Hi everyone, a short story while I work on Destiny. I've wanted to tell this story from my time with Becky and had always wondered how to frame it properly. Then, the other day, I suddenly remembered our first Christmas together and decided it was the perfect way to make it work.
Love and thanks to Savannah_Peach, Pixiehoff and LivelyJen for proofreading.
As always love for my wife Jodie who is amazing. She was the one who not only said I should write it but also publish it. For that reason, and many others, I dedicate this to you, my love.
Anna
Xxx
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It first happened when I was twenty-one.
It was a Saturday evening close to Christmas and Becky and I were at home watching a movie, The Fifth Element, that we'd rented from Blockbuster after a day of shopping and getting our nails done. We'd changed into our slob clothes, in my case a loose, pale cream skirt and a pale green tee, in Becky's case she was in her denim mini and a dark blue tee. We weren't wearing shoes or bras but we both had panties on. We were sitting snuggled on Becky's, I suppose now that I'd moved in I should say 'our', lovely big sofa. My feet stretched out, Becky was on my right with her left arm around my waist and her head on my shoulder. I always love those sort of intimate times. They give me security and warmth.
For the first time ever I wouldn't be spending the holiday with my parents. Despite being raised in a secular Jewish family we always celebrated Christmas in the traditional way. My parents didn't want my brother and me to ever feel left out.
However, relations with my parents had become strained, particularly with my mother.
Back in the summer they had thrown me a big twenty-first birthday party and, obviously, I wanted Becky to be there with me. I had not, at this point, come out to my parents. To be honest I was trying to put it off for as long as possible, worried about their reaction.
Becky was worried too. She'd even told me to go on my own and we'd have a separate party anyway on my actual birthday, which was midweek. It led to what might have been our first argument. I was close to tears telling Becky I needed her there. I couldn't be away from her.
She finally relented, kissed my nose, and said, "Okay, sweetie. It's okay. I'll come. We can just pretend I'm one of the lecturers you really like and want me to be there. Does that work?"
I rallied, realising that it might. My main concern was that it would mean we couldn't sleep together. I'd be expected to sleep in my old bedroom and Becky would have to stay in a local bed and breakfast or something.
"Maybe I could sneak out and come to where you're staying," I'd said.
Becky and I had had a small party with a couple of friends and a couple of my favourite lecturers on my actual birthday and it had ended up with a drunk Jackie and her new boyfriend sleeping on the sofa while Becky and I made love quietly in our room although, Jackie told me the next day, she wouldn't have heard us if we'd been, as she put it, "banging in the kitchen knocking off pots and pans."
And so it was settled. Becky came, along with my best friends from my old school and Uni. Of course, Jackie was there. She, along with my other Uni friends, were the only ones who knew about Becky and me and I'd sworn them to secrecy.
I'd told mum on the phone that Becky was coming, that she was this really cool lecturer that was part of my social circle and mum had just said, "That's nice, love. Of course she'll be welcome."
We'd arrived mid-afternoon on the Saturday after my birthday. I'd told my parents I was staying up at Uni because a few friends and I were going away on holiday. Mum had said, "Of course, love. We knew the day would come when you'd fly the nest. Have fun. Just make sure you phone regularly so we know you're alright."
Dad's reaction upset me a little. He'd sounded disappointed.
"Oh, Anna love. Are you sure? I'm going to miss our sitting up to the early hours putting the world to rights. You can't make a couple of weeks for your old dad?"
He wasn't old, but he was my dad, and I did enjoy our time together, but I had Becky now. I needed to be with her far more than my family.
Becky and I got to the guest house she was staying in and I helped her unpack and get dressed. We took that opportunity to make love as we wouldn't have any opportunities to even kiss at the party.
We then walked to my parents' house and I introduced Becky as 'my cool lecturer friend.'
I could tell from the beginning that mum was a little wary of Becky, who was on her best behaviour at all times. People started to arrive and I opened presents while my mum arranged my cards on the mantelpiece in the lounge. Later on, out in the garden, Becky and I had managed to sneak into a secluded area and steal a kiss.
It was at that moment we heard my mum's voice. She was stern and clearly angry. "I knew there was something off about you, Becky. What on earth are you doing to my daughter?"
She was standing about two metres away and I said, "Mum... it's not what it looks like..."
"Oh?" She said, sarcasm dripping from her, "from here it looks like a forty-year-old woman cradle-snatching my twenty-one-year-old daughter. What is it then, Anna? Please explain."
Becky wasn't forty. She was thirty-seven but that hardly seemed the moment to correct my mother.
Becky tried to intervene, "Please, Mrs..."
"Stop. I want to hear Anna's explanation. You'll just give me some glib nonsense. I want to hear what my daughter has to say."
I swallowed. "Mum... I... oh god. Here's dad."
Dad walked up all smiles. "Hi you lot. What's going on? Why are you hiding up here, Anna love? It's your party!"
I swallowed. Okay. Not the best way but it was time. Nervously I said, "Mum... dad... I've... I've been wanting to tell you for ages. Becky is more than a friend. She's my girlfriend. I'm... gay... a lesbian."
Mum had practically exploded. She all but shouted, "No, you're not. You've been taken in by this," and here she gestured at Becky with a dismissive gesture, "slut who preys on young women. I'll bet you're just one in a long line of students she's taken back to her house. She's a pervert Anna and the sooner you realise that..."