Edwin P.O.V.
Jasiri and I had just found Nala and my mother in my mother's bedroom. The two of us are still perplexed of the situation, not knowing what to say.
"Wait?! What is going on here? Why is Nala here? How do you know her? And again WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" I said in confusion.
"Yeah, I'm confused too. Why are you here Nala? And how do you know Julia?" Jasiri asked in the same confused tone.
"Well I think that it's best that we go out to the living room and discuss this in further detail." My mother said.
"Yes, I think that would be a good idea. Just let us get ready for a few minutes and we will discuss everything with you." Nala said.
"Okay, fine, we'll let you get ready and we will calmly discuss these matters and questions." I said as Jasiri nodded.
Jasiri and I soon left the bedroom and headed towards the living room. Jasiri grabbed the jacket she was wearing earlier today and placed it over the nightgown she was wearing.
We were sitting down on the couch for some time, and then we saw my mom and Nala in robes over their pajamas and or nightgowns. They both sat in chairs adjacent to the couch.
"Okay we are all answering any question you two have about us and our relationship?" My mother asked.
"Okay, I will start off by asking, how long have you known each other? Plus does Nelle know about this? Did things not work out between you two?" I asked.
"We have known each other for five months, we initially started out as friends for two weeks until we realized that there were other feelings between us." My mom replied.
"And yes, 'Nelle' does know about this, but I know she is totally fine with it." Nala said while starting to develop across her face.
"Really? How would you know? Did you guys tell her?" Jasiri asked.
"Let me clarify this for you guys…..I AM Nelle. Nelle is just the name that I let Julia use with her family members. Get it? Nelle…Nala. And even when both of our work and other friends know about us, but no one else in Julia's family, my family and most of the former Pride Landers and Outlanders. For a few, I fabricated a story of having multiple dates with random people. I have been living here since I moved out of the place I used to live with Simba." Nala said.
"Yeah, and why I was so evasive in introducing 'Nelle'- or Nala to you guys. Not only did you guys already know each other, but I was afraid of being perceived as a 'home-wrecker' or being blamed for the divorce by the former Pride Lander and Outlanders." My mother said,
"Which is actually not true since mine and Simba's issues, as you probably heard, started way before Julia and I even met." Nala said.
"Okay, now that explains the evasiveness of discussing your relationship and not introducing us to Nelle or Nala. But neither of us would have blamed you for Nala and Simba's divorce Mom. If more details were given to us earlier, then finding out about your guys could have been a little less awkward." I replied.
"Thank you for understanding, and yes I wish you finding out about my relationship with Nala would have been less awkward if we told you guys earlier." My mother said.
"So Nala, since you are dating Julia, do you identify as bi or-" Jasiri asked before Nala interrupted her.
"Actually, I'm gay. I've been in the closet for a long time, and Julia was the first person I came out to. I also told a few people that I worked with at my newer job, and some of Julia's and my friends., but Jasiri, you are the first former Outlander/ Pride Lander hybrid that I have told, none of the others know. So you and Edwin are the first of my former museum colleagues to know about it." Nala said.
The two of us raised our eyebrows and widened our eyes of this revelation. Neither of us knew that Nala was in the closet, nor were there any indicators that she was attracted to women. Though we all knew that she definitely was not happy being married to Simba, there appears to be more to Nala's story than we initially thought.
"Wow…..The both of us are thankful that you trust us enough to tell us. We will always be here for you whenever you need any form of support" Jasiri said.
"Yeah, we are so proud of you and wish you nothing but happiness in your life." I said.
"Thank you, I appreciate your support. I will let you two know if I need anything." Nala replied in a gentler tone.
"Also, would it be okay if I ask you another question Nala?" I asked her.
"Sure, no problem Edwin. What is your question?" Nala said.
"When did you first know that you were attracted to women?" I asked.
"Okay, I hope you guys don't mind but this is going to be a long story…" Nala said, after which, Jasiri and I both nodded our heads in response.
"So I think the first time I really knew I was gay was when I was a cub in the Mufasa-era Pride Lands. When I was a cub, though Simba and I used to hang out a lot, there were also many times where he was busy with his dad giving him lessons on how to be the future king. During those times, I usually liked to watch our pride's lionesses go hunt. I was entranced with every motion, pounce, jump and movement they made…and there was just something so expressive about how they hunted….seeing how they were so strong, yet so graceful at the same time. I could even feel my body tingling on some occasions, and that was before I realized what exactly causes those sensations. Then as you know, after Scar killed Mufasa and tricked Simba into running away, everything in the Pride Lands went to crap. Though the Pride Lands population dwindled and the lands were being over hunted…there were times I still watched the lionesses hunt and I still had the tingling sensations. Some point later, my mother gave me the 'bird and the bees talk' of where babies come from and explained where the tingling sensations came from. But I still had questions for my mother because she said it happens between male and female, but mine was between me and another female. So I asked my mother some of my questions and that I had the tingling sensations with other lionesses, and my mother just told me that I was 'confused' and that this was just a 'phase' caused by my 'hormones going wild'. So yeah, you could say that my first de facto attempt at coming out did not go well. Yeah, even after Simba became king of the Pride Lands, none of us were aware of the concept of homosexuality or being attracted to the same sex. Most of the older Pride Landers back then would have thought someone being attracted to someone of the same sex would be, and I quote, 'insane'." Nala said before Jasiri asked a question.
"Wait a second, weren't Simba and Bunga raised by Timon and Pumbaa?" Jasiri asked.
"Oh yeah, they were, but no one really saw the two of them as a couple back then. We all initially thought that they were just two friends that lived with each other." Nala replied
"Okay so where did we leave off….oh yeah, during Scar's reign and my mother. So after that conversation with my mother, I guess I was letting what she said get to my head. That conversation made me doubt myself on whether I was certain about who I was attracted to, or whether I was 'confused' just like she said. With this internal debate, I still occasionally peaked at the other lionesses of the hunting party I was in. Then one day, I went out to the jungle to see if I could find prey to hunt and to my shock….I found Simba. When I saw him, I was ecstatic since this is the one lion that could help us get rid of Scar. And though yes, I admit, Simba and I had some intimate time together before we went to reclaim the throne. But then after defeating Scar, I started to question myself whether I was really attracted to this lion, or whether I was just caught up in the excitement of getting rid of Scar at the time. I then realized, 'wait? What did I get myself into?', but for some reason I tried making excuses for staying in a relationship with someone I wasn't attracted to because it was expected of me from everyone in the kingdom. I played the charade and tried to make it seem to Simba and everyone else it was a happy relationship, even getting voluntarily intimate with Simba a couple of times, though I didn't necessarily enjoy it. I did think about leaving but then I discovered I was pregnant with Kiara, so that hindered those thoughts for that time since it would have created a huge scandal if I left with the Pride Lands' only heir at the time. So I stayed mostly because at the time I thought it would have been the best thing for my future child. Even when I was not really attracted to him, I still tried to maintain this image that Simba and I were this 'perfect couple', but as you already know, Simba was not that committed to our 'relationship' either. He had affairs with other lionesses several times, the first time I found out was when I overheard him flirting with Barika, one of the lionesses in my hunting party, his affair with her resulted in the birth of Zuri, who was actually one of Kiara's childhood friends. After Kiara was born, life became so mundane yet mentally exhausting for me. My life essentially became restricted to either hunting or childcare, don't get me wrong I love Kiara with all my heart, but I guess I was suffering from a combination of boredom and pressure to maintain this image I manufactured, plus a little bit of what I now learned was either postpartum depression or something similar to that, during the early stages after Kiara's birth. Even when Simba did not know my lack of attraction to him at the time, it certainly felt like he did because he chased tails with other lionesses on frequent occasions. Then one day, this pride of lions and lionesses from another land came to visit in regards of a potential diplomatic relationship between our prides, and one of the lionesses that came was the younger sister of their king…..and when I first saw her, I started to feel genuinely attracted to her. Her name was Shani, and for her kingdom, she acted as both an advisor and a huntress. We talked to each other when we had free time, with either my mother or Simba's mother volunteering to watch Kiara since they thought I could 'use the breaks once in a while.' We talked about our lives, children, and even stuff I would never have felt comfortable discussing Simba or anyone else in the Pride Lands at the time. Funny thing, Shani was going through similar stuff because like me, she was also more attracted to females and was basically forced into a betrothal with a lion she had absolutely no interest in, and who constantly pressures her on the 'importance' of having children, along with blaming her each time they failed when trying. We comforted each other, laughed with each other and discussed our innermost secrets. Being with Shani was significant because she was the first person…or lioness I knew that I could really be myself around. We flirted with each other, touched each other and even hugged each other once or twice. But my time with Shani did not last long enough to reach past that. We even fantasized about one day leaving our prides, starting our own and potentially traveling far beyond the borders we knew. Then one day, I started to feel more nauseous, tired and hungry than usual; so I went to Rafiki and found out that I was pregnant again, with Kion this time. Plus to add to the difficulty of that day, the diplomatic discussions between our two prides did not really work out, and it was announced that Shani's Pride will be leaving that night. At one point, Shani and I met for one last time that afternoon, not telling her that I was pregnant. She told me that she was planning to abandon her pride that night and asked me to join her in achieving that fantasy. But I told her that I needed some time to think; she told me she understood and told me that if I was still up to it, that I should meet her at our usual spot later that night. After that conversation, I had an internal conflict on whether I should stay in a mundane life which included mental exhaustion and anxiety while keeping my true sexuality a secret, or potentially take a huge risk to possibly gain the opportunity to be the truest form of myself and be free from the mundane life. I was strongly considering going with Shani, but then I remembered I was pregnant. At the time, I was thinking that if I chose to go with Shani, there were too many uncertainties of what could happen if the cub was born because what would happen if the cub was born and we still did not have a permanent place to settle down, or if we enter a conflicts with rogues or another kingdom, or what if we entered a period of time or region where there was no food. I guess I was so scared of this uncertainty, that I decided not to go with her and stayed with Simba in order to 'stay together for the kids'. I never saw Shani again. After Kion was born, the mundane yet exhausting cycle continued, and outside the conflicts the Pride Lands and or Pride Landers were involved in, my life was somehow both boring and difficult. I never felt comfortable enough to express my true self with anybody, so I became this quiet, reserved and more evasive when it came to conversations on personal matters. Then after the drought, and our transformations to hybrids, I only stayed married to Simba again to 'stay together for the kids' since they were struggling to adjust to the human world. Even after Kiara and Kion grew up and moved out, I stayed with Simba a few more years because for some reason, I thought it was too late to get out. In my early years in the human world, I did not really have a chance to explore my true sexuality and sexual preferences because me and the other former Pride Landers were in survival mode in a society completely new to us. I didn't really learn about LGBTQIA+ identity until I was taking college classes. I read books, websites and even talked with other people, and as I learned more I felt that a lot of this subject matters is pretty relevant to my past and present life experiences. During the earlier phases of finding missing parts of my identity, I initially thought that I might have been bisexual because I was attracted to women but also in a relationship with a male. But then I realized that I had absolutely no attraction to men….I only felt attracted to women, which is when I started identifying myself more with what I always knew I was…a lesbian. Though yes, when I had freetime when neither Simba or other former Pride Landers were around, I did gently flirt with other women on some occasions, but now my issue was not having the confidence to leave Simba and live my life as I want it. That was until I met Julia." Nala said as she then started to turn her head towards my mother, then began to speak.
"Yeah, I still remember when we first met. It was earlier in July and I was at a farmer's market to buy some produce for my place. I was looking through the mushrooms one tent had when I accidentally bumped into someone alo looking at another set of mushrooms. That person ended up being Nala. I apologized to her and then noticed that she was using a cloth bag that had the logo of a street festival near my neighborhood that I recently went to, which acted as our icebreaker for conversation. After briefly introducing ourselves, we delved more into conversations about our families, social lives, work and everyday stuff. As we purchased the items we wanted, we ended up talking to each other for nearly two to three hours, and then exchanged numbers so that we could talk and hang out with each other more often. We called and texted each other frequently and even met up two or three times a week either at my place or a neutral location. The further we got to know each other, I started to feel closer to her, and felt that I could trust her with anything. I soon started to feel attracted to her, but when I first thought she was straight, I initially thought he was unattainable. Soon, after about a week and a half of knowing each other, she asked to meet at my place and that he had something to tell and show me….and that was the night she told me about being a hybrid. She showed me her lioness form for the first time and told me about the Pride Lands, the drought, the injections and all the other stuff. Initially I was shocked and a little doubtful, but much of what she told me seemed too specific for it to be some kind of fabrication, along with seeing a human turn into an anthropomorphic lion in front of my eyes. I assured her that her being hybrid was not going to change anything between us. Then a few nights later, we hung out again and this time, I was getting more attracted to her than before. Soon we touched each other's hands and gazed into each other's eyes, even letting out a small laugh. Then, in the heat of the moment, I was leaning my head towards her head almost as if I was going to kiss her….but to my shock, she was leaning her head towards mine and our lips soon touched, kissing for about five or ten seconds until Nala opened her eyes ad quickly pulled back and saw her face turn red. I was so embarrassed at the time because I felt I made her feel uncomfortable. I profusely apologized to her until she interrupted to tell me that she actually enjoyed it…..and then she confessed to me that she was actually attracted to women. She then told me about her knowing her sexual preferences when she was younger, the whole doing what others expected of her, the Shani thing and the whole 'staying together for the kids' thing. As I was listening to her story, I was thinking 'oh my goodness,...I went through similar stuff when I was still in the closet'. I particularly related to the 'doing what others expect of me' and 'stay together for the kids' experiences because I did the same things before I came out. So we had a personal conversation in which we discussed both our relationship, and her future coming out to the other people in her life. We discussed how she will come out only when she is ready to come out, but not to keep it a secret forever because I don't want to see her spend another couple decades living a lie the same way I did before I came out." My mother said,
"So that is when Julia and I started our relationship, but we have kept it hidden from everybody for a while. I guess you could say that Julia has kinda been my secret lover for a bit. During my last month of being married to Simba, I used to tell him that I was going out with friends some nights that I was actually seeing Julia. I doubt he would really notice because on most days, he probably has plans with one of the women he sees behind my back. By the way, he did a terrible job hiding it. It went on for a while, but then one day I was like 'wait, what am I doing? If I am aware of my sexuality, my preferences and who I love, then why am I still hiding who I am and still married to someone I don't love?' That was the time I decided to leave and divorce Simba. That was why I moved in with Julia so quickly after we met. But even when I was comfortable telling people at my new job and Julia's friends about our relationship, I was still not ready to come out to former Pride Landers and Outlanders, not even my own kids because in the midst of my divorce from Simba, I didn't want Julia to be seen as some kind of 'homewrecker' or my 'mistress'; I want them to know Julia for who she is. Plus if anyone in our marriage was a 'homewrecker', I would have said it would have been Simba himself, but I didn't care because I was never attracted to him anyway. So yes, that is the story of how I knew I was lesbian, how I met Julia, and how I end up coming out to you guys." Nala said as she finished the story.
Okay…..that was a lot to take in, and based on the expression on her face, Jasiri was perplexed as well. But we felt honored that she trusted enough to tell us these incredibly personal details.
"Wow, I never knew this. I admit that this was a lot to take in, but we are proud of the courage that you have shown throughout your life and what you have gone through. It doesn't matter if you are gay, straight, bi, or any sexual orientation, you are still one of the strongest people…or lionesses I know." Jasiri said.
"Yeah, some courage, I hid my true self for almost twenty five years. I'm not sure that I would consider myself as brave at the time." Nala hesitantly replied.
"Don't underestimate yourself Nala, you went through a lot in your life. You survived the reign of a cynical madman…or mad-lion?, that killed his brother and nearly starved his own pride to death. You raised two children through conflicts, droughts, and navigating the human world while Simba had cheated on you multiple times in both worlds. And based on what Kiara told me, you also went through college and business school while also raising those kids. You also had the courage to explore deeper into your identity to get to know yourself and find out who you are as an individual, among which you had the courage to finally leave your marriage with Simba. Though yes, it took some time before you finally came out to us, but sometimes the toughest things in life can take time and that does not minimize the courage you have to do it." I replied.
"Thank you…..I've been keeping these parts of my story a secret, some parts for more than twenty years. I am glad that I was finally able to tell more people about it, including a former Outlander, and I really appreciate your support." Nala said with a happier expression on her face.
Nala then gave the two of us a gentle hug until we sat down in our seats again.
"Also, I hope I am not being intrusive but Julia, I have a question for you." Jasiri said.
"Sure, no problem, what is your question?" My mother replied.
"When did you first know that you are lesbian?" Jasiri said in a nervous tone.
"Well that's an interesting story. Edwin, you already know this story, but it all started when I was a kid. When I was younger, I noticed that I usually preferred hanging out with my female friends than my male friends. I initially thought it was just that I preferred hanging out with my friends than dating frequently. But then one day, I was fifteen and was watching an episode of a show called 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', which was a popular show at the time. I was always interested in plot lines that involve two particular characters; one named Mary, who was the protagonist of the show, and her friend Rhoda, who was this artistic friend and neighbor of Mary. That character eventually had a spinoff series, but that's not the point. So when I watched episodes or plot lines involving those two characters, I started to become drawn not only to the personalities of those characters, but I started to think to myself more that…..they are actually pretty attractive. Then the next day, it was a weekend and I decided to walk around a local park, then I sat at a bench to relax and watch the occasional bystander walk by. I then noticed a pattern in which my eyes would typically follow all the women that had passed by me and almost no for the men that passed by. It felt that I was almost subtly checking out all the women that passed by. Then a little bit later, the next week's episode of Mary Tyler Moore came on TV, and I noticed that my eyes seem to follow Mary or Rhoda in the same way they followed the women in the park. Then all the sudden, some stuff started repeating in my head that seemed to be stuff from the 'where do babies come from?' conversation my parents gave me several years back. That is when I realized….I am attracted to girls. Even when I first knew when I was fifteen, I suppressed it because I didn't think that my very Catholic family would have reacted to it well, and I was afraid to see how they would react if I did come out. Plus it was the mid 1970's, and I have heard of stories of people whose parents threw them out of the house after they came out as gay because the parents' thought their kids were making 'sinful choices', which shows that many families seem to care about more about their reputations in their community than the welfare of their own children. Anyway, because of my fears, I stayed in the closet, had a few relationships with men I was not physically attracted to, and then went through the whole marriage and kids because, similarly to Nala's case, that's what I felt was expected of me by society and my family. Don't get me wrong Edwin, I love you and Katrina with all my heart, though it still was hard keeping that part of me a secret with raising you kids, my job at the bank and other social situations. It also didn't help that your father and I used to frequently argue. And Edwin, I sincerely apologize that I exposed that environment of frequent arguing to both you and your sister while growing up whenever your father and I were together. You two did not deserve to be exposed to that when you were younger. Then as you know, your dad and I divorced sometime before Katrina's high school graduation. As I lived my life after your father moved out and left for Florida, I started to explore myself more and I was thinking of potentially getting back in the dating scene, which I eventually did after a year or two. When I thought about the type of relationship I would want to be in, and then I realized something, I was questioning why I was initially thinking of starting a relationship with a man when I knew I was attracted to women. Why was I still hiding? My kids are grown-up and generally open-minded people, I'm divorced and my ex doesn't care what I do with my life. Plus both my parents are dead and my siblings and cousins are scattered across the country and wouldn't care what I do. With all this in mind, I thought 'why do I have to hide anymore? There's nothing and no one to hide from and it's time to stop living a lie'. So that is when I finally decided to come out as lesbian. I then came out to almost everyone I knew, including you Edwin. Since I came out, I had several first dates and three relationships, until eventually I met Nala." My mom said while she and Nala began to hold each other's hands.
"That's a very interesting story, Julia." Jasiri replied.
"You're welcome, and now it's my turn to ask you guys a question. Why are my scented candles out on the coffee table? And why did you enter our bedroom?" My mom asked us.
"Yes, and why did you play music in our living room? And Jasiri, why were you wearing a nightgown?" Nala asked in an inquisitive tone.
"Well I entered the room to go to the master bathroom to find a lighter or matches for the candles. And the music…..well…Jasiri and I were planning to uhhh…" I said in an awkward tone.
Jasiri and I shared awkward stares and smiles with each other, while my mom and Nala raised their eyebrows, figuring out what we were implying.
"Edwin Gianluca Mariani, on my couch?" My mom said in shock as my own face started to turn red in embarrassment, same with Jasiri's face.
"We use this couch. In fact, we are planning to host Julia's backgammon club tomorrow, where we will be predominantly using the living room area." Nala said.
We soon all shared a laugh from this and the four of us continued the conversation.
"So, wait, does Kat know about you dating Nala?" I asked.
"Well yes and no….I did tell her I was dating someone, but it's still the whole Nelle story…..Why have you told her?" My mom asked.
"Well, she knows that I'm dating someone named Jasiri, but I haven't told her about the hybrid, Outlands-Pride Lands thing yet. We decided that it's best to disclose that to her in-person if she doesn't already figure it out on her own somehow. But we don't know when that will be since as you know, Katrina is almost never in town most of the time, we'd be lucky if we are ever in the same city." I replied.
"So wait…not even Kiara, Kovu or any members of your family know that you are lesbian?" Jasiri asked Nala.
"No not yet, I'm still trying to figure out when the best time would be to tell them. I'm afraid how some of them will react. But on the other hand, Vitani is bi, so she would probably be supportive since she went through a similar thing. And I don't really plan on telling Simba because I don't care what he thinks and plus, he is kinda homophobic. He still refuses to acknowledge Timon's relationships with Pumbaa and Gary as romantic ones. And behind closed doors, he thought that Vitani was, and I quote 'crazy', for coming out as bisexual. Plus I heard he is still sour at me about the divorce, so we don't speak to each other anymore." Nala said.
We then continued to talk, and we moved past the initial awkwardness of the discovery of Nala's relationship with my mom. We just talked about life and other stuff. Nala was continuing a conversation about what it's like to adjust living with my mom and how their relationship has been since they moved in and compared it to her actions in the past.
"Yeah, and even when I love Julia and enjoy our relationship immensely. There are some cases I wonder what would happen if I took Shani on her offer? How different my life could have potentially been if I came out and left my marriage with Simba earlier. Also, I sometimes wondered how Kiara and Kion's lives could have been different because I was pregnant at the time I last saw Shani, so I probably would have raised him while Kiara would have been left with Simba. Sometimes life can be crazy, it can be full of what ifs." Nala said.
"Yeah, I feel that. Sometimes I wondered what would have happened if I came out when I was fifteen instead of in my fifties. Or what would have happened if I divorced Edwin's father earlier than when I did? Life is full of that." My mom said,
"Same." I said.
"There have been multiple occasions where I have felt that. But in my 'what ifs', they debate whether I or some individuals I knew would still be alive. Even when I have moved past it by now, sometimes I'm still curious of what would happen if I did something differently in certain scenarios in my life" Jasiri replied.
"Oh yeah….Nala told me stories on experiences of former Pride Landers and Outlanders…including yours Jasiri. I have heard about your parents dying when you were young, the whole drought and how you suffered some pretty heavy losses, including your former mate, sister and the rest of your clan. I am so sorry that you have experienced such losses at that time. Then I heard about how some individuals from your group were initially struggling in adjusting to the human world, yet your friend uh…. Makuu I think his name was, has told Nala that you did pretty well in the academic aspect of school, that is quite an accomplishment. Also, I unfortunately heard that you have been mistreated in your previous relationship with Nala's son Kion, yet after you finally left that relationship, you didn't let it prevent you from living your life afterwards, you still persevered to find your happiness and move on from that relationship. Based on what I heard, I think that you have shown an extreme amount of bravery throughout your life experiences, and you should be proud of that." My mom said,
"Yes, that is very true, and I would like to say that I am incredibly sorry for my lack of responsiveness to what Kion put you through when you dated him. I still feel stupid that I never noticed the signs that something was wrong at the time. I also felt particularly bad because those same signs were in Rani and I thought Kion's therapy sessions after their divorce did the trick, but I didn't realize that those few sessions weren't enough help. To be honest, I am not sure what happened to Kion because he was a completely different lion when we lived in the Pride Lands. I'm not sure if the changes started at the Tree of Life, after their coup, after the drought, in his adjustment to the human world, or after his time in the army. There are many theories but I do not know the definitive answer. Now it's like I don't even recognize him anymore, asking myself what happened to the son I used to have? Again, I am incredibly sorry that I did not help you when you needed it at the time. I am so glad that you are happy with Edwin, and I hope that you guys will further nurture this relationship." Nala said in an empathetic tone.
"Thank you guys, I really appreciate it. Plus Nala, it's okay, what Kion did to me was not your fault, nobody really knew how flawed he was. Though yes, there were some signs everybody missed his relationships with both Rani and me, but I remembered that he made sure to hide his flaws and again, plus none of us knew the true extent of how flawed Kion really is. And no, those therapy sessions he did after his divorce from Rani did not help him, or at least didn't help him enough. Even with all that, I no longer hold anything against you because he deceived everyone we know. There is no way that I will never willingly speak or communicate to Kion again…but I am open to improving my friendship with you. I have improved my friendship with Kiara, in fact Edwin and I already had some double dates between her and Kovu. I never really held anything strong against you or Kiara, I think the only member of the 'royal family' I really have anything against outside of Kion is Simba because after the last time Kion physically beat me, which is the same day I finally left him with the help of Makuu, Simba was extremely lenient on Kion while he punish Makuu more harshly since he broke Kion's nose in the process of defending me against him that night. I'm glad that you left that jerk." Jasiri said.
"I'm glad I finally had the courage to come out and leave that jerk. I regret not trying to convince him to give Kion a harsher punishment. Makuu was only trying to defend you from your abuser at the time." Nala said.
The conversation continued until Jasiri and I decided that it was about time to go. She eventually went into the bathroom to change back into the clothes she initially walked in with.
She went out of the bathroom and then I saw her raise an eyebrow and said "Now I know where I've seen that dress". The three of us in the living room turned our heads towards her in curiosity.
"Wait? What did you say, Jasiri?" I asked as Jasiri walked towards us.
"Well earlier today when I was putting the dry cleaning away I noticed a black dress in the closet that looked familiar to me but I didn't know where it was from. Then I just realized where I saw it….I have seen Nala wear it on several occasions….particularly in formal events." Jasiri said.
"Oh yeah….I know which dress you are talking about. In fact Edwin, that's actually the same dress I wore at the gala where you found out about us being hybrids." Nala said.
"Oh really?" I replied.
"Well it's been nice to talk with you guys and sorry for making things awkward when we first found out about your guys' relationship." Jasiri said.
"Yeah, sorry for walking in your room earlier." I said.
"It's okay you didn't know, plus when you guys want to be intimate, make sure that you are the only ones around in that area if you do not intend on others being nearby." My mother said, which kind caused me to turn my face a little red from the embarrassment of the earlier situation.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Love you mom, we'll see the two of you later." I said as I hugged my mother.
"Love you Edwin, see you later." My mother said.
Third Person P.O.V.
Jasiri and Nala were hugging each other before starting to talk to each other.
"See you later Jasiri, I hope we can communicate with each other soon. Even when I don't work at the museum any more, I hope we can still talk occasionally." Nala said.
"Yeah, I hope we do. I wish you and Julia nothing but happiness in your relationship. And I wish you luck in your new job." Jasiri replied.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." Nala said.
Jasiri then walked towards Julia as Edwin walked towards Nala.
"See you later Nala, I wish you luck with your relationship with my mom, I hope that we can communicate with each other soon and I hope you guys have a good evening." Edwin said.
"Thank you, see you later Edwin." Nala said as Edwin started to extend his hand.
"There's no need for the formalities, Edwin." Nala jokingly said as she pulled Edwin into a small hug.
"Well Julia, I will see you later, I hope you have a good eve-" Jasiri said before Juia suddenly hugged Jasiri.
"I'll see you later Jas. You are a strong, brave and determined individual. If there is anything you need or anything you want to talk about, you can always contact me whenever something is wrong or if you just need someone to talk to." Julia said as she eventually loosened her hug from Jasiri.
"Thank you Julia. I'll definitely take note of that." Jasiri said.
Edwin and Jasiri soon left the house and headed into Jasiri's car and headed out to go back to their respective places. In their minds the both of them were still thinking of their discovery of Julia and Nala's relationship. It appears that in every aspect of life, everyone constantly learns something new almost every week, whether it's at school, work, personal relationships, events of the world, and even about one's selves as individuals. There are some cases where the people and everyday environment around someone can still surprise them. Soon Edwin and Jasiri, along with their friends and family might experience a large range of surprises ahead of them…..