REVISED:The Boy With A Touch Of Cancer (BxB)

23. Awkward Conversations With The Carter's

"Well, whatever you wanna know, I'm here to tell."

She laughed and turned back to my nails. "Good to know."

She was quiet for a moment before carefully asking, "How long have you been questioning your sexuality?"

"Questioning if I was bi?" I suggested.

"What's bi?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Bi is short for bisexual, mom." I rolled my eyes as I grinned at her.

"Oh, got it. So how long have you been questioning if you were bi?" She laughed and exaggerated the "bi."

"For a month..." I added with an awkward laugh, "Ever since Leo moved here, really."

"I don't think you needed Leo to bring this out of you, sweetheart." Mom patted my hand with a teasing smile.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Why do you say that?"

"Oh, no reason. Just that you've always been a little feminine. When you were seven you wanted to dress up as a mermaid for Halloween, while your brother was a police officer." She sent me a teasing grin and a pointed look down at my hands.

My skin burned. "Will you just finish my nails, please?"

She laughed as she turned back to my nails. "Classic Ethan."

"Classic Ethan?" I frowned.

"Oh, just that you get huffy when you're embarrassed," she murmured with a smirk.

"I don't do that," I retorted, more embarrassed than I've probably ever been.

She paused to send me a "yes you do" look.

I rolled my eyes. Silence fell around us. "Do you, um, care that I'm bi?" I nervously asked.

She sent me a warm smile and squeezed the hand she was working on. "No, of course not. Your father and I will always love you, whether you're dating a boy, or a girl."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, mom."

I didn't know what exactly I was thanking her for. Maybe for accepting my sexuality? I don't know. All I knew was that I felt the need to thank her

"I love you, sweetheart," mom said as she leaned over and gave me an awkward hug.

I awkwardly hugged her back, both of us trying not to touch anything with our wet nails. "I love you too."

She pulled away and smiled at me before turning back to my hands.

I felt a certain heaviness I'd been carrying around (since I'd found out that I was bi) lift off my shoulders, and I felt so much more relaxed and relieved.

If only Will could've known you came out to your mom.

I felt a sharp stab of pain straight through my heart as I thought that.
Will would never know if I came out to my parents.

I blinked back the hot tears burning my eyes as I dropped my gaze to my vibrating phone. I read the caller ID.

Leo's calling

Those two words erased the pain I felt. Or maybe they just dulled the pain so it wasn't so unbearable.

'Why is he calling me though? Why didn't he just text?' I couldn't help but wonder.

"I'm done if you wanna take that," mom said as she twisted the cap back on the bottle of polish.

I glanced down at my sparkly blue nails and smiled. Even though they were ragged and nine of them were chewed off, they were still pretty. I did have to admit, a good filing would be needed after they were dry, but they were still beautiful, even though they were ragged and uneven.