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Mike had always been kind to Emily, to the point where he considered her family. It wasn’t unusual for Emily to come by for a mini rehearsal in Mike’s home studio and later stay for dinner if she had the time. Anna, Mike’s wife, was fine with this too. She loved Emily and admired how she interacted with their kids. The children seemed to love Emily as well. They often asked, “When are we going to see Emily again?” Anna would just laugh and wave it off, saying, “Soon.”
One day, after one of these mini rehearsals at Mike’s studio, he said, “Hey, Em, wanna stay for dinner tonight? Anna’s making some amazing chicken. You’ve gotta try it.”
Emily, feeling hungry and not one to pass up a good meal, grinned and said, “Honestly, man, that’d be great.” She nodded enthusiastically.
“Awesome, then,” Mike said as he started walking toward the door, Emily following behind him. “I’ll go tell Anna we’ve got a guest and help her out. In the meantime, you can say hi to Kayla if you want. She’s in her room upstairs.” He gestured toward the stairs.
Emily smiled and made her way upstairs.
Emily had always loved Mike’s oldest daughter, Kayla. She was really sweet and a little shy, but once you got to know her, she could be so much fun to hang out with. Despite their twenty two year age gap, their connection felt effortless—though Emily suspected her childish nature was part of the reason kids loved her so much. When they did something silly, Emily wouldn’t get annoyed. Instead, she’d join in and do something silly too.
When Emily reached Kayla’s room, she knocked gently. A soft “Come in” sounded from the other side.
Opening the door, Emily was greeted by Kayla’s excited voice: “Emillyyyy!” The young girl ran to her and hugged her tightly.
“I missed you,” Kayla said.
“I missed you too, sweetie,” Emily replied warmly, returning the hug.
When Kayla pulled away, she asked hopefully, “Are you staying for dinner tonight?”
“Yeah, I am! I hear your mom’s cooking some amazing chicken,” Emily said with a smile.
“She makes the best chicken in the world. I’m telling you, once you try it, there’s no going back,” Kayla said, shaking her head as if it were a matter of life and death.
“Well, that sounds incredible,” Emily said as she sat on the bed, Kayla following her. “So, tell me—how have you been? Anything interesting happen lately?”
“Not really. Just the same boring school stuff. Lots of homework and tests,” Kayla said, rolling her eyes dramatically.
“What? No school drama or tea?” Emily gasped, feigning shock.
“I wish! That’d make school life bearable—so long as I’m not part of the drama, of course.” Kayla chuckled.
“Fair enough,” Emily laughed. “Alright then, I’ll come back and grab you when dinner’s ready.” She stood up and made her way to the door.
“Wait, Emily?” Kayla’s voice stopped her, hesitant.
“Yeah?” Emily turned around, her expression soft and curious.
“Can I ask you something? It’s a bit personal,” Kayla said, wrapping her arms around her legs protectively, like she was defending herself even though she didn’t need to.
“Of course, you can ask me anything,” Emily reassured her, sitting back down beside her.
Kayla sighed, mentally preparing herself for the conversation. “You like girls, right?” she asked quietly.
Emily raised her brows, surprised by the question, but she was fine with it. As long as the person asking was respectful, she didn’t mind these types of questions—especially from someone like Kayla. She could tell this wasn’t just curiosity; Kayla needed to know for a deeper reason.
“Yeah, I do,” Emily answered calmly.
“How did you, like… you know, make peace with it? I mean, when everyone keeps telling you that you’re ‘supposed’ to like boys and stuff?” Kayla asked carefully.
Emily took a moment to think. “Well, you know, at first, it was really hard. Especially back then, when it was so much harder to come out and be accepted. Of course, I doubted my feelings. I thought something was wrong with me. But eventually, I accepted it. Love is love, and I’m not ashamed of who I like,” she said with a smile.
“I know, but like… didn’t you ever feel kind of invisible to your friends? When every girl talks about having a boyfriend, or how pretty some boy is, and they wanna date him, and you’re just… there?” Kayla asked, her voice quieter.
“Well, of course, I did,” Emily admitted. “But that’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with people like you. It doesn’t matter if it’s in real life or online—you need someone with the same mindset, you know?” Emily looked at Kayla with a soft gaze.
“I think I like girls too,” Kayla said quietly.
“And that’s awesome!” Emily beamed, placing a comforting hand on Kayla’s leg. “Do your parents know?”
“No. I know my parents are supportive, but I’m still so scared to tell them,” Kayla said, biting her lip.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I know your parents will accept you. But if you’re not ready yet, you don’t have to push yourself. When the time is right, you’ll know. And if it helps, I can be there for you when you do it—if it makes it easier or safer for you,” Emily said, her smile warm and reassuring.
“Thank you,” Kayla said, her voice soft but full of gratitude.
“Now, come here,” Emily said, spreading her arms. Kayla immediately leaned into her, burying her face in the soft, cozy sweater Emily was wearing. Emily’s warm embrace comforted Kayla, filling her with a sense of safety and understanding. She felt so grateful to have someone she could talk to who wouldn’t judge her. In Emily, she saw the older sister she never had—a sister who would always protect and support her.
As they hugged, Emily said gently, “If you ever need to talk about this, I’m always here. It doesn’t matter if it’s to vent or to talk about a girl crush. I’ll support you and help you with whatever’s on your mind, okay? You can trust me.” She rubbed Kayla’s back soothingly.
“I know. Thank you for being here for me,” Kayla mumbled into Emily’s sweater.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. “Girls, dinner’s ready,” Mike’s voice called out.
“We’ll be there!” Emily replied quickly.
She pulled back from the hug and smiled at Kayla. “So, ready to go eat this world-famous chicken from your mom?”
Kayla laughed, getting up from the bed. Together, they headed to the door.
The rest of the evening was spent with Kayla’s family—who, in her mind, included Emily. For the first time in a while, Kayla felt completely at ease. She was loud, happy, and always had something to say.
When it was time for Emily to head home, Mike hugged her goodbye. “Listen, I don’t know what you said to Kayla, but I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time,” he said with a smile. “Thank you for whatever you did. You should come over more often—seriously.”
Emily smiled back. “Kayla’s a good kid. She’s just… figuring some things out. Give her some space and time. Don’t push her. She’ll tell you everything when she’s ready,” she said, slipping her hands into her pockets.
Mike nodded, feeling grateful for Emily. He was proud of how naturally she fit into their family, and he appreciated the comfort and wisdom she brought to their lives. To him, Emily wasn’t just a guest—she was family.