“I met someone,” Juno announced abruptly as we got into Mum’s SUV.
I raised an eyebrow. “Met someone, met someone? You?”
My sister’s eyes were comically wide with dazed panic. “I’m as surprised as you are. I think I’m still surprised.”
Confused, I asked, “When? When did you meet this person?”
“Two months ago. At a friend’s dinner party. I thought it was only friendship, but it’s turned into more.”
Hitting uncomfortably close to home with her words, I shifted in the driver’s seat. “I don’t understand. You were set on a life of singledom. Of freedom. Especially after witnessing this rubbish.” I gestured toward the house.
“I … I was.” There was a hesitant silence from my sister before she blurted, “Until I met Leona. That’s a woman’s name, by the way, because she’s a woman.”
I almost hit the brakes. “You’re gay? Since when?”
“I won’t insult you by suggesting that tone is judgmental.”
“It’s not!” I hurried to assure her. “I’m just taken aback. I mean, Juno, you’re not exactly a person who would be concerned with hiding your sexuality. I know more about your sex life than any brother should ever have to.”
Juno gave a bark of laughter. “True. To be honest … I’ve never fancied a girl before Leona. I fell in love withher. She just happens to be a woman.”
My pulse raced a bit. “You’re in love?”
“Weird, isn’t it? But yeah. I was trying to deny it, but I’m totally in love with her and kind of scared shitless but also, like, possibly the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
Pulling up outside Dad’s cottage, I turned to my sister. She was uncharacteristically threading her fingers nervously together in her lap. “Why do you look so worried about it, then?”
She shrugged. “I’m kind of half expecting you to naysay the whole thing, and the truth is, little brother, your opinion matters to me whether I want it to or not.”
Affection cut through my surprise. I reached over to pull my sister into a tight embrace. “I’m happy for you, Junebug. I will always be happy when you’re happy.”
“Yeah?” Her question was muffled against my chest.
“Always.” I kissed the top of her head and released her. “I don’t ever want you to be afraid to tell me anything.”
She nodded, giving me a small smile. “Thanks. You’re kind of an all-right brother, you know that?”
I chuckled, pleased. “So … when do I get to meet Leona?”
“I really wanted to bring her home for Christmas, but with our parents acting like imbeciles, that was impossible. And she gets it. So … I was thinking I could bring her to your Hogmanay party?”
“Of course. I can’t wait to meet her.” I meant it.
However, I felt a little unsteady as I got out of the SUV. Like something set in stone had freed itself and left the ground beneath me unsettled.
“Don’t tell Mum and Dad yet. I don’t want their bullshit to ruin anything.”
“You know they won’t care you’re dating a woman.”
“Mum might. She has her heart set on you marrying Lady Whatshername and me Lord Whathisfuckingface so she can return to Aunty Anne’s inner fold. Still strange that AuntyAnne’s queen.” Juno wrinkled her nose. “Our relatives are really weird.”
I wrapped my arm around her as we walked to Dad’s door. “Yes, they are. But Mum will get over her ambitions when she sees how happy you are. She told me if I was gay, she’d support me.”
“Did she? When did she? Why did she? Never mind. It’s different with her and me. Do you remember that speech she gave two years ago about how I needed to give her grandchildren someday because sons notoriously allowed their wives to push the son’s parents out of the grandparental bubble?”
“Being gay doesn’t mean you’re suddenly unable to provide grandchildren.”
“Yes, but Leona doesn’t want children.”
