The unfortunate adventures of Sarah Richards

Chapter eighteen ~this policy of honesty~

"Sarah, i think it's a good idea that you tell dad the truth." My mother had been talking with Thea and i the following morning, after church. It was just us now. Save for the baby and the dog. My father had go go work on a case. "I know you feel strongly that he'll be accepting but i really don't like the idea of him knowing. Plus, he knows Thea's father. So anything dad knows could very well go straight to him." I explained for what felt like the hundredth time. Thea squeezed my hand a little and smiled nervously. "It's okay. Remember my wish?" She whispered in my ear. I nodded slowly and smiled at her. "Care to share with the class?" My mother raised an eyebrow in mock suspicion. "No thank you." Thea giggled, shaking her head slowly. "But, when Sarah's father gets back, i uh, i guess it wouldn't hurt to tell him." She added in a small voice. "How will we break it to him though?" I asked, taking a more serious tone. "I was just thinking about that myself." My mother began, starting to twiddle her thumbs again. "Does having him read the article sound alright? Surely he'll get curious and pry on yours." She suggested. I furrowed my brow for a short moment, "alright." I nodded. Thea's only response was to nod as well.
"Well, well, well, speak of the devil! My, Sarah, your timing is impeccable." My mother cackled slightly as she glanced out the front window upon seeing my father heading up the sidewalk. I leapt up to grab a newspaper that still had my article in it as the front door unlocked and swung open. "Hey, kiddos!" My father seemed to be in an awfully good mood as he set his briefcase down and immediately scooped up my baby brother. I returned to the living room with Thea. A past issue of the Philadelphia inquirer in my hands. "Oh, Thea, i need to speak with you later if you don't mind." My dad began speaking in her general direction without actually looking up due to the fact that Orwell was nibbling on his tie. "O-okay." My girlfriend replied shyly. "Can you read my article first, dad?" I asked, holding the paper up with the page of my article flipped around to the front for him. "Sure." My father balanced Orwell on one hip, holding the paper in his free hand. The time Thea and I spent standing there, leaning against the couch, felt like the longest time i had ever spent waiting in my entire life though i knew well that it wasn't. But eventually, my father finished reading. He cleared his throat, setting the paper down on the shelf where we kept our shoes. "You did a good job, Sarah..." He began, turning to face us. My mother still sat on the couch. I could sense her giving a hopeful glance. "Now, let me see your necklace." He smiled, handing Orwell back to my mother. I pulled my necklace out of my hoodie and held it up so the crystal dangled in his line of vision. "Well, i dunno about the L, G whatever but it certainly was accurate when you said primarily tall people exhibited these colours." My dad laughed, throwing me a cheeky smile. I was glad i had kept him in good spirits for now. But it was all about to be put on the line. My mother rose from the couch and moved to place herself standing behind Thea and I. She must have sensed us getting nervous. "May i see yours?" He asked Thea curiously. "Y-yes sir." She said and nodded slowly, reaching down the neck of her sweater and pulling out the silver chain. For a moment, her fingers stayed clasped around the crystal, then unfolded. "Lovely, colour. Yes, i like it. This one was also accurate in tallness. Wait a minute..." My father had been cheerily rambling when he cut himself off and began rapidly looking to and fro between my girlfriend's necklace and mine. "My God, They're the same! Th-the-the- Kelly! Did you know about this?" He got red in the face and began stumbling over his speech. I assume my mother's only response to that was nodding slowly for i could not see her and she said nothing. "Our daughter," he said angrily, pointing a finger at me, "just wrote an article about how these necklaces are supposedly for finding a soulmate, then she comes home with another girl!" He spat. I raised my hand up to bring a barrier between my angry father and I. "Allow me," i began cooly. "For this is how i told mom." Making sure to give him a stone faced stare. "Bisexual," i pointed to myself, "lesbian," i pointed to Thea as i grabbed her hand in mine, "girlfriends. Soulmates. Lovers." I explained slowly, pointing back and forth between the two of us before leaning over to give my girlfriend a quick kiss. My father's only response was to fold his arms, looking over our heads at my mother and lifting his chin a little. They were going to need to talk. My mother touched my shoulder gently and my only response was a nod as Thea and I disappeared to my room.
"I knew we shouldn't have done that!" I muttered as i slammed the door shut. "It's okay." Thea soothed, pulling me down to sit on the foot of my bed with her. "Besides, i assume what he wanted to talk about concerned my wish so i may have time to reason with him." She added, trying her best to be optimistic. As she opened her mouth to speak again i held up a finger indicating i needed silence. My parents were yelling downstairs. We both knelt upon the floor, pressing our ears to the carpet.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" My father hollered. "Because i only found out for myself last night after returning from work!" My mother's voice was terrifying when she yelled. I had only really witnessed it a few times.
"And you're okay with it?!"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, i am! Do you have a problem with it?"
"Yeah, it's a little strange to see my daughter kissing the daughter of a close friend and client of mine! Not to mention against her family's beliefs and the bible!"
"Would you have rather they not told you? What happened to this policy of honesty we established in our home?"
"I just wish she had found a new boy!"
"Why?! If she loves this girl, isn't their happiness more important than genitalia? Besides, lesbian relationships never end up with unwanted pregnancies."
"so they're banging already!?"
"Heaven's no! i hope not. But that wasn't my point, Aden. My point is what i've been trying to get across throughout this whole fight!"
"And what, pray tell, is that?"
"That it doesn't matter who you date as long as you love and respect each other! WHICH THESE GIRLS CLEARLY DO! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?"
There was silence for a moment after my mother raised her voice till it could go no further.
"I just don't like the idea of my daughter doing something Thea's parents are so against." I could hear my father talking in a normal tone now.
"But you know they are not safe people. You got the call. We both did. You know her wish and the situation. You know pastor Larkin is not the man he presents himself to be in church."
Silence. "I do. All of that. It's just going to take some getting used to, and i still have the urge to be a protective angry father though i know what a gentle soul Thea is.."
I didn't care to hear the rest. I dragged my girlfriend up from the floor and started crying tears of joy. "We're safe here, doll!" I whispered