The next morning Jade stood in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee when she heard the front door quietly close behind Cat. She stared into her mug for a moment, already missing her, but the sound of footsteps behind her pulled her out of her thoughts.
Her dad, Jason West, walked in, freshly showered and dressed for a day of meetings. He was busy as usual, but Jade noticed how he lingered by the counter a little longer than usual. She glanced up, raising an eyebrow as he hesitated.
"Morning," Jason said, leaning casually against the counter. He took a sip of his coffee but didn't leave. Jade could tell something was on his mind.
"Morning," she replied, eyeing him suspiciously. "What?"
Jason sighed, setting his cup down. "So… you and Cat?"
Jade froze, her fingers tightening around the handle of the mug. She didn't respond right away, not sure where this conversation was going. Her dad wasn't exactly the talk-about-feelings type. "What about us?"
"You don't have to pretend, Jade. I've known for a while," Jason said gently, watching her carefully. "I was just waiting for you to tell me."
Jade's expression hardened. She hated being predictable, even to her own father. "What, did Beck tell you or something?" She knew her father and her ex sometimes kept in touch, it was a little weird but also, she didn't really care what either of them did.
Jason chuckled softly. "No, Beck didn't tell me. I'm your dad, Jade. I notice things. The way you two look at each other, the way she's around all the time. You're not exactly subtle."
Jade felt her heart race, a mix of annoyance and embarrassment rising up. She wasn't used to talking about her feelings—especially not with her dad. "Okay, fine," she muttered. "We're together."
There was a brief silence. Jason watched her carefully, gauging her reaction before he continued. "I'm okay with it, you know."
Jade blinked, surprised by how easily the words came out of him. She hadn't been expecting disapproval exactly, but hearing the confirmation still felt like a weight lifting off her chest. "You are?"
Jason nodded, his expression softening. "Look, I know I'm not around as much as I should be, and I'm probably not the easiest person to talk to. But I just want you to be happy. If Cat makes you happy, then that's all that matters to me."
Jade swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in her throat. She hated getting emotional, but this—this was different. She wasn't used to her dad being this open, this understanding.
"She does make me happy," Jade admitted quietly, looking down at her coffee. "But I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want it to be… weird."
Jason smiled softly, stepping closer and placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's not weird. It's you. And I'm proud of you, Jade."
She looked up at him, feeling an unfamiliar warmth in her chest. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Instead, she nodded, giving him a small, genuine smile—something she rarely showed him.
"Thanks, Dad," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Jason squeezed her shoulder once more before picking up his cup and heading toward the door.
"Anytime," he said as he left the kitchen. "And Jade? Don't be a stranger. I'd like to get to know Cat a little better, as the girl you're dating rather than just your friend. Maybe dinner sometime?"
Jade rolled her eyes, though there was a hint of a smirk on her face. "Yeah, we'll see."
As her dad left, Jade took a deep breath, feeling lighter than she had in a while. It wasn't a conversation she'd wanted to have, but it was one she needed. And, in the end, it didn't feel so bad.
Jade lingered in the kitchen for a moment, letting her conversation with her dad settle in. It had gone better than she had anticipated, which wasn't saying much given the countless scenarios she had played out in her head. But still, she felt a flicker of pride and relief—her dad knew, and everything was okay.
With her heart still fluttering from the conversation, she reached for her phone, thinking about Cat. A smile crept onto her face; she already missed her, which was both sweet and annoying.
'Cat?' she typed, sending the message off into the void.
As Cat strolled down the sidewalk, the brisk morning air snapped her out of her thoughts. When she saw Jade's message, she paused, her heart lifting a little. 'miss me already?' she typed back, feeling playful.
But then Jade's next message made her heart race: 'I came out to my dad.'
Cat's smile faltered slightly, replaced by a mix of pride and concern. That was a big step for Jade, who usually kept her feelings tightly wrapped. It was a brave move. She paused in her tracks, not wanting to get further away from Jade's house incase she needed comforting right now.
'how did he take it?' Cat typed out quickly.
'Surprisingly well,' Jade replied. 'He said he loves me no matter what. I didn't expect that.'
'that's amazing!' Cat replied quickly, feeling a little spark of hope, a flood of relief washing over her. 'I'm so happy for you.' She typed out.
But then, as she continued her walk forward Cat contemplated her own situation. The idea of coming out to her parents didn't even cross her mind anymore. She'd been out to herself for years. She was out to everyone—her friends, her classmates—but when it came to her parents? She'd just kind of forgotten to tell them, and they had never asked.
Her thoughts drifted to her family dynamic, how they seemed oblivious to her identity, wrapped up so much with Matteo. Part of her felt a strange mix of frustration and apathy. They didn't have the right to know if they never cared to ask. It was as if her parents had set up a barrier, preventing any meaningful conversations about her life.
'maybe I should say something to my parents, too.' She typed, seeing what Jade thought of it all.
'You should,' Jade encouraged.
'I've been out to everyone but them,' Cat typed finally, her heart racing a little. 'my parents never asked. they don't see me that way.'
She hesitated, unsure if she should send it. But Jade had taken the plunge, and it felt right to share something personal too.
'Do you want to tell them?' Jade responded quickly.
Cat sighed, raking a hand through her hair as she walked. Did she want to? The answer felt more complex than a simple yes or no. She pondered her own feelings, the weight of her parents' indifference pressing down on her.
'maybe,' she replied slowly. 'but I don't know if it'll change anything. they're too focused on Matteo. I don't think they even care.'
'It's up to you Babe.'
'babe? who're you and what have you done with my girlfriend?' Cat typed back quickly, giggling to herself at the sudden new pet name.
'You seem to like when I called you Baby Girl last night.'
'Jade!' Cat blushed, rereading the text a few times.
'You said that then too. Actually it was more of a moan.' The older girl continued to tease, she could just imagine how flustered Cat would get from a text like that, and she couldn't help but laugh to herself.
'stop it!'
'You didn't say much of that.'
'I'm going to stop texting you now.'
'Spoil sport.'
The redhead slipped her phone into her pocket, shaking her head to herself. That girl really did know how to make her blush; and how to have a certain way with words. But right now she had too much to think about to continue playing that game.
Maybe her parents already knew, I mean, where else did they think she was going nearly every evening? But... then again they never asked during her past relationships either, it wouldn't surprise her if they never even noticed she was gone at night. There had been a handful of times she'd been gone for days at a time and they never even texted her to check up. Matteo just took so much of their attention. It wasn't anyones fault really, it was just the way that it was.
A/N - I've been adding more of these notes recently.
Sorry for the fact the format changes every time there's a text conversation, I just just write the way it feels right for the scene.