Forbidden Love (Scrapped)

Chapter 24

"So how did it go with Marilyn today?" My mother asks.

I shrug. "It was okay. She apologized and we got caught up on each other's lives."

I take two plates and silverware to the dining room table. My Mon follows me with the salad and casserole.

"So everything is okay with you both?" She asks with her eyebrows up in concern.

"Yes and no?" I say as if it were a question. "I told her that it would take time for me to build my trust for her again, but I don't think we could get back to where we were."

My mom comes around the table and hugs me. "Um mom?"

She sighs. "You have grown up so much." She pulls away and grabs my face. "Where did my little girl go? She's all grown up and wise; I don't know what to do."

I chuckle lightly in response. Not knowing how to respond but also appreciative.

"Let's eat," I fi ally say.

"Oh yeah,"my mom says while putting salad on her plate. "I need you to come help out at church tomorrow for the luncheon."

"Oh yeah, that's fine. That is what I was planning on anyways."

"Oh, okay. Great! Lydia is going to be so excited to see you!"

Lydia is the cook at church. She is so great and one of my most favorite people on the planet. She is about 6 years older than me but we are so close. This past summer, during our day camp, I helped her in the kitchen. I learned cooking skills, food safety, cleaning, and so many others. I had so much fun.

"I am so excited to see her also! How is she doing?"

She looks down at her plate and smiles.

"What?" I smile back.

"You'll have to talk to her tomorrow."

"Awe really? I hate having to wait." I continue eating my salad.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

***

"Lydia!" I call when I walk through the door into the dining room.

"This is my busiest day of the year, so unless you are God, you need to come to the counter if you would like to speak with me."

I walk up to the counter between the kitchen and dining room where we serve and see her with her back to me. It is 8 o'clock and she already has everything out and ready.

"Well, I heard you need help so what do I do?" I ask her, smiling. Excited for when she actually sees me.

She turns arlund and her mouth drops and she drops the whisk she was using into the bowl. She runs over to me and gives me a tight hug.

"You are definitely not God but I will stop what I am doing amd give you a hug."

She pulls away and grabs my shoulders. "Girl, I have missed you so much."

"Awe, Lydia, I have missed you also." She walks back into the kitchen and to the what she was mixi g in the bowl. When I am closer I see it is mashed potatoes. "How's Sam?"

Sam iz her boyfriend. They have been together for 2 years and are just the ultimate couple goals. Him and Lydia have basically been older siblings for me since Lydia started working her 4 years ago.

She starts grinning and looks at her hand. I look down at it also and see a ring on her ring finger.

"WHAT!" I grab her hand to look closer at the ring. "When? How? Where? I need the answers!!!"

She laughs loudly and puts her whisk down once more. "Okay. We were on a date, and I thought it was just a normal date. Until after our dinner he asked if I wanted to go to the beach, and you know he hates the beach so I knew something was up. So we get there and it is sunset. And it was beautiful. So we are standing there for about 10 minutes just looking. And I said, 'Sam isn't it beautiful?' And he said, 'It will never compare to how beautiful you are.' And I looked over with a smile on my face and he is on one knee with this ring in a box in his hands. Girl, when I tell you I was immediately sobbing, I mean it. So I tackled him in the sand and started covering him in kisses. And he was like, 'so I take that as a yes?' And i just laughed."

I have no idea how to respond so I just hug her and let out a long "Awe."

"Also, one more thing. I am starting my own restaurant."

My mouth drops once more. "Oh my gosh, Lydia!! That is your dream!!! Where, when!???"

"Next summer, and it's downtown. Over by the old movie theater."

"Oh Lydia, I am so so so happy for you!!"

"Thank you! Now enough chit chat, let's get to work."

She tells me what to do and I start working. After about an hour, more volunteers start arriving and we get more help. With more help we are done by 11 o'clock; half an hour before we start.

"So how are you doing in California?" Lydia asks me while we take a break in her office.

"I am liking it. The people at the school are so nice and kind. At first I was scared, but it has been one of the best things to ever happen to me."

She nods her head. "So question."

"Shoot." I tell her.

"Why'd you leave? One minute you were here and that Sunday you were gone. And you didn't even call. And i don't believe the bullshit that your dad has been saying. 'She's taking time for herself and the Lord.' I know you are big on religion, but, you wouldn't send yourself off to boarding school."

"It's," I pause for several seconds.

"It's?"

"It's a long story."

"We have 20 minutes." She says.

I feel my heartbeat start to quicken and my hands start to shake. I start laughing nervously.

She grabs my hand. "Willow, you know you can trust me."

"I know. But it is still really scary to actually tell people. There are so many factors."

"Willow, it's-"

I walk up to her door and close it. "I'm gay." I interrupt her.

She sits still and doesn't say anything for what feels like hours but is only 10 seconds. Then she gets up and hugs me.

"I love you. I need you to know that. You are the little sister I never had. Your are the person I am closest to. And consideri g the fact that I hate people and I actually like you, means something."

I feel tears running down my face. I hug her back and start sobbing.

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I legit didn't come up with this character until I started this story. I just figured that Willow really needed some more support in her home town besides her mom and Marilyn, who she still doesn't entirely trust yet.

Also, I am going to edit this whole story when I am done with it. I just want to get it done first.

Also, just a little background. Marilyn is named after my favorite teacher in my senior year of high school. She didnt have a teen pregnancy and is super cool about me being gay. I legit just needed a name for this character.