“My friends want to go out and we can go with them or not go with them but I just think, we, we need a break from the family,” Harper said to Abby as the two of them were sitting on the bed in Jane’s old room.
Once her mom found them and finished talking Harper looked at Abby. “I’ll see you later?”
Abby nodded.
*****
Halfway into dinner with her parents and the guests her father was trying to impress Harper did her best to put on her front but she realized it was not her best at all.
She stood up much to her parents surprise.
“Honey,” said her mom, “are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Harper replied. “I’m sorry I just have to go.”
Her mom looked at their guests and then back at Harper, “Harper, we’re kind of in the middle of something here. It’s really important.”
“I know and I’m really sorry but I just have to go. You all have a good evening.” Without waiting for another word from her mom Harper walked away.
*****
“Abby,” Harper called out as she found her walking down the street.
Abby turned and was surprised to see her girlfriend standing there. “What are you… how did you find me?”
Harper shook her phone.
Abby nodded. “John, of course.” What happened to dinner with your parents?”
“I left.”
“You left, just like that?”
“Yeah. I had something more important to do.”
“Like what?”
“Like be with you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You haven’t eaten yet have you?”
“I was just about to.”
“Perfect, neither have I. It was taking too long. Come on I know a place a couple of blocks from here.”
Abby smiled as the two of them walked together. Things had been slightly challenging since their arrival but now it was nice to see Harper put in some effort for them to have some alone time together. She’d been right earlier, they needed a break from everything. Abby just wasn’t really sure if that would happen or not. Now that it was she was willing to make sure to spend all of her attention on only Harper.
The two of them arrived at the place Harper had chosen and ordered something. They had talked on their way and continued to talk. Nothing was off limits and there was not a single subject that they could not talk about.
Harper laughed, “No I’m serious, when we were kids Jane was always playing this joke on us where she would put sticky putty in our stockings. Sloane and I would fall for it every time. Mom hated it and so did dad obviously but it was Jane’s way of having fun and ours.” Harper then stopped and looked at Abby.
“What?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Should this include an ‘uh-oh’ from me?”
“That all depends on the question. Well I know, I know you don’t really talk about your parents much or Christmas for that matter but do you have any good memories with them?”
Abby looked down at her half empty plate of food that she was finished with and then took a sip of water. “Yeah I have a few. You know I was nineteen when they died. It was right around December when it happened so it’s kind of the reason I avoid the whole Christmas thing.”
Harper shook her hands, “Abby I’m sorry I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” Abby smiled, “my um, my mom and I would bake Christmas cookies the night before on Christmas Eve. She would make too many like always but she was adamant that Santa would take most of them. She even left out some carrots and celery for the reindeer because she believed they needed treats too. I stopped believing in Santa when I was five but my mom always kept the magic alive. She always loved this time of year because of that magic. When they died I kind of stopped seeing it.”
Harper smiled and reached across the table. “Well hey, maybe I can help you to believe in it again.”
Abby smiled too.
They were soon interrupted by the sound of Harpers phone. She looked down at it and saw a text from one of her friends. She turned the phone over.
“Aren’t you going to get that?” Abby asked.
“It’s not important.”
“Harper, if you have to go-,”
“What are you trying to get rid of me,” Harper teased.
“I just thought.”
“Well whatever it is you’re thinking don’t. I want to be here with you, really.”
Abby smiled. Despite their situation being with Harper was so easy. She knew that Harper wasn’t forcing herself to be with here. It was all so natural to her, to both of them. She was grateful and just maybe she could find that magic again.
After dinner the two of them continued to walk. They came to a stop with a light post and Harper smiled. She brought Abby in and kissed her deeply. When they broke apart Harper smiled.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”
*****
The next morning Harper shook Abby awake.
“Abby, Abby,” she said to her.
Abby turned around to face her. She sat up, “everything okay?”
“Yeah I just wanted to make sure you were okay, we were I mean.”
“Why wouldn’t we be?”
“I don’t know I guess I just wanted to see if you were okay, about us spending time with each other last night. I kind of started to have doubts and-,”
Abby smiled and took hold of Harper’s hands, “Last night was perfect. If anything I should be thanking you.”
“Thanking me for what?”
“For leaving dinner with your parents and bailing on your friends. You didn’t have to.”
“I know but I wanted to. All I’ve ever wanted to do since we got here is be with you and I know it’s complicated and not the most ideal.”
“Maybe not but we kind of are making this work. I mean I hate being in the closet again.”
“Yeah a closet I’m pretty much shoving you into. Look, I’m going to talk to my parents okay. I just need to find the right time but when I do I want you to be with me when I tell them.”
“Hey, I will be, I promise.”
Harper smiled and leaned into Abby, their lips meeting. “Last night was kind of amazing though wasn’t it?”
“It was perfect.”
As the two of them leaned in to kiss one another a second time there was a knock on the door.
“Abby honey, have you seen…” the door opened with Harper’s mom standing there, “Harper.” After getting over her initial shock Harper’s mom said, “Upstairs, now!”
Harper and Abby looked at each other.
“Now,” her mom repeated.
Once upstairs Harper’s sisters and her dad all came into the living room after hearing their mom’s loud voice and the footsteps.
“What’s going on,” asked Sloane.
Everyone ignored her comment.
Harper’s mom looked at Harper and Abby. “So this is what was so important that you had to leave dinner last night? Do you have any idea what that made your father look like? Do you want to explain what the hell I just saw down there?” Harper remained silent. “Harper.”
Sloane smiled, “Harper’s the one in trouble this should be good.”
“Shut up, Sloane,” said Harper.
“Harper,” said her mom, “you had better start explaining things to me.”
Harper looked at Abby for a moment and then at her family. She could feel the tears welling.
“I was going to tell you,” said Harper. “I was just waiting for the right time but there never really is one is there? I love Abby,” she admitted, “I’m in love with her. I’m gay. I wanted to tell you, I swear but I um… I just didn’t know how so I figured you know I’d wait until after the holidays were over. I know this screws everything up okay I know that. It hurts this family, it hurts this reputation that you all have tried so hard to create and I just thought telling you the truth would ruin all of that. I didn’t ask to be gay, you know. I tried so hard to deny it, to deny who I really was. I let myself hurt Riley because I just could not deal with the truth and because it was so much easier to hurt her than to hurt you. I’m done denying it anymore. Abby and I have been together for over a year and I can’t just let that all go for some family reputation.” She turned to Abby, “I love you. Nothing else matters. I don’t want to lose you.”
“Baby,” said Abby as she reached for Harper’s hands, “you’re not going to lose me, okay, I’m here.”
Harper nodded with tears in her eyes still a bit skeptical.
“Baby, I’m here, I promise,” said Abby. “I love you.”
Harper again nodded and hugged Abby, holding onto her tightly.
When the two parted Harper wiped away her tears. No one in the room said anything. Instead all Harper’s dad did was walk away and retreat into his office.
“He just needs some time,” said her mom. “We’ll all figure this out.”
Her mom then retreated as well.
“Hey,” said Jane, “I’ve got your back.”
Sloane nodded, “So do I.”
“Thanks guys,” said Harper.
The three sister’s hugged and Harper reached out for Abby’s hand. The two of them locking eyes and Abby gave a nod and smiled.