April explained everything. She gave the full picture of their first date as Dani knew the vague basics of that one already. April explained about them forgetting to swap numbers, then the fateful way they reunited and everything that had followed.
“Oh, April, I’ve never seen you this happy!” Dani wrapped her arms around her friend and held her close. “I only wish you’d met her sooner and she could be your plus one!” Dani paused at the look on April’s face before adding gently, “well, if you were fully out, I guess.”
“She’s even so supportive of that. Not once have I felt pressure from her about telling a single soul about us. She even surprised me with jewelry for your wedding, to go with my outfit I chose when she was with me.” April took out her phone from the front pocket of Jade’s hoody she was wearing and showed Dani a picture of the note and the diamond set.
“April,” Dani all but whispered, “this is...she’s...” Dani looked up from April’s phone to see the torn look on her face. She handed April’s phone back and with a sympathetic look she stated, “You’ve foundher, haven’t you.”
“I don’t know, maybe. But what am I going to do?” April took a breath before continuing. “I’ve met this absolutely incredible woman who gives me the space and support to be unapologetically me. She makes me so happy, Dani, and I feel like the best version of myself when I’m with her. Yet, I have no idea where I even start to tell the people in my life about her without having some sort of plan in place for my career first.” She took another pause but wasn’t finished. Dani sat and waited, ready to hear whatever she had to say. “You know that my dad is going to ask about that straight away, and I need to have thought it through before I make any decision. Mom and Connor should be fine. I’m just worried about sponsors pulling out, or backlash from other players, you know?” She looked up at Dani, hoping her friend could help.
“First, just remember that you don’t owe anyone an explanation or reason for feeling how you do about who you fall for.” Dani squeezed April’s hand gently before continuing. “Second, telling your family doesn’t come with any preparation regarding your career, he’s your dadbeforehe’s your manager. If he reacts as your manager, then maybe it’s time to switch so you don’t lose the relationship you have together. Third, I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you; the career part will be tricky. The lifestyle clause gets abused by some sponsors for lesser things; it’s like their very own get-out-clause without penalty on their part.” Dani must have noticed the panic in April’s eyes as she changed tactic. “That being said, any sponsor worth their salt will stay with you. Those who choose to end their contract over this isn’t the kind of sponsor you want to be associated with anyway.”
April felt herself relax a little.
“Now, the most important part ofall of this,” Dani said with a smile dancing on her lips, “tell me you have at least one photo of her and one of you both so I can see who’s stolen my best friend’s heart!”
April laughed and pulled her phone back out of the hoody pocket before handing it over to Dani.
Chapter 28
Jade
While Jade knew April was spending the evening with her best friend ahead of the wedding, she took the time to clean her apartment and let her brain catch up after a few busy months. As well as the busy few ahead of her.
Mostly, and unsurprisingly, she thought of April.
Jade had been with quite a few women over the years since she first came out. Not that she made any grand announcement to her parents, she never felt the need to. They weren’t shocked when she started announcing going on dates with girlfriends instead of boyfriends. She never dated any of them long enough to merit bringing them home with her tomeet the parents. She had been ok with that.
Not a small number of those had been closeted women, or those who had always considered themselves to be straight until that point. So, it wasn’t a new experience for Jade to be with someonelikeApril. But itwasa new experience to be withApril Walker.
Jade caught herself spiraling through thoughts that had been doing laps in her head over the past few weeks. While it didn’t bother her to be with someone who was still in the closet, it was the first time she’ddatedsomeone who was in the closet. It was also the first time she’ddatedsomeone who had to stay there for several completely valid reasons. She couldn’t help wondering what it would take for those reasons to not be as valid.
So, the best way to cope was to distract herself with a deep clean of her unlived-in loft apartment. She even went as far as remembering to clean the glass panels which ran up her stairs to her bedroom mezzanine, and along the edge of the mezzanine itself. The place she almost always forgot to clean, only remembering when going to bed and noticed the marks on the glass highlighted by the low lighting at night.
She couldn’t take the repetitive thoughts any longer and grabbed her tablet to video chat with the only people she could talk about her situation with.
Propping the screen up on her coffee table, she made herself comfortable on her couch just as her sister and future sister-in-law's faces appeared on the screen.
“Hey Jade, how are you?” Ivy asked, her warm face was always so open and unable to hide her emotions.
“Honestly, I’m stuck in my head. I need some sisterly advice from you both.” Jade admitted as she took a sip from her glass of water.
“April?” Cleo asked gently.
“Am I that predictable?” Jade asked sarcastically, feeling her brow furrow.
Cleo and Ivy looked at each other, and at that moment, Jade knew that they’d had discussions about this between themselves already.
“It’s not that you’re predictable; it’s that this is all very new to you. For both of you, for very different reasons.” Ivy said in a soothing maternal way.
Jade knew Ivy was right and nodded in agreement, letting Cleo say her piece first.
“If it’s got you this worked up, I think you need to talk it out. Get it all off your chest and then decide which bits are truly worth worrying over, you know?” Cleo asked her, but Jade knew it was more rhetorical than anything else.
Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes, and slowly letting it out before opening her eyes again, Jade was ready to begin.
“I’ve never been with someone for longer than a month. Ever. Even then, it really only amounted to three dates. So, I already know that what’s between us is different to anything else I’ve ever had before. I get that. Maybe there’s a bit of fear of the unknown playing on my mind because of that.” Jade paused and took another breath before continuing. “She makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. Good things. Amazing things. Calming things. So, I know for me, this is more than just a longer fling than I’ve had with anyone before.”
Jade took in the way they looked at her, faces encouraging her to continue opening her head, and heart, to help her work through her concerns.
