Page 61 of The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos

It’s been like this between them since the baby shower—the eggshells have been well trod upon. Nicole refuses to be alone in a room with Dalisay, and even when Dalisay tries to ask her innocent enough questions, Nicole finds any excuse to leave. She’s clearly freaked out about Dalisay meeting Claire, but she won’t give Dalisay one moment for them to talk about it.

The space between them fills up with all the things she wants to say, but here, with gossiping aunties within earshot,there’s no chance of privacy. All Dalisay wants to do is grab Nicole by the shoulders, shake her, and tell her she’s loved.

Pinky must sense that something is off, because every so often Dalisay notices her gaze flick between the two of them and she clears her throat, as if the garlic is to blame.

By the time Tala comes back into the kitchen, they’ve chopped so many cloves Dalisay’s nose stings. “I need an extra pair of hands to help—”

Nicole stands up so quickly, Tala can’t finish. “I can do it.” She sounds almost relieved not to have to sit in the kitchen anymore. She exits, leaving Dalisay and Pinky at the table.

“Why is garlic so sticky?” Pinky asks, pinching her index finger and thumb like they’re glued together. Dalisay doesn’t reply, she just lets out a long sigh, and Pinky pauses in her garlic peeling to glance up. “What?”

Dalisay shakes her head. Pinky is like a German shepherd, ears perked and eyes alert with concern. She glances from the doorway to Dalisay and back. She gestures with her knife. “You wanna talk about it?”

“No,” Dalisay says.

Pinky pinches the corners of her mouth in but gets back to peeling garlic.

Dalisay wishes she could ask Pinky for advice, but it’s so hard. How is she supposed to confide in her without letting anything slip?

But things can’t stay this way, and if anyone would understand, it was Pinky. She can trust her. Dalisay is so glad to have a friend here who gets where she comes from.

“I have this friend,” Dalisay says.

Pinky’s gaze slides toward her. “A friend?”

“A coworker. A friend who is also a coworker.”

“Uh-huh,” says Pinky, slightly narrowing her eyes. “At Overnight?”

“Yes! Well, this friend-coworker, she has a girlfriend. But she grew up in … Arkansas, yeah, and her parents are super strict, uh … Baptists.”

“Right,” Pinky says.

“I had one of those once!” A little old lady with a hunched back appears from the living room, shuffling into the kitchen. “Prickly fellow. Loved the sun.”

“BAP-tist, Auntie Maria.Notcactus.” The old lady makes a noise of understanding and shuffles back out, carrying a bowl to the living room. “So this friend,” says Pinky, shaking her head, “she’s not sure her parents will approve of her relationship?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? But she definitely isn’t telling the people who are closest to her. No one knows she’s gay.”

“Is this friend, coworker, whatever, feeling unsafe?”

Dalisay’s heart sinks. “I hope not. I don’t care that she’s a lesbian. I just want her to feel confident in who she is. We used to share everything, and now it feels like …” Dalisay trails off. She may be giving away her hand.

Pinky nods thoughtfully as a threesome of aunties come shuffling in like a flock of colorful birds, clucking and hooting to themselves. “Lesbian, ruled by air, very good sign. All about balance and harmonious relationships. Plagued with digestive problems, though.”

“Lesbian? You’re thinking Libra,” one of them says.

“No, I’m pretty sure I’m not.”

“Lesbian is anisland,” says the last.

“Oh my God,” Pinky groans, wielding the knife. “Can you eavesdrop somewhere else?”

The kitchen empties again as the ladies exit and Pinky takes a deep breath and leans back in her chair as she watches Dalisay for a long moment. Finally she says, “Is this … friend happy?”

Dalisay thinks about it for a second. “I think so.”

That’s what matters in the end, isn’t it? Happiness? Dalisay doesn’t care about anything else, so long as Nicole is well and truly satisfied with anyone she chooses. To be able to love someone, to beinlove with someone, to be loved back, isn’t that the best feeling in the world? The way she feels with Evan, she wants that for Nicole. Her mom should see that, and if she doesn’t … it could tear the family apart.

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