“You going to invite me to your graduation?" she asked.
“No, I’m going to make you rent the videotape."
We sneered at each other. She added, “Mom wants to know because Greg’s graduating and she’d like to celebrate yours with his. Throw you both a party.”
My eyebrows arched. "You’re kidding.”
“Would I lie to you?”
I just looked at her.
“Serious,” she said. “She didn’t want you to miss out on your big day.”
Why did that make me feel like crying? “That’s so sweet. I really love your mom. Your whole family.”
Cece looped my glasses back over my ears and rolled off the bed. “I was supposed to wait to give you this, but you know me. No self-control." She dropped to her knees and scrounged under the bed. “Donʼt look.” She straightened, twisting away. “Okay, here." She thrust a package at me. “It's from all of us. Happy graduation.”
“Cece –" It was so pretty, all gold and blue. Southglenn colors.
“You’ll have to wrap it back up,” she said. “And act surprised. Like this.” She framed her face with her hands and mimed a squeal.
It made me laugh. I slid off the satin ribbon and unwrapped the gift. It was a case. On the top was an engraved insignia of two knights on horses, jousting. “FABER-CASTELL," it read underneath. What was this, cigars? I unlatched the hook and opened the lid.
"Oh, my God,” I gasped. Inside were trays of drawing supplies – pencils, chalks, pressed and natural charcoals. Dozens and dozens of water-color pencils. "Cece, this is unbelievable.” I dug out a yellow water-color pencil and felt it come alive in my hand. What I could do with this: sunshine, roses, Cece.
“I had to promise Mom and Dad you’d draw a life-size nude of me so they could hang it over the mantel," Cece said.
I snorted.
“My own personal and extremely private present is coming later.” She blew me a kiss. It made me wish later was sooner. “Oh, I have something else for you.” Cece spun around and wrenched open a dresser drawer. She tossed me a T-shirt. “You can send this to your mother.”
I shook it out and flipped it over. “I LOVE MY LESBIAN DAUGHTER,” it read on the front. Tears sprang to my eyes.
"Oh, no, Holland.” Cece lunged at me. “It was a joke" She wound her arms around my neck. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry."
“It’s okay." I peeled her off me. “It’s funny. Really.” I wouldn’t send it, of course. Maybe one day. Cece told me to never give up hope.
She ripped the shirt out of my hands and tossed it into the closet. "I’lI give it to my mom. She can add it to her collection, since I give her one every year for Christmas. Has she ever worn it? No."
“One of these days she’ll surprise you,” I said. "She’ll have her own coming out."
"Oh, yeah. She’ll be marching in the Pride Day Parade.” Cece rolled her eyes.
Kate bellowed up the stairs, “What are you two doing?”
Cece hollered back, "We’re doing the nasty.”
"No, were not,” I volunteered. "We’re just having sex." We mock-laughed at each other.
“WelI, hurry it up,” Kate said with a smile in her voice. “You’re both going to be late for worked.”
“She doesn’t know how late." Cece took my hand and kisser my palm.
Shiver city. “Better get changed,” I said in a sigh.
Cece slipped into her work jeans and tied her bandanna on her head, while I finished the Metro Urban application. All but one question. Wow, they had a great art department. I could get a degree in graphic arts, or line arts, or even art education. Did I want to teach? Did I even want to go into art? There was so much to choose from. Too much. And too much I didn’t know about myself, too many possibilities to explore. Who knows what direction their life will take? You can’t plan that.
I scanned through the list of majors again, then made my decision. Let nature take its course. On the last line I printed, “Undeclared.”
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Julie Anne Peters, Keeping You a Secret
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