The Secrets You Keep

Mommy Issues

Our story has always been complicated. We've never seen eye to eye about anything, she was once the closest thing to me and now she's in my distant past. Coming out for me was never like how you see in the movies or TV shows. It involved my mother calling me demon possessed, calling members from the church and our extended family outing me, asking for prayers and even inviting them over in an attempt to pray the gay away.

That same idea of praying the gay away is how Geneva and I became so close, my mother thought she was sending me to be corrected by the pastor and ultimately, we fell madly in love with each other. Our relationship is the one thing I don't regret from this entire journey, no matter what my mother has tried to do to make me feel and believe otherwise.

I look over at my cell phone and check my text messages from the past few hours. My dad has been blowing my phone up trying to reconnect me and my mother. I tend to ignore his texts unless there's something serious happening; and since there's nothing going on, I haven't bothered to call him or reply to his messages. My dad has always tried to keep our family problems a secret all while making us look picture perfect around others. Part of me respects him for it, but the other half hates him for not sticking up for me against my mothers' relentless bullying.

Geneva is up earlier than usual and makes a pot of coffee while I start on a paper for one of my psychology classes. With the spring semester starting back for me and Geneva trying to make a decision about accepting the pastoral job that Charlotte offered, we've been so busy that I haven't gotten a chance to clear my mind and take a breath in what seems like forever.

"Babe do you want cream and sugar in your coffee?" Geneva asks trying to focus my attention on her.

"Sure baby, thanks." I reply flashing a smile before looking back down at my laptop.

After making two cups of coffee, Geneva sits next to me and closes my laptop.

"Cameron we need to talk." She says.

"What's up?"

"There's something I think you should know about your parents."

Fuck. She read my mind. How did she even pick up on me thinking about them. I guess it's that intuition everyone talks about we women have.

"What about them?" I ask while taking a sip of my coffee.

"A few days ago, I got an email from your mother and father, from the looks of it they want to have a sit down with you and I."

"Oh no, that's not happening!" I shake my head viciously and stand up from the couch walking towards the kitchen counter.

"Cameron please, let's just consider it." Geneva says trying to keep up with me.

"There's nothing to consider Geneva, I mean come on, do you even hear yourself?" "My mother was the one who told the general board about you and I which led to you getting the boot from the church." "Let's not even forget about all the stress and drama she put me through before you and I started dating officially."

"Listen I understand why you're upset Cameron, but let's just hear them out." "If you don't want to talk, at least try and listen to what they have to say." "I'll be with you the whole time, we can get up an leave whenever you want, just please consider it for your own mental health." Geneva reaches up to caress my cheek and look into my eyes with the same puppy expression that somehow wins me over every time.

I take a deep breath, run my fingers through my hair and look at Geneva with a serious glance.

"Fine." "What day and time do they want to meet?"

"Tomorrow at 2:30."

I sit back down at my laptop and get back to work on my paper. After finishing a few pages I save my work, and put my laptop away for the afternoon. Travis called a few days back and asked if I had some time to hangout so I agreed. We head towards Bourbon St for drinks and wings before coming back to the house to catch up.

"I'm glad your finally happy Cam." Travis says.

"Well I can't lie, it's taken a lot for me to even get to this place but I'm kinda glad things happened the way they did for Geneva and me."

"So what's the deal about you and G meeting with your parents tomorrow?" Travis asks while passing me a beer.

"Apparently, they sent an email to Geneva and asked to meet with the both of us and talk, I really don't know what they want to discuss though, seeing as I haven't made any attempt to speak to either one of them especially after my mom managed to get G kicked out from the church."

"You know, that always tripped me out." "Like damn, your mom is that bothered by you sleeping with women that she managed to get Geneva booted from her own shit!?!?"

"Yup." "It bugs the hell out of her that the woman she thought would fix me ended up leaving her husband for me." We both laugh and shake our heads.

"I hope everything works out, if not at least you still got a bomb ass relationship to fall back on." "Listen I'm gon' head home, call me after the meeting with your parents and let me know how it went, okay?" Travis says while grabbing his jacket and reaching out to dap up with me.

"Cool, I'll call you tomorrow."

I watch to make sure that Travis makes it to his car safely before closing the door, locking it and heading upstairs to go to bed. As I lay next to Geneva, I can't help but think what the hell did I get myself into by agreeing to even meeting with my parents? I just hope everything works out and I can finally try to understand the makings of both my parents by the end of it.