My heart was beating so fast, I thought it might explode in my chest. Her parents stood there watching us walk up the driveway. Her mother in a beautiful blue sundress, with an apron wrapped around her waist. Her father wearing a red plaid shirt, jeans and boots.

”Christina! Darlin, come here,” her mother said with her arms open. Her southern twang made me smile, Tina had one similar, it became more promenient with excitement or anger.

She smiled and ran to them, and hugged them both. Her smile was contagious and I couldn’t help but smile as well. They held onto her like they haven’t seen her in years. They chatted with her for a bit, then Tina signaled for me to come over. I walked slowly and caught the gaze of her parents warm and quizzical stares.

”Bette, these are my parents John and Lynn Kennard. Mom, dad, this is Bette Porter.”

”Ah so this is the Bette our Christina keeps talking about,” her mother said and hugged me.

”It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kennard, Mr. Kennard,” I said offering my hand to Tina’s dad, to which he shook it.

”The pleasure is all ours, she has been telling us so much about you,” he said and smiled.

”All good things I hope.”

”Of course, darlin. Please come in, lunch is ready, just waitin for your sister and brothers.”

We went into their home and I looked around at all the pictures and some artwork. I felt warm and relaxed in their home. I didn’t know why, because on the inside, I was nervous as hell. I wasn’t sure how her family would react to our relationship. We sat in the living room and I smiled as I heard Jackson talking animatedly to his papa.

While waiting for Tina’s siblings to show up, we chatted. I gave them a short life story, and explained my plans for the future. They were impressed by my academic standing in my pursuit of my doctorate. Hopefully that’ll score me some brownie points. Tina revealed that she was going back to school for her Master’s and her parents were ecstatic.

Soon after we’d finished talking, the door burst open and four children came screaming in. My heart immediately started beating fast, and I stood to introduce myself. Tina’s brother John the third, was married with one son. Her brother, Marshall was married with two sons and a daughter, and lastly to arrive, her sister, who was the oldest of the four came in. She wasn’t married.

I could barely contain my happiness at seeing Tina with her family and Jackson with his cousins. He loved playing and it sparked a dream in my heart for Tina and I to have a child, but we were still a ways from that. I made a mental note that if all goes well, we should visit her family as often as we could, and have them out in California.

We sat down for lunch and chatted away. Everyone was most intrigued by me, and I answered questions and told stories of myself. I seemed to have made a great impression on them. Here’s hoping to be welcomed into the family. After a couple hours, her brothers and sister left, with the promise to meet Tina for lunch the next day.

My heart was beating fast as we sat on the front porch, drinking coffee and chatting. I knew it was now or never. Jackson had passed out in front of the tv with his cookies and milk. I could see his little chest rising and falling as he breathed. Tina cleared her throat and my heat stopped. She got up and walked in front of her parents and signaled me to go with her. We both leaned on the railing and her mother smiled at us.

”Mom, dad, there’s something I need to tell you. Something that I think I’ve always wanted to tell you but, I never knew it until just recently.”

”What is it sugar,” her mom asked, concern written on both their faces.

”It’s something I think I’ve known about myself for as long as I could remember. It just hit me hard about a year ago. I’ve held it inside myself because I thought it wasn’t right. But now I know it is right for me and I need to stop hiding who I am. I’m babbling, well, what I’m trying to say is, I’m gay,” she said and raised her hand to keep them from speaking and then she took my hand in hers. My heart stopped, moment of truth.

”And Bette is my girlfriend.”