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April simply could not stomach being in the same house as her father any longer. Tensions in the Stevens household had been even higher than usual ever since his stint in prison. Her parents fought constantly, and the pressure to succeed spiritually and academically while not doing anything to publicly embarrass the family had become more intense than ever. So naturally, when her older sister floated the idea of her coming to visit North Carolina after school let out for the summer, she’d accepted the invitation.
Growing up, April had never been close to her sister. They were nearly eight years apart, so June had gone off to UNC Chapel Hill to study business before April even hit middle school. June ended up with a generic marketing job in Charlotte and only came back to Atlanta for Daddy’s birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Her life was less prestigious than their parents had originally hoped for—they had been pushing for her to go into finance—but ultimately, June could do no wrong in their family’s eyes.
That was the number one thing April had always known about her sister. June was undeniably the golden child. April may have been more academically inclined, but June was everything else their parents desired. April and June had both been Fellowship leaders, but June had also been prom queen, cheer captain, and Daddy’s favorite golf partner. Her class had even voted her “Godliest Girl” as a senior. If they had been only a year or two apart, April would’ve loathed her.
Perhaps most importantly, June almost always had a handsome, clean-cut, devout Christian boyfriend. April vaguely remembered Caleb Richardson, a tall boy who loved hunting with their father, from June’s high school years. In college, there had been Mason Whitfield, the pre-law student of whom she’d seen many pictures but never actually met. Now was the first time April could actually recall her sister being single, which was a breath of fresh air. Nothing had gotten on her nerves quite like constantly being asked when she would finally get her own Mason Whitfield. And nothing ever made their parents happier than the thought of their daughters marrying godly men.
Of course, she hated to leave her secret girlfriend, the beautiful Sterling Wesley, alone for four whole days, but it was Sterling who had encouraged her to accept June’s invitation in the first place.
The invitation had come a few weeks before school let out, in the middle of one of Sterling and April’s steamy make-out sessions in the backseat of Sterling’s Chevy Volt. April had been content to ignore the phone chiming in her back pocket, but after the third notification, Sterling reached in and pulled it out.
“I think someone’s trying to reach you, babe.”
“Ignore them. I need your lips,” April whined as she attempted to go in for another kiss.
Sterling dodged her. “Maybe it’s important.”
An impatient April pressed her hips into Sterling’s, hoping to appeal to her horniness and make the blonde focus on her once again. Screw the phone. She needed to be ravaged!
Unfazed, Sterling handed her the phone and said, “You have three texts from your sister.”
Defeated, the smaller girl maneuvered herself off of Sterling so that they were both sitting up. There was no way the world’s biggest champion of the sisterly bond would allow her to ignore June and continue getting busy.
June Stevens (5:12 p.m.)
Hey! I have a few days off work coming up, and I think it would be fun if you came to visit.
You know, to get out of the house for a long weekend or something.
Let me know what you think?
April looked at the phone skeptically. “She wants me to visit her in Charlotte this summer.”
“Oh my gosh! That will be so fun,” Sterling exclaimed.
“I don’t know.” April put the phone down and cuddled into Sterling’s side. “June and I aren’t close at all. She only comes home for the holidays, and we haven’t lived in the same house since I was ten, so I’ve never really talked to her in depth as equals until the trial.”
Sterling stroked April’s hair and wondered aloud, “How can you ever become close if you won’t go visit her?”
“I don’t know if I want to be close. It might not be worth it. Apart from the fact that she hasn’t forgiven our father yet, June is the perfect Stevens woman. Why should I believe that she won’t disown me as soon as I come out, like our parents inevitably will?”
“Aww, you should give her more credit.”
It was true that June seemed somewhat more forward-thinking than their parents, based on the conversations they’d had since their father’s arrest. The fact that she had been willing to criticize him at all, instead of making excuses as their mother did, spoke volumes.
April glanced over at her phone sitting atop the center console. “Do you think I should say yes?”
“You know I think the saddest thing in the world is people who don’t have sisters, so I shouldn’t even have to answer that,” said Sterling. “I get that it’s not exactly the same as Blair and me because June is, like, old, but you should give her a chance.”
April rolled her eyes. “She’s not old, Sterl. She’s almost 25.”
“Comparatively speaking. I still think you should go.” Sterling hesitated a moment, then said, “I also think it would be great if you told her about us.”
The thought of telling June about her secret girlfriend sent April’s heart straight into the pit of her stomach. Her entire body tensed up. Sterling must have noticed because she kissed the top of April’s head and began rubbing her arm affectionately.
“I-I don’t mean you have to!” Sterling added. “I just think it would be great.”
“Okay. I’ll go, but I can’t make any promises about that.”
Sterling’s face lit up. “Look at you making an effort with your sister! I’m so proud.”
***
That was how April found herself at the Charlotte airport, scanning the crowd in the lobby for June. Her eyes fell on a familiar figure. A short, small-framed woman stood by the door. Her face was buried in her phone, but April knew it was her sister. Her shoulder-length dark hair, the same color as their father’s, was unmistakable when paired with her gold and orange floral sundress. June always looked like some sort of living Madewell advertisement. The woman looked up from her phone as April approached, confirming her suspicions.
“Hey!” exclaimed June as she pulled April into a hug. “I’m so glad you decided to come.”
April awkwardly hugged back. She was not really one for hugs, unless they were from Sterling, and she only saw this woman at holidays. Sterling would laugh at her. She was already failing at the whole sisterhood thing.
“It’s lovely to see you, June.”
“Here, let me take your bag.”
June took April’s luggage and led her out to the parking garage. They walked down the rows of cars and stopped at a… red Toyota Camry? That couldn’t be right. June drove a slick black convertible. Daddy had purchased it for her 21st birthday.
“What happened to the BMW?” April inquired.
June scrunched up her face. “I sold it. I’m not driving anything he bought.”
April raised an eyebrow. That was quite respectable.
June’s reluctance to forgive their father for cheating on their mother, beating up a prostitute, and buying his way out of prison was a major sore spot for Team Stevens. April suspected that he probably didn’t care whether or not she or their mother forgave him, but falling out of favor with his golden child was unbearable. On the way to the airport, he had begged and begged her to put in a good word for him. (Of course, she would do no such thing.) April envied June’s ability to openly express disappointment in their father. Being an independent adult must have its perks.
Once she was in the car and buckled up, April checked her phone. There were no messages from either of her parents asking if she had arrived safely, but there were a few from Sterling.
Sterling Wesley 😘 (4:01 p.m.)
Miss you already!
(4:27 p.m.)
Let me know when you get there so I won’t worry
The third and final message consisted of a picture of a strawberry yogurt cup from Yogurtopia topped with rainbow sprinkles and chocolate chips pressed into the shape of a heart. April couldn’t hide her smile. Sterling was going to be lost spending four whole, consecutive days without seeing her, and Blair was going to suffer hilariously for it. She typed out a quick reply.
April Stevens (5:55 p.m.)
I made it. I miss you too, and your yogurt creation is adorable.
“You’re smiling at your phone,” June remarked.
April’s heart rate skyrocketed. She was absolutely not having that conversation ten minutes after being picked up from the airport.
“Oh, it’s just an inside joke,” April lied.
June didn’t press the issue any further. A thick silence hung in the air. April didn’t know what to say, so she stared out the window as uptown Charlotte came into view. The tall buildings with their many dozens of glass windows reminded her of a giant office park. June evidently didn’t know what to say either, so she turned on her Spotify playlist.
After what felt like the longest and most awkward car ride ever, the Stevens sisters arrived at June’s apartment building, a boxy, blue and gray piece of new construction. June lived on the third floor. The inside of her apartment was furnished in full IKEA-Millennial chic. Wait, was June a Millennial? No one seemed able to agree on who exactly was a Millennial, so April couldn’t be sure. Whatever, she was going with it. June set April’s bag down on a chair in the corner and gestured to their surroundings.
“So, this is where I live. This whole apartment is probably, like, the size of a single bedroom at home, huh?” June laughed. “The couch folds out into a bed, so you can sleep in here.”
“I like it,” said April. “It’s very modern.”
It did look like something off of Instagram. Bright and airy, thanks to the large windows and sliding glass door that led out onto a balcony decorated with fairy lights. The couch and chair were a deep blue, balanced by marigold throw pillows and a pale gray rug. Artsy prints of Bible quotes and photo collages of June with her many friends filled blank space on the walls. The living room was open to the kitchen, giving the whole area a slightly larger feel.
The elder Stevens smiled. “Thank you! Also, the door on the right is the bathroom, and the one over there is my room. Are you hungry? We could get some authentic North Carolina barbecue.”
“Yes, I’m starving.”
“Me too. Give me just a minute, and then we’ll head out.”
As soon as her sister disappeared into the bathroom, April whipped out her phone and frantically texted Sterling.
April Stevens (6:30 p.m.)
Please help! How am I supposed to interact with my sister?
I can’t believe you talked me into this.
April’s phone chimed almost immediately. She put it on silent so June wouldn’t make any more observations.
Sterling Wesley 😘 (6:30 p.m.)
Literally don’t know how to answer that question babe. She’s a person. Just talk to her???
April sighed. Of course the girl who could literally read her own sister’s mind wouldn’t understand how difficult this was. Sterling and Blair were practically a single entity.
When June reappeared, April pocketed her phone and put on a fake smile. She wondered if her sister felt as awkward as she did as they made their way back out to the car. They drove just outside of the city and stopped at a small brick building. According to a sign above the door, the restaurant was called “The Pork Pros.”
The inside of the restaurant was rustic and decorated with North Carolina-themed memorabilia. They took a seat at a table under the window in the corner, and a server quickly approached them to take their drink orders. April went with a sweet tea, the obvious choice at a barbecue joint. Much to April’s surprise, June ordered a beer. The younger girl scanned the menu and felt a bit overwhelmed. Who knew the world of pork had so many hidden depths?
“We could get the Ultimate Pork Platter and split it,” June suggested. “It’s a lot of food.”
Relieved to not have to think about it anymore, April agreed. After the server returned with their drinks, June placed the order. April felt her anxiety rising as he walked back to the kitchen. Her mind flashed back to Sterling’s message. Just talk to her.
June spoke first. “So… How’s school?”
“I’m on track to be valedictorian,” bragged April. That was one thing she did immensely enjoy telling people.
“That’s incredible. Congratulations!” her sister exclaimed.
“Yes, I’ll obviously be applying to all of the Ivy Leagues.” April took a sip of her drink, as if what she’d just said was no big deal. “But I detest the snow, so I might end up somewhere like Vanderbilt.”
The question of college actually sent April into a panic spiral most of the time. She would undoubtedly get into a great school, but the admissions process seemed so random, and potentially being separated from Sterling was her greatest fear. It was best to take control of the conversation, so June didn’t have the opportunity to ask and set her off.
“You’d love UNC! It doesn’t get much snow.”
UNC wasn’t on Sterling’s list. Hard pass.
“Hmm, maybe.”
The restaurant was buzzing with the dinner crowd. April was glad they had sat on the opposite side of the room from the family with three whiny kids under ten. One of them was making a fuss about having to put away his Nintendo Switch at the table. A group of people around June’s age walked in and sat a few tables away, distracting April from the little boy’s tantrum. April’s eyes widened. There was a tall, blonde, gorgeous woman who looked so much like an older Sterling. April was certainly guilty of having a type. She looked away after the woman kissed a painfully generic-looking man on the cheek. Strong Luke and Sterling vibes.
Smirking, June leaned in and whispered, “Oh, yeah. That girl is so lucky.”
It dawned on April that June must have thought she was checking out the guy, who had barely even registered in her field of vision. She gave her sister a strange look. “What? Ugh, no.”
“Really? Then what kind of guys are you into? Let me guess, you’re into the hot nerds.”
“I’m not.” April panicked internally upon realizing what she had said. “I mean, I’m focusing on school and God, so I don’t really think about… guys.”
Great. Now she was on edge.
“Oh, well, that’s okay,” said June. “I’ve been taking some time to focus on myself too before getting back in the dating game.”
Fortunately, the server suddenly appeared with their food, as if he had somehow sensed April’s struggle. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so the comically oversized pork platter was a welcome sight. April was pleased to find out that the food tasted as good as it looked. This meat had a unique vinegary tang that barbecue at home lacked. At least one thing was going right.
June didn’t attempt to push the discussion of guys any further and instead changed the subject. “Is Ellen still the Bible teacher?”
The younger girl couldn’t help but smile at the thought of her favorite teacher. “Yes, sweet, dorky Ellen is indeed still the Bible teacher.”
June smiled back. “Does she still wear khakis and polos every day?”
“To emulate the school uniform because she considers herself a student of the Lord? Of course. She’s the teacher who oversees Fellowship now too.”
“I’m so jealous!” June exclaimed as she reached for a piece of cornbread. “We had Mrs. Wilkins, and she wouldn’t even let us play music because it ‘caused impure thoughts.’ Total stick in the mud.”
Mrs. Wilkins was the grumpy Geometry teacher, now nearing retirement. April couldn’t imagine having her as the teacher who oversaw Fellowship. She was Ellen’s opposite in almost every way. That woman seemed to hate teenagers. Besides, it made much more sense to have the Bible teacher in charge of Fellowship instead of the Geometry teacher.
“Ellen’s new thing she started last year is riding a scooter to school and sometimes even in the halls. Wilkins can’t stand it.”
June chuckled. “I love Ellen! Tell her I said hi next time you see her.”
The rest of dinner went by much more smoothly. April and June traded their favorite Ellen stories and consumed a sickening amount of barbecue. As time went on and touchy subjects such as dating were forgotten, April began to feel more relaxed. Maybe she would even go as far as saying that she was enjoying herself. She was so young she still had to be babysat the last time she had actually been alone with her sister.
Once they were back at the apartment, neither sister had the energy to do anything. The food coma was setting in. They collapsed on the couch, undoubtedly regretting the decision to eat the entire Ultimate Pork Platter.
“Here, pick something,” said June, handing April the remote.
“No Netflix? I thought you were still on the family account.”
“I deleted the app because they wouldn’t stop cancelling every show worth watching, but I have most of the others.”
April pondered what to watch. It was still early enough in the evening for a movie, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to commit to something that long. June wasn’t anywhere near as big of a Star Wars fan as she was, so her go-to choices were mostly out of the question. HGTV and Food Network were safe bets if she wanted mindless television. It also occurred to her, while browsing through the movies on Hulu, that she could pick something with gay content to gauge June’s reaction. Booksmart was in the list of available films, but that one would be way too much. She glanced over at the other end of the couch, where her sister was intensely focused on scrolling through some app on her phone. A knot formed in the pit of April’s stomach. If she “accidentally” chose a gay movie, the combination of all-consuming anxiety and half her body weight’s worth of barbecue would be disastrous.
On second thought, HGTV was totally fine.
April decided to text Sterling. It had only been a couple of hours since their last exchange, but that was, of course, entirely too long.
April Stevens (8:42 p.m.)
Things are going somewhat well. Did you know Ellen used to make her classes live-action roleplay scenes from the Bible?
Sterling Wesley 😘 (8:43 p.m.)
Actually that seems kind of fun
Glad things are going well!
April rolled her eyes. Of course Sterling would think live-action Bible roleplay seemed fun.
April Stevens (8:43 p.m.)
“Somewhat” well. June asked about guys at dinner. I panicked and told her I’m focusing on school and God.
She couldn’t help but feel like she’d let Sterling down by not taking that opportunity to tell her sister about their relationship. It made Sterling so happy to have people know about them, although that knowledge hadn’t yet been extended beyond Blair and Ezekiel, the only people at Willingham who could be trusted with such matters. April could still perfectly picture the way Sterling’s eyes had lit up with pure love when she said she had finally told Ezekiel.
Sterling Wesley 😘 (8:45 p.m.)
You don’t HAVE to tell her, but I think you’d feel better if you did!
April Stevens (8:45 p.m.)
I don’t know. Maybe.
Truthfully, she would feel much better, but only if June took it well. And there was really no way to predict whether or not she would. Statistically, it was likely. She’d read once that two-thirds of adults in her sister’s age group would be comfortable learning that a family member was gay. But June had gone to Willingham, where one could still overhear all sorts of awful things on a daily basis, and she was John Stevens’ daughter. April obviously had a compelling reason for disregarding her father’s homophobic nonsense and doing her own research into the Bible’s teachings, but June didn’t.
She thought again of how much it had meant to Sterling when she’d told Ezekiel. “I’m so proud of you for being so brave,” Sterling had said, squeezing her tightly. It wasn’t as if April actually wanted to keep Sterling hidden forever. Of course she wished people knew she had a beautiful, badass girlfriend. It just wasn’t feasible in her current situation. She also knew that if she was going to invest in her relationship with her sister, it made sense to get the potential dealbreaker out of the way before she wasted too much time and effort.
April was going to do it. She was going to tell her sister at some point during this visit. She didn’t know how, but she was going to.
For Sterling and for herself.
***
April’s promise to herself was proving difficult to uphold.
She’d had chances, but she froze up every time. On her second day in town, she and June visited the Charlotte Museum of History. As an unashamed nerd, April appreciated her sister’s diligence in planning activities she’d enjoy. The museum’s primary claim to fame was the fact that the grounds contained the oldest surviving building in Mecklenburg County. The eighteenth century artifacts were fascinating, but April lost focus when she briefly noticed two men holding hands. Her eyes immediately darted to her sister, scanning her face for any signs of a negative reaction. But June didn’t even seem to notice the couple, and April couldn’t figure out what that meant. It was possible that she had simply not seen them. It was also possible that she had but didn’t consider their PDA noteworthy. That would be the best outcome. Unfortunately, she could also have refused to look because she found it so offensive. The moment had passed, and April would never know.
April hadn’t told Sterling about her resolution to come out to June by the end of her visit. Getting Sterling’s hopes up would be too cruel if she ended up chickening out. Plus, the shame she’d feel would be bad enough without having someone else witness it.
She needed to try harder. There had to be some way she could find out whether or not her sister was as ardently homophobic as their parents.
On her third day, she found herself helping set out the ingredients for a simple lunch before they headed uptown. April was having a decent time visiting her sister, despite her anxiety about what she had promised herself. June was more fun than she had remembered, or maybe it was that April had finally gotten old enough to have a more equal relationship with her. She kept having to remind herself not to get too invested. After all, there was still a chance that June may not accept her.
June had Spotify playing in the background from a small speaker in the living room. Always a fan of country music, her playlist contained some Blake Shelton and old-school Taylor Swift. April’s ears perked up when the next song started playing and a familiar voice filled the air. “Space Cowboy” by Kacey Musgraves! After she and Sterling had chosen “Slow Burn” as their song, April had listened to Kacey Musgraves’ entire discography. Her mind zeroed in on one other song, and it became clear what she had to do.
“I like Kacey Musgraves,” April commented nonchalantly as she washed some fruit.
“Me too! The whole Golden Hour album is incredible.”
“May I pick the next song?”
“Go for it.”
April’s heart began to race as she waited uncomfortably for the song to end. There was no way she’d be able to make herself eat with this hanging over her head. She tried to busy herself with cutting up the fruit. Unfortunately, April feared the distraction might cause her to cut off a finger, and she really needed all of those.
The song ended, and June handed April her phone so she could choose the next song. April said a quick prayer in her mind and selected Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow.” She tried her best to inconspicuously glance over at her sister when Kacey sang the line about kissing lots of girls if that was something the listener was into.
April wasn’t as inconspicuous as she’d hoped. June closed up the bag of bread and made direct eye contact with the younger girl. Her expression was soft as she inquired, “April, do you want to tell me something?”
This was it. Now or never.
She looked down at the floor, unable to meet June’s eyes, and said, “You know how the song said you can kiss lots of girls if that’s something you’re into? I am. I mean, I’m only kissing one girl, not lots of them.” April cleared her throat. “What I’m trying to say is… I’m gay.”
“I had an idea on, like, your first night here.” June smirked. “You know I can see your phone when you sit next to me, right? I’m not trying to or anything, but it’s right there. You’ve been getting dozens of kissy-faced Snapchats from a pretty blonde.”
“Sterling,” said April, her voice barely above a whisper. She still couldn’t believe this conversation was happening.
“Sterling Wesley is your girlfriend? I barely recognized her. Weren’t y’all best friends around the time I graduated?”
Fifth grade was quite a sore spot in April’s personal history, but she nodded, unwilling to get into the complexities of it all at this moment.
“That’s so cute!”
“You really aren’t going to tell me that I’m headed straight for Hell, no pun intended?” April asked. She folded her arms and studied her sister’s face, unable to process the fact that a member of Team Stevens was passing up such an opportunity.
“Oh my goodness, no way!” June looked shocked and maybe even a little offended. “The church I went to in college helped me realize our parents are wrong about all that. I met one of my best friends there. You know Brooke? She’s bisexual.”
April had never met any of June’s college friends, but she could put a face to the name. Brooke was part of the group frequently featured on her sister’s Instagram over the past several years.
“Do you love Sterling?” June continued. “Because that’s all that matters to me and God.”
“Yes,” April answered without thinking.
Her ears turned red once she realized what she’d just said. She and Sterling hadn’t exchanged those words yet! But that answer had come so naturally and automatically when asked.
All of a sudden, April couldn’t control the flow of her tears.
Without a word, June walked over and wrapped her up in a tight hug. April buried her face in her sister’s shoulder and continued to cry. Part of it was due to the sense of relief that had come from a family member actually accepting her, and the rest was from pent-up anxiety. This had gone so much better than she ever could’ve imagined.
June gently patted April’s back. “God loves all His children, and you’re a part of His master plan just the way you are.”
“Like narwhals and tiny blue poison frogs,” sobbed April, thinking of the mantra she had been repeating to herself for years.
“Yeah, exactly.”
April let go of her sister and dried her eyes. She felt a little guilty for crying so much. June would definitely have to change shirts before they left. But April couldn’t help it. She was just so overcome with emotion because someone in her fucking awful family actually cared about her.
All she could say to her sister was, “Thank you.”
“When and if you decide to tell them, I’ve got your back, okay? I love you.” June handed her one of the plates. “Go eat your sandwich while I change shirts.”
April cleaned up her running mascara and took her food over to the table, although she wasn’t hungry. Adrenaline was still coursing through her system. She had done it. She had actually done it! It still felt surreal.
Time to tell Sterling.
She took a few bites of her sandwich, then called her girlfriend via FaceTime. Sterling answered almost immediately. April couldn’t help but grin as she watched Sterling shoo Blair out of her room before taking a seat on the bed.
“Hey, April!” Sterling exclaimed before blowing a kiss into the phone.
Deciding to cut right to the chase, April said, “I told my sister about us.”
The blonde gasped. She smiled for a brief moment, but it faltered as she continued to look at April. “You look like you’ve been crying. Did it... not go very well?”
“It went perfectly. These are happy tears. I never could’ve imagined a member of Team Stevens accepting me.”
“Oh my gosh, April, I’m going to cry too. I’m so proud of you!”
April heard a door open. June emerged from her room in a dry shirt free of makeup stains. She approached April at the table and mouthed the words, “Is that her?”
“June, come say hi to my girlfriend,” said April, motioning for her sister to come closer.
The elder sister put her arm around April’s shoulders and leaned into the camera’s frame. She offered a warm smile and said, “So, you must be the lucky girl.”
“Yep, that’s me!” Sterling’s face glowed with adoration. “Sterling Wesley, proud girlfriend of April Stevens.”
“Wow, I haven’t seen you since you were, like, ten years old. I guess I didn’t recognize you without Blair.”
“Yeah, Blair always leaves the room really fast when I FaceTime with April.”
“Sterl!” April cried. Her face turned as red as the tomato on her forgotten sandwich.
“Oh, no, I-I didn’t mean anything bad!” stammered a flustered Sterling. “What I meant was that we’ve, um, come to value privacy a little more than we used to.”
“That doesn’t sound any better!” hissed April.
June laughed. “I understand what you’re trying to say. It’s nice to chat with you, Sterling. I’ve been wondering when April would finally start dating someone.”
“It’s nice to chat with you too. And I’ve been wondering when April would finally start understanding the importance of the sisterly bond.”
“Well, it’s a little harder when you have an age gap like ours,” said June. “She was still playing 'Horse Wars' when I moved out of the house.”
A mortified April covered her face with her free hand. Her embarrassment was palpable. She hadn’t ever told anyone about her elaborate "Horse Wars" make-believe game. Not even as a kid. That was never supposed to leave the walls of the Stevens house. It was just so painfully nerdy, even by her standards.
“You were playing what?”
"Basically Star Wars but with horse figures," June explained before April could shut her up.
“Stop talking about me as if I’m not right here!” pouted April.
“I think there are pictures somewhere,” said June, completely aware that she was torturing the younger girl.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Oh no, April, I think it’s vital for our relationship that I get to see these pictures.”
“I’ll look for them when I get a chance. Anyway, Sterling, we’re about to eat and then head out for the afternoon. I know we’ve technically already met a long time ago, but it was great to meet you as April’s girlfriend.”
“Yes, I enjoyed this a lot. All of us and Blair should do something next time you’re in Atlanta! Kind of like a double date, but with sisters. Well, um, I guess April and I will be on a date, but you know what I mean.”
April couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Why on Earth would she ever agree to such a thing? That sounded like the recipe for a perfect storm of embarrassment. June would undoubtedly bring out the aforementioned cursed images, and Blair would mock her forever. Worst of all, there was no way Sterling would let April ravage her with the image of Pony Yoda burned into her brain!
“Of course. I’ll let you two say goodbye,” said June before getting up and disappearing into the kitchen.
“Bye, Sterling.” April took a deep breath, then quickly added, “I love you.”
Sterling’s eyes lit up. “Aww, I love you too! And I’m so proud of you. I hope you and your sister have fun today, but please hurry home because I miss you. Bye.”
They both blew a kiss into the phone, then April ended the FaceTime call.
“She’s a keeper,” commented June as she sat down with her food. “I can’t wait to meet her in person.”
“You’ll scare her off with those wretched pictures.”
“They’re not wretched. You were such a cute kid!” June paused to take a bite of her sandwich. “Thank you for trusting me with your truth, by the way.”
“You’re part of an exclusive club now. Besides you, the only other people who know are Blair and my friend Ezekiel.”
“I’m honored. I'm also very much looking forward to this Stevens/Wesley sisters’ hangout next time I’m home.”
April offered a slight smile and resigned herself to the inevitable. She knew she was going to have to indulge her sister and her girlfriend in this hangout and endure whatever embarrassments to which they decided to subject her. As much as she dreaded the thought, it also felt good in a way. This was normal sister stuff.
It was a small price to pay for finally having one family member on her side.