Breaking Up Point by Brian McNamara

Author:Brian McNamara [McNamara, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626394568
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2015-08-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

A new day, a new email from my sister. Except this time it’s not from Sarah. It’s from Phoebe. This is getting ridiculous.

The subject reads, “Just so you know…” I open the email to find a hyperlink that leads to a news article. I click it and see the headline—New HIV Strain Prominent in Gay Community. My jaw drops as I close out the window.

What is her problem? If she truly were concerned about this new HIV strain, I don’t think she’d send an email with a four-word subject line and nothing else. Someone who cares would be a little more careful and thoughtful in how they present something like this.

I know that I should just delete the email and not respond, but I decide that I finally need to stand up for myself. I reply to the email and type, “Just so YOU know…” I then paste a link to an article titled, “Do You Know Where Your Husband Is? Infidelity at an All-Time High.” It’s equally rude and immature, but I don’t care. I’m not going to play softball anymore.

I get a call from Chris later that day, whose timing couldn’t be better.

“I’m calling to see how you’re doing,” he says.

“With my family stuff?”

“Yeah. Has it gotten better?”

I let out a sigh. “I guess the short answer is no. My sisters keep calling and emailing me, telling me I’m wrong, naïve, sinful…”

“That’s so annoying,” Chris says. “I’m sorry.”

“Remind me how long it took for your family to come around.”

“I’m trying to think. It was a gradual acceptance. Keep in mind I was really young when I came out to them so I think they wanted to make sure I wasn’t confused.”

“Were you in eighth grade when you came out?” I ask.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“That’s crazy. Like, not that you’re crazy for coming out at such a young age, but—”

“It’s just not common. But as I got older, my parents saw that this was something that wasn’t going to change.”

“People keep telling me that things will get better with time, but here I am, a year after coming out to my mom, and things are still bad with her. Like, literally no improvement.”

“I mean, Brendan, maybe I shouldn’t say this but, you know…it might take years for your family to come around. Not to make you feel worse, but—”

“No, no. Thank you. I need to hear that. And honestly, the damage has already been done. The things they’ve said to me can’t be unsaid.”

“God, I don’t even want to know,” Chris says.

“You know, I talk to my gay friends here and their parents were totally cool and accepting when they came out to them. What the hell? Why is my family so annoying?”

“If it makes you feel better, there are plenty of others who have to deal with this too.”

“Yeah, that’s true—some probably in much worse situations than mine.”

“You should lie and tell your family that you have a boyfriend just to throw it in their faces,” Chris says. “Or better yet, actually go get a boyfriend and then bring him home.

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