“No, no! I’m so glad you came.” Marcy put an arm around her waist and continued in a whisper as they looked over the screen. “I just hope you’re not uncomfortable with the situation.” She was pretty certain her mother was watching them, but it didn’t matter.
“I’m not.” Zoe leaned into her and sighed. “They’re growing so fast.”
“Yes. They’re so cute and fluffy, I just want to pick them up,” Marcy said. “But they’re not supposed to get used to humans and Tank might kill me if I get too close.”
Zoe turned to Marcy and looked up at her. “I didn’t just come here for the kittens. There’s something I wanted to tell you. We can talk about it later, when your parents leave.” She paused. “Is it okay if I stay over again.”
“Of course. I want you to stay. What is it?” Marcy asked. “You sound serious.”
“I told my mum I was gay.” Zoe smiled as her eyes welled up. “And it wasn’t a total disaster. She’s still my mum.”
“Babe, that’s great news. I didn’t expect you to tell her anytime soon, since you’ve already kept it quiet your whole life.” Marcy pulled her into a tight hug. “How do you feel?”
“Relieved,” Zoe said. “Dad already suspected, apparently, so I’m not too worried about him anymore. I’ll talk to him sometime this week if my mother hasn’t already told him.”
“Why now?” Marcy stepped back and cupped her face.
“I was just feeling strong, I guess.” Zoe paused. “But mostly, I felt like telling her about you. Right now, you’re the biggest thing in my life and whatever happens between us, I didn’t want to keep it from her.”
“You told her about me?” Marcy’s breath hitched. “Zoe…” She pulled Zoe in and kissed her softly. “Thank you, I don’t know what to say. Can I meet them?”
“Let’s just wait and see how this goes.” Zoe smiled and kissed her back. “But yes, I’d love for you to meet them when I’d ready. One day at a time.”
56
“This should be amusing.” Marcy opened the taxi door for Zoe and took her hand as she got out. “I can’t wait to see the look on Lisa’s face.”
Zoe laughed. “She called me to make sure I was okay with you being there; she’s terrified we’re going to cause a scene.” She leaned in close as Marcy wrapped an arm around her and smiled. “I can’t blame her. I certainly didn’t see this coming.”
“Neither did I.” Marcy returned her smile and kissed her temple. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you, you look great yourself.” Zoe felt on top of the world tonight. It was a warm November evening, she was wearing her new, black dress, she had the woman of her dreams by her side, and they were going to a party for the first time as a couple. It was way too soon to think ahead; she still wasn’t confident Marcy would actually stick around, but right now life was bliss, and she was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. When they arrived at the house, Stella yelled down at them from the roof terrace.
“Oh my God.” Her eyes widened as they looked up and waved. “Hey, guys, what’s happening here? Give me a moment and I’ll buzz you in; you have a lot to explain.”
“Are we the first?” Zoe asked as they headed upstairs.
“Yes, we’ve just finished setting up the food and Lisa’s making sangria.” Stella looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes as if to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. “So, why are you two suddenly walking hand in hand?”
“Yes, what the hell is happening?” Lisa chipped in, greeting them from the top of the stairs. “Is this some kind of joke?”
Zoe and Marcy looked at each other and laughed. “No, it’s not a joke.” Marcy put an arm around Zoe’s shoulders and pulled her in. “Once we stopped insulting each other, things started to change.”
“Okay…” Lisa poured them a glass of sangria and beckoned them to follow her onto the terrace. “So, is this your first date?”
“No, we’ve been seeing each other for a while,” Zoe said with an amused grin. “But after all the drama at work, well, it was a little embarrassing to admit that we actually liked each other.”
Lisa threw her head back and laughed. “I can see how that might be embarrassing, but hey, I’m so happy for you guys.” She clinked her glass against Marcy and Zoe’s. “And I won’t have to worry about a catfight tonight.”
“She was terrified you two would start arguing again,” Stella said. She chuckled as she almost tripped over Meatball, who was running around chasing her brother.
“I think we can manage to behave ourselves tonight.” Zoe shot Marcy a wink and kneeled down to greet the puppies, who jumped up at her to lick her face. “Hey, guys. I haven’t seen you in a while.” She turned to Lisa. “I miss not seeing them at work. They’re so big now.”
“Yes, they’re growing fast.” Lisa told Meatball off when she tried to jump onto one of the terrace chairs to reach the table. “They’ve become so greedy, though; please don’t feed them any snacks tonight. They’ve taken to stealing food now, so we have to be strict.”
“Says the one who shares her omelette with them every morning,” Stella joked.
“Me? What about you?” Lisa’s eyebrows shot up. “You were the one who kept throwing food on the floor for them while we were cooking today.”
