It’s December. It’s December, and my parents want me to come home for Christmas, preferably with my ‘boyfriend’. Except, I have a girlfriend, not a boyfriend, and my parents are Catholic. Yeah, this isn’t anything to worry about at all.
“Grace, if you stress any more, you’ll give yourself gray hairs,” Laura says as she spins around in her chair.
I chuckle. “I thought you liked the idea of watching me go gray.”
“Yeah, when we’re little old ladies knitting sweaters for the grandkids,” Laura counters with a soft smile.
I stand, walking over to her and pulling her to her feet. “What would I do without you?” I ask.
Laura rests a hand on my cheek. “Probably die from exhaustion once all of your homework is due the next day, and you procrastinated all week.”
I sigh. “Of course, that’s what you assume would happen. I do have some sort of self-preservation you know.”
“Hmm, I haven’t seen it yet,” Laura teases.
“Because I have you.” I kiss her softly.
We pull apart, staying forehead to forehead. “We should probably pack,” Laura says.
“Details, details.” Even as I say it, I’m turning away and walking towards my dresser. Opening one of the drawers, I glance up and look at myself in the mirror. “It’s going to be fine,” I mutter. I grab some clothes and turn to put them in my bag. “It’s going to be fine.”
~*~
It’s not going to be fine. My mother is already glaring suspiciously at the two of us, and I can see my sister duck towards her room before Mom can begin her tirade. Luckily, Dad wasn’t home yet, so I didn’t have to deal with his “my way or the highway” attitude at the moment as well as Mom’s. “I thought you were bringing home your boyfriend,” Mom says with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I said, I was bringing home my significant other, and here she is. Mom, this is Laura, Laura, Mom,” I say.
“Hmpf.” Mom didn’t seem impressed. “Well, you’re here, so make yourself at home.” She turns away and marches back into the kitchen while I lead Laura to the guest room.
“I'm sorry,” I say after closing the door behind us, taking the very temporary opportunity to have a private moment with Laura. “I knew this was a bad idea. I shouldn't have brought it up.”
Laura places a finger against my lips, and I quiet. “This isn't your fault,” she says. “It was going to happen eventually and to be honest, it could have been a lot worse.”
I nod. “You're right.”
“I always am.”
I laugh, wrapping my arms around her and rubbing my cheek against her shoulder.
A soft knock at the door alerts us before the door cracks open. My sister poked her head in. “Mom says to keep the door open,” she says.
“Got it. How are you doing, Hope?”
“Eh, not bad,” Hope answers. “Glad to be on break though.”
“Me too, kid. Anyway, this is my girlfriend Laura.”
“Hello.” Hope waves. “What are you studying?” She asks.
“Astrophysics,” Laura answers, beginning to unpack her things.
“Really? That's so cool!” Hope bounces over and helps Laura unpack, asking questions the entire time.
~*~
Dinner is officially one of the most awkward meals of all time. Laura is sitting across from me beside Hope who is silently picking at her food. I could tell that dinner didn't meet Hope’s approval, but I am thankful that she isn't making a fuss over it.
Dad is sitting at the other end of the table, looking between Laura and I as if unsure how to address it. He appears to have settled on ignoring it for the time being, but that is hardly comforting.
And so the meal passes, in absolute silence. It is only after we are finished eating that Dad decides to begin his interrogation.
“So you're leasbians?” He begins.
“I am,” Laura says carefully, looking at me as she spoke. “Grace is bisexual.”
“I'm attracted to both men and women,” I add.
“So you lied to your mother about having a boyfriend…”
“I believe I used the words significant other which is distinctly gender neutral.”
“And you fail to inform us when we assume incorrectly? That is the same thing as a lie, Grace. I raised you better.” Dad stands up from the table and walks into his room, slamming the door behind him.
I nod my head, face tight, before standing and walking outside. The night air is crisp against my skin as I stand underneath the stars, looking up at them as if they held the answers to my problems.
Laura comes outside and stands beside me.
She wraps an arm around my shoulders. I turn so that I am pressed up against her chest, her chin resting on my head as she rubs my back. “Why can't they just accept us?” I ask quietly. A tear runs down my face and into the fabric of her jacket.
Laura doesn't answer.
~*~
Christmas morning dawns bright and early. Laura and I greet each other as we pass in the hallway before retreating to our respective rooms to await my parents as per family tradition. It is only just eight o’clock when my parents come down the hallway.
“Ready, girls?” Dad asks.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Hope bounces around in a circle. Laura and I laugh, exchanging fond smiles which do not go unnoticed by my dad as he raises an eyebrow in my direction.
Dad leads us down the hallway and into the living room where presents are stacked underneath the tree, and Hope has a stack of unwrapped gifts from Santa waiting for her. Hope begins rifling through her stack, gasping over new toys and books.
Dad begins to pass out presents once Hope has ceased her preliminary exploration of her initial gifts. He picks up a box wrapped carefully in Star Wars wrapping paper and passes it to me.
Dad doesn't say a word, and I set the gift in my lap, reading the tag aloud, “To Grace and Laura, from Mom and Dad.” Laura and I look at each other, and Laura squeezes my hand. I unwrap it and then open the box. Inside is single piece of paper. The words “We accept you, and we’re sorry” were written on the paper.
My hand covers my mouth as I sniff slightly. “Thank you,” I whisper, looking at my parents. “Thank you.”
AN: This was written for the Sims Short Story Challenge. This month's theme was Gift and my word count is 1082 words with 7 screenshots
