After lunch, Kate and I just hung out with the kids until she had to go. I walked her to her car, and even though I knew the kids were looking, I felt brave enough to lean in and give her a good-bye kiss on the cheek. She responded by pulling me in for a tight hug and telling me that she couldn't wait for our date the next day.
After she’d driven off in her car, I walked back to see both Max and Ellie standing in the open front doorway, grinning like maniacs.
“You owe us for setting you up on a date,” Ellie crowed.
Max jumped in. “Yeah, like a hundred bags of candy!”
“No way,” I argued, but I was already planning some gifts as thanks. Because honestly, their meddling probably had helped in the end.
When I got home after the kids’ grandmother arrived, I was glad that my parents' cars were gone and Eddy was holed up in her room. I was able to call Marie, who had spent the day shopping with her mom, and had arrived home exhausted a few minutes before I called. I gave her all the updates about what had happened. At the point where I mentioned Kate’s suggestion that we go out to the movies together, she squealed, and when I told her that Kate had admitted to liking me, she screamed so loud that I heard her mother come in and ask what was the matter.
“I told you so,” she said with relish. “You should always listen to me; I am a sage. Just let me run your life. I'd do a much better job at it than you.”
“Yes, okay, you're smarter than me. Let's get to the important stuff. What am I going to wear for my first official date with Kate?” The smile on my face must have translated over the phone, because Marie quit her teasing. We talked about what I should wear for the date, and where we should sit in the movie theater, and if I should try to put my arm around her while we watched the movie. I reminded Marie that I wasn't going out on a date in a 1950s movie.
But I did feel more comfortable after talking to Marie. She had such a way of instilling confidence in people that I seriously suggested to her that she become some sort of counselor in the future. Or one of those people who warmed up the crowd at a basketball game. She joked that her college dilemma could be solved by going the second route, since she didn't think a college degree was needed for that particular job.
“Have you gotten anywhere with figuring out about taking the money offered by your father?” I asked, since she’d brought it up.
I heard over the phone as she took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I'm going to take the money. It would make too much of a difference for my mom. One less thing for her to worry about.”
“That's a good reason,” I reassured.
“Yeah,” she responded absentmindedly. She changed the subject by asking if I was going to make out with Kate in the movie theater. I gave her the reaction she was looking for by sputtering some denials and telling her she was ridiculous.
After a few more minutes on the phone with Marie, we said our good-byes, and then I went to bed. I was too tired to think anymore. I was glad that I had talked to Marie, because otherwise I would have spent the night making myself crazy over the fact I had a date with Kate.
The next morning, everyone else in the house was downstairs by the time I made my way out of my room. I was a little surprised, since it was still early for a Sunday morning. We were not a particularly religious family, so church wasn't a regular event.
“Good morning,” I said to the room at large as I entered the kitchen. My parents were drinking coffee at the kitchen island while Eddy was at the computer on the dining room table.
My dad was the first to answer. “Good morning. How was babysitting yesterday?” he asked.
“It was fine,” I said as I prepared myself a bowl of cereal. I wasn’t quite ready yet to share with them everything that had happened yesterday. But then my sister spoke up.
“I heard you had someone over at the Jessups’ yesterday,” she announced. My parents both looked up at me quizzically.
“I didn't know Marie was meeting you over there,” my mom said.
“It wasn't Marie, was it, Haley?” my sister continued, baiting me. It worked. I bit.
“Shut up, Edwina,” I told her through gritted teeth.
“It was Kate,” she said to our parents. “You know, Kate, who came over for dinner, where we all saw Haley totally fail at flirting and be totally oblivious to Kate trying to get her attention. And when we all tried to help her take her head out of her butt and just ask the girl out, she got angry and sulky.”
She could be such an ass.
“But it turned out all she needed was a couple of kids to do her work for her, because she has a date with Kate today,” Eddy continued. I couldn’t say anything. She may have been technically correct, but she didn’t need to say it in such a patronizing way. I guess she was still mad about my rejecting her so-called help from before. Or more likely she wanted everyone to know she’d been right, because she could never deal well with being told she was wrong.
“How do you know I’m going out with Kate?” I asked, bewildered.
As she stood up from the computer, she said, “Ellie and I are Facebook friends,” and then left the kitchen. Now I knew why she had woken up so early and had been in the kitchen when I’d come downstairs. All part of her master plan to prove me wrong.
“Haley, do you have a date with Kate?” my mom asked excitedly. This was why I’d wanted to keep my date to myself for just a little longer. Eddy and her bruised ego had ruined that for me, and now I was bracing myself for the inquisition.
I tried to deflect. “Mom, Kate and I are just going to the movies later. It’s no big deal.” But she was having none of it.
“Have you picked out what you’re going to wear? What movie are you going to see? Will Kate be stopping by here first?” she asked with rapid-fire precision.
I sighed and gave up. I knew I’d never win with her anyway. “I’m just wearing some regular clothes, a shirt and jeans, nothing fancy. We’re going to see that new movie about the dust storm that destroys Las Vegas. And Kate is going to pick me up, so please don’t make a big deal about it,” I pleaded. “It’s just a movie.” But I could see by the gleam in her eyes that her excitement on my behalf was ratcheting up instead of lessening like I had hoped.
I looked at my dad and begged him with my most pathetic expression to save me from any more questions. Luckily, he understood what I was trying to get across, because he jumped into the conversation.
“Daniela, leave the girl alone,” he said to my mom. “There’s no need to get yourself all worked up about it. She’s just meeting a friend for a movie. Isn’t that right, Haley?” he asked me innocently.
I hesitated just a fraction too long.
“Wait, is it really a date?” he asked, surprised. I was a little insulted that he would be so surprised, but I got over it when I realized that I now had no one else on my side. I was going to have to fend them off on my own.
“Listen,” I started, addressing both of them. “Okay, technically I am going on a date with Kate today”—both sets of eyes widened in glee, and I pressed forward a little louder, trying to preempt any more questions they had—“but it’s just a movie, and it’s a first date, and please don’t read too much into it. And, this part is very important,” I stressed. “Please, please don’t embarrass me by asking her questions or acting weird. Okay?” I finished, hoping that they would be cool about this.
They were not.
“Oh, honey,” my mom exclaimed. “It’s your first date! Of course it’s a big deal, and of course we’re excited for you.” She wrapped me up in a big hug. I hung there limply, not returning it, and then my dad joined us with a hug of his own. I stood there, sandwiched by my well-meaning parents and dreading the next few hours before Kate arrived. No way were not they going to make a big deal about this.
I was able to settle them down after all the hugging by again pleading with them not to go overboard with the fact that I had a date. They agreed, but it took a lot of convincing. I’d never known they would react this way to me finally dating. It was like I was giving them an early Christmas present.
I had to wonder, though, if they would have reacted positively if I were straight and going on a date with a guy for the first time. Eddy had not been on a date yet either (she was too busy plotting her uprising and others' downfalls to worry about something as pedestrian as a love life), so I had no idea if their reaction would be the same.
After the awkwardness of my date being revealed to my parents passed and I finished up my breakfast, I spent the next few hours thinking. It seemed that all I’d done these last few days was think.
I was actually glad that my parents were so supportive of our date, because I knew that things could have gone very differently. Having your daughter announce that she was a lesbian and being okay with it was very different from having said daughter actually date another girl. One was theoretical, the other was real. I kept going back to a question I’d wanted to ask when I had first come out to them. I figured now was as good a time as any to finally get that answer.
I found my dad in the backyard, puttering around with a section of the perimeter fence that had been broken for a couple of years now. Every now and then my mom would say we should get someone out to fix it, my dad would insist he could fix it himself, he would mess with it a little, and in the end it would still be broken. I secretly thought it was his way getting out of chores. No, he could not go grocery shopping, because he had to work on the fence.
Right now I could see that he was even more halfhearted than usual as he pretended to work on the fence. He had not even brought out any tools with him.
“Hey, Dad,” I said when I was a few feet away. He turned, a guilty look on his face, then relaxed when he saw it was me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t rat you out to Mom,” I reassured him. I walked over to him and we both looked at the fence together. A couple of the wooden boards had somehow broken away, leaving a hole big enough for a small animal to crawl through.
“Sorry about this morning, Haley,” he said as we were standing there. “I guess your mom and I got a little carried away. We didn’t mean to embarrass you, but we got so excited when we heard your news. We both thought Kate was great when she came by for dinner. We’re so happy for you, Haley,” he said sincerely.
I appreciated his words and the confirmation that he and my mom supported me. So it was easier to ask my question.
“Hey, Dad,” I started. When he looked up questioningly, I said, “Do you remember when I told you and Mom that I was gay?” When he nodded yes, I continued. “Why were you crying when I told you?”
The sight of him shedding tears on that day had stuck with me. It seemed to me that he had not cried in sadness or disappointment, but more like relief. But I wanted to know for sure what he had been thinking about at that moment.
He was silent for a few moments. Finally, he looked at me and said quietly, "Because I knew your life was now going to be a little harder, and parents don't want hardships for their kids." He slung his arm around my shoulders and brought me close into his side. He smelled like detergent and pine. “But you have to be true to yourself, and I am so proud of you for doing that. I—actually, your mom and I—just want you to be happy, Haley. That’s all we want.” He finished by bringing me in closer with a final squeeze.
I turned and wrapped both arms around his waist, and we stood there for a little bit, comforting each other. He stepped back and looked me in the eye.
“Is that an okay answer?” he asked.
I nodded. “Thanks, Dad. I guess sometimes it's better to ask than wonder about some things.”
“You can always ask me anything you need to, Haley. Please always remember that. Your mother and I are always here for both our daughters. Even if one scares me a little,” he said with an exaggerated frightened face. “And hint: it’s not you.”
“You and me both.”
He smiled. “Let’s go back inside. I believe you have a date to get ready for.”
Before I knew it, I was dressed and back downstairs, waiting for Kate to arrive. I had considered waiting in my room so that I could make a graceful descent down the stairs as she waited for me at the bottom. But then I’d pictured myself crumpled at her feet after I had tripped and fallen down the flight, which was more likely to happen in real life. I’d decided it was pretty lame to try to recreate the classic movie scene of the girl walking down the steps to her date. I almost slapped myself for my momentary descent into unneeded sentimentality.
So now I was pacing the house, my nerves on edge. I sat on the living room couch, biting my nails. Then I stood and walked to the kitchen. I looked around aimlessly and then walked out to the deck. But I hadn’t been there for thirty seconds before I was getting back up again and going back to the kitchen, looking for something to eat and then closing the fridge without even searching. Even though I told myself that it was only a stupid movie, I couldn't help but feel anxious. None of my family members were around, so I guessed that my parents had told Eddy not to bother me before my date. I was so desperate for a distraction that I sort of wished Eddy were around to at least keep my mind off Kate.
Marie had sent me a text wishing me luck on my date. There were a lot more emojis and smileys involved, but her excitement for me came through clearly. She also told me to call her as soon as I got back home, but that she understood if I somehow got too busy. The three winking smileys conveyed her innuendo pretty well also. I sent her back a quick thank you and continued with my waiting.
As I was making my third circuit from the living room to the kitchen, the doorbell rang. With a final deep breath, I went to the door and opened it.
Kate was dressed just as casually as I was. A tiny little bit of my tension lessened. I had feared that she would dress up, which was stupid of me since we were just going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon.
“Hi,” she said somewhat shyly. She was fiddling with her fingers. Seeing her nervous made me feel less so, so it was easy for me to smile and respond with my own greeting.
“Hi, Kate. Ready to go?” I asked, wanting to be on our way before my parents decided to jump out from wherever they were hiding to smother Kate with questions and goofy smiles.
“Are your parents around?” she responded. “I just wanted to say hi to them if they were here,” she explained. I had the urge to tell her that she didn’t have to try to impress my parents because they already thought she was awesome.
Instead, I said, “Sorry, they're around here somewhere, but I haven't seen them for some time. But I can tell them that you said hi if they’re still not around when we get back.” Although I wasn’t sure having her within speaking range of my parents after our date was a good idea. If I thought pre-date conversation could be embarrassing, a post-date meeting with questions about how everything had gone could turn disastrous. And maybe I was being paranoid and overly cautious, but since this was the first time I had been on a date, I honestly had no idea how my parents would act. Better to be safe than mortified.
I grabbed my bag and followed Kate to her car. It was an older car, probably a hand-me-down from her parents. I was a little surprised when she moved to the passenger door and opened it for me.
“You get the full service when you ride with me,” she joked, and then immediately followed it with a wince. I couldn't help but laugh a little. It was a pretty corny attempt.
To make her feel better, I cracked out my own corny attempt at humor. “Then I'll just have to ride with you more often,” I said. After she had closed the door, I realized how what we were saying could be construed in a dirty way. That was definitely not how I wanted to start our date.
Once Kate got in the car and started it, we sat for a few minutes. “So the movie starts in about forty-five minutes,” she said. “It will take us about twenty to get to the theater. Is there anywhere you'd like to go before? Are you hungry? We can stop and get something quick if you like,” she said eagerly.
“I could go for some ice cream,” I said, “if you're up for it. The ice cream parlor by the theater is pretty good, and we can make sure we're not late for the movie by staying close by.”
Kate liked my idea, and we were off. We drove in silence for a couple of minutes. She was holding the steering wheel with both hands clenched tight at two and ten.
“So how was the rest of babysitting after I left yesterday?” she finally asked, not taking her eyes off the road. I wondered if she was always such a careful driver, or if today was an exception.
“It was fine,” I said. “The kids’ grandmother came soon after you left.” I was quiet for a minute, not wanting to intrude. But then I decided I was just going to have to get over it. It was going to be a long night if I kept second-guessing myself about everything I said. “Did you do anything fun last night?” I asked.
“Jenny came by and we hung out a little,” she said. “I believe you know Jenny Jeffries?” By the trepidation in her voice, I understood that she knew exactly what type of relationship Jenny and I had. But if I knew one thing, it was that I couldn't say anything bad about Kate's best friend, no matter how horrible she'd been to me. I would probably never talk to anyone again if they ever said anything bad about Marie. But I wouldn't sugarcoat it, either.
“I know Jenny. She probably wishes she didn't know me, but there's nothing I can do about that,” I said honestly.
Kate shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I've tried telling her that you're awesome and that you guys would probably be good friends, but she doesn't listen. It's like she has this blind spot about you that's filled with this weird stubborn dislike. Usually she's pretty chill with people, but for some reason she hates you,” she said honestly.
When we reached a red light, she glanced over at me. “That doesn't mean I won't go out with you, though. She's my best friend, so I can call her out when she's being a jerk face. And trust me, I've done that a lot of times.”
The light turned green, and as we continued driving, I said, “Thanks. I don't want to come between you guys, so I'm glad you know Jenny and I probably won't be braiding each other’s hair anytime soon. But you never know, weirder things have happened,” I added halfheartedly. I still thought the only reason Jenny Jeffries would be touching my hair would be to pull it or try and strangle me with it.
Kate let out a little laugh. I almost fainted with how adorable it was. “Is that how you measure female friendship? How last century of you,” she teased.
“Well, I only churn butter and milk the cows with my very best friends. I braid the hair of people I only tolerate,” I shot back. When she laughed again, I felt this swell of pride within me. If I could make her laugh for the rest of my life, I would consider it time well spent.
“Are there any other early twentieth-century practices that you reserve for only those closest to you? How long do we have to know each other before we can take a carriage ride together?” she continued.
“That’s a tricky one. Carriage rides can be horribly improper if there isn’t a chaperone along. We wouldn’t want people to think we were of loose morals, now would we?” I said in a pompously serious tone.
“No, we wouldn’t want that,” she responded just as seriously. By this time, we had gotten to the shopping center where both the movie theater and the ice cream parlor were located. Kate parked in a spot about halfway between the two.
As I was taking off my seatbelt, I felt her hand touch my shoulder. When I looked up at her, she said, “But I hear women of loose morals have more fun.” A wink, and then she was opening her door and was out of the car. I stayed frozen for a couple of seconds in mild shock. She was going to give me a heart attack by the end of our date if she was going to be saying stuff like that. But that just meant I had to toughen up. With that thought, I got out of the car and we went to get our ice cream.