The days between Christmas and New Years felt like a giant blur. Paige and Sienna had gotten closer than ever. They had volunteered to cook Sunday dinner, and they made Paige's dad's favorite, prime rib. It had taken the girls half the day to get it right, hours of internet research, from picking out the perfectly marbled rib roast to peeling potatoes, and making a delicious mushroom risotto they couldn't stop sneaking little bites from while they cooked. There was no doubt they were a good team.
As the whole family sat at the dinner table and talked about their day Paige felt at home. She had never really been in an environment where people were so engaged in the conversations they were having. Even talking about something as mundane as their day seemed to be a topic of interest.
"You girls did an amazing job!" Sienna's dad exclaimed. "I might have to have you guys over every Sunday. You know I'm also a big fan of pork chops, fried chicken and if I'm feeling like a nice nap right after dinner I love lasagna." He said.
"Stop it!" Sienna's mom exclaimed as she playfully slapped Sienna's dad's shoulder. "I do have to agree, you guys did a wonderful job. Thank you for this very special meal." She said, a warm smile stretched across her face.
"Pretty badass, sis." Natasha said.
It seemed like with every bite the Phoenix clan took they celebrated the meal. Paige and Sienna couldn't stop smiling the entire time. Their hard work had paid off, dinner was a success.
Paige stood up and went into the kitchen to grab dessert. She went into the kitchen and took a breather. She stood against the kitchen counter, ready to pinch herself. She couldn't believe how much she loved being in Arkansas with Sienna's family. Paige composed herself and walked out holding dessert. As she set it down on the table everybody talked about how good it looked.
"It's a caramel apple cheesecake. I have to warn you, you will be tempted to eat more than one serving. It's my personal recipe." Paige proudly waved her hand across the dessert.
"You bake?" Sienna's mom asked, enthusiasm fully taking over her tone.
"Yeah, I've been doing it since middle school but I took a little break. It had been a while since I had made this in particular but once I started putting it together this afternoon it all came back as if I had never stopped." Paige grabbed a knife and began cutting small slices of cheesecake.
"Well, girl, if it's as good as it looks, I'm about to go into a diabetic coma cause damn!" Sienna's sister Natasha said.
Paige laughed, she looked over at the cheesecake. Everything about it was perfect, the gingersnap crust, the apple mixture, the caramel drizzle. She had even impressed herself. The best part was feeling appreciated, feeling like she mattered. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so heavily complimented for doing something like making dinner and baking a cheesecake.
When Sienna's dad began to pat his belly and everybody at the table had cleaned their plates, Sienna decided she wanted to do something on the spot. Normally, she would have mulled over this for hours and then talked herself out of it at least a dozen times but this moment was the moment. It felt right.
"Guys, I want you to know I didn't make this dinner with the intention of anything coming from it but I figured it would be a good time to talk to you about something." Sienna said, looking down on her plate moving her spoon around. She looked down on the cheesecake crumbs and the caramel that was still on the plate.
"What is it, hun?" Sienna's dad asked, his eyebrow raised and his face filled with sudden concern.
"It's nothing bad, don't worry, dad." Sienna paused and took a deep breath.
"So, I want to say I'm very appreciative of everything you guys have ever done for me. You've always been very supportive of my choices. You are the best family anybody can ask for." Sienna announced, holding on to Paige's hand under the table.
"Paige is one of the most unbelievable people I've ever met in my life. She is kind, she's caring, she makes me a better person. She's also somebody I see a future with, somebody I hope will be a permanent part of my life." Sienna looked over at Paige who simply nodded.
"Oh my God, Sienna! Spit it out" Natasha said, clearly frustrated. "You guys are together, everybody knows."
"Wow! Natasha, way to ruin her coming out." Sienna's little sister said jokingly.
"You guys!" Sienna protested.
"We know, honey and we couldn't ask for a better partner for you. We love Paige and if she makes you happy, which she clearly does, then that's all that matters." Sienna's mom said.
"Yeah, sweetie. Paige is already leagues better than that chump Andrew." Dad said, making a face almost as if he had indigestion.
Sienna couldn't help but laugh at how this moment had turned out. She had spent the last few weeks obsessing over how her family would react to her coming out. She knew her family was supportive but she expected some sort of a pushback, not that she was complaining.
"So, what are your intentions with our little girl?" Natasha asked jokingly. It was a clear attempt at sounding like their dad.
"I'm committed," Paige exclaimed. "She's the best thing to ever happen to me. You all are the best thing to ever happen to me." Paige said, now she was the one holding tightly onto Sienna's hand.
It had been a successful dinner for the girls, Sienna was still in shock when she went to bed that night. She thought she was in the middle of a dream and that at some point she'd wake up in her twin size dorm bed with Paige next to her ready to kill her.
That night both Paige and Sienna went to sleep with smiles on their faces. It was almost like they could finally breathe. They didn't have to hide anymore, they could just be together without having to worry about anything.