Love Through Me (Lesbian Story)

Chapter 28

Riley

  "How's school going?" The Bishop asked Jamie, after a long drought of quietness at the dining table.

   It had only been a few minutes but long enough to let the tension start to smother us like pillows over our faces.

   I looked at Jamie as she finished taking another bite from her salmon. Who knew her family was pescatarian. If I had to go the rest of my life on only vegetables and fish I wouldn't survive. I felt bad for the chicken, deers, and whatever else that had to die and I surely didn't want to see the process; but the meat was good.

   "Schools..." Jamie struggled with her answer as if school was a complicated subject. "I'm learning," she simply said.

   "Well...continue to," the Bishop responded with a genuine smile.

   I wondered if the Bishop was mentally trying to pretend that Jamie was straight and I was only her close friend. That's what my mother did in the beginning. Denial was all she could hold onto, keeping me straight in her mind.

   "What about you...Ms. Matthews. How's school for you?"

   I arched a brow not really expecting anyone to ask me that. I was waiting for more of the 'Why are you gay? How does your mother feel about that?' Those questions.

   I answered anyway. "I'm doing well in school."

   "Riley has a 4.08," Jamie cheered.

   I smiled at her way of blurting out my achievements. "It's a 4.05 which is less than a 4.08...but I'll get there."

   Jamie faced me with an awkward look on her face as if I had said something wrong. "What?"

   "Nothing..." she said quietly.

   "It is something I often preach to my daughter," Jamie's mother spoke. "Having a 'B' is less than an 'A'."

   I noticed discomfort in Jamie's body and I wanted to clarify my recent statement. "I believe in doing my best. Getting a 4.08 is my best and I know I can achieve that. But at the end of the day...if I don't...doesn't mean I stopped trying. Its that I did my best in school or whatever I may do that counts to me."

   Jamie lowered her head, tilting to the side smiling at me. I wasn't going to let her mother manipulate my words and use them against Jamie.

   "I second that," Jamie's father and the Bishop stated in unison.

   Christine pursed her lips ignoring their agreement to my statement.

   Christine and her tag team partners Sister Mora and Jenkins began their private conversation and I felt the tip of Jamie's fingers slid softly up my inner arm and back to my hand. She linked our fingers resting her chin over my shoulder as she leaned in. "Thank you," she mumbled.

   "You don't have to thank me," I immediately said. "I'm very proud of you and what your accomplishing in school."

   I held Jamie's eyes as she smiled back at me and I nearly forgot where I was when Jamie's sharp tone pulled me back to reality. "Do you two--"

   "Christine, leave them be," Jamie's father interjected.

   "They're in our home. The least--"

   "Christine," he said. "Quit it."

   Jamie's expression tighten and I bumped my shoulder against hers, trying to get her to look at me. She didn't and my concern grew. "Do you want to leave?"

   "She just got here," Christine hissed, adding herself to our conversation. "You see our daughter enough."

   "We," Jamie's voice rose, emphasizing both of us, "we just got here, mother. Riley and I." Jamie's eyes narrowed to her mother. Jamie quieted a moment and then put her utensils down. "Do you hate our relationship that much?"