@etherealconstellations asked “Hit me with something expanding the Blossom house backstory. What other dark shit is in their past? With Jason/Cheryl flashbacks as kids or something? What else are their parents hiding?”
(Not my gif just thought it was cool)
Summary: Nana Rose takes Jason and Cheryl to their lake house and has a heart-to-heart conversation with them about their family and forbidden love.
Warnings: Mentions of trans phobia; only a smidge depressing
A/N: Sorry this took me frrreakin forever but here it is hahahaha hope it lives up to most of your expectations <3
Nana Rose took my brother and I to the lake house every year over the summer. When we were younger, it was thrilling. But over the years, as Nana’s dementia took over, it became more of a hassle than anything. The first time we went was when Jason and I had just finished sixth grade.
“Pack your things,” Nana said.
Even though Jason and I pestered her about it constantly, she wouldn’t budge. She refused to say why we were going or what our destination was. However, I had eavesdropped on her and mother’s conversation a few days before, and knew it had something to do with the family business. The phrase “not safe” was often used, but their voices were hushed, so I couldn’t make out why.
By the time the three of us had arrived at the destination, Jason and I were exhausted. We both practically tripped over the stairs while zombie walking to what Nana showed us to be our room.
The early morning sun rose and fluttered in through the wooden blinds. It shown on my face as I felt Jason rustling and turning next to me. He let out a disgruntled huff and rolled out of bed. I pretended to be asleep so he wouldn’t disturb me.
Eventually I heard Nana summoning us for breakfast from downstairs. As I got changed and headed downstairs to join her and Jason, I could smell the wafts of bacon and strawberry waffles. We all sat down to eat, and Nana bombarded us with questions about our feelings about going into middle school.
Nana’s phone went off, and when she went to answer it, Jason and I could feel the tension shown in her darkening eyes.
“Yes, I understand. No— no. Okay. Good day.”
She hung up the phone, grabbed her plate of barely touched waffles, and set it in the sink. Our eyes followed her every step in innocent but knowledgeable silence. Something must have gone wrong at Daddy’s work. Something always went wrong, but there was always a way to fix it.
Nana left the kitchen and retreated to her room. We could hear her sobbing from the dining room, and when I looked at Jason, I saw my cluelessness reflected in his eyes. We finished our breakfast and went upstairs.
“What do you think’s happened?” asked Jason. He sat across from me on the bed. The sun shone brighter and seemed to light up the entire room. I shrugged.
He seemed to know that I felt weird about talking about it, so he changed the subject. “When school comes around, if anyone tries to hurt you or if you need help with anything… just let me know.”
He always protected me from school bullies. They thought we were strange. He didn’t care, but I did. They picked on me more than him though.
“Sometimes you can’t help me,” I said quietly. Not to doubt him, but because it was true.
“Like what?” He leaned in a bit more, intent on knowing what she might need help with.
“Well, there’s this girl…” I started, hesitant on telling him.
“Did she hurt you? Just tell me who she is and I’ll make sure—“
“No, no, no. Nothing like that. It’s just… she’s beautiful,” I said, hoping he would get the hint. I could see the gears grinding in his head, and could tell when he understood what I meant. I never told him who it was, but I never got over it either. Her name was Josie, and she had always been so beautiful.
“I like a girl too, you know,” he said, “but mom and dad don’t like her. They talk about her like she’s awful, but I can see the good in her. You know Polly? Polly Cooper?”
Just then, Nana walked in. It wasn’t until then that I realized that we hadn’t heard her crying for a bit. We could tell that she heard everything, and we didn’t know what to do. We just sort of sat there, frozen.
“I won’t tell, don’t worry,” she said, sitting at the edge of the bed, putting her hand on Jason’s shoulder, “But you mustn’t tell either. This family… tends to be unaccepting.”
“What do you mean?” Jason asked.
“When I was a teenager, I fell in love with a boy who had beautiful blue eyes. He and I had planned a future together, and my parents agreed that he was the best choice for me. But when his family came over for brunch one morning, my family found out about his secret,” Nana said. Her eyes trailed off towards the window, yearning to go back to something lost.
I leaned toward her and touched my hand to her shoulder to comfort her. When I came into contact with her, she seemed to come back from a far place in her mind.
“When they arrived, my parents spoke to them of their son in a blessed manner. They simply adored him. But when his family spoke of him, they used a different name, and spoke of him as though he was a girl. It took awhile for my parents to catch on, but soon they discovered the truth,” Nana said, “that he was born a girl.”
Jason and I glanced at each other, still confused. “Why would it matter?” I asked. Nana gave a soft smile and said, “It mattered because some people do not understand others, and people fear what they do not understand.”
“After that day, I never saw him or his family again. And my family refused to speak of him. They kept my secret love just that— a secret —even until they met their maker.”
Looking back, I understand why Nana was so sorrowful about the subject. She was not allowed to love him because of something he could not control, just as how Josie has always had such a hard time having her talent being rightly appreciated because of the color of her skin. But I have always been accepting of Josie, and I hope my parents will be too.
