Holidays

Chapter 2: Thanksgave: Will

Thanksgiving was coming up in a few weeks and Will wanted to tell his family before the big family gathering. He decided to tell them during one of their Sunday dinners. Every Sunday night, his sister drove up from college and she ate dinner with their parents.

He picked the fourteenth or the second Sunday family dinner of the month.

“So, Maranda, how are your classes?” Will’s mother asked as she set the tray of meatloaf on the table.

“Good, I registered for two online classes and three in-person classes.”

“How are your grades?”

“Good, so far.”

“And how are your grades, William?”

“They’re good.”

“How’s your girlfriend?”

“She’s good — Actually, that’s related to what I wanted to talk to you guys about.”He cut himself a piece of meatloaf and sat back down. “ I’m bisexual, there I said it.”

“Will, where is this coming from?”

“Yeah, Will. Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Will’s father asked.

“I do, but I still like boys.”

“Since when?”

“Since-I always liked boys, but I discovered I still like girls when I met Cynthia.”

“William, this is just a phase, right? Will’s mother asked.

“No, this is who I am and if you can’t accept me, I’ll leave.”

“No, we’re just a little shocked,” Will’s mother replied.

“Good for you for coming out, little bro. I always figured you were different,” Maranda praised.

“What’s that supposed to mean? — but thanks, sis.”

“I’ve been at college all this time, I’ve learned to accept everyone,” Maranda added.

“William, it’s not that we don’t accept you. We love you, no matter who you are,” Will’s mother said.

“No matter who I am, what is that supposed to mean?” Will asked and stormed off to his room.

“William!”

“I’ll go talk to him, man to man, father to son.”

“Alright.”

Will heard footsteps coming up the stairs and he locked his bedroom door.

“Will?”

“Go away!”

“Unlock the door, so we can talk.”

“No, why can’t you just accept me?

“We do accept you!”

Will unlocked the door and his father opened it.

“Maybe, you guys weren’t ready for this. I should’ve waited a little longer.”

“Ready for what?”

“My coming out.”

“Oh, Will — ”

“I’ve accepted myself, my girlfriend accepted me — ”

“We accept you, son. What your mom meant to say was no matter who you are, no matter who you choose to be, we will always love you.”

“I understand, but why couldn’t you accept me immediately?”

“It takes time to accept someone. Now, come back to dinner.”

“I’m not hungry anymore. I just want to sit here and think.”

“Okay, champ. Come down if you do get hungry. We’ll wrap up some meatloaf for you.”

“Thanks, dad.”

Will came down a few hours later after his sister drove back to college and his parents went to bed. He unwrapped the meatloaf in the fridge and reheated it in the microwave. He sat in silence in the dining room as he ate his food.

Weeks later, Thanksgiving day finally arrived and he was ready for the family gathering. He wasn’t going to tell anyone about his sexuality.

His father drove his family to cousin Joel’s house downtown.

Once they entered Joel’s new house, they were greeted by Joel with coats in his hand.

Will saw Joel leave and came back empty-handed. Will’s parents talked to Joel’s mother.

“Are you gonna give us a tour of the new house?” Will’s mother asked.

“Of course,” Joel’s mother replied excitedly.

Joel walked up to Will and whispered into his ear. “I heard you did something significant recently. Can I talk to you about it in my bedroom upstairs?”

“Sure, let me just tell my parents,” Joel whispered back. “Mom, Dad, Joel wants to show me his room.”

“Okay, honey,” Will’s mother answered.

Will followed Joel up the stairs to his bedroom. Will shut the door and they talked about how Joel heard he came out as bisexual to his family. He must’ve heard it from his mother, who heard it from Will’s mother. He lied and said his parents were a little surprised and they had their assumptions. But they were really very surprised and suspected nothing. His sister had a feeling he was different or something was on his mind. At least from what she could tell from their conversations and dinners. Will also told his cousin he wanted to be himself around his family, which was true. But he found himself wondering why he needed to know this little fact about his cousin. It wasn’t all he was. But then Joel confessed to being gay and that he want to tell the family at Thanksgiving dinner. Will told him that was a bad idea. What if they judge him? But what if they don’t and accept him? He looked out the window and saw his little cousins outside playing football. He thought he’d join them and wished Joel good luck.

Later, in the backyard, Joel finally joined his cousins, Will’s father, and Will.

Will heard his father say, “Joel, come play with us.”

He looked at Joel and saw a confused look.

He heard one of his cousins say, “Yeah, you can be on my team.”

Then Will countered with a “No, be on my team.”

Then Will’s dad walked up to Joel and told him, “You can be on my team.”

Joel agreed and punted the ball.

They played football until dinner was called.

It was time to eat.

He sat next to Will and they all started to eat. He noticed his mother and other aunt were talking. He told Joel. He heard them talking about their kids and then saw them whispering into each other’s ears. Then he saw Will stand up and clank his glass. He clanked it so hard from nervousness that it shattered. A piece of the glass flew it into Will’s mother’s eye.

She was rushed to the hospital and Will, his aunt, and Joel followed the ambulance there. The paramedics brought her to the ER and the doctor examined her, while they waited in the hall.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” asked Joel.

“I’m sure she will be. Worst case scenario, they remove her entire eye and put in a glass eye or she wears an eyepatch for the rest of her life,” Joel’s mother replied.

“I hope not, I didn’t mean to shatter that glass and fling a piece of it into her eye,” Joel sorrowed.

“No, you didn’t. It was an accident. Don’t blame yourself,” Joel’s mother replied.

“Well, it is. If you didn’t try to–none of this would have happened,” Will admitted.

“I’m sorry,” Joel said with a frown.

“No, don’t be. She’ll be fine,” Joel’s mother said.

“Maybe.”

Later, the doctor called them back into the hospital room. “I’ve removed the shard, you can come in now.”

They followed the doctor back into the room.

The doctor talked to Will’s aunt and he heard bits and pieces of the conversation as he talked to Joel.

“…see out of her eye again.”

“You know you need to apologize to my mother.”

“Really? It was an accident.”

…a few weeks, maybe a month.”

“Yes, what if they have to remove her eye. I knew this was a bad idea from the start.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

Joel’s mother walked back over to them, “The doctor said it will heal in a few weeks and he wants to keep her overnight for observation. I’m going to stay with her, but you guys should take the car and go home.”

“But I want to stay, this is all my fault after all,” Joel said.

They regrouped in front of Will’s mother, laying in the hospital bed.

“How are you doing, Mom?” Will asked.

“I’m fine,” she said as she held her hand over the eyepatch.

Joel’s mother explained, “We decided that I’m going to stay here with Janice overnight. You boys go home. It was all an accident, I’ll take care of her.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Joel gave in. He caught the car keys his mother threw him.

They walked out of the hospital and to the parking garage. On their way to the car, Joel told Will that he would try coming out again during Christmas. Will wished him luck.

Silence filled the car on their drive home.

“So, how’s Janice?” Will’s father asked the boys as they entered the house.

“Yeah, how’s your aunt and where’s your mom?” Will’s uncle said from the couch.

“She’s fine, they removed the glass piece. She’s with my mom. They wanted to keep her overnight for observation,” Joel replied.

“That’s great,” Will’s dad said as he flipped through the TV channels.

Joel and Will went upstairs to play video games.

“So, are you ready, for a night of gaming?” Joel asked.

“Yeah! We should first play — ” Will stopped mid-sentence and looked down.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m worried about my mother. I hope she’s okay.”

“You heard my mother, she just needs to heal and wear an eyepatch.”

“I know, but she’s my mother. I’m going to worry about her.”

“Well, let’s take your mind off her and play some video games or we can watch something on TV.”

“Alright.”

They played various video games to get Will’s mind off his mother’s condition. They went to bed around 1 am.

In the morning, Will’s mother and his aunt walked into the house.

“Hello? Anyone home?” Joel’s mother shouted.

“Yes,” Joel and Will said as they slumped down the stairs.

“Mom, how are you feeling?” Will asked his still eyepatched mother.

“A little better.”

“Will and Al go home, I want Janice to stay with me until her eye fully heals,” Joel’s mother, Denise insisted.

“But mom-” Joel cried out.

“No buts, I want to and will do this. She’s my sister,” Denise said firmly.