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“Is… does Juliette hold the same beliefs as Laura?”
Kane snorted. “Absolutely not – they’re polar opposites in that regard. Half of the progress Laura has made in that area has been thanks to Juliette.”
“She’s gay as well?”
“No, she’s straight, but she’s a passionate ally. Some of her best friends are gay. You may have even seen her at pride.” Kane chuckled. “You should see the scoldings Laura gets sometimes. Juliette is religious as well, and every time her mother tries to play that card, Juliette plays it right back at her. After all, Jesus taught love and acceptance for everyone, and Laura doesn’t really have any argument against that. Poor woman doesn’t stand a chance.”
Well, that was certainly encouraging. If that was Juliette’s attitude, her chances of getting on with Liv increased exponentially.
“It sounds like I need to meet this Juliette.”
“I’m sure you’ll get along just fine, Liv. Trust me, this is going to be great.”
2
Juliette
Juliette was nervous. How could she not be? Her mother’s happiness depended on this move working, and Juliette wasn’t sure it would.
She wasn’t worried that she would be the one to ruin things. She had already met Kane and they got along just fine. She hadn’t met Olivia before, but she had heard a lot about her from Kane, and Juliette was confident that they would easily become friends.
No, her anxiety was about her mother. Juliette knew that Olivia was gay, and Laura still held onto a few unsavory beliefs about gay people.
If she slipped up so much as once, made even one homophobic comment or gesture toward Liv, Kane would leave her. He would be right to, but Laura would still be heartbroken.
“Remember, you have to treat Olivia just like you would anyone else.”
“I know, Juliette, how many times do you have to tell me? I like Liv, even if she is…”
“That. Right there. Comments like that – even ones you cut off before you say something unforgivable – have to go. Liv is a whole person, and being gay is part of that person. If you truly want to be a Christian, then you have to be like Christ, which means loving your neighbor wholly and completely.”
Laura pressed her lips together, no doubt holding back the Leviticus verses that were dying to escape.
“I do love Liv.”
“If you don’t love all of her, that’s not good enough. You need to be prepared for the fact that living with her will be different. I know Kane said she’s not with anyone right now, but that will most likely change at some point. She will date women. She will bring women home. You’re going to have to learn to be ok with gay sex happening down the hall from you. Not only will you treat Liv right, but you will treat her partners right. If you can’t do that, then your marriage with Kane is doomed from the start.”
“Surely, she doesn’t have to do it in the house. I mean, I accept that she’s going to do it, but could she not do it somewhere else?”
Juliette took a deep breath, trying to be patient, reminding herself that Laura was trying to overcome an entire lifetime of negative conditioning.
“Would I ask you and Kane to leave your own home every time you wanted to be intimate?”
“That’s not the same.”
“Yeah, it is. We’re moving in today. Get your shit together, mom.”
“Don’t you talk to me like that, young lady.”
“I’ll talk to you like this until you act in a way that warrants otherwise. You do want this to work, don’t you?”
Laura took a deep breath of her own. “I do. You’re right. I need to get my head around this. Gay sex, potentially happening in my home. Yep. I can handle that. I can.”
Juliette hoped for her mother’s sake that she was right. “It’s not wrong,” Juliette repeated for emphasis. “Remember what Jesus said.”
“Love your neighbor.”
“Not love your neighbor conditionally.”
