Day #8

Bethany closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the summer sun on her skin.  She was holding hands with the girl she loved while they were both lying on the dock that jutted out of a secluded part of the lake.

"Excuse the cliché, but I really hope that this day never ends..." said Bethany.

The girl, her name was Genevieve, gently squeezed Bethany's hand and a smile spread across each of their faces.

"Are we going to tell anyone?" asked Genevieve.

"I don't think that I want to," said Bethany, after taking some time to think.

"But... why not?" asked Genevieve.

"I just... I think that I'd shock my parents," said Bethany.  "I'm just not ready to have that conversation or take on that uphill battle."

"So... does that mean we can't tell anyone?" asked Genevieve.

"I don't know who we could tell," said Bethany.

"So, it's not that you're ashamed that we're together now," said Genevieve.

"Of course it's not that.  I wouldn't be here if I wasn't absolutely sure," said Bethany.

"Have you ever doubted?" asked Genevieve.

"Of course I have," said Bethany.  "It wasn't obvious for me like it was for you."

"Then how did you find out?" asked Genevieve.

"I don't know... I just... did," said Bethany.  "It's really hard to explain.  I just thought about it one day and the more I thought about it, I realized something about myself and everything in my life just... fit.  But it wasn't just based on one time.  I thought about this many times.  I came up with the same conclusion.  What was it like for you?"

"I kind of did the same thing as you did, but I realized it earlier than you did.  My parents kind of wondered too.  I had always been a little more attracted to females and I was absolutely terrified by the male gender, not to mention that I didn't feel comfortable around them and there was no level of attraction.  When I actually told them, there was no surprise.  They were completely supportive of me and everything was good," said Genevieve.

"I wish it was so easy for me to tell my family," said Bethany.  "I'm so used to being close to my parents.  We've never had a secret between us.  I can't help but wonder just how well I know my parents because every time I try to convince myself to tell them, I stop myself because I just don't know how they'll react.  I don't want them to think that they've failed me or that I've failed them... I know there isn't a connection between sexual identity and failure, but I don't know if my parents see things that way."

"If they really love you, then they'll take you for how you are.  One realization shouldn't change their view of you," said Genevieve.

Bethany smiled.

"See, that's why I keep you.  You just make everything better."

"There you go with your clichés again," said Genevieve, smiling.

"But they're true."

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Author's Note: I honestly don't understand how a realization changes the way you think of a person when you've known them for years.  It's beyond me...  And it doesn't even have to be a realization about one's sexual identity.  It could be a realization about religion, politics... anything.

I apologize for my lack of updating.  It's NaNoWriMo season, which means I'm working on bigger projects than just this blog.  As for the months before November, I don't have a legitimate excuse.  I was working on another short story and I just couldn't find a way to move forward, so this blog just sat and gathered dust.

I'll try and update a bit more regularly.  Perhaps once a week?