Alberta

Chapter Fourteen: Maui

Maui, I had to give it to my parents they had upped their family vacation game, and as we all descended from our flights, we were presented with a lei around our necks. The beautiful flowers placed upon our chests.

"So beautiful" Morgan observed.

"A nice touch" I agreed, looking sideways to my mom.

She smiled a knowing smile "I thought so" and she disappeared among the throng of family ahead of us.

It had been two years since the last vacation in Idaho, not much of a vacation as it turned out and more of a traumatic week. It started with Allie's heart-breaking loss and ended in two of my brothers not talking to me, when they figured out Morgan was my girlfriend, and not just a friend. It was a poor decision from me to lie about Morgan and I, hoping to avoid it until the last day. I didn't think that helped the matter.

My Mom had had ten years of praying and seeking counsel from church, family and friends, and just recently, perhaps eight months ago she had told me that she knew I wouldn't be returning to the church. She had said although it saddened her to think I may not be a part of their eternal family, she had found peace knowing in this life I was happiest living my authentic life. I can't tell you how we both cried through that conversation. She had even come to Oregon to have it with me in person, my aunt Mary, her sister, was instrumental in my mom accepting it all sooner, see Aunt Mary was also gay and had had an almost identical experience to me, other than her parents had not accepted her at all as part of the family, and she was excommunicated pretty sharply. I at least still had my family in my life, and that day that my mom came to visit, she released me, released me from invisible shackles I hadn't realised were weighing me down so heavily. I was freed and it felt incredible. I had called Allie as soon as I was alone and told her everything, she had cried with me on the phone, hearing the relief it gave me. She was also in her own process of freeing herself, from her own shackles, she wouldn't go into details, but she assured me it was safely tucked up in a poem somewhere, one I could read later. I wondered what later meant to Allie, she seemed to have a spot on the horizon she expected to arrive at one day and I wished I could see it too, because I missed being in Allies most interwoven thoughts. I missed feeling her from within, with the words she put on paper, or email.

It nears,
slow and sure
days are coming
tales from folklore,
a world away
beyond the veil,
it waits
it beats
it calls
drumming
humming
patiently waiting
I feel it now
do you
because Willa it's calling
take my hand
walk on
come through
At the downing of the sun
let us unite,
For the sunsets are ours
Infinite

Allie I could see up front, walking hand in hand with Harper, whom I couldn't believe was now ten years old. She had cut her auburn hair recently into a shorter style that came to just above her shoulders, it gave her, her own edge. Harper was a few inches from her mom's height already, taking more after Bens almost six foot frame. She would be much taller than Allie when she was done growing. I couldn't see Ben. I imagined he was already at the rental cars since he was the most organised of us all and loved taking charge of the small details on trips.

"Your Mom just told me she had missed me" Morgan said returning to my side as we walked through the airport.

"That's an improvement" I returned with a smile. Morgan was thrilled, her face lit up to show it.

"Did she happen to mention room arrangements this time... are we allowed to share" I asked.

"She said we have rooms next to each other" Morgan informs me whilst trying to keep a straight face.