her haired pulled back in a ponytail. Normally, her mother wouldn’t have left her bedroom after changing into her night clothes, especially with company in the house, and it surprised Jenna see her there.
“Mom?” She frowned.
“I just wanted to check on you two. You both seemed a bit out of sorts when you came in.” Her dark-brown eyes shifted between Ash—who still sulked on the edge of the bed—and Jenna. “Is everything okay?”
“Ash wants to come out to her dad, but she’s terrified.”
Raising her head, Ash gave Jenna an astounded, wide-eyed stare.
“What?” Jenna asked. “I told you, my parents don’t care, and they know everything about me. Besides, maybe she can give us some advice.”
Jenna looked back at her mother, who was already making her way toward the bed. She sat down beside Ash—close enough to hug, but not smother—and knowing her mother like Jenna did, she knew her mom wanted to pull Ash into a hug and hold onto her until all her fears were gone. Oh, if only it were that simple.
“Sweetie,” her mom said softly, “what you’ve decided isn’t easy, and it probably won’t be easy for your father either. It wasn’t easy for us when Jenna came out.”
That was the first time her mother had ever mentioned the way she felt after Jenna had blasted them with the news of her sexuality. She’d never asked her mom and dad about how they felt after things calmed down. Maybe part of her feared the truth. But it looked as if she would get the whole story tonight.
“We put on happy faces for Jenna’s sake,” her mother continued. “We knew she had a hard road ahead, even in this day and age when people are supposed to be more liberal in their views on sexuality. We only wanted the best for her, and the best thing for her was our acceptance. Sure, I cried a few times, but I didn’t let Jenna see it. I didn’t shut down and refuse to accept the truth. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Her father and I did the best we could for her, and we thought if we kept an open mind and an open-door policy, we could keep her safe from the hatred. And that brings us to where we are now. That’s why Jenna can have you over to spend the night and we don’t balk at the idea.”
“Are you glad she told you?” Ash quietly asked.
“Yes. I’m happy that she was comfortable enough in our relationship to be honest.”
No one said anything immediately. Ash kept her eyes on Jenna. Jenna kept her eyes on her mom. And her mom’s stare bounced back and forth between the two girls. Jenna couldn’t tell if her mother’s little talk had done Ash any good. She still had that distant, almost stoic expression on her face.
“I think I’ll turn in for the night,” Jenna’s mom said as she pushed up from the bed. She leaned over and gave Jenna a kiss on the forehead, then turned to Ash and did the same. “I want you to keep in mind,” she said to Ash, “if you ever need a place to go, our door is always open.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ash said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You girls sleep tight.”
Chapter Eighteen
B REAKFAST Sunday morning was a little uncomfortable for Ash, not because of Jenna and her parents, but because Ash knew in a few hours, she would be heading home to tell her daddy the most difficult thing she might ever have to say to him.
In the middle of collecting her trusty backpack from Jenna’s bedroom, she felt a tender hand on her shoulder, and she knew Jenna would be standing behind her, offering her yet another token of strength and support. Jenna was pretty amazing that way.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Jenna asked. When Ash didn’t immediately respond, she added, “I don’t care where you live or any of that. I just want to be there for you.”
Sighing, Ash turned around and stood face to face with the girl she’d been falling in love with for a few weeks now. There was nothing but truth and sincerity in the way Jenna looked at
“Mom?” She frowned.
“I just wanted to check on you two. You both seemed a bit out of sorts when you came in.” Her dark-brown eyes shifted between Ash—who still sulked on the edge of the bed—and Jenna. “Is everything okay?”
“Ash wants to come out to her dad, but she’s terrified.”
Raising her head, Ash gave Jenna an astounded, wide-eyed stare.
“What?” Jenna asked. “I told you, my parents don’t care, and they know everything about me. Besides, maybe she can give us some advice.”
Jenna looked back at her mother, who was already making her way toward the bed. She sat down beside Ash—close enough to hug, but not smother—and knowing her mother like Jenna did, she knew her mom wanted to pull Ash into a hug and hold onto her until all her fears were gone. Oh, if only it were that simple.
“Sweetie,” her mom said softly, “what you’ve decided isn’t easy, and it probably won’t be easy for your father either. It wasn’t easy for us when Jenna came out.”
That was the first time her mother had ever mentioned the way she felt after Jenna had blasted them with the news of her sexuality. She’d never asked her mom and dad about how they felt after things calmed down. Maybe part of her feared the truth. But it looked as if she would get the whole story tonight.
“We put on happy faces for Jenna’s sake,” her mother continued. “We knew she had a hard road ahead, even in this day and age when people are supposed to be more liberal in their views on sexuality. We only wanted the best for her, and the best thing for her was our acceptance. Sure, I cried a few times, but I didn’t let Jenna see it. I didn’t shut down and refuse to accept the truth. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Her father and I did the best we could for her, and we thought if we kept an open mind and an open-door policy, we could keep her safe from the hatred. And that brings us to where we are now. That’s why Jenna can have you over to spend the night and we don’t balk at the idea.”
“Are you glad she told you?” Ash quietly asked.
“Yes. I’m happy that she was comfortable enough in our relationship to be honest.”
No one said anything immediately. Ash kept her eyes on Jenna. Jenna kept her eyes on her mom. And her mom’s stare bounced back and forth between the two girls. Jenna couldn’t tell if her mother’s little talk had done Ash any good. She still had that distant, almost stoic expression on her face.
“I think I’ll turn in for the night,” Jenna’s mom said as she pushed up from the bed. She leaned over and gave Jenna a kiss on the forehead, then turned to Ash and did the same. “I want you to keep in mind,” she said to Ash, “if you ever need a place to go, our door is always open.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ash said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You girls sleep tight.”
Chapter Eighteen
B REAKFAST Sunday morning was a little uncomfortable for Ash, not because of Jenna and her parents, but because Ash knew in a few hours, she would be heading home to tell her daddy the most difficult thing she might ever have to say to him.
In the middle of collecting her trusty backpack from Jenna’s bedroom, she felt a tender hand on her shoulder, and she knew Jenna would be standing behind her, offering her yet another token of strength and support. Jenna was pretty amazing that way.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Jenna asked. When Ash didn’t immediately respond, she added, “I don’t care where you live or any of that. I just want to be there for you.”
Sighing, Ash turned around and stood face to face with the girl she’d been falling in love with for a few weeks now. There was nothing but truth and sincerity in the way Jenna looked at
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