Page 7 of Lakeside Longing
Rebecca looked out over the garden, and Quinn followed her gaze. “I don’t know what I would have done without yourmother. She was the first person I told. And I don’t think I’d ever been as scared in my life.”
“Did you really think you’d lose her as a friend?”
Rebecca shrugged. “Maybe not entirely. But I thought that there was no way that it wouldn’t change things. We did so many things together, the four of us. That dynamic was going to change once I told Anthony, and I don’t know. I had to tell her that I’d basically been lying to her for years. I’d known that I was attracted to women since I was maybe twenty-four, twenty-five. So even if she was okay with me being gay, there was still this deception, I guess. But obviously, I had nothing to worry about. She didn’t blink. She was even ready to be my wingwoman if I wanted to her to.”
“What?” Quinn asked with a smile.
“I know. And for the record, I never did ask her.”
Just then, her mother appeared at the top of the steps. Quinn waved her over, and her mother slid her arm around Rebecca’s waist.
“We were just talking about you,” Rebecca said.
“All good?”
“How could it not be?” Quinn answered with a smile, wishing she’d made more time for family gatherings like this over the years. She felt like her twenties had been lost to California, especially those first five years after she’d left. She’d taken any and every job that had come her way, and it meant barely making it back for one holiday a year.
And as she watched Rebecca and her mother joke about something, she felt this sense of calm wash over her. When she was ready, she knew that she could come out to her mother and not have to worry about being accepted. She knew Reagan wouldn’t care, and she was just about certain that her father wouldn’t either, and when she thought about Piper, she was sograteful that she’d never have to worry about being disowned by her own parents.
Quinn had been lucky in so many ways, with the way her career took off, with how amazing her family was, and she just had to hope that when she was ready to go public with this that she’d have that same luck with her.
4
Rebecca stepped out of the cozy coffee shop, the bell above the door jingling softly as it closed behind her. The crisp autumn air nipped at her cheeks, and she instinctively wrapped her hands around the warm to-go cup, savoring the heat that radiated through the cardboard sleeve. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the earthy scent of fallen leaves, creating a comforting blend that filled her senses.
As she turned to make her way down the sidewalk, Rebecca caught sight of Sarah approaching the shop, her blonde hair tousled by the gentle breeze. A smile tugged at the corners of Rebecca’s lips. “Hey.”
“Hi,” Sarah said with a wave. “Are you in a hurry?”
“No. I finished a project early so I’m giving myself the afternoon off.”
“Do you mind if I get a coffee and maybe we can go for a walk?”
“I’d love that.”
She watched as Sarah ducked into the shop, emerging moments later with her own to-go cup in hand. The two womenfell into step beside each other, their footsteps falling into a synchronized rhythm on the concrete.
The vibrant hues of the changing leaves painted the tree-lined street in shades of amber, gold, and crimson. Rebecca breathed deeply, the crisp air filling her lungs and invigorating her senses.
“How’s Chloe?” Sarah asked as they headed towards the trail that started behind the library. “She seemed to fit right in.”
Rebecca’s thoughts strayed to Chloe as she strolled alongside Sarah, the crunch of fallen leaves beneath their feet the only noise now that they were away from the main street. Her mind had been preoccupied with the decision she’d made just this morning.
“I ended things with Chloe,” Rebecca said.
Sarah’s eyes narrowed slightly, concern etched on her face as her steps slowed. “What happened? The party was three days ago. You two looked so happy.”
Rebecca hesitated, unsure how to articulate the tangled emotions that had led her to this point. She couldn’t very well tell Sarah about the fangirling episode with Quinn, which had only served to highlight their age difference in a way that made Rebecca cringe. A twinge of embarrassment resurfaced at the memory, and Rebecca’s face warmed despite the autumn chill. “It just didn’t feel right,” she said finally, a vague explanation that barely scratched the surface.
Sarah watched her intently, her expression softening. “Was it something she did?”
Rebecca shook her head. “No, but there was always the distance, and I guess, after spending the entire day with her and seeing her with my friends, I don’t know, I just knew that it wasn’t going to be worth the effort.”
Sarah blew out a breath. “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”
“Maybe I’m being a little too quick to discount it, but at the same time, I’m at a point where I don’t want to waste time.”
“I get that,” Sarah said as she brought her coffee to her lips and took a sip.