𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀

𝟎𝟗𝟐

"𝙲𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐"
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ
𝕥𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴' 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

"SO, AM I ALLOWED TO ASK?" Emily questions her daughter as they clean up their dishes from breakfast.

"Ask what?" Noah replies as she dries the plate Emily hands her.

"What's been going on with you," The mother says.

"I'm good," Noah answers unconvincingly.

"Okay, then I'll ask something else," Emily suggests, "What's going on with you and Jess?" She asks and sees Noah shake her head.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the last I heard, you liked her," Emily says as she continues washing, "Has anything happened? Have you told her? Have you been on a date? Have you kissed her?" The mother rambles on with all sorts of questions.

"Emily," Noah groans as she dries another plate.

"Noah, I would like to know what's going on in my daughter's life," Emily explains.

"Not my love life," Noah replies as she shakes her head.

"So, there is a love life," Emily states as she points at Noah, who gives her an unimpressed expression, "Why won't you just gossip with me?" She pleads.

"You don't gossip with me," Noah shrugs.

"Sure, I do!"

"About other people," Noah rolls her eyes, "You don't tell me anything about your love life."

"I'm your mother, so that would be wildly inappropriate," Emily says and sees Noah flash her a look.

"Hypocrite," The teen mutters under her breath.

"I'll just get Penelope to tell me," Emily challenges the teen with a proud expression.

"She can't tell you anything she doesn't know," Noah mumbles.

"What?"

"Penelope doesn't know about Jess," Noah says casually as she dries the pot Emily handed her. The mother looks at the teen and does not get any eye contact back.

"But you tell her everything," Emily says.

"Well, I didn't tell her that," Noah shrugs.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not ready for that," Noah states and takes another dish to dry.

"She wouldn't look at you any differently, honey — none of them would," Emily says as she finishes cleaning and turns the faucet off.

"I didn't say I thought they would," Noah replies.

"I'm just saying that if you're worried about that, I don't think there's anything to be worried about," Emily explains and hears the teen sigh.

"You don't even know that," Noah says, throwing the dishtowel on the counter, "I mean, there are so many people that think it's disgusting and wrong. And gay marriage isn't even legal!"

"Honey—" Emily calmly says, noting that Noah is suddenly worked up.

"I couldn't even marry Jess if I wanted to, so why does it matter if we're together or if we've been on a date?! It's illegal anyway!"

"Baby, love is not illegal," Emily coos as she puts her hands on Noah's arms.

"Then, why can't I marry a girl?" The teen asks her mother. Emily takes in the expression of desperation and hurt and confusion — she wishes she had an answer.