“Only sometimes?” Brian echoes.
“We’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks,” I interject. “And it’s not like we live together.”
Oliver nods.
“I’m just so happy you took up baking, and it sounds like you enjoy cooking, too,” Steph continues. “No offense, DEADNAME, but I was worried you wouldn’t pick up any feminine hobbies.”
I struggle not to roll my eyes. “Cooking and baking aren’t feminine hobbies,” I argue.
Cody snorts, and Oliver stiffens.
“That’s what I mean,” Steph continues. “You’ve always had a hang-up about gender roles, so I was worried you’d refuse to even try. Like you’d refuse to cook just out of spite, like a radical feminist or something.”
I open my mouth to protest, but think better of it. “Nope.”
“That’s good!” Steph says with a grin. “I’m sure Oliver appreciates it!”
Oliver says nothing, which makes me nervous.
“Careful, Steph,” Cody says with a smirk. “You’re going to reactivate the sleeper feminist agent, and then she’ll never cook for Oliver again.”
I ignore him, resting my hand on Oliver’s knee. He relaxes slightly and resumes gently rubbing my shoulder.
“Come on, let’s cut DEADNAME some slack,” Brian says. “I think she’s come a long way in the past two years.”
“That’s right!” Mom chimes in. “Oliver probably knows about that rough patch in senior year, but–”
“Mom, can we not?” I croak, finally looking up to meet my mother's gaze.
Her eyes widen. “Oh, does he…does he not know?”
“Not know what?” Ashlynn asks.
“Ash, don’t encourage this,” Taylor hisses. “Y’all have got to stop picking on them, or Oliver’s never coming back.”
“But it’s hilarious!” Cody bellows. “Trust me, DEADNAME. In a few years, you and Oliver will look back on your lesbian phase and laugh.”
Every muscle in my body tenses. Fuck.
“Wow, Cody,” Taylor says. “Real mature.”
Ashlynn gasps. “Wait, DEADNAME, you went through a lesbian phase?”
“Can we please stop throwing around the ‘L-word’?” Megan reprimands. “The kids don’t need to hear that.”
“It was more than just an ‘L-word’ phase,” Cody continues, unfazed. “She was also trying to change her name to something weird and genderless, use ‘they/them’ pronouns, and all that ‘woke’ nonsense.”
Oliver inhales sharply. I glance at him and see him staring straight ahead, jaw tight, a bead of sweat on his temple. I look away. Maybe we should just leave now. I hate seeing Oliver like this. It’s all my fault.
“But the lesbian thing is funny, at least,” Cody adds with a chuckle. “It’s no wonder she’s into baby-faced, long-haired dudes, huh, Oliver?”
Oliver doesn’t move. I’m not even sure he’s breathing.
“Knock it off, Cody,” Danny interjects, his voice low and angry.
“Seriously, you’re being a jerk,” Taylor adds.
Cody scoffs at them. “Oh, come on, I’m just blowing smoke. That’s what families do.” He smirks at Oliver again. “Oliver wasnever going to get the real story from DEADNAME, now, was he?”
