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Emily had never been this nervous in her life, and she really hoped she never would be again because this was horrible. Her hands were sweating, her knees shaking and her heart beating as if she had just run a marathon.
She stood in front of her parents' bedroom and was trying to make herself go in and talk to her mother, because today was the day she was going to tell her family that she was gay.

The only other person that knew before today was her best friend Leah. Emily had talked to her about everything from the start and Leah had helped her realize that she was gay and that it was ok.
This morning she had already told her twin brother Oliver while he was playing videogames. They had a very close relationship, so Emily knew that her brother would support her no matter what, but she never would have thought he would react the way he did. The only thing he did was pause his game, look her in the eye, dead serious, and said "You realize that 'bros before hoes' goes for you too, right? You don't get my girlfriends and I don't get yours, ok?"
Emily had only nodded and hugged the shit out for him, which he just answered with an eye-roll, Beckett-style.

Thinking about her brother's light reaction enabled Emily to find the courage to knock on her parents' closed bedroom door. After she heard a "come in", she entered only with a slight feeling of hesitation.
"Hey mom. Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Kate was reading a report in bed and looked like she was going to tell Emily that she was busy right now, that they should talk in a while. When she looked up however, she seemed to pick up on how nervous her daughter was.
"Yeah sure, honey. Come sit with me." Kate said while patting the bed next to her.
Emily sat next to her mother but couldn't make the words come out of her mouth, so she just looked down and played with her hands.
"Honey?" Kate asked softly, "You know I love you and you can tell me anything, right?"
The young girl nodded, took a deep breath and just blurted it out.
"I'm gay."

"Oh thank God! Considering how nervous you were, I thought you got expelled from school, or you were pregnant or something!" her mom said, and she visibly relaxed.
"No mom, don't worry, school is great and the pregnant part, well…" Emily answered.
"Right, because you like girls." Kate realized.
"Are you sure, Milly?" Kate asked, although not with desperation in an attempt to change her daughters mind, as Emily had feared, but with honest curiosity.
"Yes, I'm sure, mom. I've talked to Leah about this over and over again, even before I was sure. So yes, I'm gay!" Emily answered her mom confidently.
"Ok." Kate said, hugged Emily tight from the side and kissed her temple. "I love you. But I do have two questions. Who have you already told?"
She smiled brightly and replied that only Leah and Oliver knew. "Oh and by the way, Oli and I have a 'bros before hoes' pack now!"
Kate laughed softly and shook her head.
"Alright, next question. Is there a girl you like?" Kate asked in a slightly teasing tone.
Emily's face turned bright red and she bashfully replied with a teenage-like "Mom, stop!"
Kate laughed at her suddenly shy daughter. "Fine. Fine. Just know that you can bring home a girl for dinner whenever you want, ok Milly? But if you do, your bedroom door must be open at all times, obviously." Kate tried to reassure her daughter with a light grin.
After she answered with a nod, her mother continues seriously.
"When are you going to tell your dad?"

Emily suddenly got nervous again and mumbled "Well, I thought that … you know … maybe you could help me with that?"
"Oh, honey, of course I will" Kate replied while hugging her again. "But you realize there is no reason to be nervous, right? Your father loves you, no matter what."
"I know Mom, but still. Could you just go and get him please?"
"Sure sweetie," Kate got up, opened the bedroom door and stuck her head out to search for her husband. After she saw him in the kitchen making something to eat for himself, she called out "Castle, could you come real quick? Milly wants to talk to you."

When her father entered the room and saw her, his smile dimmed a little and he doubtfully looked over to his wife.
"Don't worry, Castle. She isn't pregnant." Kate answered his silent question, knowing they would come to the same conclusion, always in sync.
He sighed and sat next to Emily, who was playing with her hands again.
"Hey Carrot," he hugged her tightly. "What do you want to talk to me about?"
She looked over to her mother, who gave her an encouraging nod.
"I'm gay, daddy."
"Yes!" Castle exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Oh, that is great news, Carrot!" he said with a huge smile on his face, hugging her again.
"Daddy?" she asked totally perplexed. "You're happy about this?"
"Well, yes!" her father replied looking at his wife excitedly. "Do you know what that means? No boys to chase away! No teen pregnancies! This is awesome. I love you so much, baby!" he nearly yelled as he crushed her with one of his dad-hugs again.
"So you're both fine with this?" Emily asked still a little hesitant.
"Hell yeah! We love you and we just want you to be happy. We would even love if you thought Star Wars was stupid. And I mean, that's saying something!" her dad answered, still with an enormous smile.
Emily smiled warmly at her parents, "Thank you guys, and I love you, too."

With her parents, there really wasn't any reason to be nervous.