Chapter 115 - Taking Sides

As we began to chat the tension slowly faded away and was replaced by our laughs and the pleasure of getting to know each other more. Carol and Joanna were more similar than I thought so we created a good group of people who somehow resembled each other and whose personalities fit together amazingly. 

The first time I met Carol, her strong personality emerged already but first only to tease me. I didn't know her yet and I assumed she was only being touchy and defensive in her friends' regards. But now I could say that she was a different person from the woman who talked to me at the party. She wasn't irritated nor mean or offended, she was only herself.

I discovered a good person, very talkative, wise, and even funny - an amazing person to be around.

The waiter came with our dishes. We all ordered a different kind of pasta so that we could have a taste of each other dish. When we began to eat, food helped us, even more, to talk and get to know each other's tastes. Besides that, we spent the entire night carefree and without neither Joanna nor me daring to accuse Evelyn of not having told us before or for having lied. It was like, despite the first sadness and anger I felt when I realized she lied to me her entire life, I still understood her reasons and put a stone on the situation avoiding dredging up the past.

Carol explained to Joanna how they met mentioning that Julien was the one who laid his eyes on Evelyn, whereas Carol would be the sidekick to help him break the ice and help their acquaintance. 

"So you two were best friends?" Joanna dropped her jaw when she heard about Julien and that thanks to him Carol and Evelyn met.

"That's crazy." She shook her head.

"I know, the whole situation was a mess." Evelyn commented amused, "but I couldn't be glad that mess happened because as crazy as it may sound that mess made my entire life."

"Awww," Carol leaned forward to kiss her proud of her declaring her feelings in front of us fearless.

Their lips locked for a few instants and both me and Joanna smiled at their genuine kiss. They made it! And I made it too! I was finally the sister Evelyn deserved to have by her side.

Seeing her that happy and that in love made me so proud of her.

Until in that exact second, a middle-aged woman turned around and cringed at the sight of Evelyn and Carol kissing as she walked past our table.

"There are kids in this place." She commented subtly remarking in an arrogant tone of voice, Joanna glowered at her.

Evelyn and Carol immediately departed with a guilty sad look on their face. Evelyn grew paler and her eyes filled with remorse and guilt.

My blood boiled in my veins seeing how my sister's facial expression morphed from carefree happiness to a resigned guilty sadness.

I wasn't unwilling to let that woman go and ruin our evening. I stood up following the woman and tapped on her shoulder to catch her attention.

"Lily please don't..." Evelyn whispered but it was too late, the woman already turned around and looked down at me as if I was the wrong one there. She probably recognized me and knew I was there to face her pointless ignorant comment. She folded her arms and raised her eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I asked, not hiding my disapproval tone of voice and frowning my forehead, returning the same glance of superiority that she so nonchalantly wore.

That comment made my blood fire up in my veins and I wasn't even the one she directed her offenses to. I couldn't imagine how many other people dared to say things like that to my sister and always got away with it.

"I said..." she cleared her voice without any glimpse of remorse in her cruelty, "there are kids here. You should do that kind of thing elsewhere, for instance in private at your house. You will disgust kids and normal people here. You are giving them a bad example." She wasn't even speaking to me, her gaze targeted my sister and Carol completely ignoring my presence.

My ranger now was crashing every hint of patience I had and I couldn't stop myself from blurt out my anger for her ignorance. 

"Bad example? Two people loving each other is now considered a bad example?! Don't you think the real people who are giving a bad example are those like you? Who firstly don't mind their business and secondly they even dare to judge someone based on what? Their old-styled mindset?" 

This time my comment didn't go unnoticed nor by her or by the rest of the dining room. Silence lapsed over and everyone's gaze fell on us. 

The woman's jaw dropped and her gaze grew more furious and disgusted, she glowered at me and then again at my sister and her girlfriend. 

"We are born to love the opposite genre. I am done with people pretending they like the same genre just because it's a trend now. If you want to do it then do it in your house no need to show us."

Why did nobody complain when it was a boy and a girl kissing each other? But if it was two people of the same gender they always used it as an excuse to express their personal opinions. She drifted her gaze at Evelyn and Carol and pointing at them, her eyes widened and her face red with mad. I even wondered what was she even mad at? Why did she get so offended by two people who didn't even know about that woman's existence?

I suddenly found her ridiculous, pathetically ridiculous, and wondered if there was even a purpose in trying to make her reasoning if she didn't even have a brain to start with.

I scoffed reassigned giving up in the effort of healing her mischievous ignorance. 

"Please next time you want to get out of your house remember that we are not in 1850 century anymore. People ignorant and selfish like you are the real shame of this world. And what we shall be frightened of."

After that subtly commented, I turned around and went back to sit at the table where Evelyn was staring at me proudly. 

Joanna clapped her hands and smiled at me before turning around and mouthing at the woman "get back to your cave."

The woman marched on her way out whispering under her breath insults but we all ignored her.

Maybe my reaction was exaggerated but I felt like since Evelyn involved me that became my battle too and I needed to prove to her how loyal I was and that she needed my support.

"We're used to people mistreating us like that," Carol said shrugging with a disappointed gaze.

"I understand now why you were so worried to tell me. People are cruel." I said resting my hand on my chest and sighing disappointedly in the entire humanity. 

I wished I could change the world, their mindset and turn them into people who are more respectful and had some decency in keeping their opinions to themselves.

I couldn't imagine what they went through every time they met someone like the woman today. I couldn't imagine when one of that kind of people happened to be a relative.

I hope with all my heart that my mother won't be one of the judgemental people even if I was sure she would have many difficulties in accepting her.

When we finished eating we went for a quick walk and Joanna told Evelyn and Carol about her boyfriend.

We spent an amazing night with one of the best couples I had ever met, they looked more in love than half of the married couples I had ever met.

"Thanks for the amazing dinner," I said, hugging Evelyn and then Carol.

"Thanks to you. It was a pleasure to see you again and to get acquaintance with Evelyn." Carol replied offering us a big smile.

After cheering them Joanna and I came back home.

We sat at the table to chat before going to sleep.

"It must be hard to hide for your entire life. I hope they can finally come out soon." 

I nodded, sighing, "me too. It hurt to hear that woman calling them a bad example."

"Yes, hating is a hobby for those people." 

"Do you think my mother will accept them or she will make a scene and get in the middle?" I sighed again, curious to know what Joanna thought even if she never met my mother. She only knew her based on what I told her about my mother.

Joanna sighed as well, taking a long breath before answering. 

"I don't know, but I hope with all my heart that she will accept Evelyn's love story.

"Me too, I do."