When Summer Ends

Not Your Secret

I slip my fingers between Rylie's as I shut her car door, refusing to let it go the entire time we're here. In her other hand is a pink bag with white tissue paper covering the contents, clutched tightly in her white knuckled fingers.

"Ready?" I ask quietly. Rylie gives me a tiny nod. "If you need to leave, just say the word and we'll go."

"Okay."

The nervousness and pain in her voice nearly kill me, but I'm constantly amazed at her bravery and determination.

The week had gone by quickly, and the baby shower had been on our minds nonstop. Rylie's mom lived in a small neighborhood, and a rich one at that. Each house is different, huge, with plenty of space and beautiful. The one we're walking towards is my favorite, and I'm excited to see inside. The exterior has a few different colors and materials. The roof is a dark grey while the walls are a mix of stone with tan, grey and oranges scattered about, with the rest being a grey sort of paneling. Lots of windows are spaced out along the walls, letting a lot of mid-day sun into the house.

Two reddish brown garage doors sit on the left end of the house, and a grey Lexus SUV sits in the driveway. A short black metal fence lines the stone walkway leading to the door, and Rylie's fingers tighten around mine as I reach up to knock.

This would be Rylie's second time seeing her mom since the phone call she got at camp, and I knew she was nervous. Hell, I was nervous. This would be my first time meeting her mom. Rylie told me her mom was... not happy to find out her only daughter was gay. She was even more upset when she found out about me. Rylie blew up at her saying she lost her right to an opinion when she left them for a new family. That finally seemed to click in her mom's brain.

The door silently opens and a tall, thin woman appears in the doorway with a smile. She has long brown hair with the sides tucked back neatly. She wears a long black dress with off the shoulder sleeves, and I quickly catch sight of the giant diamond ring on her finger.

Although the baby bump is a dead giveaway, it's the woman's eyes that confirm that this is Rylie's mother, Kristen. I thought Rylie got her eyes from her dad, but I was wrong. Her mom's were the exact same shade of startling blue.

"Rylie! I am so glad you decided to come!" The woman says, moving as if to pull Rylie in for a hug. Rylie quickly steps back, and a flash of hurt crosses her mothers face. She quickly recovers and opens the door wide, ushering us in. "And who is this?" Her eyes flick down to our joined hands, and she hurries to wipe her face of what I can only assume is disgust. I tighten my hold on Rylie's hand.

"This is my girlfriend, Aspen." Rylie responds coolly, and I'm proud of how easily she's handling this.

"It's nice to meet you, Aspen." Kristen responds in a tight voice. She doesn't offer her hand, but I don't mind. I definitely wasn't a fan of her so far.

"Likewise." I offer, keeping my voice distant.

"Well, come on in. There's food on the table you're welcome to." Rylie holds out the gift bag and her mothers face lights up. "Oh, you didn't have to bring anything, Rylie!"

"It's for my baby sister. Figured she'd want some cute shoes."

The thought hadn't crossed my mind before now. Could Rylie possibly want a relationship with her half sister, even if she didn't want one with her mother?

"Oh, well I'm sure they're adorable!" Kristen says quickly. We follow her into the large great room, and I notice about 15 other women gathered in the living room area. I follow Rylie to the food and add a few things to a small plate. My nerves were making me slightly nauseous.