Guava 18: Plunge
Title: Plunge
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Guava 18 (just what I always wanted), malt (Summer Challenge 441: This is a gift, it comes with a price - “Rabbit Heart” by Florence + the Machine) fresh peaches (You're well aware that your reluctance to take the plunge is detrimental to your relationship. The day will call on you to take a few more risks.)
Word Count: 640
Rating: PG.
Summary: Gina practices.
Notes: I blame the horoscope for this one.
Gina clenched her hands together in front of her, took a deep breath, and said it.
"Mom, Dad... I'm gay."
No, no, no, that was all wrong; Gina shook her head at her reflection in the mirror. Much too abrupt. Her parents were going to be upset as it was; she'd rather ease into it, give them a little time to adjust. So...
"Mom, Dad, I have something I need to tell you." That was good; it indicated that the discussion was serious but that the news was not bad, or at least that she didn't think it was. "I know that I've told you about Ivy. Well, I lied about her."
No. Wrong again. She hadn't lied exactly, she'd just left out one very pertinent fact. Besides, using the word "lie" around her mother was like waving a red flag at a bull. She'd rather not start a different argument entirely.
Gina started over.
"I know that I've told you about Ivy," she said, examining her expression as she talked. Sober, but not scared-- she needed to keep every hint of fear out of her face. "Well, there's one thing I haven't told you. She isn't just my roommate. She's also my girlfriend."
Here her parents would willfully misunderstand, assume that Ivy was a friend like Olivia. Which... no. Gina adored Olivia, but their friendship hadn't the slightest trace of a sexual undercurrent to it, and never had. So she'd have to make that clear. And then...
"She's not a friend, Mom," she said, looking into her own eyes and pretending they were her mother's. "She's my girlfriend. My partner and my lover."
And here they would look at her aghast, horror in their eyes and the denial already setting in, and she knew, she knew she'd have to say it straight out.
So she took a deep breath again and swallowed down the fear that was already building in her. This was ridiculous. She was staring at herself in the mirror, not looking at her parents across their dining room table.
Their dining room table-- so many serious talks had taken place there. When her grandparents had died, they'd taken her into the dining room and told her there. When her uncle had been in a car accident, they'd brought her to the dining room table.
But there had been happy news there, too. When her cousin had a baby. When her mother's sister got engaged. Big news. Serious news. They'd be sitting at the dining room table.
"Mom, Dad," she would say, looking into their eyes like she looked into her own now, "I'm a lesbian."
And God only knew what would happen then.
She closed her eyes and opened them again, and in the interval Ivy had appeared behind her, expression unreadable. "Gina," she said, and stopped.
Gina met her lover's eyes in the mirror, soberly. "How long have you been there?"
Ivy shrugged. "Long enough," she said, then took two steps forward and folded Gina in a tight hug, so tight the bones of her wrists stood out stark against her skin, her head pressed against Gina's back.
"I love you," she said, her voice muffled in Gina's shoulderblades.
Gina brought her hands up and wrapped them around Ivy's, then bowed her head and closed her eyes. "I love you," she said, her voice catching. "I... I love you."
"I'll be there," Ivy said, raising her head. "I'll be there through the whole thing. Don't worry. I'll be there, and we'll get through whatever happens together."
"I know," Gina said, and because she had known it but she hadn't been sure, lowered her head and pressed an awkward kiss to the back of Ivy's hand. "Thank you."
God only knew what was going to happen. But she trusted Him.
He'd brought her Ivy, after all.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Guava 18 (just what I always wanted), malt (Summer Challenge 441: This is a gift, it comes with a price - “Rabbit Heart” by Florence + the Machine) fresh peaches (You're well aware that your reluctance to take the plunge is detrimental to your relationship. The day will call on you to take a few more risks.)
Word Count: 640
Rating: PG.
Summary: Gina practices.
Notes: I blame the horoscope for this one.
Gina clenched her hands together in front of her, took a deep breath, and said it.
"Mom, Dad... I'm gay."
No, no, no, that was all wrong; Gina shook her head at her reflection in the mirror. Much too abrupt. Her parents were going to be upset as it was; she'd rather ease into it, give them a little time to adjust. So...
"Mom, Dad, I have something I need to tell you." That was good; it indicated that the discussion was serious but that the news was not bad, or at least that she didn't think it was. "I know that I've told you about Ivy. Well, I lied about her."
No. Wrong again. She hadn't lied exactly, she'd just left out one very pertinent fact. Besides, using the word "lie" around her mother was like waving a red flag at a bull. She'd rather not start a different argument entirely.
Gina started over.
"I know that I've told you about Ivy," she said, examining her expression as she talked. Sober, but not scared-- she needed to keep every hint of fear out of her face. "Well, there's one thing I haven't told you. She isn't just my roommate. She's also my girlfriend."
Here her parents would willfully misunderstand, assume that Ivy was a friend like Olivia. Which... no. Gina adored Olivia, but their friendship hadn't the slightest trace of a sexual undercurrent to it, and never had. So she'd have to make that clear. And then...
"She's not a friend, Mom," she said, looking into her own eyes and pretending they were her mother's. "She's my girlfriend. My partner and my lover."
And here they would look at her aghast, horror in their eyes and the denial already setting in, and she knew, she knew she'd have to say it straight out.
So she took a deep breath again and swallowed down the fear that was already building in her. This was ridiculous. She was staring at herself in the mirror, not looking at her parents across their dining room table.
Their dining room table-- so many serious talks had taken place there. When her grandparents had died, they'd taken her into the dining room and told her there. When her uncle had been in a car accident, they'd brought her to the dining room table.
But there had been happy news there, too. When her cousin had a baby. When her mother's sister got engaged. Big news. Serious news. They'd be sitting at the dining room table.
"Mom, Dad," she would say, looking into their eyes like she looked into her own now, "I'm a lesbian."
And God only knew what would happen then.
She closed her eyes and opened them again, and in the interval Ivy had appeared behind her, expression unreadable. "Gina," she said, and stopped.
Gina met her lover's eyes in the mirror, soberly. "How long have you been there?"
Ivy shrugged. "Long enough," she said, then took two steps forward and folded Gina in a tight hug, so tight the bones of her wrists stood out stark against her skin, her head pressed against Gina's back.
"I love you," she said, her voice muffled in Gina's shoulderblades.
Gina brought her hands up and wrapped them around Ivy's, then bowed her head and closed her eyes. "I love you," she said, her voice catching. "I... I love you."
"I'll be there," Ivy said, raising her head. "I'll be there through the whole thing. Don't worry. I'll be there, and we'll get through whatever happens together."
"I know," Gina said, and because she had known it but she hadn't been sure, lowered her head and pressed an awkward kiss to the back of Ivy's hand. "Thank you."
God only knew what was going to happen. But she trusted Him.
He'd brought her Ivy, after all.