information to be spoken and follows concern with practical questions or action. The narrative does not suggest that directness removes embarrassment, fear, or uncertainty. Instead, it presents frank conversation as one way the family can address risks without requiring Gideon to hide them.

Conflict, Protection, and Family Repair

After Gideon has caused a serious conflict, the family eventually talks together. Gideon asks his mothers to stop walking on eggshells around him and to tell him plainly when he has done something wrong. Susan answers that she is angry. Mandy distinguishes her own response as worry, explaining that the family’s earlier crisis makes the thought of losing him unbearable. Their disagreement in emphasis gives Gideon two forms of feedback at once: Susan names anger, while Mandy makes the fear beneath her protectiveness explicit.

Susan’s final remark in the exchange punctures its intensity with humor, and the family is able to laugh before moving toward a more constructive conversation. The moment echoes her role elsewhere: she does not avoid difficult subjects, but neither does every serious exchange have to remain solemn. Her humor helps restore communication without erasing the conflict or the need to address it.

Susan’s characterization rests on this combination of frankness, affection, and practical attention. She joins in the family’s playful rituals, responds actively when Gideon needs help, and insists that questions of wellbeing and safety can be discussed openly. Her care is not shown as a cure for distress or a guarantee against future difficulty. It is shown instead as a continuing family practice: asking, listening, setting limits, and staying engaged when honesty is uncomfortable.