He went back into the other room, his parents still there. Marco looked up at him. "-What happened back there, Jacq?" His son paused. "-Uhhh... had to... turn something off." His tone wasn't very convincing, but Marco simply nodded, "-Ah." "-So what was it that you wanted to tell us, sweetie?" Lorelei inquired. "-Right... that," Jacque muttered outloud. "First... ummm... maybe you should sit down too, Mom." His mother looked muddled at the request, but did so, along with Jacque. "Alright..." Taking a deep breath, the young feline started. "-Mom... Dad... lately I've been somewhat... confused over... 'stuff' that's come up..." They didn't known exactly what he meant by "stuff", but his parents gave him nod to go on. "-And so... I've gotten to thinking... and a LOT of it..." Knowing that he was prattling on, Jacque forced himself into further. "-And anyways...it comes to this." Both Marco and Lorelei listened closely. "-I've... come to realize that I... am..." he faltered. The pause broke his trace of thought, and a different sentence spilled out. "-Not... interested in girls." Marco, moreso than Lorelei, had the most lost expression on his face. They both couldn't help but exchange glances, seeing if either had more clue of this meaning than the other. *OH... MY... GOD... did I just SAY that???* Jacque freaked. It hadn't sounded good in his head, and it sounded even worse outside of it. How much more absurd could an explanation like THAT sound??? Finally, Marco slowly said, "-Well... uhhh... that's... nothing to be ashamed of son..." You're still... quite young right?" That sort of thing, comes in time." No pressure." Jacque shook his head, trying to recompose himself. "-No... that's... not what I meant to say... well... sort of... but not exactly." Seeing her son was obviously in an extreme nervous state, Lorelei reached out and squeezed his hand. "-Jacque, sweetie... it's okay." Whatever you're trying to tell us, we want you to know that we're here for you and we'll help you the best we can with whatever it is." Feeling a slight comfortance from his mother's encouragement, the teenager nodded. "-Thanks Mom." Then facing both parents once more, Jacque spoke, "-Okay... you've both taught me to be open and honest towards you, right?" So you deserve to know this truth." And the truth is... that I..." *Here goes nothing!* he thought one last time. "-Am gay." For a minute, there was silence. Jacque held his breath, looking at his parents' expressions. Lorelei had an eerily calm face on. Marco just looked blank, no real obvious look to be deciphered. This nearly made Jacque faint, from the overwhelming anxiety. But at last, Marco spoke the first words. "-You're... 'gay'... as in?" At first, Jacque thought that his father was saying the meaning outloud, but then realized from the expectant look on Marco's face, that he was asking Jacque WHAT the meaning was. "-As in... homosexual!" As in I'm attracted to men!" he blurted out. "There, are you happy??" This of course was a rhetorical question... Sir Marco looked ANYTHING but happy. As was apparent in his next question. "-Jacque... are you... joking with us, or something?" His son looked hurt at this. "-Dad... if it was just a 'joke' would I be taking so much time to come out and say it???" he cried out. "I'm not 'kidding'!" I'm serious, I'm gay!" "-But..." the lynx pressed, "I mean... are you SURE about this, Jacque?" This could possibly just be a misunderstanding-" "Dad, I can assure you, it's NOT." All the facts point to this, and frankly I'm starting to notice the signs." And even Mr.Adam said-!" "-Mr.Adam??" Marco echoed. "You went to see him??" Wh... what for??" Jacque ears lowered. "-I know, I know, he's on that break... but I just thought I should a 'professional's' opinion about this!" And I DID offer him money, but he wouldn't take it, so-" His father tightened his mouth. "-Jacque... since when did you start talking to psychiatrists about your problems, instead of your family??" Isn't that what we're here for?" Don't you trust us??" "-Of COURSE I do!!" Isn't that why I'm telling you this here right now?" I'm asking for your help and opinion, because I trust you'll give it to me in the best way, 'cuz that's what you've always done!" So go on Dad, WHAT do you have to say about it??" Jacque was practically yelling by now, and on the verge of tears. Marco didn't respond; he couldn't bring himself to. Instead he just rose to his feet and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Jacque stared hopelessly, watching him leave. Sinking into a chair behind him, his head hung low, the young feline hybrid couldn't stop the tears in time. He held his face between his palms, mournfully. Lorelei moved over to him, throwing her arms around her son, trying to comfort him. "-Oh Jacque, sweetheart..." Shhh... it's alright, baby." You haven't done anything wrong... we're not mad at you." Sniffling, her son looked up at her. "-I know you're not... but what about Dad?" You saw what just happened..." He breathed hard. "He hates me now, doesn't he?" His mother shook her head. "-No, no, Jacq don't think like that... your father does NOT hate you!" He loves you!" "-Well then what was 'that' all about?" He's gotta be disturbed or sickened by me, or SOMETHING right??" Lorelei tried to think of the best thing to reply as she could. "-Jacque... listen to me." No matter what you choose to become, me and your father are still your parents, and you're still our son." Nothing will change that." I'm just relieved that you chose to tell us about this; it means so much to me." And I'M here to support you, all the way, sweetie." And I'll see to it that your father will come around, alright?" Jacque slowly nodded, and hugged his mother. Holding her son tightly, Lorelei thought to herself, *-I've fought so hard to have this family... and I'm not going to let it fall.*
With Jacque back up in his room, the mother caracal went to seek out her husband, to get to the bottom of it. When Lorelei entered the kitchen, she was greeted by a loud hacking sound. She saw Marco standing over a cutting board, chopping the leftover tomatoes from their dinner. Usually very neat with this sort of thing, he was noisily thudding the knife against the surface, half the time not even cutting the tomato. His wife stood behind him, her arms crossed. "-What have I said about using sharp objects when you're mad?" Marco paused. "-I'm not mad," he said, mechanically. Then he went back to chopping. Lorelei raised an eyebrow. "-Then may I ask why you're turning the tomatoes into mulsh?" Her husband paused again. He looked down at the fruit, which had been hacked into a squashed, soggy mess. He simply set down the knife, and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "-Marco, what's gotten into you??" "-Nothing's 'gotten into' me Lorelei, I'm fine!" he told her, rubbing his hands, furiously. She wasn't convinced, but responded, "-Well... if 'you're' fine... may I tell you what 'isn't'??" Marco finally looked at her. "-Huh?" Lorelei glared at him, hard. "-Do you have any idea of what you've done to you son?" He didn't understand. "-What did I do??" "-He thinks you hate him!" That you're ashamed of him, because of this!" The lynx blinked, "-He what??" The female caracal shook her muzzle, "-Oh, don't you give me that... you KNOW exactly why he'd think that!!" Since when do you walk out of the room like that, when he's just told you something important??" Marco tried to explain, "-Lorelei, it's not that fact that he IS... 'gay' that upsets me the most-" "-Then WHAT?" Tell me!" his wife demanded. "It's what could've CAUSED him to become this, that worries me!" Lorelei paused, thinking over this. "-I dont underst-" she started to say, but her husband went into further explanation. "-I mean... HOW did this happen?" Was it... was it something WE did??" Marco questioned outloud. His wife then looked sympathetic, "-Oh Marco, don't-" "-Could we have done something wrong, that we didn't even know of?" Was it something we said?" Or something we didn't say?" the father lynx pondered, dazedly. "-No, no... you're not not seeing this right!" the mother caracal fretted. "-Marco, it's nothing WE did-!" "-Well how do you know, Lorelei??" Maybe it WAS!" Or... wait... what if this is MY fault?" Marco thought. "Could 'I' have been the one who did or didn't tell him what I should've??" Or what if... what if I haven't've spent enough time with him?" Lorelei was bewildered. "-Sweetie, that's not true!" You spend more than enough time with-" "-Then maybe I spent TOO much time with him then!" "-Marco, there's no such thing as TOO much spending time with your children!" cried his wife. "And if there was, Jacque would've been honest and said something!" "-Well if it's not that, and or anything else I've said, then WHAT is it, because nothing else makes SENSE!!" Marco shrieked. There was silence between the couple, for a minute. Finally Lorelei said, "-Marco... listen to me." This is not our fault." It's not yours, not mine, not anyone's." Not even Jacque's." You're talking about this like it was a PUNISHMENT!" It's not, sweetie... it's a CHOICE." And it's JACQUE's choice." And he has the right to make it." The lynx gave a heavy sigh, taking it in. "But he-" "-Honey," his wife stopped him. "We've done everything we can... we've given him the best parents we can be to him, and he loves us very much." He's a good boy; he respects us and everyone else around him... he's smart, sweet and everything any parent could wish for their child." Marco quietly admitted, "-He is...." He's our boy." "-I know." And you've got to believe this... Jacque's not doing this to upset us or anyone... he's just doing what his heart is telling him is the right thing to do." He's always been good at that," Lorelei told him. "And no matter what Marco, in the end he's still our son." Our little Jacque... remember?" At last, a small smile formed across her husband's lips. "Yes... I do." He gently held his arms around her, and kissed her face. "In fact... excuse me awhile." Letting go, Marco headed for the doorway. His wife looked to him. "-Where are you going?" He halted, turned around, and simply replied, "-I'm going to talk to my son."
With Jacque back up in his room, the mother caracal went to seek out her husband, to get to the bottom of it. When Lorelei entered the kitchen, she was greeted by a loud hacking sound. She saw Marco standing over a cutting board, chopping the leftover tomatoes from their dinner. Usually very neat with this sort of thing, he was noisily thudding the knife against the surface, half the time not even cutting the tomato. His wife stood behind him, her arms crossed. "-What have I said about using sharp objects when you're mad?" Marco paused. "-I'm not mad," he said, mechanically. Then he went back to chopping. Lorelei raised an eyebrow. "-Then may I ask why you're turning the tomatoes into mulsh?" Her husband paused again. He looked down at the fruit, which had been hacked into a squashed, soggy mess. He simply set down the knife, and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "-Marco, what's gotten into you??" "-Nothing's 'gotten into' me Lorelei, I'm fine!" he told her, rubbing his hands, furiously. She wasn't convinced, but responded, "-Well... if 'you're' fine... may I tell you what 'isn't'??" Marco finally looked at her. "-Huh?" Lorelei glared at him, hard. "-Do you have any idea of what you've done to you son?" He didn't understand. "-What did I do??" "-He thinks you hate him!" That you're ashamed of him, because of this!" The lynx blinked, "-He what??" The female caracal shook her muzzle, "-Oh, don't you give me that... you KNOW exactly why he'd think that!!" Since when do you walk out of the room like that, when he's just told you something important??" Marco tried to explain, "-Lorelei, it's not that fact that he IS... 'gay' that upsets me the most-" "-Then WHAT?" Tell me!" his wife demanded. "It's what could've CAUSED him to become this, that worries me!" Lorelei paused, thinking over this. "-I dont underst-" she started to say, but her husband went into further explanation. "-I mean... HOW did this happen?" Was it... was it something WE did??" Marco questioned outloud. His wife then looked sympathetic, "-Oh Marco, don't-" "-Could we have done something wrong, that we didn't even know of?" Was it something we said?" Or something we didn't say?" the father lynx pondered, dazedly. "-No, no... you're not not seeing this right!" the mother caracal fretted. "-Marco, it's nothing WE did-!" "-Well how do you know, Lorelei??" Maybe it WAS!" Or... wait... what if this is MY fault?" Marco thought. "Could 'I' have been the one who did or didn't tell him what I should've??" Or what if... what if I haven't've spent enough time with him?" Lorelei was bewildered. "-Sweetie, that's not true!" You spend more than enough time with-" "-Then maybe I spent TOO much time with him then!" "-Marco, there's no such thing as TOO much spending time with your children!" cried his wife. "And if there was, Jacque would've been honest and said something!" "-Well if it's not that, and or anything else I've said, then WHAT is it, because nothing else makes SENSE!!" Marco shrieked. There was silence between the couple, for a minute. Finally Lorelei said, "-Marco... listen to me." This is not our fault." It's not yours, not mine, not anyone's." Not even Jacque's." You're talking about this like it was a PUNISHMENT!" It's not, sweetie... it's a CHOICE." And it's JACQUE's choice." And he has the right to make it." The lynx gave a heavy sigh, taking it in. "But he-" "-Honey," his wife stopped him. "We've done everything we can... we've given him the best parents we can be to him, and he loves us very much." He's a good boy; he respects us and everyone else around him... he's smart, sweet and everything any parent could wish for their child." Marco quietly admitted, "-He is...." He's our boy." "-I know." And you've got to believe this... Jacque's not doing this to upset us or anyone... he's just doing what his heart is telling him is the right thing to do." He's always been good at that," Lorelei told him. "And no matter what Marco, in the end he's still our son." Our little Jacque... remember?" At last, a small smile formed across her husband's lips. "Yes... I do." He gently held his arms around her, and kissed her face. "In fact... excuse me awhile." Letting go, Marco headed for the doorway. His wife looked to him. "-Where are you going?" He halted, turned around, and simply replied, "-I'm going to talk to my son."