Looking
PART 2
After keeping our relationship quiet for about a year, Jessie and I came out as
a couple. We were pretty lucky. Most people didn't really have a problem with it
because Jessie and I were always together anyway, so not much changed there. The
problem was that her families never left us alone. The overprotective parent
syndrome. It got to be extremely…ahem…frustrating. Eventually it got to the
point where poor Jessie had to go through the trauma of having a talk with her
mom.
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"So how was your day sweetie?" Karen asked. "What did you girls do?"
"Not much," Jessie answered from our spot on the couch. We had been sitting
there, she leaning against me and me with my right arm around her shoulder, just
watching TV. "Just wasted some time at the mall before hanging out at Katie's."
At the mention of my house, Karen's interest was definitely piqued. "Oh?" she
said. "You went to Katie's house?" It was really weird, her voice had suddenly
gone up an octave.
"Yup. That's what I said." Jessie hadn't taken her eyes from the TV and she was
trying to stay calm, but I could feel her tense under my arm. Karen and Rick had
been acting really weird lately. Ever since they'd found out about me and Jessie
being together, they had been supportive, but still were insanely nosy. Whenever
Karen started repeating Jessie's answers to her questions, it always meant there
were a lot more questions coming.
"That's what you said," Karen repeated to herself quietly.
Great. Just great.
"Were Katie's…" Karen started before Jessie interrupted.
"No mom. Katie's parents weren't home. And neither were her brothers. We
had the house *all* to ourselves, and boy, am I tired!" Jessie said in a bored,
sarcastic tone. I really had no idea what to say at this point, so I just stayed
quiet. I tried to calm Jessie by rubbing her arm and reaching over and taking
her hand in my free one. Looking back, that probably wasn't a good idea after
what she had just said because to Karen I think it looked like I was feeling up
her daughter.
Karen just sat there, staring in shock and after a while tried to choke out a
laugh at what she was obviously hoping was a joke. She didn't seem entirely sure
it was.
"Mom! I'm kidding. You can breathe again." Jessie said, looking over at her
mother and rolling her eyes. "Okay, this is just dumb. Mom, we need to talk."
Karen could only nod.
Jessie sat up, removing herself from our comfortable position, but she still
held on to my hand. "Mom," she began slowly, "Katie's my girlfriend."
"I know that honey," Karen said, clearly wondering where Jessie was going with
this.
"No mom, I don't think you do," Jessie responded. "Ever since you and dad found
out about me and Katie, you've been acting weird, like…like, you know we're
together, but don't want us to be."
"Jessie you know that's not true!" Karen interrupted in an upset tone. "Your
father and I are glad you've found someone who makes you happy. How could you
ever think we wouldn't want that for you?" she asked, sounding hurt at the
implication. This wasn't going well at all.
"No mom, that's not what I mean." Jessie sighed. I could tell she was frustrated
at the whole situation, so I gave her hand a little squeeze to remind her that I
was right there with her. She looked back at me at gave me a weary smile. She
tried again to explain herself to Karen. "What I mean is that, even though you
know we're together, you don't want us to be together…like, alone," she
finished, blushing.
"Oh," was all Karen managed.
"It's just that…I need you to trust me, mom," Jessie said.
"Of course I trust you Jessie. Your father does too."
"No you don't," Jessie argued. "If you did you wouldn't interrogate me every
time I spend time with Katie. And you wouldn't go into cardiac arrest when I
tell you we were alone at some point in the day." She paused, looking at Karen
to see if she understood.
"Do I do that?" Karen asked, surprised.
"You did just five seconds ago," Jessie said. Karen looked over at me and I
nodded that it was true.
"Oh," Karen repeated.
"Mom, Katie's my girlfriend and my best friend. We're gonna spend a lot of time
together, and sometimes we're gonna want to be…um…alone," Jessie paused and
blushed a very deep red. I couldn't help but find her absolutely adorable when
she was embarrassed. "And I need for you to trust that we're not stupid and to
not ask about every detail of our time together. I just want some privacy, like
any teenager. Okay?"
Karen was obviously flustered, but she gathered herself enough to shakily
answer, "Sure sweetie." Then she sort of smiled at us and went upstairs.
Jessie let out a long sigh and flopped backwards, leaning against me once again.
I brought my free hand up and stroked her hair while my other hand played with
her fingers. I gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head before joking,
"Well, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"
"Are you kidding me?!?" she scoffed somewhat angrily. "That was the most
horrifying experience of my life!" I realized I shouldn't have made the joke and
gave her my best apologetic look. I'd been pretty much whipped for some time
though, so really it just looked like I was begging for her forgiveness.
Upon seeing my expression, Jessie calmed down and said, "I guess you're just
lucky I love you so much. It was worth the trauma if it'll get me some more
alone time with you." Then she leaned in and gave me a kiss that told me just
how much she loved me.
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