was really the best she could have hoped for.
“Honey,” her dad began. His voice was thick with emotion. “I wish you
would have come to us sooner. I wish you could have known that no matter
what we think about things, we would support you. I realize now how
ignorant I was a
bout a lot of things. And still am.”
“Me too,” her mom echoed. “I don’t know anything about how to support
you. I wish I could have spent all this time trying to figure that out. If I
would have known…”
“I’m sorry.” Kiera glanced down at where she had her hands trapped
between her knees. She’d worn jeans and a light sweater and, since she
anticipated turning into a giant bawl bag, she’d pulled her hair into a tight
bun on top of her head and worn no makeup at all. “I’m sorry that I was too
busy being scared to try to figure out how to tell you.”
“You could never lose us.” Her mom’s eyes welled up with tears. Kiera
felt the sting at the bridge of her own nose in response to seeing her mom
cry. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’m sorry if I’ve ever done anything to make
you think we would stop loving you or not accept you. I know that we
might have more conservative values, but we would never—”
“I know, Mom,” Kiera said brokenly. “I know. I just…somehow I still
couldn’t…I couldn’t make myself believe it. I guess that’s what fear does. It
lies to you until you start to believe those lies as truth.”
“I’m sorry for what I said at dinner the other night,” her dad said softly.
His voice sounded off too. Rocky. Thick. Kiera couldn’t remember a single
time she’d ever seen her dad cry. If he did, he didn’t do it in front of her. “I
didn’t mean it that way. What I said was based on…well, not having any
information at all. I don’t think you’re unnatural. You’re my daughter. I
love you. I would do anything for you. I would fight anyone who tells you
that you don’t have a right to be happy as who you are.”
Kiera brought her hand up and swiped at her eyes. It was useless, since