Page 100 of The Lies Always Told

“Oh my God, Gus, you make it sound like you’re about to propose. Stop. We’re together. He loves me, I love him, it started in April—” Cara gasps, and the parents giggle as Nellie continues “—nobody took advantage of anybody. We’re both consenting adults. We’re together now. Sorry we kept it from y’all. End of story.”

Manny laughs, and that’s the thing that tips the scale. Everyone but Cara starts laughing too.

“Did I get it all, babe?” Nellie asks me with sass behind her words.

“You forgot that I would never hurt you. I promise that to everyone,” I add, looking around and nodding at her dad when he smiles at me.

“I know this is unexpected, and maybe not what you guyswanted, but the truth is, I fell in love with Nellie the way you fall in love with music—with a note first, then with the whole melody. It was beautiful and loud, like how listening to your favorite song makes you want to dance or sing. I wish I could say it happened slowly, but it didn’t. One look and a few conversations later, and I knew I was in trouble. We fought it, we did, because we knew it would be complicated, but that was a battle we were both going to lose eventually. I love her, and I’m honored she loves me back. I want to be here for her for everything, and these past few weeks just confirmed it. I’m sorry we kept it from all of you, but I’m not sorry I get to love her.”

“We know, sweetie,” Mom says, and with everyone else nodding and smiling, I know it to be true. They knew and they didn’t care. I can feel a million pounds lifting off my shoulders, my hands loosening the tight grip they had on Nellie’s. They know, and they don’t care.

“Why is nobody surprised about this?” Cara looks at everyone and frowns. Manny softens his eyes at her knowingly.

“You all knew, didn’t you?!” Cara shouts. Manny flinches and narrows his eyes at me. For a man who likes to talk as much as he does, he sure is quiet now. I open my mouth to say something, but Nellie’s mom beats me to it.

“Not that they told us, Cara, but it was pretty obvious.” Cara’s mom turns to face us now. “I understand why you wanted to keep it from us, but truly, we’re just happy you two are happy.”

“You’re not mad?” I ask, and she just smiles at us.

“Why would I be? Both my girls ended up with my best friend’s sons. We will never need to fight over grandchildren. We can just have them all running wild and free between our houses.”

“Mom, nobody’s talking children,” Nellie says, and we all laugh.

“One step at a time,” I add. “I would like to date your daughter loudly now, so as long as you’re all okay, I’m happy.”

“Of course, we’re okay. You’re like a son to us, and now you get to be a son-in-law.”

“Mom, nobody’s marrying anyone,” Nellie, clearly annoyed, replies.

“Yet,” I say and look at Nellie, who’s shooting daggers at me with her eyes. “Too soon?”

“Too soon.”

“We’re just happy for you. Hopefully, we can see more of the two of you instead of the sneaking around you’ve been doing.” Cara spits her drink, Manny coughs, the parents smile, and Nellie’s eyes are wide.

“You knew this whole time?” Nellie asks.

“Honey, this is a small town. Even the walls talk,” Mom says.

“I didn’t know anything, and I live here,” Cara pipes in.

“You were preoccupied,” her dad says, and although this is the first time he has said anything, it was the perfect come back, making us all laugh.

“Wait, I get that the elderly don’t want to know how this happened, but I do, so spill. Now,” Cara replies.

“How much time do you have?” Nellie asks.

“As long as you need,” Cara says.

“That wasn’t that bad,was it?” Nellie asks me, her head on my lap. After telling them how everything developed, leaving out all the filthy details, Cara understood, even thanking me for loving her sister. Eventually, their parents went to bed, everyone else left, and it’s just us, sitting out back on the porch for a while now.

“I don’t know why I was so afraid they would lose it when they found out.”

“You were in your own head. I know the feeling too well. I think we were just so wrapped in our own fears, we didn’t take the time to be vulnerable, honest, and logical with each other.”

“When did you become so wise?” I ask her, caressing her cheek with the back of my hand. Her skin is so soft, and all I want is to keep my hands on her at all times.

“I was born a genius, don’t you know?”

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