The Definition Of Love (Book 1) [Gxg]

Chapter 23

Okay. This was it. Linda had to tell her parents. She tried to grasp Haley's hand. But it wasn't there. She ended up holding a fistful of air. Right now Haley was battling her own life. Her own battles. Linda had to do this all by herself. Linda's life had never been as complicated as Haley's. It had had its own unique twists and turns, but it had never been too crazy. 

She'd dated boys. Not THAT many. Just a few. She'd broken their hearts before they could break hers. And the one that had managed to get to her had been forgotten under layers of Chick Flick tears and scoops of Haagen Dazs. Well she says break their hearts but she only ever broke up with them if they were going to do the same with her. The feeling was mutual but her exes had been too cocky to accept she was right so that they could remain friends. Idiots.

Anyways. When Linda had started dating guys, she'd introduced her first boyfriend... Isaac was it?... to her parents. More than loving him, they loved the fact that he was a guy. The relief that had rippled across their faces had almost made Linda laugh. Almost. Her parents had always suspected her... you know... to be lesbian... bisexual even. She didn't know why. Maybe they were just expecting the worst. Not that what was happening was bad. No way. What she had with Haley... it felt right. Wait no that's cliche. You know the satisfaction you get when something fits perfectly. Yeah that's what she felt. Well that, times a thousand... million... infinity.

Linda walked on to her front yard. She was just coming back from Haley's house after their ice cream/movie evening. This was the place she'd first met her. She smiled at the memory. But the smile was replaced by a frown soon. Too soon. A frown that revealed depths of worry. When she'd asked her mom what she thought about the lgbtq+ community, she'd replied that she thought that they had psychological problems. Linda had almost cried. Almost.

She held the door knob. Brass door knob. Beautiful red mahogany door. Her house was beautiful. Haley had always wanted a house. But her apartment was equally beautiful. And less messy, considering the fact that Linda lived with two wild and annoying (yet adorable) twin kids. She walked in and, as usual, she was overwhelmed by the amount of noise that resonated from the kids' playroom. At least this meant that nothing was wrong. If she was lucky (which she prided herself to be *cue hair flip) she might be able to catch her parents in a good mood. Her dad had come back early, she'd realized when she'd seen his black Mercedes parked outside. His pride and joy. The love of his life. His Mercedes. Her parents were watching TV on the couch. Yes! That meant that they were in a good mood. Her feet padded on the dark wooden floor as she walked towards her parents. Her parents were backgrounded by a glowing aura, thanks to the final rays of the day pouring into the room. She gazed at them for a bit. Her dad's arm over the back of the couch, her mum next to him, for once. They seemed peaceful. Linda felt horrible for having to disrupt this tranquility but there was no better moment than now to tell them. She may never have a chance like this one again.

"Mom. Dad," she motioned for them to pause the television.

"Yes honey," her mum asked, a little concerned.

She must look as if she was going to be sick.

"There is something really important I have to tell both of you. And let me prefix this by saying, I have no control over this, so please please don't yell. It's nobody's fault."

Her dad's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and her mum's eyes peered at her with concentration and intensity. Her gaze was so sharp that she was scared it was going to pierce her own eyes.

"Ma, Papa, I've tried so hard. I've tried so damn hard, to not disappoint you. I've tried to bury this. To forget it. To make this feeling disappear under kisses from the wrong people. I've tried to drown this feeling, I've tried to choke it down. To strangle it. Everything. I was scared... so scared that you would hate me. It was hard but possible... because what I wanted was impossible... or so I thought. Until some time ago. A few days ago everything I thought unimaginable became plausible, became true. A few days ago... weeks actually, somebody found that feeling. Somebody unrolled those discrete feelings. Those forbidden emotions. The one person who has always had the key to my soul... to my heart..."

"Haley," her mum muttered, realization flooding her face.

Linda smiled at her name.

"Wow, you really like her."

"Yes, mum I do," she said her eyes becoming dazed as they usually did whenever she thought about Haley.

"Okay Linda, fine, it's really hard for me to digest, and it's apparent that the feeling is mutual between your mother and I. But we'll come around. It's fine sweetie. And you haven't disappointed us. Never. I'm sorry, sometimes we act crazily. Where do you think your crazy genes come from," her dad asked cracking a smile. Linda grinned.

"So yeah Linda, I know we give you a hard time sometimes but trust me honey, we are proud of you, we appreciate you, we trust you. And above all that, we love you," her mum smiled, holding her arms out, inviting Linda for a hug. She ran to her mum, tears brimming her eyelids.

"I love you too," she said.

Her dad ruffled her hair, making it a brown (whatever Haley said it is, it is brown) mess.

They stayed like that for some time.

"Sooo... I made cake."

"WHAT FLAVOUR?!?!!!"

"Chocolate," her mum said laughing.

"We heard chocolate," said Ria running out of her playroom, dragging her brother behind her. He had a rubber test tube in his mouth.

Linda laughed, face palmed and snatched the test tube at the same time.  Ria was wearing a lab coat that was stained. Linda spotted a few familiar looking stains, but she decided that she didn't want to know what they were.

"Come on you little scientists," she said tugging at Rick's curly brown mess, that he called his hair, "Mum's made cake, and whoever..." she jogged to the kitchen door, "gets there first gets the biggest piece!"

She ran into the kitchen. She could hear her family laughing. She came out of the kitchen, "What," she asked, confused.

"The cake's in the dining room, sweetie," her dad called out... from the dining room.

"Damn it!"

"Lindaaa," her mum said warningly.

"Umm.... I mean, Aw that's flibberdoodle."

"Flibberdoodle!" Rick repeated laughing.

Her mum shook her head, rolling her eyes.

Linda would do anything for Haley. She would still run a thousand miles for her. And she still hated running. She would hold her hair back while she puked. And Linda had a sensitive stomach. She would hug her when she was sick. And Linda's immune system sucked. She would sit by her side and read to her if she wasn't able to sleep. Linda would do anything for Haley. Still. Nothing had changed. Except for the fact that now she loved Haley. And yeah... this time she meant it in 'that' way.

Definition #23: Love is a feeling that's hard to accept.