Kelly (Part 1)
Title: Kelly
Summary: When Kelly invites Carolyn to meet her parents, she didn't expect everything to change between them.
Part 1: Confrontation
I was outside pulling weeds out of the garden when the phone started to ring. The birds started to chirp angrily, the harmony of their song shattered by the unnatural squeal that drifted through the open window. Pulling off a gardening glove, I started for the house. I was in the hallway when I heard Kelly say “Hello?” from her room, her voice was still heavy with sleep.
That changed pretty quickly. “I thought you no longer wished to hear my voice mother.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard Kelly sound so torn, as if part of her was delighted about the phone call and the other part was furious. “Of course… No… No I will not; rather, I’m not that kind of person.” A sigh. “Why bother? You and father will just feel uncomfortable. I know it’s Jason’s birthday but he’s a grown man… Very well, I’ll go. Would it offend you terribly if I bring a friend?”
Kelly’s mother must have been somewhat offended by the idea because I didn’t hear my housemate talk for a few minutes. “… You wouldn’t have said that to Jason.” Kelly’s tone was bitter. “Well guess what? I’m not going to go if you’re going to be that way.” A long pause. “No I won’t bring a lover, I know how you two feel… See you tomorrow mother.”
I heard a click as Kelly replaced the receiver on its mount (out of three phones in the house, Kelly had the only corded phone because she always said that cordless phones died on her). I was about to walk away when I heard her beat her fist against her night table in frustration, followed by a muffled sob. I was torn between going in there and comforting her, and staying in the hallway so she could have her privacy. She had spent the past couple of months taking care of me, comforting me when I had a nightmare-
-(Hands holding me down, exploring my body as I fought to escape, my heart’s beat matching the thrum of base from the large speakers in the club)
-defending me from people who got a little too close, being a human shield. I owed her so much for that but Kelly was a private person. I didn’t know whether she would appreciate having a witness as she cried. I didn’t want her to go back to avoiding me, as she was doing before the incident at the club.
Finally, she took the choice out of my hands by stumbling to the bathroom, her footsteps loud and awkward. As water started to drizzle through the shower nozzle, I went towards the kitchen. Maybe she’ll feel better after I made some pancakes.
>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>
It was nearly supper before Kelly mentioned the phone call. “I know it’s short notice, but my parents invited me to supper tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to come? It’s for my younger brother Jason’s birthday. Apparently, he requested my presence.”
“Why wouldn’t he? You’re family.”
“He hasn’t for the past few years.” Kelly said neutrally.
There wasn’t anything I could really say to that. “Sure I’ll go.”
“It’ll be fancy. My parents love ‘refined’ dinners.” Kelly warned.
“That’s okay.” I gave her a smile. “It’ll be like eating at a fancy restaurant. So where do your parents live?”
“An expensive neighborhood in Dartmouth. I think I’ll borrow Heather’s car, it’ll be too awkward to get there by bus.” She mused, stabbing her food absent-mindedly.
“Kelly, why don’t you ever talk about your parents?” I asked after a few minutes. I didn’t really want to tell her I had been eavesdropping earlier but I had a feeling that her answer would become important later.
“They never forgave me for something that happened in my second year of college. If they weren’t worried about their image, they probably would’ve disowned me.” The hurt in Kelly’s voice was stunning; it was like a badly healed wound had been torn open, letting fresh blood flow over scar tissue. “I haven’t talked to them in five years.”
“Kelly…” I reached out to her, pulling her into a hug. Her entire body tensed at first but then she relaxed a little, leaning into me like I was the only thing holding her together. ‘That’s why she didn’t want to go alone.’ I understood suddenly, whispering soothing words in her ear.
‘I won’t let them tear you apart again.’
^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>
Kelly was really starting to worry me: she didn’t eat anything for breakfast and only had some toast at lunch, she wasn’t talking much, and she had spent most of the day with her punching bag. Combined with her tears yesterday and my limited knowledge of the situation, I knew that this dinner was a Bad Idea. It almost made me wish that Anita was present, if only because her presence would change Kelly’s mood from anxious to angry -she still hasn’t forgiven her college roommate for the club incident and its not like I forgot what happened either. The gods know I jump every time someone other than Kelly invades my personal space, even people I’ve known for years.
Still, Anita’s brazen chatter would break this tense silence quite effectively. “So… Why didn’t you ask Anita to come with you? She knows what happened between you and your parents, right? Wouldn’t she a better help?” I heard the engine whirl faster as Kelly’s foot applied pressure to the gas pedal, making my body dig into the seat a little at the sudden acceleration. The car seemed to heave to the left as we rounded a corner and I knew we were going way too fast. “Slow down!”
We slowed a little as Kelly regained control of herself. “That would be a Very bad idea.” Kelly’s voice sounded strained as she answered my question. “Very very bad.” She giggled hysterically. “Not only would Anita try to skewer my mother with a spoon, my parents would bury our bodies in the garden and nobody would ever know about it.”
“I would.”
“My parents are financial supporters of both the Department of Justice and the Mayor’s office. I sincerely doubt that anybody would investigate them on the word of a blind radio show host.” Kelly delivered that bit of information absent-mindedly, swerving to the left. “No, better bring someone they don’t know. That way, everybody will probably live.”
I sunk into the seat and spent the rest of the ride hoping that Kelly wouldn’t crash the car. Talking didn’t seem like a good idea anymore.
We came to a stop about ten minutes later, staying in place longer than we would for a stop sign or a traffic light. I was about to open the door and get out when Kelly locked the door on me. “Hey!”
“We’re not there yet. We still have to pass through the security gate.” She told me, sounding calm for the first time today. I didn’t believe it for a second; I could hear her heart struggling to break out of her chest. The little engine in the door whirled as Kelly lowered the window.
“Please state your business.” A woman said through a speaker, her voice distorted and fuzzy.
“It’s Kelly.”
“Your parents will meet you at the threshold.” The woman said dryly, as she wasn’t sure why they’d bother. Engines groaned on either side of us, tearing the metal gates apart from each other with a metallic clink.
Kelly started driving again and I suddenly felt the urge to hum a funeral song.
^>^>^>^
From the way Kelly had been acting, I expected her parents to be the biggest snobs I’ve ever met. That impression was muddled when we walked through the main doorway into a cavernous room where the sound of my footsteps reverberated off the walls. “Kelly! It is so good to see that you are healthy.” A cultured female voice greeted, her soft perfume wafting around us like a gaseous blanket of honey. I heard her give Kelly a kiss on either cheek before she turned her attention to me. “And you must be Kelly’s friend. I am Rosanna LaFontaine and this is my husband Arthur.”
“Carolyn McKay.” I gave her a polite smile, resisting the urge to run or wince as she kissed me on either cheek. Kelly put a hand on my shoulder, letting me know she was there to protect me if the need arose.
“That name sounds familiar.”
“My old boyfriend used to advertise my radio show every day during prime time -he was the main host on a network that used to be popular throughout the Maritimes. It’s been disbanded for a few years but my show’s pretty popular because of him.”
“That must be it.” Rosanna agreed but I had a feeling she never listened to the radio.
“Jason is waiting in the parlor.” Kelly’s father, Arthur, said warmly. He had a low, masculine voice that spoke of power and the will to wield it effectively. “I’m sure you are eager to see him again, Kelly.”
“Of course.” My friend’s grip on my shoulder tightened, though her voice remained polite.
And so I was introduced to Jason, a young man in his first year of college who loved hockey more than most Canadians. He seemed to be oblivious to the tension between Kelly and her parents as he told me about how his perfect vision helped him score more goals than any other freshman. He was cute, but boring.
“Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors dear?” Rosanna asked when he took a breath. “Are the lights too bright? We can lower them if it would make you more comfortable.”
“It wouldn’t make a difference either way since I’m blind.” I said calmly, sliding them down to the end of my nose to illustrate my point. “I can take them off if it would make you more comfortable.”
I’ve noticed that most people seemed unnerved when they looked at my eyes so I was expecting her to decline -which she did after a moment’s hesitation. Then Jason wanted to apologize for bragging about his vision, Arthur wanted to know how long I’ve had my ‘condition’, and Rosanna wanted to know where I went to school. I told them, glad that I could divert their attention from Kelly.
After what seemed like hours, we changed rooms. Food smells danced around in the air with each other, parading themselves in front of my nose with changing partners. Roast chicken seemed particularly strong, with stuffing and gravy as its allies; then there was rice and Sweet & Sour sauce, some type of meaty lasagna, fresh bread, and a Caesar salad. I whistled in appreciation. “This smells delicious.”
“Our cook is very talented.” Rosanna replied as if there was no other option, finally showing a hint of snobbishness.
And so we ate.
^>^>^>^>^>^>^>
I was beginning to wonder whether or not I would have to roll away from the table when Kelly’s father spoke. “Have you met any young men recently, Kelly?”
“You know that I haven’t been interested in any men.” Kelly replied coldly.
“I thought you would have grown out of that phase by now.” Rosanna remarked. “Jason has a steady girlfriend and he’s younger than you.”
“Good for him.” Kelly said simply.
“Have you heard the latest news? They’re legalizing gay marriages across the country.” Jason jumped into the conversation, probably unable to bear being out of the spotlight on his birthday.
“That’s great! It’s about time people stopped being so narrow-minded about sex.” I said cheerfully, debating whether or not my stomach could hold another piece of apple pie. Kelly started to choke on a piece of cake, drawing my attention away from her mother’s sniff. I patted her back helpfully as she made a few strangled sounds.
“So you would support such a decision.” Arthur’s voice was careful.
“Of course. People have a right to love whoever they want.” I turned to Kelly, an avid supporter of gay rights, expecting her to add something. I guess she still wasn’t up to talking because all she could manage was a squeak. “Don’t you?” I asked the table.
“Of course not!” Rosanna growled, all her polite warmth dissolving in a matter of seconds. “We do not support sexual deviants.”
So that’s why Kelly didn’t want to bring Anita.
“Mother! I don’t want to talk about this.” Jason whined.
“I thought we told you to never bring one of your kind under our roof again.” Arthur told Kelly, sounding betrayed. “And to ask her to lie.”
“I didn’t.” She answered so softly I almost didn’t hear her. I gave her shoulder a slight squeeze.
“I didn’t tell any lies.” I informed them, wondering what the hell Arthur meant by ‘your kind’. I placed an arm around Kelly’s shoulders. This was going to get nasty.
“You said you had a boyfriend.”
“Yeah, he moved to Vancouver. So what?”
“Father, leave her alone.” Kelly said angrily and I could feel her heart rate quicken.
“I will not be lied to by someone who is both blind and poor.” He retorted.
“Hey!”
He continued, uninhibited by my protest. “I cannot believe you would bring this woman into our homes, make us feed her the same food we would give our son on his birthday, and then continue your charade. Get out of my house.”
“What the hell’s going on?!” I demanded.
Then my mind processed the conversation. I’m not sure what took me so long to understand. “You’re gay?” I asked Kelly.
She shrank away from me. “Yes.”
I hated the brokenness in her quiet voice, the defeat in that bounced off the walls to assault me again and again. ‘Well, that makes more sense than it doesn’t.’ I pulled her into a hug. “You should know better than to think I’d throw a friend like you away. I told you my best friend in high school was gay, didn’t I? You’re much closer to my heart than she was so don’t be foolish.” I gave her a pat on her back, ignoring the malevolence projected by her parents. “I suppose I’ll have to stop parading around the house in my under things though.” I mused.
I could have sworn I heard “Please don’t.” but Rosanna chose that moment to give an indignant growl so I’m not sure. “Did you not hear my husband? We said get out!”
“It was nice meeting you Jason.” I told him, smiling angelically at the parents. “You should give the cook my regards, she ought to be cooking for a monarch. I’m assuming it’s a she?”
“She is.” Jason said, sounding slightly bewildered.
“Brilliant.” I dragged Kelly out of her chair and started towards the doorway. I could two pairs of feet following us as we went through the highway. “Don’t give them the satisfaction of seeing you cry.” I hissed in her ear, feeling her start to tremble. “It’s a pity that your parents cannot appreciate what a great woman they brought into the world. She’s intelligent, friendly, and brilliant with plants. If say… people were intelligent enough to look past their own noses, I’m sure they’d be able to see what a blind woman always knew.”
I heard Rosanna draw a sharp breath and started to insult my parentage and other petty things that I don’t care about. I felt Kelly stand up straighter, turning around to face her mother head on. “Call me when you get your head out of your saggy ass.”
Rosanna’s screech of fury was music to my ears as we got into the car.
Once we were past the gates, Kelly started to laugh and I felt her hand on my knee. “I can’t believe I just said that to my mother.”
“I’m sure you’ve wanted to say it for a long time.” I said in my wisest tone of voice. I actually ended up mimicking our Karate instructor.
This provoked a new series of giggles from Kelly. “Ever since she walked in on me and Anita in college.”
Ah, the incident. “Well, I’m glad you finally got it off your chest.”
“So am I.” Kelly patted my knee and started to drive. As she drove, she talked about how Anita had been the first woman she had gone out with, about the incident that had driven an ocean between Kelly and her parents, and how she felt so much better now that she was being honest.
Her happiness faded when we got home. The bounce in her step faded from existence, the song she was humming trailing off suddenly as a thought occurred to her. She didn’t say anything about it though and I had a feeling it was something she had to work out for herself.
I changed into something more comfortable (jeans and a t-shirt are less confining then dressware) and put my sneakers on with the intention of working on the garden a little before it got any cooler. Music drifted through the house and I could just imagine Kelly dancing. Impulsively, I went to the living room, stopping in the doorway. She spotted me fairly quickly; pulling me into a slow dance that seemed all the more serious now that I knew her preference. ‘Don’t be silly,’ I told myself when it seemed like she was closer than usual. ‘You’ve done this plenty of times, it’s not like she’s interested in me or anything.’
“Thank you for going with me today.” Her breath tickled my face. “For defending me.”
“All of it’s true.” I gave her a smile.
And then she kissed me.
A Picnic In Winter ~~ Encounters ~~ The Club Incident ~~ Kelly Part 1 ~~ Kelly Part 2 ~~ Kelly Part 3 ~~ Interview With Anita ~~ Vacation ~~ Anita's Truth ~~ Aftermath ~~ Needing You ~~ Attack At The Gardens ~~~ Attack At The Gardens Part B ~~~ Don't Tie Me Down
Summary: When Kelly invites Carolyn to meet her parents, she didn't expect everything to change between them.
Part 1: Confrontation
I was outside pulling weeds out of the garden when the phone started to ring. The birds started to chirp angrily, the harmony of their song shattered by the unnatural squeal that drifted through the open window. Pulling off a gardening glove, I started for the house. I was in the hallway when I heard Kelly say “Hello?” from her room, her voice was still heavy with sleep.
That changed pretty quickly. “I thought you no longer wished to hear my voice mother.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard Kelly sound so torn, as if part of her was delighted about the phone call and the other part was furious. “Of course… No… No I will not; rather, I’m not that kind of person.” A sigh. “Why bother? You and father will just feel uncomfortable. I know it’s Jason’s birthday but he’s a grown man… Very well, I’ll go. Would it offend you terribly if I bring a friend?”
Kelly’s mother must have been somewhat offended by the idea because I didn’t hear my housemate talk for a few minutes. “… You wouldn’t have said that to Jason.” Kelly’s tone was bitter. “Well guess what? I’m not going to go if you’re going to be that way.” A long pause. “No I won’t bring a lover, I know how you two feel… See you tomorrow mother.”
I heard a click as Kelly replaced the receiver on its mount (out of three phones in the house, Kelly had the only corded phone because she always said that cordless phones died on her). I was about to walk away when I heard her beat her fist against her night table in frustration, followed by a muffled sob. I was torn between going in there and comforting her, and staying in the hallway so she could have her privacy. She had spent the past couple of months taking care of me, comforting me when I had a nightmare-
-(Hands holding me down, exploring my body as I fought to escape, my heart’s beat matching the thrum of base from the large speakers in the club)
-defending me from people who got a little too close, being a human shield. I owed her so much for that but Kelly was a private person. I didn’t know whether she would appreciate having a witness as she cried. I didn’t want her to go back to avoiding me, as she was doing before the incident at the club.
Finally, she took the choice out of my hands by stumbling to the bathroom, her footsteps loud and awkward. As water started to drizzle through the shower nozzle, I went towards the kitchen. Maybe she’ll feel better after I made some pancakes.
>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>
It was nearly supper before Kelly mentioned the phone call. “I know it’s short notice, but my parents invited me to supper tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to come? It’s for my younger brother Jason’s birthday. Apparently, he requested my presence.”
“Why wouldn’t he? You’re family.”
“He hasn’t for the past few years.” Kelly said neutrally.
There wasn’t anything I could really say to that. “Sure I’ll go.”
“It’ll be fancy. My parents love ‘refined’ dinners.” Kelly warned.
“That’s okay.” I gave her a smile. “It’ll be like eating at a fancy restaurant. So where do your parents live?”
“An expensive neighborhood in Dartmouth. I think I’ll borrow Heather’s car, it’ll be too awkward to get there by bus.” She mused, stabbing her food absent-mindedly.
“Kelly, why don’t you ever talk about your parents?” I asked after a few minutes. I didn’t really want to tell her I had been eavesdropping earlier but I had a feeling that her answer would become important later.
“They never forgave me for something that happened in my second year of college. If they weren’t worried about their image, they probably would’ve disowned me.” The hurt in Kelly’s voice was stunning; it was like a badly healed wound had been torn open, letting fresh blood flow over scar tissue. “I haven’t talked to them in five years.”
“Kelly…” I reached out to her, pulling her into a hug. Her entire body tensed at first but then she relaxed a little, leaning into me like I was the only thing holding her together. ‘That’s why she didn’t want to go alone.’ I understood suddenly, whispering soothing words in her ear.
‘I won’t let them tear you apart again.’
^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>^>
Kelly was really starting to worry me: she didn’t eat anything for breakfast and only had some toast at lunch, she wasn’t talking much, and she had spent most of the day with her punching bag. Combined with her tears yesterday and my limited knowledge of the situation, I knew that this dinner was a Bad Idea. It almost made me wish that Anita was present, if only because her presence would change Kelly’s mood from anxious to angry -she still hasn’t forgiven her college roommate for the club incident and its not like I forgot what happened either. The gods know I jump every time someone other than Kelly invades my personal space, even people I’ve known for years.
Still, Anita’s brazen chatter would break this tense silence quite effectively. “So… Why didn’t you ask Anita to come with you? She knows what happened between you and your parents, right? Wouldn’t she a better help?” I heard the engine whirl faster as Kelly’s foot applied pressure to the gas pedal, making my body dig into the seat a little at the sudden acceleration. The car seemed to heave to the left as we rounded a corner and I knew we were going way too fast. “Slow down!”
We slowed a little as Kelly regained control of herself. “That would be a Very bad idea.” Kelly’s voice sounded strained as she answered my question. “Very very bad.” She giggled hysterically. “Not only would Anita try to skewer my mother with a spoon, my parents would bury our bodies in the garden and nobody would ever know about it.”
“I would.”
“My parents are financial supporters of both the Department of Justice and the Mayor’s office. I sincerely doubt that anybody would investigate them on the word of a blind radio show host.” Kelly delivered that bit of information absent-mindedly, swerving to the left. “No, better bring someone they don’t know. That way, everybody will probably live.”
I sunk into the seat and spent the rest of the ride hoping that Kelly wouldn’t crash the car. Talking didn’t seem like a good idea anymore.
We came to a stop about ten minutes later, staying in place longer than we would for a stop sign or a traffic light. I was about to open the door and get out when Kelly locked the door on me. “Hey!”
“We’re not there yet. We still have to pass through the security gate.” She told me, sounding calm for the first time today. I didn’t believe it for a second; I could hear her heart struggling to break out of her chest. The little engine in the door whirled as Kelly lowered the window.
“Please state your business.” A woman said through a speaker, her voice distorted and fuzzy.
“It’s Kelly.”
“Your parents will meet you at the threshold.” The woman said dryly, as she wasn’t sure why they’d bother. Engines groaned on either side of us, tearing the metal gates apart from each other with a metallic clink.
Kelly started driving again and I suddenly felt the urge to hum a funeral song.
^>^>^>^
From the way Kelly had been acting, I expected her parents to be the biggest snobs I’ve ever met. That impression was muddled when we walked through the main doorway into a cavernous room where the sound of my footsteps reverberated off the walls. “Kelly! It is so good to see that you are healthy.” A cultured female voice greeted, her soft perfume wafting around us like a gaseous blanket of honey. I heard her give Kelly a kiss on either cheek before she turned her attention to me. “And you must be Kelly’s friend. I am Rosanna LaFontaine and this is my husband Arthur.”
“Carolyn McKay.” I gave her a polite smile, resisting the urge to run or wince as she kissed me on either cheek. Kelly put a hand on my shoulder, letting me know she was there to protect me if the need arose.
“That name sounds familiar.”
“My old boyfriend used to advertise my radio show every day during prime time -he was the main host on a network that used to be popular throughout the Maritimes. It’s been disbanded for a few years but my show’s pretty popular because of him.”
“That must be it.” Rosanna agreed but I had a feeling she never listened to the radio.
“Jason is waiting in the parlor.” Kelly’s father, Arthur, said warmly. He had a low, masculine voice that spoke of power and the will to wield it effectively. “I’m sure you are eager to see him again, Kelly.”
“Of course.” My friend’s grip on my shoulder tightened, though her voice remained polite.
And so I was introduced to Jason, a young man in his first year of college who loved hockey more than most Canadians. He seemed to be oblivious to the tension between Kelly and her parents as he told me about how his perfect vision helped him score more goals than any other freshman. He was cute, but boring.
“Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors dear?” Rosanna asked when he took a breath. “Are the lights too bright? We can lower them if it would make you more comfortable.”
“It wouldn’t make a difference either way since I’m blind.” I said calmly, sliding them down to the end of my nose to illustrate my point. “I can take them off if it would make you more comfortable.”
I’ve noticed that most people seemed unnerved when they looked at my eyes so I was expecting her to decline -which she did after a moment’s hesitation. Then Jason wanted to apologize for bragging about his vision, Arthur wanted to know how long I’ve had my ‘condition’, and Rosanna wanted to know where I went to school. I told them, glad that I could divert their attention from Kelly.
After what seemed like hours, we changed rooms. Food smells danced around in the air with each other, parading themselves in front of my nose with changing partners. Roast chicken seemed particularly strong, with stuffing and gravy as its allies; then there was rice and Sweet & Sour sauce, some type of meaty lasagna, fresh bread, and a Caesar salad. I whistled in appreciation. “This smells delicious.”
“Our cook is very talented.” Rosanna replied as if there was no other option, finally showing a hint of snobbishness.
And so we ate.
^>^>^>^>^>^>^>
I was beginning to wonder whether or not I would have to roll away from the table when Kelly’s father spoke. “Have you met any young men recently, Kelly?”
“You know that I haven’t been interested in any men.” Kelly replied coldly.
“I thought you would have grown out of that phase by now.” Rosanna remarked. “Jason has a steady girlfriend and he’s younger than you.”
“Good for him.” Kelly said simply.
“Have you heard the latest news? They’re legalizing gay marriages across the country.” Jason jumped into the conversation, probably unable to bear being out of the spotlight on his birthday.
“That’s great! It’s about time people stopped being so narrow-minded about sex.” I said cheerfully, debating whether or not my stomach could hold another piece of apple pie. Kelly started to choke on a piece of cake, drawing my attention away from her mother’s sniff. I patted her back helpfully as she made a few strangled sounds.
“So you would support such a decision.” Arthur’s voice was careful.
“Of course. People have a right to love whoever they want.” I turned to Kelly, an avid supporter of gay rights, expecting her to add something. I guess she still wasn’t up to talking because all she could manage was a squeak. “Don’t you?” I asked the table.
“Of course not!” Rosanna growled, all her polite warmth dissolving in a matter of seconds. “We do not support sexual deviants.”
So that’s why Kelly didn’t want to bring Anita.
“Mother! I don’t want to talk about this.” Jason whined.
“I thought we told you to never bring one of your kind under our roof again.” Arthur told Kelly, sounding betrayed. “And to ask her to lie.”
“I didn’t.” She answered so softly I almost didn’t hear her. I gave her shoulder a slight squeeze.
“I didn’t tell any lies.” I informed them, wondering what the hell Arthur meant by ‘your kind’. I placed an arm around Kelly’s shoulders. This was going to get nasty.
“You said you had a boyfriend.”
“Yeah, he moved to Vancouver. So what?”
“Father, leave her alone.” Kelly said angrily and I could feel her heart rate quicken.
“I will not be lied to by someone who is both blind and poor.” He retorted.
“Hey!”
He continued, uninhibited by my protest. “I cannot believe you would bring this woman into our homes, make us feed her the same food we would give our son on his birthday, and then continue your charade. Get out of my house.”
“What the hell’s going on?!” I demanded.
Then my mind processed the conversation. I’m not sure what took me so long to understand. “You’re gay?” I asked Kelly.
She shrank away from me. “Yes.”
I hated the brokenness in her quiet voice, the defeat in that bounced off the walls to assault me again and again. ‘Well, that makes more sense than it doesn’t.’ I pulled her into a hug. “You should know better than to think I’d throw a friend like you away. I told you my best friend in high school was gay, didn’t I? You’re much closer to my heart than she was so don’t be foolish.” I gave her a pat on her back, ignoring the malevolence projected by her parents. “I suppose I’ll have to stop parading around the house in my under things though.” I mused.
I could have sworn I heard “Please don’t.” but Rosanna chose that moment to give an indignant growl so I’m not sure. “Did you not hear my husband? We said get out!”
“It was nice meeting you Jason.” I told him, smiling angelically at the parents. “You should give the cook my regards, she ought to be cooking for a monarch. I’m assuming it’s a she?”
“She is.” Jason said, sounding slightly bewildered.
“Brilliant.” I dragged Kelly out of her chair and started towards the doorway. I could two pairs of feet following us as we went through the highway. “Don’t give them the satisfaction of seeing you cry.” I hissed in her ear, feeling her start to tremble. “It’s a pity that your parents cannot appreciate what a great woman they brought into the world. She’s intelligent, friendly, and brilliant with plants. If say… people were intelligent enough to look past their own noses, I’m sure they’d be able to see what a blind woman always knew.”
I heard Rosanna draw a sharp breath and started to insult my parentage and other petty things that I don’t care about. I felt Kelly stand up straighter, turning around to face her mother head on. “Call me when you get your head out of your saggy ass.”
Rosanna’s screech of fury was music to my ears as we got into the car.
Once we were past the gates, Kelly started to laugh and I felt her hand on my knee. “I can’t believe I just said that to my mother.”
“I’m sure you’ve wanted to say it for a long time.” I said in my wisest tone of voice. I actually ended up mimicking our Karate instructor.
This provoked a new series of giggles from Kelly. “Ever since she walked in on me and Anita in college.”
Ah, the incident. “Well, I’m glad you finally got it off your chest.”
“So am I.” Kelly patted my knee and started to drive. As she drove, she talked about how Anita had been the first woman she had gone out with, about the incident that had driven an ocean between Kelly and her parents, and how she felt so much better now that she was being honest.
Her happiness faded when we got home. The bounce in her step faded from existence, the song she was humming trailing off suddenly as a thought occurred to her. She didn’t say anything about it though and I had a feeling it was something she had to work out for herself.
I changed into something more comfortable (jeans and a t-shirt are less confining then dressware) and put my sneakers on with the intention of working on the garden a little before it got any cooler. Music drifted through the house and I could just imagine Kelly dancing. Impulsively, I went to the living room, stopping in the doorway. She spotted me fairly quickly; pulling me into a slow dance that seemed all the more serious now that I knew her preference. ‘Don’t be silly,’ I told myself when it seemed like she was closer than usual. ‘You’ve done this plenty of times, it’s not like she’s interested in me or anything.’
“Thank you for going with me today.” Her breath tickled my face. “For defending me.”
“All of it’s true.” I gave her a smile.
And then she kissed me.
A Picnic In Winter ~~ Encounters ~~ The Club Incident ~~ Kelly Part 1 ~~ Kelly Part 2 ~~ Kelly Part 3 ~~ Interview With Anita ~~ Vacation ~~ Anita's Truth ~~ Aftermath ~~ Needing You ~~ Attack At The Gardens ~~~ Attack At The Gardens Part B ~~~ Don't Tie Me Down