by C. P. Watson
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AFTER CLASS, AVA GESTURED for me to stay behind. I gladly obliged as she packed up her stuff and I did the same.
“I’m picking up Natalie from school, wanna join me?” I nodded, got up and walked over to her.
“Lead the way ma’am.” She rolled her eyes and nudged me in the shoulder.
We walked through the door, she closed it and we walked down the hallway. Students looked as us without concern or suspicion and we finally made it out of the building.
“She is probably in the playground.”
“We could be playing too.” She shoved me in the arm and as I looked at her face, her cheeks were a light shade of pink.
“Bad girl.” She said with wide eyes.
“Ava!” I flinched as I heard the squeal of a little girl. She leaped towards Ava almost tackling the woman to the floor. “I missed you so much! When are you coming home?” Ava wrapped her arms around Natalie before lifting her up, allowing the kid to wrap her legs around her sister’s torso.
“Why aren’t you in the playground? Did someone bring you out here?”
“I saw you and ran over.” She squealed as Ava placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Are you hungry?” Her backpack began to slip off of her shoulders and I grabbed it before it fell to the floor.
“Yes! A rainbow milkshake!”
“That’s not food.”
“Yes it is.”
“Nah uh.”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Natalie shouted hysterically making Ava give her a look. “Sorry.” She mumbled with a pout on her cute face.
“You’ll get your milkshake, but you’re gonna eat a sandwich with it.”
“Turkey and Swiss?” Natalie jumped out of Ava’s arms and grabbed her backpack from me. “Did you miss me Kylie?” I nodded as I helped her arms through the straps of her bag. “You have to tell me all about the wedding. I can’t believe you didn’t take me.” Natalie then began to talk on and on about everything she did while we were away and all the reasons why Ava should have moved back home.
We walked towards the diner, Natalie in between us holding both of our hands. It was nice to feel apart of something; to spend time with Natalie and Ava, even though I did not talk much, but at least I listened.
As we sat at a table in the diner, looking at Natalie slurp down her milkshake, I wondered how come her parents allowed her to spend the afternoon with us.
“So are you and your parents ok?” She shrugged and placed a fry inside of her mouth. Chewing and then swallowing, she stuck out her bottom lip.
“We are getting there. When I take Natalie home, I guess we’ll have a talk.”
“Good or bad?”
“Good.” I smiled and stretched my hand over the table to reach hers.
“Everything will be ok.” She smiled stiffly before giving into the happiness.
EPILOGUE
The year ended quicker than I thought it would. I went through graduation and was prepared for college. Ava was finally moving to New York with me. We had already found an apartment and my mother made sure to check it out for us and moved all of my stuff over. We posted Ava’s stuff out and everything was there waiting for us to organize.
We were leaving in a week and Ava was dreading leaving her little sister behind, but was also excited to start her new job and our life together.
It was finally time to come clean to her parents, and though they were coming around to accepting her sexuality, I did not know how accepting they would be of our relationship, but their opinion would not jeopardize what we shared.
I was nervous and anxious as we sat in the living room. Natalie was watching cartoons and sitting in between us, and her parents were in the kitchen getting something for us to drink.
Her mother was still reserved, but at least she eased down on the judging.
Mr. Reese entered the room with two glasses in his hand and gave one to both Ava and I. Ava let out a deep breath before taking a sip, her anxiety levels rising profoundly that I could feel her heart beating in her chest.
His wife followed behind him and took a seat on the couch opposite ours, and he sat next to her.
“I still can’t believe you are moving away.”
“No! What did I say! Ava is not leaving!” Natalie yelled as she jumped onto Ava’s lap and buried her face into her sister’s cleavage. I pressed my lips together to hold back a laugh from escaping.
Ava soothed her little sister as she gently rubbed her hand up and down the girl’s small back.
“I’ll visit, and we’ll video chat.”
“But you are supposed to move back home.”
“I’m a big girl now Nat, do you want to still be living with mom and dad when you grow up?”
“Ew, no. I will move to Paris and live in a mansion.”
“That’s splendid.” Mr. Reese mumbled sarcastically as his wife surprisingly chuckled.
“Daddy, you’ll buy me a mansion, right?”
“As soon as I become a billionaire, of course I will.” He chuckled as his little girl screamed excitedly, jumped off of Ava’s lap and ran over to him. She leaped into him and hung herself over his shoulder.
“So, there is something I wanted to talk to you two about.” Ava started and placed her hands on her thighs.
“Are you gay?” Mrs. Reese gave a quizzical look before bursting out into a fit of laughter. “Sorry, that was just me trying to be ok about it.” She admitted as she wiped a fake tear away. Her husband nudged her and gave her a smile.
“What is it honey? Kylie can we have some privacy, please?” I was about to get up when Ava grabbed my hand stopping me. “Or you can stay.” He cleared his throat as he rested Natalie down on to ground as she continued to watch her cartoon, not bothering with us anymore.
I assumed that they noticed how Ava’s hand still held onto mine, and the look in her eyes probably gave too many hints away.
“I’m guessing that’s why you are actually moving to New York.” Mrs. Reese said with a heavy sigh as she continued to look at our combined hands.
“Actually, not entirely, but yea.” Ava mumbled and rubbed the back of her neck with her other hand.
“She is a child Ava. How could you be so irresponsible, and to move away from your family for her? Unbelievable.” I pressed my lips together as a heavy weight rested onto my shoulders.
Ava tightened her hold and looked to her father. “Dad, I’m in love with her.” She admitted and I felt my chest tighten, afraid of the consequences of the confession.
“She is eighteen Ava, you are her teacher. What else do I have to say for you to know what is wrong about this?”
“I’m no longer her teacher and it’s only five years. Five years. Couples have thirty five years age differences, why is ours such a big deal?” Ava’s father looked down at Natalie and patted her head.
“Are you happy?” Ava nodded and smiled.
“I really am, dad.”
“Then so be it. I can’t judge your life. You are twenty three. My opinion certainly does not matter.”
“I’m not thrilled about this, and I certainly should have expected it, but I don’t want us to fight and I’m going to keep my opinion to myself.” Her mother said as she got up and walked out of the room.
“I still love you both.” Natalie said as she walked over to me before stretching her arms and yawning.
“I love you too.” I said softly, surprising myself.
“Can you read me a bedtime story?” She asked as she crawled onto my lap and cuddled into me.
“Let’s take her to her room.” Ava said as she got up and helped me stand as I lifted Natalie up with me.
We walked to her room together and as I rested her on the bed, she fell asleep instantly without the story.
“She must be super tired.” I said as I pulled the covers over her small body and Ava placed a teddy bear next to her.
“Adorable, huh?” I nodded and Ava placed her hands on my shoulders. “I expec
ted a worse reaction.” She said before placing a kiss above my ear.
“They’ll come around babe.” She rested her chin on top of my shoulder and sighed.
“Hopefully.” I noticed Midnight curled up under Natalie’s nightstand and smiled.
“I love you Ava.” She inhaled deeply, her arms wrapping tightly around my torso. In that moment, as I watched Natalie peacefully sleep and felt my girlfriend’s warmth envelope my body, I knew life had great things to offer.
Pain was not the end. I lived it and it hurt. The past will always be with me, the pain always will as well. It was just the means of adjusting to cope with everything, and I could not be luckier to be able to spend my life with her.
We might have met on unconventional terms, and maybe there were many odds against us, but at the end of the day, all that mattered was our feelings for each other. There were many things I still had to accomplish, and there were so many things I wanted to explore with her. She had taught me a valuable lesson and made me see the brighter side of life - the past will leave us once we don’t let it define us.
THE END