When we pull away after several seconds, the room has fallen into a hush.
I look around at the sea of confusion blanketing everyone’s faces: Mom, Cindy, Sheldon, Daphne, and Dad. They’re so confused that they try to make it right, try to pretend it’s okay at first. Mom smiles, Cindy smiles, and Sheldon…well, Sheldon doesn’t know what to do, I think, because he’s slowly putting two and two together. I actually see the realization flash across his face the moment his mind registers the truth behind my secret boyfriend. His mouth contorts into knowing, and he just…stares at Jenson and me in shock.
Daphne cheers, but then her eyes grow big like she doesn’t know what to do next. Dad shifts awkwardly in his chair and looks around like he’s making sure there are no reporters around. And Vivian…she turns toward Ed and kisses him. His eyes widen, and he kisses her back with enthusiasm.
Then Cybil starts to cry.
At the sound of her shrill, insistent wails, everybody freaks out. I meanfreaksout.
Mom starts screaming at no one in particular, wondering how she didn’t uncover this love affair herself and then asking me why I couldn’t find someone outside of the family to date.
Cindy begins to berate Jenson, asking him what he thinks he’s doing by betraying the Grahams’ trust this way.
Cybil cries louder.
Matilda worries out loud that our kids will be like the royals, “who we all know are inbred.”
Dee catches wind of what Matilda says and tries to tell her that Jenson and I aren’t blood related, but then he turns on Jenson as well, telling him I’m family regardless.
Cindy quiets down first, and I can see the blood absolutely drain from her face as she realizes that her secret would be treated with just as much judgment and horror as ours is. And Jenson could reveal his father’s identity right now, right this minute in order to save himself and turn the attention onto his mother. All he’d have to do is tell the truth about his birth, and in about two seconds flat, the whole room would turn on Cindy. And Dee would turn on Cindy. Her world would come crashing down around her feet, and she knows it.
But of course, Jenson keeps his mouth closed. So does Cindy. And the rest of the room keeps shouting. And criticizing. It’s painful, but I realize that I’m strong enough to take it now.
“Hey!” Jenson whistles, and the room goes eerily quiet.
All eyes shift to us as we stand with our backs to the window. I have half a mind to turn and use the window as my escape from the unwanted attention, but Jenson puts his arm around me firmly.
“Are you okay?” he asks me softly.
His green eyes shower me with love. His flushed cheeks tell me all I need to know: he’s going to fight for us. Even though he doesn’t need to because we’ve already made our decision, Jenson’s going to speak his mind, anyway.
I nod. “I’m good.”
He presses a kiss to my temple before turning to face our irate audience.
“I’m in love with Olivia Graham.” Jenson’s admission is met with gasps, but his expression is calm and resolved. “I’ve loved her for as long as I can remember.”
“Shit.” Sheldon’s stunned reaction breaks the tension in the room, and I nearly smile.
“Olivia’s in love with me, too. We’re together, and we’re not blood related.”
“But you’re family!” Matilda cries out.
“There are a lot of different ways to define family,” Jenson says. “My mom and I were incredibly lucky to be invited into yours. But my feelings for Olivia were always different and ran deeper than what you all thought and understood us to be. We aren’t actually cousins, and we aren’t going to deny our own happiness by pretending to be something we’re not. I love her more than life, and to be without her anymore—it’s just not an option. I hope you all have a good meal.”
Jenson nods his head, signaling that the “conversation,” if you can call it that, has come to an end.
I don’t add anything to what Jenson already said so perfectly. But as I stand in front of my family, it’s absolutely liberating to finally face what I’ve always feared. I thought my family’s negative reaction would literally crush the life out of me. But I’m okay. I’m more than okay. And that is so freeing.
Jenson doesn’t say anything else. He just reaches over, takes my hand in his, and we turn and walk out of Cybil’s house. We get into his truck and drive away.
