Bri Pugh knew one thing, which was that even though she and her little sister had been sitting in the airport for over five hours, she was thankful that she wasn't on her computer in Colorado. It was nice to get out of the house for a while, even if it was Christmas Eve and a gigantic blizzard had struck their hometown.
Mal was scrolling through her phone and making little noises every once in awhile. Bri sent her a questioning look, which the younger girl ignored. She desperately wanted to know why Mal had needed to go to Connecticut so badly and so urgently. Bri had her suspicions of course; a boy her sister had fallen in love with? Did she need to get laid? Was it something completely different?
She knew that Mal wouldn't do something like that- the girl loved and was too loyal to her family. But it must be something important, Bri thought. She watched as Mallory tugged her iPhone out of her pocket.
"Bri, there's something I have to do..." she said quietly. The device was tilted away from her, so she couldn't see what her younger sister was up. All she heard was the soft ringing and then her father's booming voice.
"Mal!" Horace Pugh said. Bri could picture him beaming through the phone.
"Dad, is Mom near you?" Mal asked, ignoring Bri's curious looks.
"Yes, she is!"
"Can you put the phone on speaker?"
The two girls listened to the click that meant that both parents were waiting.
"I'm gay."
-
On the plane ride home, the two words kept repeating in Mal's head. I'm gay. I'm gay. I'm gay. Was telling her family the right thing to do? Of course it was. After all, Mallory had promised Rae that she would be hers someday. They had agreed to not start anything right away. Carrying a broken heart through the rest of college was not how they wanted to remember the four years.
Bri hadn't spoken to her except for asking if she wanted the window seat again. The freshman had gladly accepted and was now staring dreamily outside. Big clouds were drawn across the sky, in shapes of everything from a turtle to a slightly lopsided tree.
The familiar shape of Colorado was slowly becoming visible and Mal had already watched three movies by the time the plane landed in Denver. A silent ride to the Pugh home later, the two girls were ambushed by beaming relatives and their parents. It was Christmas morning, and carols were blasting through the stereo in the background.
Karen Pugh kissed Mal's forehead lightly and when she pulled away, there were tears glistening in her bright blue eyes. The forward blushed, but only because of her insecurity. Her grandmother swooped in a gave her a huge hug. "Happy Christmas, Mallie!" she cheered, bringing the girl to the food table. "Enjoy some of my homemade apple pie!" The older woman left Mal alone, who helped herself to a slice.
Smushing her warm apple slices together, she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. Turning, the freshman jumped a little and almost sent her pie flying onto the floor. "Bri, you scared me!" she hissed. The older girl grabbed Mal's arm and wordlessly and pulled her into a side room. Mallory ate a bite of pie and watched her sister, who was silent. Brianna Pugh looked down at her and smiled softly.
"Mal," she started, clearing her throat. The forward prepared herself, sure she was going to be lectured by the strict girl.
"I hope you know how proud of you I am," Bri said. "I don't care who you love. You're a great person, a phenomenal soccer player and an even better sister."
Mallory's eyes wet and she lifted her hand to wipe her tears away as her sister engulfed her in a hug. The attempt to push away her tears didn't work, and Mal found herself sobbing quietly into the woman's shoulder.
"Thank you," she murmured softly. "I love you, Bri."
Brianna pulled away and stole bite of Mal's apple pie.
"Hey!" she frowned, holding her plate closer to her protectively.
"Love you too!" Brianna beamed, taking off into the kitchen. Mal laughed, rolled her eyes and followed her.