Synopsis: A young girl has a secret, but her parents already knew.
Author's Note: Happy Pride Month everyone! Wrote this on the spur of the moment, so I hope it's okay.
⭐️ Looking for something else? Go to the bookshelf! ⭐️
“Mom. Dad. I have to tell you something.”
My mother looked up from her mystery novel, and my father turned away from the boxing match on TV.
“Alright,” my father said calmly as he turned the TV off and my mom bookmarked her spot. “Pop a squat.” He pointed to the recliner across from the loveseat they occupied.
Obediently, I took a seat, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees and took a deep breath. I rubbed my hands together anxiously and kept my eyes glued to the floor.
How am I supposed to do this? I thought.
A full minute probably passed as I sat there thinking of how I was going to tell my parents this secret I’d been holding onto, and thankfully, they sat there patiently, giving me time to get my thoughts together. I thought about changing my mind and telling them I’d say what I’d have to say another day, or just say, “Just kidding!” But I knew that wouldn’t be too convincing and make them worry even more. So, I knew I had to go through with it.
“Well,” I began slowly, “there’s something that I’ve been hiding from you guys that I think you should know.” At this, my parents sat up very straight. “It’s not bad. Well, some people think it’s bad, and some people don’t, but I don’t consider it bad. I just hope you guys don’t think so either.”
My mother and father glanced at each other, concern splayed across on their faces.
“Alright,” my father said nodding.
That’s all he said. Alright. I started to tremble all over. I wanted to throw in the towel and run away, but I’d already opened the can of worms, so I knew there was no turning back.
“Mom, Dad, I’m a lesbian!” I blurted out, not knowing where that came from. “And I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember. I-I hope that you’ll still love and accept me with this new information, and if you have any questions, I’ll be in my room!”
Without the courage to wait for their response, I jumped out of the recliner, ran to my room, and locked the door. If they were going to be sad or mad, they’d have to experience those emotions without my presence. I just couldn’t take the rejection. Sure, my parents weren’t super conservative, but they were semi-religious, and I had a feeling that they wouldn’t like the lesbian lifestyle I just informed them in which I’m a part of.
Tears started to flow from my eyes while I sat on my bedroom floor when I heard a knock on the door.
“Pudding pie,” my father called as he twisted the locked door handle, “pudding pie, open up.”
“Doll,” my mother spoke, “come to the door so we can talk.”
“No, I can’t!” I sobbed even louder.
“We already knew, pudding pie. We already knew,” my father informed me on the other side of the door. “I don’t care if you’re a lesbian or a little green alien, you’re my daughter, and I’m gonna love you regardless.”
My mother agreed. “That’s right.”
They knew. They already knew. How did they know?
I stood up slowly and walked over to the door. I unlocked it and cracked it open. “How did you know?” I asked.
My parents looked at each other. “Well, you’ve never mentioned a boyfriend, and seem to like Jacqueline a lot,” my mother said.
“B-But Jacqueline is just a friend,” I told them.
My mother nodded. “Yeah, a very queer friend,” she pointed out.
“And when we came back from dinner the other night and turned the TV on, we saw what you’d been watching … uh … on the Netflix,” my father added.
Fuuuck! I screamed internally, remembering that I was watching The L Word and Imagine Me & You and forgot to erase my watch history because my very queer friend—as my mother put it—Jackie called and asked if I wanted to get Shake Shack. Damn my burger and milkshake addiction!
“Oh,” I whispered. It was all I could say.
A moment of silence passed between us before my mother spoke up again. “Did you hear us, doll? It’s okay. We know, and it’s okay. We’re fine with it. We love you.”
“Yes, we love you, pudding pie! To the moon and back!” my father added.
My parents didn’t care, and they still loved me. Whoa! The relief that washed over me was so intense my knees went weak, and I almost toppled over. My father pushed the door open and steadied me.
“I gotcha, pudding! I gotcha! It’s okay, it’s okay!” He held me tight and rubbed my back, and my mother rubbed my head.
“I was so scared!” I sobbed into my father’s chest.
“Don’t be, baby. We’re your parents, not psychos,” my mother laughed.
All I could say was okay as I continued to sob into my father’s chest. I felt there was much to unpack, but I didn’t have the wherewithal or the energy to do it. So, I told myself that I’d cry today and talk more tomorrow.
“But if Jacqueline can’t love and take care of you like I do or better, dump her!” my father exclaimed.
“Dad, we’re just friends!”
Credit for dividers to @cafekitsune 💜🖤🩷
“We Already Knew” © 2026 by Toni D
All rights reserved. No part of this written work may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author. Do not repost, translate, plagiarize or otherwise repurpose.
