I need to add a big thank you to my friend Robyn who edited the story on my behalf. Everybody who reads my stories knows how badly I need the editorial assistance. So, thanks Robyn, for helping her hours of hard work and help are not unapreciated.
Brianna and I settled into our relationship, yes, I had to admit, whatever we had before, we were now living together, and it was a relationship.
Accepting that was the first step for me, much like an addict or alcoholic, the first step was realisation.
I was... am a lesbian, my head spun trying to accept it, thinking it didn't work. I walked down by the creek just so I could vocalise it. It still sounded weird. 'I'm in love with Brianna.' That sounded fine but when I said, 'I'm a lesbian, it made me shiver and sounded wrong, alien. I repeated it over and over like some dark medieval chant, a priestess at some secular order.
When I walked back inside Brianna was waiting with muffins and coffee. She guided me out onto the little veranda to catch the morning sun. As we sat, she laughed aloud, "What the hell was all that about?"
I tried to explain how I was feeling. She snorted harshly, "Jesus Charlotte, why are you so determined to label everything?"
She put down her cup and picked up my hand, "Darling, I love you, I love the feel of you in my arms, the taste, the feel of your body. Stop trying to justify everything, it is what it is."
"It's OK for you, but all my friends, my family, everybody is going to hate me. I cheated on my husband, walked away from my daughter. They are all going to say disgusting things about me."
I burst into tears unable to hold back the tears. Brianna quickly pulled me into a hug, her juicy sexy lips kissing away the tear drops from my flushed cheeks, "Darling, you're wrong, your real friends and your family will understand. You need to stop hiding from this, you need to tackle it head on."
"What... how can I face my parents; you don't know them."
Brianna snapped back derisively, "Oh poo, poo to you. Do you think you are the only person in the world who had to come out to their parents? Get over yourself, go and talk to them, the longer you leave it the harder it will become."
Her brutal takedown shocked me, and she knew it, "Sorry darling, but it's true, if you are scared, I will go with you."
My shock turned to affection and we cuddled, as always with us the cuddles turned to kisses and then suddenly the day was gone. We made love with such passion I had to do laundry again. The bed was destroyed.
Life settled a little and I immersed myself in editing for Brianna. She was so impressed that she sent manuscripts of my work to her publishers and I received more work. I went from editing just Brianna's work to editing for half a dozen writers. Some very good and other's new to the literary world.
I was swamped, but it opened up a new world to me. I talked to writers as we worked through their work and my suggestions. We became friends and it was a world I previously admired from outside, now I was surrounded by these wonderful creative people. It was an amazing life changing experience.
The phone conversations were so long, Brianna chased me outside because I was such a distraction. I worked long hours, I tried to make sure I did all the housework because Brianna was paying for everything and that weighed heavily on my conscience. I didn't want to be a millstone.
My relationship with Debbie changed as well. She seemed to have grown overnight. We talked every day on the phone. We discussed her schoolwork and of course her home life. John it seemed was mellowing, he no longer harangued Debbie about me, no longer filled her ears with evil hateful words.
