Chapter 27

I arrived home from school the next day and found my parents in the kitchen. Mom was standing, but for once, she wasn’t cooking dinner.

That made me stop. Were we going out? Ordering food? or doing something?

Dad was sitting on the kitchen barstool, fingers laced and back bent forward.

“Hey, Mom,” I said, entering the kitchen and giving them a quick smile. The atmosphere felt tense and heavy. “Dad.”

“Honey, how was school?” Mom jolted but recovered quickly.

“It was okay.”

I eyed them because they were acting weird. Mom wasn’t busy with something. Dad was hanging out here with a coffee instead of watching TV or fixing something. I narrowed my eyes at them, feeling like I was interrupting a private conversation.

“Is something going on?” I questioned hesitantly.

Mom and Dad exchanged stares and nodded.

“Yes,” Dad cleared his throat, serious. I furrowed my brow. “We wanted to talk to you about something you must already know, since you are in AP biology and want to be a doctor one day, and—”

Dad was rambling. He was nervous. Instantly, my pulse kicked up.

Mom interfered as Dad turned red. “We wanted to discuss Graham with you.”

I could already sense where they were going with this conversation since Dad was blushing. He never blushed. Not even with anger when he was cursing in front of the TV at a football game. Or with embarrassment when I’d caught him cursing when he’d crushed Grandma’s flowerbeds. Never.

I wished I had that superpower because my blush gave me away half the time. But no, I’d inherited the nerve-racking rambling.

Seeing how Graham brought them gifts, tried to make a good impression, and came over the other day with chocolates and called me baby, they knew what was going on between Graham and me. It was obvious.

“You told us he was a friend,” Mom started. “But from what I saw yesterday, he seems someone special…”

I bit my lip.

“Uh…we are dating,” I confessed.

Mom smiled. “We are happy. He’s such a nice guy, really thoughtful.”

“Yes, nice guy.” Dad nodded.

“But he’s…” Mom wavered. “Different from Jacob.”

What Mom didn’t point out was that Graham didn’t want to be a minister one day, meaning no sexual relationships until marriage. Graham exuded confidence, danger, and temptation. The declaration of keeping the door open meant they knew what could happen behind closed doors.

“Mom, we don’t—” I started, flustering.

~Surprise there~.

This wasn’t going well. I was flustered, Dad was flustered.

“It’s okay…” I swallowed, wanting to tell them we didn’t need to talk about this.

At fifteen I’d had a brief talk with them about sexual relationships, but now, my parents seemed more interested in the topic and expanded it further, even though school taught us sex ed.

~Gah. No one wants to talk about this because it brings very disturbing images. Just. No. ~

I knew the importance of giving the facts. However, we were all aware that I knew how it worked and what to do to ensure safety, in every sense.

“In these more mature relationships, it’s important to be safe,” Mom attempted to go on, but even she was struggling with her words, and she was a nurse who liked to give condoms and sexual speeches away in the hospital whenever drunk teenagers came in.

“We trust you to be safe,” Dad popped in.

I was hot all over my neck and cheeks. “There’s nothing to worry about,” I said.

Though they should be, because Graham was very flirty and touchy and condom-averse. I would need to tell Graham to start using a condom, even though I was on the pill.

“We know you are on the pill…” Mom struggled. “But sometimes, it won’t be safe enough. It won’t protect you from everything.”

Dad nodded his head, and I kept melting from embarrassment.

“Yeah, Mom,” I said. “It’s okay. I know that.”

“That’s why—”

Before Mom could continue, I stopped her. “Mom.”

Mom chuckled. “Okay, okay.” She exhaled. It sounded like relief. “Whenever you are ready to talk, we are here. No judgment.”

“None at all,” Dad assured me, though he refused to stare at me.

“I don’t mind bringing you a box of condoms and showing you how to put them on. The boys these days don’t know how to do that and hide behind the excuse of not liking them. But you are smarter than that, and if you need explanations about the first time together—” Mom continued but I opened my eyes and she halted.

I pressed my lips together, fighting back a smile. Despite my father being out of his comfort zone, and Mom stumbling over words and then giving her famous speech, I was thankful for my parents’ openness. Especially since how different Graham was from my past boyfriend.

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

I turned to them and hugged them before leaving for my bedroom and trying to cool down.