It was chaos, the whole Payne household was in chaos when the second last week before the wedding arrived. Kevin’s parents were now staying in a nearby hotel and were doing their best to prepare for the wedding without visiting the Payne household regularly.

Scarlet and Vanessa, both, were ecstatic when Kevin told this news. Scarlet had the urge to kiss him but refrained from doing so.

Blake was being the best brother-in-law for Kevin since he was the one that was organizing his bachelor party for him, with strippers and food and strippers and food, because that was the only two things he had in mind.

Juliet on the other hand, was given the responsibility to throw the best bachelorette party that anyone had ever seen. Taking it seriously, Juliet had kept it a surprise from the ladies what she had organized and was excited for it.

Scarlet and Lauren, had grown closer in the days following up to the two bachelor parties, and were keeping things simple and slow, with light caresses here and there but heavy kissing behind doors.

For Scarlet, things were going great. She hadn’t thought about Katie in a long while and was finding herself falling face first in a hole that she was greatly familiar with, called love. The only thing she was afraid of now was the thought of giving all of her to Lauren. That was what kept her awake with thoughts sometimes at night.

She was afraid and this time there was nowhere to run to. It was do or die, and in this case, stay or leave.

“I’ll miss you after the wedding.” Blake spoke to Scarlet with a pout on his face, as they both were sitting at a park bench. It was in the middle of the day and the two cousins had found themselves going out for a midday stroll.

Unknown to Scarlet, this stroll was for a deeper conversation on Blake’s part. He wanted to discuss a rather touchy subject with her and was afraid she might blow up on him if it was discussed in the house, surrounded by the whole family and not to forget, Lauren.

“Oh, come on, we’ll keep in touch.” Scarlet bumped her shoulders with Blake and he managed to place a smile on his face before he raised his head up to look at the sky which was clean of clouds.

Surely, it was a great day to be out.

“But, it won’t be like these moments.” Scarlet raised an eyebrow at her cousin who was suddenly behaving out of character. A guy, who was always so easy going and careless was here beside her worrying about what the future held. A guy like him, who was even doubtful of the existence of tomorrow was wondering how it would be.

“Are you okay?” Scarlet teased as she placed her open palm on his forehead to check for a fever. “I’m okay.” He retorted as he poked his elbow into Scarlet’s ribs getting a mix of a laugh and wince from the woman.

“I was just thinking.”

“A penny for your thoughts?” Scarlet spoke as she stared off into the park’s distance. Memories came to her when she looked around the park. Memories that she neither wanted to treasure nor forget. Speaking of memories, the whole town brought back those things that people remember when they come back to a certain place.

“When will you tell them?” Blake asked with his best serious voice and face as he turned to stare at his cousin, who was now staring at thin air, thinking of how to not question that question. “Tell who what?”

Blake rolled his eyes before he sighed, “The rest of the family about being a lesbian.” Scarlet knew that one day or another she would’ve been asked that question but she was expecting that question from Katie, not from her own cousin.

“Why?” Scarlet answered in a question and this time Blake turned his whole body towards Scarlet. “They deserve to know.” Scarlet rolled her eyes at him before she turned to look at him as well. “They deserve to know what I see fit for them to know.” Blake didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean but he tried to play it off by giving her a glare.

“They are your family, at least tell your parents if not everyone.”

“Look, Blake. I came out here to find peace, not to have a verbal fight with you on the topic of telling my parents about how their daughter isn’t a dick lover.” Blake wanted to gasp at her but refrained from doing so and instead grabbed her shoulders and shook her with all his might.

“They need to know, you idiot.”

“Who in the name of hell are you calling an idiot?” Scarlet growled as she slapped both of his hands away from her. “I don’t have to answer to anyone and besides, after the wedding, I’m going to go back to New York. I only came here to get away from Katie.”

“I didn’t know you were so selfish.” Blake crossed his arms, and Scarlet gave him a hard glare. “I’m not selfish, okay. I just don’t want them to know.”

“Because you’re afraid.” It wasn’t a question, more like a statement which Scarlet didn’t like at all. “I’m not afraid. I just….”

Blake looked at her, with a soft look in his eyes and sighed before he patted her back while leaning back on the bench. “You have to tell them someday or another.”

It was true. She had to tell them someday. But the thought of having to deal with the outcome of her actions was what held her back. She was afraid of being shunned by her family even though she was quite sure that most of them wouldn’t even care if she liked girls or not.

But when a certain grey-haired woman came into mind, she shivered with the results that would pile up in her head. The old woman already loathed her presence, Scarlet didn’t want her to not even want to face her anymore.

She knew that her grandmother wasn’t the best of grandmothers out there, but she was her grandmother and she, despite knowing her hatred, loved her.

“It’s the perfect time to come out, everyone’s here. And I know that everyone wouldn’t care if you like dicks or vaginas, they would still love you.” Blake spoke and Scarlet gave him a watery smile before shaking her head.

“You expect me to believe that Vanessa would still love me after knowing that I’m gay, when she was the girl that screamed bloody murder when she found out that I had a measly crush on a girl. If I remember correctly, she was the one that had torn up my limited-edition poster of Selena Gomez.” Blake laughed but then realized what Scarlet was telling him, and immediately sobered up with a serious face on his face.

“Oh, come one, that must’ve been long ago when she was a naïve child.”

“That was when she was 20 and I was 18.” Scarlet gave Blake an unamused stare. “She’s not the same woman anymore.”

Scarlet narrowed her eyes at him before she shook her head, “And not to forget that our grandmother hates me.”

“That’s just... not true.” Scarlet raised an eyebrow at him and he bowed his head down. “Well, except for those two, we all love you and would accept you.”

“Your father, Blake. Uncle Jared.”

Both Blake and Scarlet’s chins tipped a little upwards as they imagined how Uncle Jared was when he had found out that same-sex marriage was legal in all the states of America.

“America has turned queer. Everyone’s a damn homosexual. I swear if I just see one of them in front of my own eyes, I’d…. I’d have a long and hard talk with them.”

Shivers ran up their bodies just even thinking about that long and hard talk. Who knew what he would talk about even? Maybe he’d just show gay people straight porn if things went his way, while continuously saying, “Now this is how it’s done.”

Another shiver ran up their bodies and they looked at each other. Blake sighed a defeated sigh before he gave Scarlet a frown. “Then what do we do.”

“We don’t need to do anything.” Scarlet replied as she leaned back on the bench as well. “I’m not coming out.”

Blake rolled his eyes before he gave her a glare, “What if they found out on their own? What then?”

“That is for when it would happen. Right now, there is nothing to think about.” Scarlet spoke before she crossed her arms and stared at the little child that was now swinging on the swing set with his father pushing from behind him.

“But honestly speaking, I’d really miss you after the wedding.” Blake spoke as he looked over at the father and son as well. Scarlet smiled before she threw an arm around Blake’s shoulder and brought him in a loving hug.

“I’d miss you too, bug.”