“Dammit,” I muttered. I started to cry. Ash comforted me, pulling me close.
“Listen, I’m going to get some pants on and a robe, and then we will go downstairs,” he said.
“I’m so embarrassed. I don’t think I can face your dad!” I said through tears.
“I’m not too happy to face your mom, either, but what’s done is done. We have to face it.”
I nodded, knowing it was the right thing to do. I got up and rummaged through my suitcase for my robe. I put it on, pulling it closer around myself for comfort. Ash joined me with a deep breath.
“You ready?”
“Yes,” I replied softly. Some part of me was relieved that they were about to know the truth. I hated hiding things from people, and I hated living a lie.
I hope Mom doesn’t hate me.
When we got downstairs, our parents were sitting in the den, waiting. Gary’s face was concerned, and his mouth was set in a tight line. My mom looked white as a ghost as she sipped her coffee. Her hands were shaking. I could barely make eye contact with her. Ash and I sat across from them on the sofa. Two minutes of awkward silence passed. Finally, my mom spoke.
“So how long has this been going on?” she asked.
“I can explain.” Ash cleared his throat. He was so mature right now. I wanted to hug him. “It all started at the beach. We got to know each other, and we started liking each other. We tried calling it off because we knew it could fuck up our family.”
“And I knew how happy you were, Mom. I didn’t mean to ruin anything for you. I’m so sorry,” I finished. I was crying again, tears sprinkling my lap.
My mother sighed and shook her head. She placed her head in her hands. “I knew something was going on.”
Gary blinked. “I honestly had no idea, although you guys did spend a lot of time together,” he said thoughtfully.
“I didn’t know if you knew or not, honestly,” I told my mom, blushing.
“I might be oblivious sometimes, but a mother knows her daughter. You looked just like I did when I first met Gary.”
This was the most awkward conversation I ever had in my life. I just wanted it to be over. I wished that I’d locked that door, but some doors had to be opened.
“Well, I guess it makes sense,” Gary said.
My mom raised an eyebrow. I was confused, too. How could this ever make sense?
Gary cleared his throat and took my mom’s hand. “I mean, you and I are attracted to each other, so it makes sense that our offspring would be attracted to each other.” He always sounded so logical. Ash took after him in that way.
Ash laughed. “Dad, what the hell?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
There was an awkward silence, and I said, “I’ll leave. I’m sorry this happened. I don’t want to ruin this for you.” I looked at my mother and tears welled in my eyes. I rose, but Ash pulled on my arm. I looked at him, and he looked sad.
“If you leave, I will, too. This is partly my fault, anyway,” he said.
“No,” Mom said, shaking her head,” the only thing we can do is try to enjoy our holiday and deal with these issues later.”
“Really?” I asked. This lifted my spirits a bit. I sat back down, taking Ash’s hand.
“I’m not going to lie. I’m shocked—even upset,” she began. She took a sip of her coffee and continued. “We will need to figure this out, but I would much rather do it with a clear head.”
“I agree,” Gary said.
“For now, do you guys mind…being platonic?” my mom asked.
“Yes. We can do that,” I said, quickly. Ash nodded in agreement.
I looked at Ash, my heart filled with love and attraction. Who knew that taboo could be a tad fun right?
AMY
*** Two Months Later ***
“Ash! Can you fix the sink again? It’s leaking!” I called out.
Ash came bounding up the stairs. Sarah, her boyfriend, Ash and I were renting an apartment together. Ash had finished his apprenticeship and got a job in San Francisco, and I was almost done with school. Our parents had needed some space to adjust to this, and so did we. The fact that we could finally be open about our relationship was amazing, though.
“It’s leaking again?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Sarah replied. “It hasn’t stopped since this morning. I put a towel down, but it’s not helping.”
Ash exhaled and shook his head. Sarah was cutting broccoli and I was slicing some meat. We were making a stir fry, one of Ash’s favorite meals.
“Thanks, hon,” I said. Ash gave me a kiss.
“I have to get my toolbox. It’s in my old car.”
“You know the car Ash and I came up in? It’s really old. Ash was finally able to get it working, though. It’s his favorite,” I told Sarah, who looked impressed.
“He’s great at fixing things, that’s for sure.”
“He’s great at fixing a lot of things,” I replied.
I wasn’t sure that fixing everything with our family would be as easy, but I had hope. Love knows no limits, I knew that. My phone rang.