The falls

chapter 38

Lilien sat in the living room, her hands clenched into fists on her lap. She had rehearsed this conversation a thousand times in her head, but now that the moment had come, her heart pounded so loudly in her chest she thought it might drown out her words. Across from her, her parents sat in stiff, elegant chairs, looking as poised and perfect as ever. Her father's sharp eyes bored into her, while her mother's face was set in an expression of polite interest, as though this was just another business meeting.

But this wasn't business. This was her life.

Taking a deep breath, Lilien finally spoke. "I need to talk to you both. About... everything."

Her father raised an eyebrow, already impatient. "What is this about, Lilien? You've been acting strange ever since you started spending all your time with that girl—Jessica. And that other one. Neomi."

Lilien felt her stomach twist, but she held her ground. "That's what I need to talk to you about. I know you expect me to be perfect—to live up to your expectations and be the daughter you want. But I can't do that anymore."

Her father's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Lilien stood, her fists still clenched at her sides. "I'm talking about how you expect me to be this... this version of myself that isn't real. I'm not perfect. I'm not going to be the flawless daughter you want me to be. And... I like girls."

Her father's face hardened immediately. "You will not speak to me like that, young lady. You are a Northwest, and you will act with dignity and decorum. You are not some... rebellious teenager who can just throw around accusations." He was right about her not being a teenager, but did that matter to Lilien? No.

"I'm not accusing anyone," Lilien said, her voice shaking but determined. "I'm telling you the truth. I'm not like you and Mom. I don't care about the same things you do. I'm not going to spend my life trying to be perfect just to please you. I like girls, and I'm not going to hide that or pretend to be someone else just because you don't approve."

Her father stood abruptly, towering over her. "You are out of line, Lilien. You will not speak like this in my house. You are grounded for a week, and I will not hear another word about this nonsense."

Lilien flinched at the force in his voice, but before she could say anything, her mother, who had been silent until now, stood up as well. Her expression was calm, but there was something different in her eyes—something Lilien had never seen before.

"I am proud of you," her mother said quietly, stepping forward and handing Lilien a small set of keys. "You've finally stood up for yourself."

Lilien blinked, completely taken aback. "What?"

Her father's face turned red with anger. "What do you think you're doing, giving her those keys?"

Her mother ignored him, keeping her focus on Lilien. "These are the keys to the log cabin your grandfather left us. I want you to have them. You need a place where you can be yourself."

Lilien stared at the keys in her hand, completely stunned. This wasn't how she'd expected this conversation to go at all.

Her father reached out to snatch the keys away from her, but before he could, her mother turned and slapped him across the face. The sound echoed in the room, and both Lilien and her father froze in shock.

Her mother's voice was calm but firm as she spoke. "I want a divorce."

"What?" Lilien's father sputtered, his hand still pressed to his cheek. "Are you insane?"

"No," her mother said, her voice steady. "I've been putting up with your controlling behavior for far too long. I'm done pretending everything's fine. You've been trying to control our daughter the same way you've controlled me, but it ends today."

Lilien stood there, speechless, watching as her mother faced her father with a calm, resolute expression. She had never seen her mother like this—strong, defiant, and completely unafraid.

"You will not control Lilien's life," her mother continued. "She is free to be who she is, and I'm proud of her for standing up to you."

Her father stood there, speechless for a moment, before his expression twisted into fury. "You're making a mistake."

"No," her mother said, her voice quiet but firm. "I'm finally making the right choice."

Lilien's heart pounded in her chest as she looked between her parents. She couldn't believe what she was seeing—her mother, standing up to her father, giving her the freedom she'd always wanted.

Her father stormed out of the room without another word, leaving Lilien and her mother standing there in the silence.

After a long moment, her mother turned to her, her expression softening. "I'm sorry it took me this long, Lilien. I should have stood up for you sooner."

Lilien didn't know what to say, but she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly. For the first time in a long time, she felt like things might finally be okay.

"So you said you like girls? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Lilien laughed nervously. She hadn't been planning to tell her mom about Jessica and Noemi. "That's actually a good question... I wouldn't say I have, A, girlfriend. More like... Two."

"It's those kids from the mystery shack isn't it. Well, let me tell you something. As you grow up you will experience physical changes in your body. And you'll probably want to do things you've never done before."

"Mom!"

"I'm just being honest, you need to know what to expect. and I want you to know, I'm ok with you doing those things. Just make sure to stay safe."

"Ok, ok, I get it! Mom can we not talk about sex right now?! This is so embarrassing!"

"Ok sweety. We can talk about this whenever you're ready." And then Lilien walked out of the room.