Learning Love Again [Book #2]

Chapter 3

|| JACKIE ||

|| Friday, June 26th ||

"Hi," I heard, seeing Madison approach me at the coffee shop.

"Hey, thanks for coming," I smiled, and Madison took a seat across from me.

"Is Charlotte at home?"

"No, she's out with my parents at the mall. I told them I'd catch up around lunchtime. They still don't know what's going on, and we're unsure if we should bring it up. So, this might be awkward."

"I'm sure they'll understand. The first thing they'll probably do is offer support. But it also doesn't mean spilling all your issues and concerns."

I smiled, "No, they'd normally asked if we'd be comfortable. Otherwise, we'd tell them a small portion that summarizes everything, which usually only takes about five minutes or less."

"Yeah, besides, Cindy and Noah are pretty chill," Madison smiled. "Emily and Ethan, not so much. But it's good that Emily is finally starting to open up. She has more of a voice now than when Ethan was around."

"I feel bad that she's living in that house all alone. I know she has Tim and Avery, but still. Sometimes, it's tempting to ask and see if she'd want to move here. It would give her a chance to be closer to Charlotte," I sighed, tapping the lid of my coffee cup.

Madison nodded and sipped her drink before looking at my hand. "I notice you still don't have your ring on."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I haven't gotten the guts to wear it again. We promised too much with the ring. It symbolizes growth and love. I just feel like I'll be staring at it every night, questioning when would be the right time."

Madison smiled, "You'll know. There will come a time when you'll know."

"Thanks," I said.

It was quiet, and I played with my fingers, gently scratching one nail on the other. I glanced at Madison, who wasn't looking at me, but around the shop. It looked like she was either admiring the décor or thinking about something serious.

"Have you ever thought about your luck?" Madison suddenly asked.

"My luck?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. How lucky your life is?"

"Madison, I don't understand what you mean," I said.

"Coming out was easy for you. Your parents were open from the start. You are going to college here, on a good scholarship too, and even so, your parents are helping you pay. Never forced you to get a job during high school. You also have them to run to with relationship problems. They've been so supportive of you. Some of us don't have that luxury."

Madison wasn't even looking at me. She just sat in front of me, playing with her coffee cup and tracing her finger around the brand name. Okay, yeah, I might be lucky to be born into a great family and to have the immediate support of my parents. Like I'm their little treasure chest of happiness.

"Have you ever thought about Charlotte's life before and during the time you two started dating?"

"I mean, I knew our parents were close, and we'd hang around each other so much during my childhood. Sometimes, I don't know how she dealt with me," I sighed. "I might have paid attention to her physical appearances and reactions, but I never thought much about it. I do always think about finding ways to make her happy because I love seeing her smile. Both as lovers and as friends."

Madison had a small smile across her face, "She's told you about Ethan. His religion, attitude, and how his thoughts on homosexuality changed. Because he once snapped at something, he forbid Charlotte from even thinking about loving someone of the same sex. Of course, we knew he made an exception for you because of how close both your parents are. They know that you and Charlotte are too close to try and drive away because of his differences."