Chapter Twenty-Seven
HANNAH: Good luck tonight babe! It’s going to go well, just go with what we practiced
Instead of tagging along to Hannah’s game or third wheeling with Kristen and Vincent, I decided tonight is the night I find out what my parents think of gay people.
Sunday went well when I asked Stephanie about the Gayborhood.
Slipping it into the conversation worked perfectly and didn’t seem to lead her to make any assumptions about me.
Since both my parents are off tonight, I’ll have the chance to talk to both of them at the same time.
I went over my plan with Hannah and came up with the perfect gay celebrity to bring up during dinner.
When Mom turns into the pickup lane, the familiar rumbling hum of her silver SUV hits me before I even see her.
I toss my bag in the back, and when I close myself in the passenger seat, the smell of burning wood from a nearby chimney is replaced by the luxurious leather scent of Mom’s car.
She’s always so particular about her car smelling just right.
“Hey, sweetie.” Her voice is warm but distracted as she finishes typing something out on her phone. She’s still in her scrubs, hair up in tight straight backs, her favorite style for a surgery day. “How was your day?”
“Not bad.” I flick my eyes over her, trying to gauge her mood. “How about you?”
She exhales, maneuvering the car into traffic with ease. “Busy. Two mitral valve repairs in one afternoon. You know how it is.” She smiles lightly, the kind of smile that is more about muscle memory than actual feeling.
“They went well?”
Her face unclenches. “Of course,” she brags, tilting her head toward me but not taking her eyes off the road. “Saved a few lives today.”
“No big deal,” I tease, hoping to keep things light considering what I’m working up to.
I know the point of Kristen’s advice is that it’s not high stakes, but I don’t know how my parents feel about anything LGBTQ related.
Mentioning a celebrity they like and highlighting that they’re gay could easily sour their mood.
I need them to be in a good enough place so my soft start is exactly that, a soft start.
As we drive, tall trees shake in the breeze. Most of the leaves have turned now, lining the suburban streets with bright yellows and reds.
We park behind Dad’s car and head inside. The second I open the door, a myriad of delicious scents waft my way. Garlic, herbs, something pan seared.
“We’re home!” Mom calls out as we kick off our shoes by the door.
“In the kitchen!” he calls back.
Dad is cooking Spanish rice and jumbo shrimp, and is charring some green peppers. It smells amazing, spicy enough that it tickles my nose from across the room. He’s nearly finished, so Mom and I set the table so that we can eat in the dining room instead of at the island.
By the time the table is set and Dad carries in platters of food, I’ve rehearsed my lines a few times in my head. Mom talks more about her day and Dad listens with genuine interest, mainly because he knows what most of the medical terms she uses mean. To me, it’s like a foreign language.
Dad turns and asks me about my day and I give him a rundown of the committee meeting. With the ball still in my court, I ask, “Want to watch a movie tonight or something?”
“Well, it’s not Thursday, so no This Old House,” Mom says, teasing.
“That’s not the only thing I watch… I just don’t know what else is on TV.”
Mom and I crack up. Definitely the sign of a good mood.
“I think Twilight is on TV tonight,” I offer. “Or we could rent it.”
“Twilight,” Mom gushes, her eyes going wide. “I haven’t watched that in forever.”
Mom loves Twilight. She read all the books when they came out and went to the opening night of each movie release. Which is why I knew she’d say, “Ugh, that Kristen Stewart. She was perfect for Bella.”
“You know…” I start, pushing my rice around my plate as I gather my courage. “I heard she did a Christmas movie. Maybe we can watch it this year.”
“Christmas?” Dad says. He is vehemently against anything Christmas before the day after Thanksgiving.
“I’m not saying we should watch it tonight. I’m just saying, did you know she did a Christmas movie?”
“What, like a Twilight Christmas spin-off?” Mom asks, her brows pinching in confusion.
Of course, to my mom, Kristen Stewart only exists as Bella. I, on the other hand, courtesy of Hannah, know that Kristen Stewart has gone on to become something of a lesbian icon.
“No, it’s not related to Twilight. Twilight was, like, her big break. But now she does a variety of things. She came out as gay. The Christmas movie is fiction, but it’s related to that.”
Mom looks genuinely surprised and glances at Dad, who is honestly more interested in his seared shrimp. In all fairness, the shrimp are incredible.
“I had no idea,” she says, eyebrows raised. “That’s… interesting.”
“You were obsessed with those movies,” Dad chimes in. “I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
“Right?” I say, keeping my voice upbeat and casual, not wanting to give away how excited I am that neither of them seems weirded out. “I mean, I think it’s cool. She’s pretty private, but she’s open about it now. I figure, good for her.”
Mom nods slowly, leaning back in her chair. “Huh, you know, I thought some of her red-carpet looks had gotten… edgier over the years. Now it makes sense.”
“She found her style,” I agree.
Mom takes a second to sip her wine and swirls the little bit left around in her glass, thinking. “Well, now we have to watch it,” she reasons. “That way we can compare Twilight Kristen to Christmas movie Kristen.”
I refrain from telling her Kristen Stewart has been in more than just the Christmas movie since Twilight. Instead, I say, “After I finish my homework, I’m there!”
“Y’all better make your own popcorn. I don’t want either of you sticking your hands in mine.”
Mom rolls her eyes while Dad gives each of us pointed looks. Lucky for him, I know there’s a pint of Earl Grey ice cream in the freezer that has my name on it.