I'm Coming Out

It was a regular day. Well as regular as any day of mine can be. I crawled out of my bed, exhausted after only two hours of sleep. To be completely fair, staying up to watch Umbrella Academy wasn't exactly in my best interest. I managed to get into the study room, where I had a long day of online school. At around 10:00 am, I had a free period, so I decided to annoy my mother about the trivial problems in the life of a teenager. Somehow the conversation turned into boys. Specifically, liking boys. "So, do you have anyone on mind?", she asked. "No", I laughed, "not really." Then she paused, which made my laughter die out. "Níki," she started and I think I swallowed audibly. "Níki," she started again, "Do you-", then she faltered off awkwardly. I knew the question that was coming, but it still came as a shock when she asked "Do you even like boys?" I choked. "Yeah, I like boys", I managed to cough out. But my mother gave me a look that had me saying, "But I like girls too." I froze, she froze and the words hung in the air us. There was no going back now. However, and I promise this is true, my mouth began to move on its own. "I like agender and non-binary and femboys and shemales", I continued. Then like a cartoon character, I slapped my hand over my mouth. My mother put her arms around me. "It's okay", she whispered into my hair, "I love you for who you are." I was happy, so so very happy that she accepted me for who I am. 

I built this moment up in my head so much, and I expected the worst-case scenario. Who knew that it would be a random conversation at 10:00 am on a random Tuesday morning. 

However, the story isn't over. I had to tell my father. 

"Bring-a-ling-a-ling!", my phone ran and I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted my father to answer or not. But he did. "Níkola, I'm very busy today. What do you want?", he said in his usual tone of fatherly care. "Bapi, I'm pansexual", I blurted out. There was a long pause. Then a soft, "You like to have sex with pans?" "Uhhhh-" "Jah help me. What is wrong with teens these days" he muttered. "Nuh- No I'm not- I don't- Well- You see- No I am not sexually attracted to pans," I managed to stutter out. "Thank Jah and everything holy. Then what the hell does pansexual mean? " He questioned. "It means I like all genders", I replied. "Oh", he said, "I always knew that" Then another long pause. "Soooo- you have a girlfriend yet?", he asked. "Ba- Bapi, what?", I stuttered. "Well I assumed that you had a girlfriend or boyfriend or partner or something which is why you're telling me this now", he said. "No I am not in a romantic relationship of any kind", I confirmed. "Ok cool, I just want grandchildren", he said. Then he hung up, leaving me kinda shocked. That conversation honestly went a lot better than I thought. 

I was loved. And that was the best day of my life.