Chapter 14
When Percy came home he smiled at the shoes lined up near the door, Natalie's cute tiny mary janes, Jesse's beat up converse with sharpie drawn on the sides and Kayla's Doc Martins she got for her birthday. Oliver had placed his work trainers next to them and it just made Percy smile, how domestic it all was. He took off his own shoes and put them next to his husband's.
He walked in to find Ginny and Oliver getting back from a run, he'd never understood how either of them had the energy to do stuff like that but he knew all the mental health benefits that Oliver love to talk about and hoped it had made Ginny feel better. However he knew that he had to talk to her, to move his support from emotional to practical.
But interrupting her good mood seemed like a bad thing for the moment. Instead he relaxed back into the small jobs he needed to do, he did two loads of washing and cleaned most of the house.
After doing so he decided research was the best way to find advice on how to support Ginny. So, Percy's search history looked something like this:
How to support a sibling?
Guide to homophobic parents?
How to offer someone therapy?
How to help someone with homophobic parents?
He decided that tonight was the night, they had nothing to do tommorow meaning if she was truly out of it then she wouldn't have to deal with functioning in the morning. So, when he told her they needed to talk, she looked at him, a numb look washing over her as she realised what this conversation was going to be about.
"So, have you talked to mum about what happened?"
"No, she's just um, shes sent me adverts for mental health retreats and erm, conversion camps. I haven't replied"
"Shit Ginny, you know what those places are like right? Never let her force you into one of those."
"I know... I just feel like um", she tucked her knees u to her chin on the sofa. "I feel like theres something wrong with me, its not even about being gay, its just something about me. And I know that I'm gay, trust me I've been thinking about it for a while."
Percy looked at his sister, and suddenly she looked small. So small, like she did when she was younger just wanted to play on brooms like her brothers.
"There's nothing wrong with you Ginny, there is something wrong with how we were raised, in my experience. I um, I just wanted to say that when, erm." He took a breath, Percy had be debating even bringing this up to her, to anyone.
"When I realised I was gay, I tried to um. I tried to kill myself."
Ginny gasped slightly, a mix of alarm and consern evident on her face, "Oh Percy..."
"Hey, it's okay, I'm a lot better now. But that wasn't my point, my point was that I get wanting to change something about yourself so bad that it hurts, and I really don't want you to feel as alone as I did, because you're not, because people love you. I love you. And I don't want you to ever doubt that."
Tears had run down Ginny's face, sniffing slightly before hugging Percy tightly. "I love you too Percy."
"I know Ginny", he smiled softly.
"But I know that love can't fix everything aswell, I know that sometimes we need help from other places, sometimes we need professional help. I've spent years in therapy, and I still feel a bit broken. So if you need some help or motivation to get help, I have some sources."
"I'll think about it"
"Good"
"And Percy" Ginny looked up, "Thank you."