Page 106 of Loving the Sinner
I look at Elli with acan you believe this?expression and she just laughs.
“You always pick chicks before dicks, Robs. So I don’t know if it’s a feminist thing or a gay thing.” Elli teases.
“Probably a little bit of both. Anyway, I’ve been sitting here for two hours waiting for you to get back and I have a hot date with the hottie from the gallery.” Robin gives Elli a hug, and then me.
When she hugs me she whispers, “I’m proud of you.” and it makes me want to tear up. I haven’t heard that a lot in my life.
“Thanks Robs.” I say back.
“Have fun on your date.” Elli says, wiggling her eyebrows.
Robin blushes as she gets into her car.
We wave her off, then get Elli’s luggage from the trunk, and I walk her into her apartment.
Elli sighs, like being here is a weight lifted from her shoulders, and I can relate to the feeling.
Utah has beautiful scenery, but if all Mormons are like Elli’s family, I don’t think I could be surrounded by them twenty-four-seven.
My heart aches a little every time I think about how strained the relationship between Elli and her parents now, but I just have to keep reminding myself that she’s an adult. She makes her own choices. If she doesn’t want to have a relationship with her parents, that’s something I’m going to have to be okay with and help her through.
“Well I’d better get going, I’m beat.” I say through a yawn.
Elli pushes her bottom lip out in an adorable little pout. “Noooo.” She whines. “It’s late, why don’t you stay? Then we can both go over to your place tomorrow to unpack.”
“Baby, aren’t you sick of being around me? We’ve been together non-stop for almost a week.” I tuck an errant piece of strand behind her ear.
“I’m never going to be sick of being around you.” She says sweetly. “Besides, we’re going to be together nonstop for eight months. Areyousick ofme?”
I pull her body flush with mine, “Never. I’ll never get tired of you.”
Her answering smile could light up an entire city.
“Good! So it’s settled. You’re staying here. Let’s go shower.” She chirps, dragging me into the bathroom.
“Yes ma’am.”
Chapter 50
Elli
It’s been two weeks since the whole debacle in Utah, and I haven’t heard a peep from my parents.
I’ve talked with Izzy almost every day, whether through texts or Facetime. She says no one’s even mentioned my name. She’s tried to bring me up in conversation, but our mom just ignores her and changes the subject.
It’s like I never existed to my mother.
I wish I could say I was surprised, but unfortunately, I am not.
Spencer was dropped off at the Missionary Training Center where he’ll spend the next six weeks learning to speak Portuguese and get on the “missionary schedule.”
I wanted to reach out to him before he left and give him a piece of my mind, but it would have been like talking to a brick wall. If I want to talk to him now, it’d have to be through letters or emails, but this isn’t something I want to talk about through letters or email.
Who knows? Maybe his mission will open his mind and he’ll be more accepting by the end of it.
There are generally two ways people go after their missions.
One, they’re even more engulfed in the idea of the church. They’ll go on to have higher up callings in the church, they’re more likely to have bigger families, and they’ll stay active most likely for the rest of their lives.
