Page 80 of Everything We Thought Was True

I locked eyes with my dad as the group vigorously applauded. He smiled and grabbed Oliver’s hand. They held their hands up for the audience to see.

“Thank you all for listening. For being brave. For coming out as the children of LGBTQ parents and for being willing to be the real you,no matter what.”

I took a deep breath. I’d done it.

I kept my eyes on my dad, and he wiped his eyes and nodded, just the slightest dip of his head. Then he did something that was so quintessentially him. He let out one of his ear-piercing whistles. The whole place erupted in laughter and then lots of whooping. I threw my head back and laughed, tears in my eyes.

As I looked out at the audience, all the faces receded into the background, and all I could see was my mom sitting in the last row, beaming her big, beautiful, slightly crooked smile, eyes twinkling, hands clapping. She mouthed, “I love you.”

I mouthed back, “I love you too, Mom, always,” and took a bow.

THE END