Hero Worship Pt. 02

"I thought she proposed at Caratini's?"

"That's where she gave me the ring. But we made the decision that night. From then on every chance I got I would talk about her, tell people how wonderful she is, how lucky I was. It is amazing. The last thing anyone making advances wants to hear is how great your partner is."

I laughed at the simple brilliance in that.

Vicky shrugged. "We all have insecurities. I know how much I love my wife, and if I do, I will make sure to keep her fears at bay."

As I drove home I thought a lot about what Vicky said. If Taylor was afraid I'd lose interest, I'd make sure she knew I wasn't. A challenge maybe, given how busy I'd be next week and this year in particular, but I could do it. I'd do almost anything to ensure I could wake up in Taylor's arms again like I had this morning.

It was a beautiful, sunny southern California morning, and when I arrived home I found both my mom and sister laying out by the pool. Kelsey was actually wearing the orange bikini I'd bought for her. I'd have to ask her about that.

As I sat down in one of the lounge chairs mom looked over at me. "Hi, sweetie. Have a nice time at your party?"

"Yeah, thanks. It was good. They had a big back porch which was almost exclusively a dance floor."

"Is he a good dancer?" Kelsey's pulled off her sunglasses, eyes twinkling.

I smirked at her. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She stuck her tongue out at me which made mom and I laugh.

I stretched in the sun. "How long have you guys been out?"

"About ten minutes. Go get your suit and join us."

I nodded and ran inside. I took a long look in the mirror after I undressed. Just me, the way god made me. Alyssa Winterberg, a lesbian, and fully in love with one Taylor Knox. A warm tingle ran through my body as I imagined Taylor behind me, her hands running over my skin as she kissed me on the neck.

I shook the feeling away and pulled on my skimpiest suit, minimizing tan lines, and headed back out.

I kept an eye on Sadie throughout the morning and afternoon, watching her 'Find a Friend' dot move slowly across west Texas and into New Mexico. Even while Kelsey and I played in the water, I still felt that strange disconnect from both of them.

My dad got back from his golf game around three and fired up our backyard grill and we spent a Saturday afternoon as a family. Dad made a mildly lecherous comment about mom in her swimsuit, copping a cheap feel as she walked by into the house for some lemonade. That earned him a deep kiss that left him a little crossed eyed for a moment, and something told me they were going to have a lovely evening tonight. Kelsey told me about at least six different boys at her school she had a crush on, and how she wasn't going to go after one cause her best friend Bethany liked him more than she did, and how Lindsey was hoping Erich would ask her out soon, and yadda, yadda, yadda...

"High school is complicated, Aly."

I laughed and pulled her into a headlock, kissing her on the top of the head. Which was hard to do, as she was already over an inch taller than me. "You'll get through it kid. Just don't forget to study some."

"I know. Dad! Can I have a pool party, pleeeeease?"

After we got dressed there was grilled chicken and corn on the cob gracing our backyard table, and the prospect of Kelsey's pool party dominated the conversation. I remember Mom and Dad letting me host one when I was a freshman. It'd been a great way to make new friends. I sat back and let them discuss things, generally keeping out of it.

My mind's eye imagined Taylor here with me. She'd be standing with my Dad at the grill, or splashing around in the pool with Kelsey, or helping my mom carry in the dishes. Oh, I really should be doing that. I hopped up and grabbed some plates from the table and followed her inside to the kitchen.

"Thank you, sweetie." Mom took what I was carrying and began rinsing it off. "You've been quiet this afternoon."

I shrugged. "Just thinking about stuff."

"Stuff like your new beau?"

I blushed a bit. "Maybe a little."

"So are we ever going to meet this guy?"

"I told you, it's still early days, mom."

"You've spent the night three times this week, it's obviously serious."

The burning in my cheeks increased. Hearing your mother casually discussing your sex life is unnerving. "Yeah, well...."

Mom bumped me with her hip. "Well, give your old mom something. Tall, short, skinny, stocky?"

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I thought about Taylor. "Not too tall, taller than me." Mom smirked at me, as we both knew that wasn't saying much. "Really toned, incredible blue gray eyes, soft, kissable lips. Should I go on?"

Mom grinned at me. "That's enough for now. I still want to meet him. When it gets past 'early days' or whatever. But it's still nice, honey."

"What?"

"Seeing you this way. I've never seen you crazy over a guy like this. You've just been floating around the house since you met him. I'm happy for you."

I went into her arms and she hugged me tight. "Thanks, mom." Even being held close, though, I still felt the separation. In a technical sense, nothing I'd said had been a lie. But it felt like a lie. I told myself that it really had only been a week, and if Taylor were a guy I wouldn't be inviting her home quite yet. I'd dated Bryan for four months and he'd never met my parents. Of course, I'd been pretty sure that wasn't going anywhere. I was a lot less sure about this.

As I let her go I promised myself I'd come clean as soon as I knew what the hell I was doing. I went back out to the patio and checked on Sadie. She was almost to Tucson, where she would likely stop for the night. I told myself that I would talk to her about the whole thing. It would be a step in the right direction at least.

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Thanks for reading, rating and commenting. Comments mean so much. This is an eight-part story. It's all written, but I make sure each get up before I submit the next one.