Chapter Two - Part Four

Chapter Two - Part Four

 

We were lying on my bed. Andrea was snuggled into me. It felt so good to be holding her. I felt guilty that a part of me was happy she was there.

“I was nineteen when I came out to my family. I had a girlfriend, and Robbie insisted that I tell my parents. He didn’t expect that they would never talk to me again,” Andrea said. “I sat down with them and said I had something important to tell them.”

She took a deep breath in and continued.

“I said, ‘Mum, Dad, I’m gay.’ They got up from the table. Mum went back to reading her women’s magazine and Dad went back to eating breakfast and reading that mornings newspaper. They only spoke two words to me after that "  get out.”

“What did you do?” I asked.

“I packed my stuff and left the next morning. I went to my girlfriend’s house; she lived over the other side of the city so I was safe there. I’d taken about a hundred dollars when I left, so I had a little bit of cash.”

“How did you survive?”

“I got a job and saved up. I got a pretty decent wage working casual so I was able to get my own tiny apartment when my ex and I broke up. I started going to TAFE to get more credentials. That’s when I started my search for Robbie and here I am.”

I was nervous, but I had to ask. “What did you do to make Robbie’s fiancée leave him?”

“I called her anonymously and told her that he was sleeping with one of his co-workers. She believed me straight off, which surprised me, apparently she was one of those insecure types.”

I didn’t say anything else. I held her while she slept until morning. I had no idea that what was to happen the next day would change my life.

To be continued…