Violet sat in her car, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her fingers ached. Her conversation with Chad echoed in her mind, each word he spoke laced with manipulation and doubt. Her throat was tight with emotion, and a deep sense of unease settled in her chest. She knew what she had to do, but fear coiled in her stomach like a snake. Her parents deserved to hear the truth about her and Eve directly from her, not through Chad's bitter gossip. No matter the cost, they needed to understand the choices she'd made.
With a shaky breath, Violet turned the key in the ignition, her car rumbling to life beneath her. She backed out of the parking spot and drove toward her parents' house. The streets of her childhood neighborhood were familiar, but today they felt foreign and threatening. Each turn brought her closer to the home she had known for so long and yet felt so distant from now. Her heart raced, not from the speed of the car, but from the confrontation that awaited her.
As she pulled into the driveway, she noticed her mother peering out from behind the living room curtains. Margaret. Always the watchful guardian, always ready with a critical eye. Violet took another deep breath, steeling herself. The car door creaked as she stepped out, and the crisp air hit her face, grounding her momentarily.
The front door opened before she even reached the steps. Margaret stood in the doorway, her face a blend of worry and resignation, the lines on her face deepened by the weight of years and expectations.
"Violet," Margaret said, her tone a mixture of surprise and something else—disappointment, maybe? "What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you and Dad," Violet replied, her voice wavering slightly. She hoped they wouldn't notice the tremor.
Her mother's eyes narrowed in concern. "Is everything alright?"
"Can I come in?" Violet asked, avoiding the question. Margaret hesitated, then stepped aside, allowing her daughter to enter.
The house smelled of lavender, as it always did, a comforting scent that suddenly felt suffocating. Every object, every piece of furniture was a relic of a life Violet had once cherished but now felt estranged from. Her father, Robert, sat in his usual armchair, his reading glasses perched on his nose, the newspaper spread out before him like a shield. He looked up, surprise flashing across his face, quickly replaced by guardedness.
"Violet," he said, folding the newspaper and setting it aside. "This is a surprise. What brings you here?"
Violet's heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the familiar pull of old habits, the urge to downplay, to deflect, to make herself small and agreeable. But she couldn't. Not this time. "I have something important to tell you both. Something you need to hear from me."
Margaret's face tightened, and she exchanged a look with Robert. He leaned back in his chair, his expression wary but attentive. Violet sat down on the edge of the couch, feeling like a stranger in a place that was once her home. Her hands trembled as she clasped them together.
"I've been seeing someone," Violet began, forcing herself to meet their eyes. "Someone who isn't a man."
For a moment, there was only silence. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second stretching out like an eternity. Margaret's face remained stoic, but her eyes darkened. Robert's expression, however, shifted from confusion to something harder, something more deeply set.
"We know," Margaret finally said, her voice steady but strained. "We've known for some time."
Violet's breath caught in her throat. "You… you know?"
Margaret nodded. "We're not oblivious, Violet. We've seen the signs, heard the rumors. We've known about you and… Eve."
A wave of shock washed over Violet. Relief and fear tangled together in her chest. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"
"Because," Robert said, his voice low and firm, "we were hoping you'd come to your senses. That this was just a phase. Something you'd outgrow."
Violet flinched at his words. "It's not a phase, Dad. I'm in love with her."
Robert's face darkened further, his jaw clenching. "And what about us, Violet? What about your family, your upbringing, everything we've taught you? Have you thought about how your actions affect us?"
The room felt smaller, the walls closing in as Violet grappled with the intensity of his words. "I never wanted to hurt you. But I can't live a lie to make you happy."
"You call it a lie," Margaret interjected, her tone softer but no less firm, "but what about the life you're throwing away? The future we dreamed for you?"
"That's just it," Violet said, her voice rising. "It's your dream, not mine. I have to live my own life."
Margaret's eyes filled with tears, but her voice remained steady. "We love you, Violet. We just don't understand why you would choose this path—a path that leads to so much pain and misunderstanding."
"I don't want pain," Violet replied, her own tears starting to fall. "I want love. I want to be with the person who makes me feel alive, who makes me feel like myself."
Robert stood, his face a mask of stern disappointment. "And what about Eve? Do you think she can give you a life worth having? A life that honors our family?"
Violet's heart clenched. "She gives me happiness, Dad. Isn't that enough?"
"No," Robert snapped, his voice like a whip. "Happiness is fleeting, Violet. Family is forever. Reputation, honor—these are the things that last. You're throwing everything away for what? For a moment's pleasure?"
The words cut deeper than Violet had expected, her father's disdain palpable, his voice echoing with decades of expectations and a worldview she no longer shared. "I'm not throwing anything away," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm choosing to be true to who I am."
Robert's face turned cold, his eyes narrowing. "And what if who you are is a mistake? What if this choice leads to nothing but sorrow and regret?"
Margaret reached out to him, placing a hand on his arm. "Robert, please, let's not do this now."
He pulled away from her, his gaze still fixed on Violet. "No, she needs to hear this. You're our daughter, Violet, but you're also a part of this family. And we cannot support you in something that goes against everything we stand for."
Violet stood, her body shaking with anger and pain. "If you can't support me, then maybe I don't belong in this family."
Margaret gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Violet, no. Don't say that. We can work through this, can't we?"
Violet shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "You've already made it clear where you stand. And I can't—I won't—deny who I am just to fit into your narrow definition of what's right."
She turned to leave, but her father's voice stopped her cold. "If you walk out that door, Violet, don't expect to come back. Not until you've figured out what really matters in life."
Violet froze, her breath hitching. For a moment, she felt a wave of doubt, a pull to stay, to apologize, to do whatever it took to make things right with them. But then she remembered Eve's face, the warmth of her smile, the way her touch made Violet feel whole and understood. She couldn't give that up—not for anything.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, not looking back. "But I have to go."
As she reached for the door, she heard a soft voice call out behind her. "Violet, wait."
She turned to see her younger sister, Emily, standing at the base of the stairs. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and determination.
"Emily," Violet said softly, her heart breaking at the sight of her sister's tears. "I didn't want you to see this."
Emily shook her head, wiping her cheeks. "No, I'm glad I did. I… I support you, Violet. I've always supported you. I just didn't know how to say it."
A sob escaped Violet's throat as she rushed to Emily, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you for believing in me."
Emily hugged her back just as tightly, her voice muffled against Violet's shoulder. "I love you, Vi. And I don't care what Mom and Dad think. I want you to be happy, with whoever you choose."
Violet pulled back, a glimmer of hope flickering in her heart. "I need to go, Emily. I need to be with Eve."
Emily nodded, but as Violet turned to leave again, her sister grabbed her arm, her expression suddenly serious. "Violet, wait. There's something you need to know."
Violet frowned, her heart skipping a beat. "What is it?"
Emily glanced back toward their parents, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "Mom's been meeting with Chad. She's the one who told him everything about you and Eve."
The words hit Violet like a punch to the gut. "What? Why would she…?"
"I don't know," Emily said quickly, her eyes filled with guilt. "I overheard her talking to him a few weeks ago.