“Come in,” Rowan said, closing the door behind her. “Have a seat wherever you like.”
Teegan shuffled into the flat, eyes darting all over as she took the place in. She sat nervously at the opposite end of the sofa to me. Rowan sat between us, and a brief, awkward silence ensued.
“Would you like a drink, Teegan?” I asked, breaking the tension. “Tea? Coffee? A can of Coke?”
“Coke, please.”
“Coming up.” I jumped to my feet, glad for a reason to leave the room. I took my time before returning, glad to see Rowan and Teegan talking.
“How was Nana?” Rowan asked her.
“She’s fine. Really angry with you.” Teegan gave him a small, wry smile.
“Hm, nothing new there,” he replied with a short laugh. “Are you glad to be home?”
“Sort of.” Teegan’s voice was quiet, but she nodded in thanks as I handed her the can and opened it, clearly eager to have something to keep her hands occupied.
“So, look, without beating around the bush, do you want to talk about what happened or would you prefer we just try to move past it?”
“I think mum would rather we move past it, but…” Teegan trailed off.
“That’s alright.” Rowan placed a hand on her arm. “I told you before that I’d answer whatever you wanted to know.”
Teegan chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. Her pretty green eyes flickered to me, then back to Rowan. “You’re in a relationship with Max?” she asked.
“Yes. I know that in itself is probably quite a lot to take in.” Rowan smiled kindly.
“And you, like, love him and stuff?”
This time, Rowan looked at me before answering. “Yes, I do.” I felt my cheeks grow hot and I fiddled with the toggle of my jacket.
“So why were you with mum? That doesn’t make sense,” Teegan asked with a confused frown.
Rowan sighed. “It’s complicated, but I’ll try my best to explain. You know Grandpa is a devout churchgoer? He always has been, even when I was a kid. I’m not sure how much you know of religion and their thoughts on same sex relationships—”
Teegan rolled her eyes. “I don’t live under a rock, Dad. Of course, I do.”
“Alright, sorry.” Rowan laughed softly. “Well, Grandpa is very against it. I’ve always known how I’ve felt, deep down, but to tell you the truth I was frightened of Grandpa. I know that seems crazy now.”
“He’s just a little old man!” Teegan exclaimed.
“He isnow, yes.” Rowan grinned. “But I suppose I probably am still a bit scared of him and what he’ll say or do if I told him the truth.”
Teegan paused thoughtfully. “So, you married mum and had me so he wouldn’t know?”
“It’s not quite that simple, and we had you because we wanted you, no other reason.”
I felt my heart grow in my chest. Rowan’s love for his daughter was palpable in every word. Teegan looked away, her eyes growing misty.
“Did Mum know?”
“No, though she has since told me she had her suspicions. I should have told her what was going on a long, long time ago, but I suppose I was scaredshemight react like Grandpa too. Your mum still is my best friend, Teegs. She always will be. I’m just not in love with her and she deserves to find someone who is.”
“Mum said as much,” Teegan muttered. I startled when the girl looked up at me. “What about you?”
“Well, um, I was luckier than Row— Your dad,” I corrected myself. “I’ve always known I was gay, and I told my parents when I was about your age. They were great about it and that was that.” I shrugged. “I have friends who had a similar experience to your dad, though. I just got lucky.”
“So, you’ve had other relationships with men, then?”
