All That Matters // LGBTQ+

The Beginning

"Mom, dad, I have something to tell you."

Her hands are starting to sweat and tremble. She's never been this nervous in her life. What will her parents think? Will they accept her as she is? Will they still love her?

"What is it, honey?"

"You alright, pumpkin? You seem nervous."

Of course she's nervous. Her parents are traditional people. They won't be acting normal about what Maria's about to say. Her dad might not call her "pumpkin" ever again. They might hate her.

If that'll be the case, what will she do? She's a eighteen year old mother, what will she do if they'll hate her?

"Honey? What happened?"

This is it. She has to tell them, she has to. She can't live in a lie. This is her life; but what if they won't want to be a part of her life?

They barely accepted she had her baby. How will they react to this?

"Maria, is everything okay? You're scaring me, honey."

"I'm gay!"

She did it. She blurted it out. She did it with her eyes closed, but she did it. That's what's important, right?

"What?"

She opens her eyes to see her parents in pure shock. Her mother put her book down and her father stopped playing on his phone. They're both looking at her.

"I-I'm gay." she stutters.

"I don't understand. You- you have a boyfriend."

Her mother steps closer to Maria. Even if she's scared of the outcome, Maria is relieved to see that her mother is not angry. She's confused, yes, but not angry.

"I guess... I never really understood how I felt about girls until recently."

"How do you know?"

Maria's eyes shift to her father.

They're taking this better than I expected.

"Well, I just do."

She feels like it's too early to tell them about the night spent with Carol. It might be too much for them.

"You just do?"

Her mother crossed her arms and is now leaning against her husband. It's as if she couldn't stand on her own.

How did Carol do this? It's so nerve wrecking.

"Yeah. It's like... it's like... like those times you knew I would get injured if I went outside on my own. You just knew."

It's nothing like that, but Maria couldn't think of anything else. It was that or nothing, and it's better to just say something.

Maria's mother takes a deep breath and steps closer to her daughter.

Maria looks at her parents with her big brown eyes, hoping that after this conversation she'd still be their "pumpkin", that they'll still want to be a part of her and Ramona's life.

Her mother wraps her arms around her and gives her the chance to finally breathe. Maria returns the hug with a smile on her face.

"Dad?" she says, looking at the man that a little while ago was holding his granddaughter in his arms, giving Maria the most beautiful smile.

"I'm sorry," he says, like waking up from a trance " it's going to take a minute to get used to, Maria."

Getting used to? Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Still, I can't complain.

Maria nods and gives her father a smile. A hopeful little smile.