cried harder. "He forced me to tell him! Alex, he scares me!" She was trembling so badly that she was having a difficult time trying to drink her coffee.
Alex sat back in her chair. "Did you tell him about us? The fact we're two women?"
Mandy shook her head. "No, I didn't. He was so angry with the fact that I had sex with someone who he believes is a man...that he smacked me across the face."
Alex's jaw hit the table. "He did what to you?" she asked in disbelief.
Mandy nodded. "He smacked me. Hard."
Alex leaned over and wiped tears from Mandy's eyes with a napkin. "Things will get better. Just take life day by day." she tried to reassure her girlfriend.
"He smacked me when he found out I had sex with who he assumes is a man." Mandy stated again. "Which, I didn't. I just couldn't tell him about us. The fact that we're two women. Who knows what he'll do!"
"What exactly has he said about gay people?" Alex inquired. "He believes that all gay people should be sent away and tortured."
"Tortured? In what way?" Alex was shocked.
"He's a strong believer in Conversion Therapy, electroshock therapy. He is also a strong believer that gay people shouldn't have been rescued during the Holocaust. Just a few examples." she cried even harder. "I can't tell him! I just can't! Who knows what he'll do to me!"
Alex could see this was really bothering her girlfriend. "He wouldn't do that to his child." A brief silence came between them for a moment. "Would he?"
Mandy looked up and stared into Alex's eyes. "He would." "If he truly loves you, he wouldn't put his child through something as horrific as that."
"You don't know my father." Mandy said. "His beliefs are stronger than his love for his own child."
Alex reached over and grabbed her girlfriend's hands. "If he truly loves you, he wouldn't do that to you."
Mandy wiped tears away from her eyes. She felt trapped. "I don't know what to do. I can't hide this forever."
"There's only one thing you need to do. Come out."
Mandy got overwhelmed with anxiety. She began sweating and shaking. "I can't."
"Yes, you can." Alex assured her girlfriend. "What's the worse that can happen? He disowns you? If he is willing to disown his child just because of who she is, then maybe he shouldn't be in your life. I'm just saying."
Alex got up from her chair and put her arms around Mandy hugging her tightly. "You'll be fine. Meet me at my place at 12:30."
Mandy got up from her chair and hugged her girlfriend back. "I'll be there."
Chapter 3
Early that afternoon, Mandy arrived at Alex's house. She sat in her car for a few minutes, looking in the mirror under her visor making sure her hair was perfect. She got out of her car and headed for the barn. Mandy was halfway to the barn when Alex yelled over to her.
"Where are you going?" Alex yelled from the driveway.
Mandy turned around slowly. She wasn't expecting her girlfriend to be behind her. Usually, Alex would be waiting in the barn for her. "What is going on?" she asked her girlfriend. "Aren't we going to meet in here like we always do?"
Alex shook her head and laughed. "Silly! We're going inside today." She motioned for Mandy to come.
Mandy's eyes got wide. What was going on? She wondered. She knew Alex's parents were home. Their vehicles were in the driveway. She did have a slight suspicion that she was about to come out to Alex's parents.
The two young women walked inside, and Alex's parents were already sitting at the dining room table in the other room. Lunch was on the table with an extra setting for Mandy.
Mandy pulled Alex aside. "What is going on?"
"I think it is time you meet my parents."
"I don't know..." Mandy said nervously.
"You will be fine." Alex assured Mandy. "As I told you, my father's best friend is gay." she winked.
The two young women entered the dining room. Mandy knew coming out to Alex's parents would be easy, she just didn't feel ready.
"Pleased to meet you, Mandy. Have a seat." Alex's mother Rose proclaimed.
Mandy sat down slowly. "Nice to meet you too." Mandy couldn't help but notice Alex's father staring her down. "Hi, nice to meet you sir." she said hoping to break the awkward stare.
Alex's father Nate was in deep thought. "I'm sensing something about you." he stated as he tapped his fingers on the edge of the table. "I just can't put my finger on it though. Do I know you from somewhere?"
Mandy couldn't figure out where he could possibly know her from. She did attend a party at the farm a few years ago, but she only said one word to Nate at that party. "Maybe you've mistaken me for someone else?"
Nate was satisfied with that response. "Fair enough. They say everyone has their twin somewhere on this earth."
The four of them ate their lunch and sat around the table talking after lunch. The four were having the best time. Laughing and joking with each other.
Alex then got serious. "Mom, dad there is something I need to say. Mandy and I are dating."
All the laughter stopped. Mandy's jaw hit the table. She couldn't believe her girlfriend just dropped the news like that! No lead-in. She just came out. Mandy nervously looked into both of Alex's parent's eyes. How were they going to react? She wondered.
Alex's parents were frozen for a moment. Processing this news. Finally, Nate smiled and looked at Mandy. "That's what it is!" he laughed. "I knew there was something about you! My best friend is gay, and he's the coolest!" He got up and motioned for Alex and Mandy to stand up. The two of them got up, and he gave them both a big hug.
Rose got up and gave them each a hug as well. "I'm so proud of you both." she told them.
Mandy was filled with relief for the moment, but the fear of coming out to her parents was still in her mind.
"Let's throw a coming out party!" Nate abruptly shouted.
"Dad, no, please. Don't go overboard." Alex pleaded. Her parents were always known to go overboard when it came to parties. They invited almost everyone in town! In fact, Alex's graduation party is where Alex and Mandy met each other for the first time a few years ago.
Rose ran to grab her phone and began scrolling through her contacts. "I'll send out a group text inviting people! Is this Saturday good?"
The two young ladies looked at each other in shock. "Yes. That'll be fine..." Mandy said softly.
Mandy returned home, and her mother had four dresses laid out on the couch. There was a red dress with a wide black waistline, a plain black dress, a blue sequence dress, and a floral dress.
"What's going on mom?" she asked her mom as she walked into the room.
"I got a text inviting your father and me to a party this Saturday." her mom answered. Barb was in deep thought. Picking up, and setting down the dresses one by one and holding them up against herself.
"A party?" Mandy's anxiety just intensified. "What party?" She had a gut feeling that her mother was referring to the party that was going to be at Alex's farm that Saturday.
But considering what her father did during Alex's graduation party, she was hoping that her parents were removed from the guest list.
During Alex's graduation party, Lee sneaked into the barn, wrote homophobic slurs on the walls and dumped the punch bowl over Nate's head.
Barb picked up the blue dress from the couch and held it against the front of her body. "How's this dress?" she asked Mandy.
"Nice, but what party?"
"One of my