My mom starts to usher us out. “We’ll let you all talk. Cullen, come on, sweetheart. Let's go get the spare room ready—”
“Actually,” Hudson interrupts. “Can you and Dr. Anderson stay?”
My mom gives a soft smile. “Of course.”
We all file into the living room. His parents settle on the couch, my mom and dad taking the chaise. Hudson stays standing in front of the fireplace, his fingers rubbing his khaki shorts like he’s trying to remove his prints. I step beside him and rest my hand on his back.
“Hudson?” Mrs. Nora asks. “What’s going on?”
He swallows hard. “There’s something I need to tell you, and I’m sorry for not saying it sooner. I had my reasons. But I’m not ashamed. I just… I-I hope you’ll still love me.” He’s shaking now, doing his best to hold himself together. Sadness washes over me that he’s suddenly scared their love could be conditional. But I have faith that everything will be fine.
I glance at my mom. She already knows. I can tell by her soft smile and the way she looks between us. I wink at her, and she beams.
If this goes bad, if his parents can’t handle it, I know mine will be his safety net. But I hope it doesn’t come to that.
I feel Hudson tense beside me, so I squeeze his shoulder. He exhales, voice a little raw when he speaks.
“Mama, Dad… I’m gay.”
Silence.
He’s trembling under my hand. One second. Then two, and still nothing. I grit my teeth, hope curdling in my stomach. My parents spoke up right away when I came out. This? This feels too long.
Too quiet.
What if I got it wrong? What if his parents don’t want a gay son? I press a little closer to Hud, trying to give him as much quiet support as I can.
“But you’re dating Ella.” Mrs. Nora’s words come out slowly, like she’s trying to make the pieces fit.
“No, I’m not. Ella’s just my friend. She offered to be a cover so you and Mrs. Amy would stop pushing us together.” The admission is quiet and sad. “I never wanted that date. When I dropped her off, I knew I had to be honest. I think she hoped it would turn into something, and I couldn’t let her think it was her fault. She needed to know I was the problem.”
“You’renota problem, son.” Mr. Daniels speaks firmly, like it’s something he’s had to remind Hudson of more than once.
“I pushed you into that,” his mom gasps, her voice cracking. “Hudson, if I’d known… I just thought you were shy. I didn’t want you to be lonely.”
Well, now I know where Hudson gets his meddling tendencies. It’s a family trait.
“I know, Mom. I just didn’t want to disappoint you, so I went on the date because I thought it would make you happy.”
“But that’s not what this is about. Your happiness matters most. Your dad and I just want you to find someone who brings you joy, whoever that is.” Hudson’s dad nods along with everything Mrs. Nora says.
Hudson exhales, long and shaky, releasing years of pressure. I’ve only just come to terms with my own sexuality, and even in a matter of days, the weight of the secret felt suffocating. I can’t imagine holding it in since middle school.
“So… you don’t hate me?” His voice is small and uncertain.
God, I want to hold him, but I stay rooted to the spot. There is still one more hill to climb.
“Hate you?” his dad repeats, leaning forward on the couch. “Son, we could never hate you. You and your sisterare our whole world. There’s nothing you could do that would change that.”
They both rise and wrap their arms around him. I step back, letting them have the moment. My eyes sting, happy to see Hudson’s family embracing him, accepting him.
My mom looks like the cat that got the cream, her grin smug and knowing. I catch her eye, and she winks. Meanwhile, my dad watches with a more careful, clinical eye. Probably storing this for some future therapy session, honestly.
When they pull apart, there are a few tears but just as many smiles. Relief floods the room. No rejection. No yelling. Just acceptance.
And I know not everyone gets that. Especially not in a small town like ours. We’re lucky, and I’ll never take that for granted.
Hudson clears his throat. “There’s more.” He directs his mom back toward the couch. She sits, his dad joining her, holding her hand.
