• Story Time

    #XD30-Chapter 9-Surprise!

    After what felt like forever, Susan and I made it to our condo. We get off the private elevator and walk right into the living room.

    “Baby, it’s absolutely gorgeous!!” Susan yells, touching the chocolate brown leather couch.

    “Isn’t it? I think Mom has a second career for sure.”

    I take my cell phone out of my purse to check my emails. Of course, there’s a lot from friends and family members who heard about the failed engagement/coming out and were “concerned”. I prefer to call it being nosey. After sending about a third of my inbox to trash, I see that there are about 14 emails from Tim’s cousin Yelena.

    Yelena was the first person Susan and I told about our relationship. She never questioned us, but did what she needed to do to keep our relationship a secret until we were ready. No questions asked. That level of loyalty is rare these days.

    I walk over to Susan and show her my phone.

    “Yelena sent me a book of emails.”

    Susan raised her eyebrows. “Have you read them?”

    “No. Not yet.”

    I walk over to the kitchen and open the fridge. It’s stocked. Ten more points for the parental units! I grab two beers.

    “Let’s see what Yelena is up to,” I said, handing Susan a beer.

    It takes about 20 minutes for me to go through the emails. Yelena sent a daily email letting me know what was going on back home for each day we’ve been away. That’s a lot of gossip to catch up on.

    Susan stands behind me, too impatient to wait.

    “Anything good? The suspense is killing me.”

    I let out a deep sigh before I take a long sip of my beer.

    “Let’s see. Derek and Tim beat each other unconscious. They aren’t speaking. Tim’s family, with the exception of Yelena, officially hates you. Derek is in the process of selling the apartment and here’s the clincher: Yelena wants to come for a visit.”

    Susan laughs.

    “On that note, I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

    “Don’t fall in.”

    Susan sticks her tongue out at me.

    “Smartass.”

    After about 15 minutes, I walk down the hallway to the bathroom. Susan isn’t in there. I continue to the end of the hallway, where the master bedroom is. Susan is standing in front of the window, wiping her mouth with a washcloth.

    “What’s wrong babe?”

    Susan has been tired and nauseous for a couple of weeks. I figured it was stress from everything that was going on. I figured it would go away after once we got settled. I wrap my arm around her waist and she rests her head on my shoulder.

    “I think I’m pregnant.”

  • Story Time

    #XD30-Chapter 7-Things Fall Apart

    Tim’s face is full of confusion. Derek and Susan look extremely panicked. Tim is really going to propose to me and all I want to do is run out of here with Susan. Bloody hell!

    Still on his knee, Tim looks at the moment killers.

    “Am I missing something?”

    It’s eerily quiet in the room. I glance at my mother. She’s still eating her dessert with not a care or concern in the world. Nothing comes between my mother and a good dessert…seriously.

    Susan opens her mouth to speak but Derek beats her to the punch. He turns to face the guests and laughs.

    “You have sauce on your cheek. Let me get that for you so the photographer won’t snap that faux pas.”

    A couple of guests laugh. Tim adjusts his tie and holds the ring up to me. I want to vomit.

    “Ashley, I love you. I almost lost you once when you were deployed and I can’t bear to lose you again before I have the honor of making you my wife. Will you say yes?”

    The room is filled with gasps and excitement. Mother actually stopped eating.

    My hands start shaking. I reach for the hand of the only person who understands me. Fighting back tears and an incredibly high level of anxiety, I grab Susan’s hand. She stands beside me, putting me between her and Tim.

    “Tim, I’ve been lying to you, myself, and everyone in this room for a very long time.”

    I look at Susan. She nods. I continue.

    “I can’t allow myself to continue to hurt you nor can I continue to allow myself to not live my life the way I want to live it.”

    Tim’s stands, puts the ring on the table, and sits down. His head is in his hands and I see a single tear running down his index finger.

    “The person next to me has been my best friend for 15 plus years. She’s seen me at my best and at my absolute worst. She knows more about me than most of you in the room will ever know, including my number. Most importantly, she knew that my heart belonged to her before I did.”

    My mother starts crying. All the other guests now look like one big blob. Susan squeezes my hand. Derek stands up but before he could take a step, Tim jumps up, blocking Derek’s path.

    “Wait a minute. You knew about them and didn’t tell me?”

    “I didn’t know for sure, but I had a strong hunch. How was I supposed to tell you that your girlfriend is screwing my girlfriend?”

    Tim laughs, but his tone is dark.

    “The same goddamn way you’re telling me now!”

    All of a sudden, Tim lunges at Derek, fist leading the way. He connects with Derek’s nose. Blood goes everywhere. Susan and I run back towards the door with the other guests. My cousin rushes my mother over to us and we leave.

    My mother chuckles, “I guess it’s safe to say the shit has officially hit the fan.”

  • Story Time

    #XD30-Chapter 4-Stolen Moments

    “What are we doing?” Ashley asks, placing her head of soft curls on my chest.

    Preferring to live in the moment, I say nothing. Instead, I kiss her on the forehead. Derek left to run errands a half hour ago.

    I hate that our relationship is comprised of stolen moments.

    Frustrated with my response, Ashley moves away from me.

    “You can’t keep ignoring the inevitable Susan. We have to come clean.”

    She’s right. I turn on my side to look at her.

    “You think I don’t know that? ! Exactly how would you like me to break the news?! Hey guys, I’ve been faux dicking Ashley for the past six years. Does that work for you?!”

    Ashley’s eyes narrow. The shit has officially hit the fan.

    “You know what?! I’ll break the news to Derek and Tim Saturday night at my birthday dinner. Don’t care if that works for you…you don’t have a choice.”

    I get out of the bed and start putting my clothes on.

    “Do what you have to do. I should have done it a long time ago.”

    Ashley snorts. She’s so sexy when she’s mad. I walk over to where Ashley’s standing, zipping up her jeans.

    Grabbing her hand, I look into her brown eyes and smile. I can never stay mad at her long. Hand in hand, we walk into the living room together.

    “We’re going to do this Saturday night. Together. I promise.”

    As soon as I finished the last syllable, I hear the key turning the lock on the front door. Ashley quickly lets go of my hand.

    I sashay over to Derek, kissing him on the cheek.

    “Hey honey. What do you want for lunch? ”

  • Story Time

    #XD30-Chapter 1-Lumps and Watermelon

    “If you swallow the seeds, will a watermelon plant grow in your gut?”

    I couldn’t help but laugh. Even though it’s a cheesy joke, it’s still amusing.

    “Are you even supposed to be eating right before your procedure? ”

    Susan snorts between bites. “Derek, this is my third biopsy in 6 months. Let me eat this blessing from Mother Nature.”

    I roll my eyes. “Fine.”

    Hospital visits have become as normal to us as Target visits. Before every procedure, we have what I refer to as “The Talk”.

    I clear my throat and close my eyes. “So, if the lump is benign, we go on with our lives. If it’s malignant…”

    Susan throws up her well-manicured hand. Watermelon juice ran down her arm.

    “I don’t want to talk about that.”

    That was odd as hell. Usually, Susan and I would recite the plan with ease. Something wasn’t right and I didn’t know how to address it.

    Here goes nothing.

    “Babe, what’s on your mind?”

    Susan is silent. There’s sadness in her piercing green eyes. I hate seeing her like this.

    After a deep sigh, she wipes the tear developing in her right eye.

    “What if this lump is malignant?! I’ve been lucky before, but what if that’s not the case now?! I could lose any chance of having children and…”

    Her voice trails off as the nurses come in to prep her. Fighting back tears, she reaches for my hand.

    “I’m truly scared.”

    My stomach sank. Susan is tough. I could feel the fear through the grip she had on my hand.

    “I love you. We will attack whatever the results are head on.”

    She smiled. The nurse was motioning for Susan to get into the wheelchair. She puts her hands on her hip and faces the nurse.

    “I can walk you know.”

    That’s my girl.

    Susan raised her right arm and gave me a thumb’s up. I watched the chair go into the hallway and around the corner.

    I patted the small box inside my jacket pocket.