So our lives kept going, Valerie worked her ass off in her restaurant, finally earning herself a place assisting the chef in the kitchen (one step closer to becoming a chef herself!), Bethany continued to meet with her dad, who said he was slowly wearing down his wife's less.... Agreeable qualities.
And me? Well I finished the first full semester of my Art and Lit courses, and I gotta tell ya considering all the personal drama that had gone on in my life, I felt amazed and even more elated that I'd been able to get through it and retain my sanity!
Most weekends I would do a video call back home to my parents and friends I'd left behind in Gullagong. Mum and Dad were over the moon when I told them I'd completed the first half of my course, they'd always been so supportive of all my endeavours, but also, being artists themselves, I reckon they felt like I was fulfilling the family legacy or something too haha!
I couldn't help but go kinda quiet when Mum asked me if I'd met anyone I was interested in dating. With all my heart I wanted to start gushing to her and Dad that, yes I had! Two girls, a redhead and a brunette! I wanted to say Mum, Dad, I'm being openly and proudly lesbian for the first time in my life with a pair of girls that I treasure and cherish, and I've never been happier...
And yet something held me back.
Seeing Beth's face when her mama had shunned her was one of the most heartbreaking things I'd ever witnessed. Maybe this was silly as my parents weren't hers, but I didn't want to experience that for myself. I couldn't see my Mum and Dad look at me with disgust...
But the crazy thing is, deep down, I knew they weren't like that, they had always been very open-minded, laid-back, accepting people towards even total strangers, so why didn't I think they wouldn't be able to accept me, their own daughter, as gay?!
Sigh, I wish I knew.
But yeah, whenever Mum asked, I simply said no, I hadn't met anyone who'd truly caught my eye.
Thing is, one night Valerie happened to be making dinner in the kitchen, and as I was video chatting with my parents on the couch, she heard me give this exact answer to my parents...
She politely waved goodbye in the background as I bid them farewell for the night, but then, she placed down her knife and the carrot she was chopping to come sit down and talk with me.
"You still haven't told them eh babe?" Val laid her hand on my lap, I took it in mine, conflicted as hell.
"Nope... I know, I know I should but..." I went silent.
"But what Em? What're you scared of?" She looked at me, concerned.
"I'm not scared, I..."
"Come on babe" She gave me an incredulous expression "We both know I can basically read your mind. You are scared, but I don't think you even know why..."
Fuck, she really could read minds...
"Yeah, you're right... I don't know I feel like, I was maybe almost in a place where I was comfortable enough to come out, but..." I tried to explain.
"But... Then Bethany happened, right?"
"Yeah. I know it's silly but, I just don't want to have my parents look at me the way her mama looked at her."
"Emma..."
Valerie cuddled right up next to me and held me tight, stroking my hair softly.
"From what I've seen and heard of your parents, they're the kindest, sweetest people I've ever known... Just like their daughter." She smiled at me. "They love you so much, to the point where I reckon if you tell them you've got two girlfriends? If anything, they'll wanna throw a party haha."
This was the thing though, Val was right, and I knew it, but still I was afraid. Still I kept thinking: but what if, what if, what if...
What if they do reject me? What if they're ok with me being gay, but they don't like Val and Beth? What if they're completely fine with it, but my friends back home all hate me??!!
"Babe...?" Val tried to get a response out of me. I couldn't think of what to say to placate her, Val was fiercely protective of me, always determined to make me happy no matter what. But sadly, this is something I would have to deal with myself.
"Sigh.... I'm sorry hun I, I think I just need to take a short walk, clear my head." I began to stand up.
"Okay babe, just be careful though yeah? It's starting to get dark." She stood up too, walking back to her meal prep "Dinner should be ready in about half an hour."
I couldn't help but giggle at the way Val spoke and carried herself so firmly. "Are you my girlfriend? Or my mum?" I laughed.
"Well hey, If you wanna call me mummy in the bedroom I won't object buuuuttt...."
We both laughed as I slipped a pink puffer coat with a faux-fur-lined hood over my white t-shirt adorned with a multi-coloured peace symbol. It was still the back-end of winter at this point so I was wearing a pair of patched blue and grey jeans to go with my tee, and a super-nice pair of reddish brown Doc Martens on my feet.
"I won't be long hun. Just down to the Gardens and back." I smiled as I walked to the kitchen.
"Ok babe, I love you." She raised her head from chopping carrots and let me kiss her full on the lips.
"Love you too, and hey... I really appreciate you trying to help." I smiled.
"Always sweetie." She winked.
...................................................................................
By far my favourite place in all of the Melbourne CBD was the Botanical Gardens, a fancy name for a big park in the middle of the city. It was full of colour, life, tall trees, lush grass... I came from the dusty golden bushlands, and yet, this small forest of green really reminded me of home. I would come here all the time since I moved to the city. Not only was it relatively peaceful (as peaceful as is possible in a city of a few million people anyway ), but the endless plants, trees and flowers were the perfect subjects for drawing and painting. Green can be a surprisingly hard colour to do justice, and there was no better place in the city for me to practice with it than here.
I wandered down one of the many asphalt paths, admiring the way the colour palette of the plants shifted and blended like an ever-flowing, ever-changing rainbow in the setting sun, nature makes me feel so calm, always has, I used to take strolls like this out in the bush back home, I could just wander for hours and yet always know my way back.
As I contemplated the situation with my parents, I would politely acknowledge or say hi to the people walking past, and more often than not they'd reply in kind. But then as I strolled along the path, I gazed ahead, further up the path...
And I saw someone I recognised, someone I hoped I would never lay eyes on again. He was striding down the asphalt path, wearing a thick black hoodie, a pair of black skinny jeans and oversized white runners on his feet, as well as an NY cap that he'd turned somewhat to the side, no doubt trying to look 'cool'...
It was Shae, the guy who'd groped me that night in the club.
I froze in place, my hands trembling, lips quivering. A man a fair few years older than me was walking and looking down at his phone and as I stopped in place, he kept walking and bumped into me.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that ma'am..." The guy laughed nervously with... Was that an American accent? I took a quick look at him, panicking slightly as I glanced back and saw Shae still striding towards me. This guy near me was fairly tall, with a very, very decent build of muscle, tatts covering his arms, despite the cold he simply wore a black t-shirt that barely contained his muscles, and a pair of blue jeans.
At first glance he looked kind of mean, but I figured better him than the guy who'd literally tried to sexually assault me. I didn't want Shae to see me, I mean, yeah there was a lot of people around, but that hadn't stopped him last time.
So, thinking quickly, as the guy next to me kept walking after apologising to me, I turned around and took hold of his arm as if we were a couple walking together.
"Hey?! What are yo-?" He began to protest in... yeah, that was definitely an American accent.
I quickly and quietly explained my situation.
"I'm sorry could you please just pretend to be my boyfriend for a few minutes? There's a guy coming this way who's tried to grope me before and I don't want him to see me..." I trembled intensely as I held the man's massive tree trunk of an arm.
Almost immediately, the man looked around, scanning the path for faces. He glowered intensely as he laid eyes on Shae.
"Black hoodie?" The man's deep, husky voice mumbled quietly to me.
"Yes..." My voice quivered.
"Okay don't worry miss, if he tries anything I'll kick his ass. My girlfriend's just down the path here, you're welcome to hang with us as long as you need to feel safe."
You know that saying? Faith in humanity restored? Yeah, this man was doing that for me right now

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed nervously.
"No problem, I'm Danny by the way." He smiled warmly at me.
"Emma, thank you Danny..." I smiled anxiously back, fighting the urge to turn and look at where Shae was, I held Danny's huge, muscle-bound arm as tightly as I could.
"Emma I'm gonna put my arm around you ok? Just keep your head down and laugh." Danny rattled off a command to me very firmly and without hesitation... Had he done this before??
"What?" I asked, perplexed by this whole situation.
"Trust me, just keep your head down and laugh, we'll walk slowly and let him pass us."
"Ummm ok..." I was amazed at how calm this guy was, but then again, if I was his size I probably wouldn't be scared by much either. So, I did as he said and force-laughed at some non-existent joke he'd just told. We strolled slowly along, pretending to admire the plants on the sides of the path and laughing to each other.
"Ok he's passed on, you ok?" Danny removed his arm from around my shoulder, what a gentleman he'd been
"I think so, thank you Danny I appreciate this." I smiled, still trembling.
"Hey Danny!" Another American voice, this one coming from a young blonde girl about my age, called out to the big, burly, tattooed handsome mass of a man who'd graciously helped me avoid a bad situation.
"Hey there mamacita!" The man's face lit up, obviously this... Wow... This absolutely beautiful, stunning blonde was his girlfriend.
Holy fuck she was GORGEOUS!!!
"Who's this?" The girl eyed me down suspiciously, not unfairly as Danny and I had just looked pretty cozy with each other, but fortunately I didn't swing that way.
"This is Emma, she just asked me for a bit of help, this guy's been... What, stalking you?" He turned to me.
"No..." I shook my head "I was at a club with my girlfriends one night, he hit on me, I turned him down, so he started touching me without my permission."
The girl's expression turned straight from suspicious to sympathetic. "Oh sweetie that's terrible! I'm so sorry you had to go through that." She spoke with a real Valley-Girl type of American accent, if anything, she sounded kinda posh.
"I'm Katie, you've met Danny, do you want us to walk you home? We don't mind, do we babe?" She turned to her huge, I assume he was Latino, boyfriend.
"Not a problem at all." He smiled reassuringly at me.
These two were amazing, I'd known this Katie girlfor a whole thirty seconds and she was willing to derail her whole evening to escort me home. I didn't want to be a bother, I mean, I was 21 years old I should be able to look after myself... But, at the same time,there was something about this couple's presence that made me feel very safe and secure.
"Well... I don't... You're sure you don't mind?" I asked hesitantly.
"Really Emma it's no problem, Danny was a Marine, he can take on a dozen nightclub pervs." Katie stated proudly.
"Yyyes ma'am." Danny cracked his neck full of self-confidence.
Wow... If I was bi like Val and Beth, I'd have probably be swooning over that man lol.
"Thank you, really thank you both, I reckon I'll take you up on that offer." I sighed with gladness and relief as my trembling hands started to settle.
"Great!" Katie smiled, taking my hand. "Lead the way..."
Ok, I love Val and Beth like crazy... But I got a little excited when that beautiful American girl held my hand like that, and the way she smiled at me... I got the impression she might be into girls too...
..............................................................................
(Ten Minutes Later)
"Thank you again guys, you really didn't have to do that!" I thanked the gorgeous American couple for their kindness as they stopped with me outside our apartment building.
"Hey it was the least we could do." Danny smiled.
"You look after yourself ok sweetie?" Katie leaned forward and gave me a couple of pecks on my cheeks. "Tell you what, if you're ever looking for a nice, safe club to hang out in, we actually own our own nightclub a few blocks from here."
Katie pulled a small plastic business card out of her handbag, I didn't really look at it aside from a quick glance, I saw the word 'INTIMATE' in big red cursive letters and that was about it.
"Well I appreciate that, I hope you have a good night." I smiled, wanting to go inside to Valerie.
"You too Emma, stay safe, hopefully our paths cross again!" Katie smiled, taking Danny's hand to walk off.
Buuuuttt... I kinda felt like I owed them something after the kindness they'd shown me, so I quickly turned back around.
"Um... Hey Katie? Danny?"
They stopped.
"My girlfriend Valerie's making beef casserole... Did you wanna come up with me and have some?"
"Oh... Uhhh..."
Danny looked down at his blonde bombshell of a girlfriend, unsure of what to say. She looked back at him, also puzzled.
"I mean, you don't have to I just thought it'd be a better way for me to say thank you..." I continued reluctantly, feeling kinda silly.
"Oh well we don't wanna impose..." Katie hesitated.
"No really it's fine, she tends to make a lot more than we need anyway so there'll be plenty for everyone!" I smiled warmly.
"God you aussies are so nice... Sure, we'd love to!" Katie smiled.
"Great!" I opened the door to the building to let them in.
TO BE CONTINUED