Jessie and Katie

Jessie and Katie 28 Jessie and Katie (in Friends and Lovers) - Episode 28 "Journey Of Discovery"

Written by: TVM (mrtvm@mrtvm.com)

Archive: www.asstr.org/~TheVertManArchive/Stories/Celeb/JessieKatie/Index.html

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"Sarah" Grace said softly as Sarah stirred from her deep sleep and, opening her eyes, smiled at Grace dreamily. "It's almost 10, you better be getting up."

"I love you" Sarah said as Grace smiled.

"I love you too" Grace said giggling. "Now get your cute little ass up and get packed already."

"Yes ma'am" Sarah said, saluting Grace and jumping out of bed. Grace smiled as Sarah bent over and picked up her bag from under the window sill. Sarah turned to see Grace watching her intently and smiled shyly like always. You like?"

"Very nice" Grace said, smiling and lying back down.

"I don't know what to pack" Sarah said, opening her closet and picking some clothes out and then throwing some underwear and other stuff in.

"How about the stuff you wear most often" Grace giggled as Sarah shot her a 'that's not funny' look.

"What's your middle name?" Grace asked as her mind wondered and she watched Sarah intently from the bed.

"Renae, why?" Sarah asked, looking back at her.

"I just wanna know everything about you that's all. I'm curious." Grace said, "Sarah Renae Grasser."

"That's me" Sarah said.

"I love your name" Grace said.

"What's yours?" Sarah asked, lugging the suitcase over and laying it on the bed as Grace helped her pull it up. She started folding her clothes like Lily always did for her.

"Grace Brooks Manning" Grace said in a monotone voice, "I hate it."

"I like your name. Brooks is so cute" Sarah said, watching Grace blush as she continued folding her clothes. "And what are you doing?"

"Folding your clothes so you won't look like one big wrinkled rag when you get to Music City" Grace giggled.

"Why? You never seemed to mind before." Sarah said as Grace smiled.

"I never did really. I just thought it was your own style" Grace said blushing as the words came out. "Anyways, I much prefer the way you're currently dressed."

"Uh huh, I bet do" Sarah said, flipping her shirt tail and spanking her ass as Grace blushed a deep crimson and hid her face in her hands. Sarah laughed and went to take a shower, hoping secretly Grace would decide to join her, but knowing it was getting harder and harder to resist moving a little faster with her. Coming out of the shower a few minutes later, she could see Grace had fallen back asleep in the bed.

"Figures; she gets me up so she can have the whole bed to herself" Sarah said under her breath with a smile.

"Come lay with me for a few minutes" Grace said as if she could read Sarah's very thoughts and stopping her in her tracks. Opening the desk drawer and pulling out a small box, Sarah hid it behind her back and crawled up on the bed. Feeling Sarah kiss her cheek, Grace opened her eyes and saw the box laying on the pillow and Sarah smiling at her.

"Open it" She said.

Sitting up and taking the box, she once again looked at Sarah and wondered what exactly it was. Taking the top off, she could see it was a necklace with a key on the end. She took it out of the box and held it up watching the sunlight dancing off of it. Sarah touched the key and said in a soft voice, "this is the key to my apartment. I want you to have it while I'm gone. That way you can keep an eye on the place for me."

"You trust me that much?" Grace asked in shock.

"Yes I do" Sarah said simply as Grace turned and Sarah slipped the necklace around her neck. Grace lifted her hair and thought how much her life had changed since that night in the living room when she first met her. She felt Sarah's lips touch her neck and start to kiss across her back and shoulder.

"Don't stop" Grace said softly.

"Next time I won't, I promise" Sarah said as Grace turned and looked at her, "but Jessie and her mom will be here in a few minutes I'd say and I need to finish packing. Or maybe I'll take a nap with you."

"I know what I want, you...." Grace said, stopping as the phone rang and Sarah jumped up to answer it.

"Hey sexy." Jessie said as Sarah picked up the phone.

"Jessie?" Sarah asked, giggling and hearing her laugh, knowing it was her, You are so nuts."

"Only about you" Jessie said as Sarah blushed and looked back at Grace, who gave her a strange look and mouthed to her it was Jessie. "Are you ready yet?"

"Yeh of course, I'm not like you and wait till the last second and pack" Sarah said.

"Oh bite me" Jessie said as Katie hugged her from behind and kissed her neck softly. "Katie stop, you tease."

"I love you" Katie whispered, Sarah could vaguely hear as Jessie giggled into the phone.

"They're groping each other" Sarah told Grace as she covered the receiver.

"Anyways, I'm still at the hospital and we'll be leaving as soon as they tell me something about Cori" Jessie said. "So you and Grace will have time for a quickie if you want. It'll be at least two hours."

"Only if you wanna make it a three way" Sarah said, giggling and was caught totally off-guard by Jessie's response.

"Is that an invitation?" Jessie asked in a deadly serious voice, Sarah thought. "Katie nothing, I'm just talking about the trip. MMMMMMMM. I love you too."

"UMMMM" Sarah said, stumbling to try and find something to say.

"Well was it?" Jessie asked as Sarah's mind froze and she then heard Jessie giggling, "Ok, be there around noon. K. Bye."

"Bye Jess" Sarah said, hanging the phone up and sitting down and explaining to Grace about the phone call.

"She really sounded serious" Sarah said as Grace smiled and said, "Jess is really coming out of her shell lately and since she lost her virginity, she's become a lot more perverted."

"It was with Katie right?" Sarah asked with hopeful look in her eye, that Grace found very strange.

"Yeh of course it was" Grace said, waiting for Sarah's response.

"I'm glad, because Katie loves her and it should be with someone you love" Sarah said as she looked at Grace, "like you and me I hope."

"I hope it will be too" Grace said.

Jessie called back about two hours later like she said and woke Sarah and Grace out of a nap. Saying the doctors felt Cori's condition was improving but nothing really new, so Karen told her if they didn't leave now they wouldn't be going at all. They made plans to meet out in front of the building. Sarah finished packing as Grace watched her from the bed and thought about how much she would miss her and how incredible it truly felt to be in love with this person she had come to know so well.

"Will you help me please?" Sarah said with a pitiful look on her face as she looked at Grace.

"Can't I just stare at you for a little longer?" Grace said with a dreamy look in her eye.

Sarah smiled and crawled on the bed till she was over Grace and said, "when I get back, we're gonna go some place special I know about. Just me and you Grace Manning, and I'm gonna show you how much I have fallen in love with you."

"I'm already looking forward to it" Grace said as Sarah giggled, "I love you Have I said that today yet?"

"Yes you have" Sarah said, kissing her briefly, "and feel free to repeat it anytime."

"I love you Sarah" Grace said, "I'm in love with you; totally and completely"

"Me too" Sarah said simply and then feeling it may be her last chance to say it aloud, decided to rephrase her last comment, "My Grandma Elise always said, never leave a person you love without telling them you do. I love you Grace."

A few minutes of soft kissing and both lost complete track of time, only to be interrupted by the blaring of a car horn outside. Both looked at each other and started to laugh, because they knew it was Jessie and Karen. Sarah grabbed her bag, and told Grace to lock up. Sarah giggled at her fussing with the dead bolt, the one that will never lock the first time you try it. Finally taking the key, she did it herself and snuck another kiss. Running to the elevator, Grace took this time to sneak in a goodbye kiss of her own.

"I'm gonna go crazy without you" Grace said as they reached the front door and Sarah kissed her again.

"Well it'll be hard, but you'll make it. Just know I'll be missing you as much as you do me" Sarah said then remembering some last minute things that had slipped her mind completely. "Oh yeah I totally forgot, if you stay here any be careful on who you buzz in ok. I know how it sounds, but you've never lived on your own and I just want you to be safe."

"You're the expert" Grace said smiling.

"And oh yeah, unplug my computer if you leave for the night" Sarah said as Grace cut her off one more time with a kiss.

"Bye" Grace said as the thought from before completely slipped her mind.

"Bye to you too" Sarah said as they both giggled. Another blast from Karen's car horn and Jessie appearing in the doorway broke their moment.

"Will you two love birds say goodbye already" Jessie said smiling.

"If you knew how good a kisser Sarah was, you'd think twice before you said that" Grace said as Jessie blushed.

"Maybe one day I'll find out" Jessie said, stepping inside, "already know Grace is."

"Jessie Sammler you hush" Grace said, swatting at her step-sister's arm as Sarah and Jessie both laughed.

"You're right she is" Sarah said as Grace covered her face and tried to hide the fact she was blushing now from head to toe. Jessie picked up Sarah's bag and stepped outside as Sarah kissed Grace one last time and they finally parted, holding hands secretly, or at least out of view of Karen and Henry, till Sarah got into the car and they waved bye. Jessie and Sarah both turned and blew a kiss as Grace smiled and turned to go back inside.

"Finally on the road to Nashville" Jessie commented, "it sure as hell took him long enough to write in this part."

"Tell me about it" Sarah said giggling. "I ain't getting no younger."

"Henry, who did you say we were staying with again?" Jessie asked Henry about two hours into the trip, he turned and looked back at them.

"Gary Lind is his name. He's one of my oldest friends from when I worked in physical therapy in New Orleans" Henry said, "he moved to Nashville a few years back and I got a job at the hospital in Chicago at about that same time. So it's been a while since we've seen each other."

"Does he know you're bringing me?" Sarah asked.

"Well of course he does" Henry said laughing, "but there are some things I think I should tell you about him, just in case it makes you uncomfortable."

"Like what?" Jessie asked with a terrified look on her face as she and Sarah leaned close together and shook in fear, "does he have a hideous hair-do like Mom?"

"Oh Jessie you're gonna get it" Karen said smiling as Henry laughed.

"Gotta go through my protector now Mom" Jessie said pulling Sarah in front of her.

"Yeh well Henry's on my side so it's two against two" Karen said as Sarah sat up and smiled sweetly at Henry and said "you're on our side, right Henry Wenry?"

"Sorry Karen, she's got me when she uses baby talk" Henry said, laughing as Karen pretended to be mad.

"Anyways, what were you saying?" Jessie asked after everyone calmed down.

"Oh yeh" Henry said regaining his train of thought, "Gary is gay and he lives with his partner Jakob."

"Oh that's all?" Jessie asked.

"Yeh that's all, you ok with it?" Henry asked looking from Jessie and then to Sarah who both agreed it wasn't a problem. "I'm glad you guys are cool with it. Some people are so prejudiced."

"So we gonna stop for some lunch Kare?" Henry asked. "I don't care" Karen said coldly and looked away.

"Well let's look for a Pizza Hut and stop and we'll take a break ok?" Henry said as Jessie and Sarah agreed.

"I already said I don't care ok" Karen said again with an icy tone to her voice.

"Ok what's wrong?" Henry asked after a long silent hour in which everyone was growing impatient and getting hungry.

"Nothing ok; there's a Pizza Hut" Karen said pulling off the highway.

Sarah pulled Jessie out of the car by the arm and practically dragged her inside as Jessie complained the whole way.

"Will you let go?" Jessie said pulling her arm away as Sarah laughed.

"Just wanted to feel that hot body next to mine lover" Sarah giggled as Jessie blushed and looked back at her mom and Henry talking in front of the car.

"Why did you drag me away from the car for?" Jessie asked as they found a booth and sat down and looked around at the empty restaurant.

"Didn't you see the way your Mom acted when she found out Gary was gay?" Sarah asked pointedly. "She started being all quite and everything and now look at them."

"Sarah, my Mom's not a bigot" Jessie told her, turning away.

"I hope you're right Jess" Sarah said, touching her shoulder and giving her a goofy grin to make her laugh.

"She's dating a black guy for heaven's sake" Jessie pointed out, "how could she be a bigot?"

"Racism and homophobia are two different things Jess" Sarah said, "I've seen both numerous times. Remember I've been out for a long time now."

"What if she is though?" Jessie asked with a fear in her eyes Sarah knew very well, "I told Lily and she was cool. I was thinking it would be easy and all. What if she really is?"

"Hey, look at me" Sarah said, taking Jessie's hands in hers and smiling, you have to tell her and I'll hold your hand if you want me to."

"I don't wanna hear it anymore Henry" Karen said, coming inside and sitting down, "we're not staying with them and that's my decision. She is my daughter and I can still make the decisions for her."

"Damn it Karen will you listen to me?" Henry said in a low voice as he sat down, "It was you who begged me to call Gary and ask him if we could stay with him? So a certain person could take the money New Hit gave us and put it in the bank. Now you've changed your mind when you find out one little detail about his life?"

"I told you once already" Karen fired back angrily, "to shut the hell up. I've made my decision."

"What decision?" Jessie asked.

"Well we got two choices; either we stay with Gary or we go home and leave Sarah stranded" Henry said as Sarah looked up, "cause there's no way we can afford two hotel rooms for a week, thanks to you and your bright ideas."

"What decision?" Jessie asked again.

"I've decided we're not staying with Gary" Karen said. "And if we have to go home, we will."

"Mom no" Jessie said reaching across the table, "you can't do this, why are we going home?"

"Because" Karen said as everyone looked at her, "I've decided you're too young for this."

"Oh bullshit Karen" Henry said a little louder than he had intended. "Why don't you tell them the real reason?"

"Henry shut up" Karen said, "we're going home and that's final."

"Please Mom no, what's the problem; is it something I did?" Jessie asked with a pleading look in her eyes. "And what about Sarah? You're not even considering her feelings. We're her ride, did you think about that?"

"I've made my decision and if Sarah wants to stay, she can" Karen said as Sarah watched Jessie's face grow red with anger. "And that's final."

"NOOOOOOOOO" Jessie screamed pounding her fist on the table, "you always do this, make decisions and not even ask me. But this time, god damn it, it affects my life and I'll be damned if you're gonna take this away from me now."

"Young lady, you better get that mouth of yours in check" Karen said, pulling Jessie down as best she could and tried to keep her quiet; holding her arm under the table now as Jessie struggled to get loose.

"Karen, stop" Henry said as Jessie struggled harder to get loose and whimpered from the pain shooting through her arm.

"Let her go, you bitch" Sarah screamed and kicked Karen's hand away from Jessie's arm. "Are you ok?"

"You little smart mouth bitch" Karen said, holding her hand and rose up to confront Sarah, who had her back to Karen and Henry checking on Jessie.

"Yeh I'm ok, it didn't hurt that much" Jessie said wiping the tears from her eyes. Sarah rolled Jessie's sleeve up and saw the bruise on her arm as Karen grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head to get her attention.

"Mom stop" Jessie screamed, "leave her alone."

"Karen stop for heaven's sake" Henry said, pulling Karen away as Sarah got up to defend herself. "Let's go outside and you need to calm down."

"That little bitch better never hit me again" Karen said as Henry pulled her through the door. Jessie caught up to Sarah as she was pushing the door open, following after them.

"No Sarah please, Sarah please stop" Jessie said as Sarah turned to see a pleading look in her eyes. "It'll just make things worse."

"Ok" Sarah said as Jessie took her hand and pulled her away from the door.

"Thank you" Jessie said, smiling weakly, "I don't know what happened. It just made me so mad when she started making decisions without me like that."

"I wasn't gonna get involved, but she was hurting you" Sarah said, "and I don't care who she is, she's not gonna hurt you while I'm here."

"She's never been like this before" Jessie said, watching as Karen and Henry practically screamed at each other in the parking lot. She watched Karen point over and over towards the two of them inside, for some reason. "I think it's obvious Jess" Sarah said, hugging Jessie from behind, "she'll calm down."

"You mean you believe she's a homophobe?" Jessie asked softly.

"That's what it looks like" Sarah said as that fear returned to Jessie's eyes. "Come on, let's order while those two fight it out."

"Will that be all?" the waitress asked a few minutes later as Sarah and Jessie ordered.
"Yeh" Sarah said, making eye contact with a guy across the restaurant who just walked in. "Check it out; some dude is checking us out."

"Hey, he's cute" Jessie said giggling and smiling.

"You gonna jump him?" Sarah asked teasingly.

"Tag team?" Jessie asked, making Sarah blush.

"No and I'll have you know I'm as pure as the driven snow" Sarah said in a snobbish voice.

"Yeh, after it's been plowed" Jessie said as Sarah kicked her playfully under the table.

"Well ok let me rephrase that" Sarah said, "when it comes to guys, I'm as pure as the...."

"You never been with a guy?" Jessie asked listening intently for her reply.

"Of course not, I mean no, I've haven't" Sarah said, "never even been on a date with anyone other than a girl."

"Really?" Jessie asked, "Not even once?"

"No" Sarah replied, "I realized when I was really young I liked girls and I was scared to admit it to anyone, until I met Katie. She sorta forced me to confront my feelings and come out. Falling in love with her changed my life"

"That's something like what happened to me" Jessie said, "I denied my attraction to Katie for a while until she wrote me a letter and told me about her feelings for me. Faced with losing her, I admitted everything."

"So Katie was your first too?" Sarah asked as the guy smiled at them.

"Yeh she was" Jessie said, smiling and getting an idea in her head. Sarah could clearly see she was thinking about something. "So, you've never kissed a guy right?"

"No" Sarah said shyly, "have you?"

"Yeh" Jessie said before going on, "Tad, Katie's friend. It was so different from kissing Katie."

"I remember Tad" Sarah said laughing, "He's a real hornball."

"Yeh that's Tad" Jessie said giggling. Then surprising Sarah when she asked "would you kiss a guy if you had the chance?"

"Sure, I guess" Sarah said as Jessie's smile broadened and she jumped up and mouthed "BRB", before walking away and towards the group standing across the restaurant.

"Jessie, you better not" Sarah said under her breath, and then blushed a deep crimson red when she saw Jessie shake the guys hand and introduce herself. She turned and pointed towards the table and to Sarah, laying her head down and hiding her face, not wanting to know what Jessie was gonna do next. Waiting for what seemed like an hour but was more like a few seconds; she raised her head and panicked as she saw Jessie walking back towards the table with the guy following her. He smiled down sweetly as they arrived in front of the table.

"Sarah, meet Tommy" Jessie said, beaming from ear to ear and sat down as she pushed Tommy towards Sarah's side of the booth which he took as a hint and nervously sat down beside her.

"I'm gonna kill you" Sarah said to Jessie and then looked at Tommy who, for his sake, looked as nervous as she was.

"Well, you said she was hot so tell her what you said" Jessie said giggling and relishing the moment.

"I said you were probably the prettiest girl I've seen in a while" Tommy said looking at Sarah with a smile and feeling a huge sigh of relief when she smiled back. "And your friend, Jessie I mean, told me you were talking about how you had never been kissed."

"I never said that" Sarah said and then thinking about how he might react to finding out she was more into girls decided to rephrase. "I said I've never been kissed by a guy; she's right."

"So Tommy said he would be your first if you let him" Jessie said as Sarah shot her a dirty look, "Well, do it already."

"Jessie I'm gonna hurt you so bad" Sarah said as Jessie laughed out loud.

"Hey it's cool if you don't want to" Tommy said, "I mean your friend did set you up after all."

"Yeh she did" Sarah said, "but I think in a way she did me a favor. Cause I've never been kissed by a guy, so I guess I am curious."

Tommy asked Sarah if he could and after a few seconds she seemed to agree, Jessie observed and tried to suppress a giggle. Tommy leaned in and was about ready to touch his lips to Sarah's when she suddenly pulled away and stopped him.

"I'm sorry Tommy, I can't" Sarah said as he gave her a strange look and asked, "you asked me to and now you're changing your mind?"

"I'm involved with someone and we just made it official that we're dating and I can't help but feel it would be cheating" Sarah said in one long breath. "I'm really sorry."

"No sweat" Tommy said laughing, "I knew it was a long shot, but hey at least you thought I was cute enough to ask."

"That I did" Sarah smiling at him briefly.

"Jessie, Sarah" Henry said, giving Tommy a weird look as he came back into the restaurant. "We're leaving."

"I'm not going home" Jessie said standing up, "you can tell my bitch of a mother I'll fuckin' hitch if I have too."

"Jessie, calm down already" Henry said ting her arm as Jessie jerked away, "Listen to me for a minute. Karen calmed down and she says you're old enough to make your own decisions, so she agreed for your sake to stay until you can record the demo and then we're leaving."

"What is she mad about anyway?" Jessie asked, "because we were kidding around with you?"

"No" Henry said, "she's upset because she didn't know Gary and Jakob were gay."

"Oh my god" Jessie said, sitting down in the next booth as she felt her knees go weak under her. Sarah pushed past Tommy and quickly hugged her.

"UM" Tommy said as he stood, "it was nice meeting you."

Sarah smiled as he walked away and Henry tried to figure out what was wrong with Jessie. Sarah helped Jessie to her feet and walked with her arms around her out to the car. Karen looked at them as Jessie looked at her mother, shell shocked. She got in and Sarah quickly followed. For the next 4 or 5 hours or so, a dead silence filled the car as no one knew what to say, or for that matter wanted to.

"It's not too much further" Henry said looking back at Jessie who had her head lying on Sarah's shoulder.

They decided to stop on the outskirts of Nashville at a rest stop and call Gary, to let him know they were coming in. Karen got out and stood by the car and waited for Jessie and Sarah to get out impatiently. Henry came around and tried tentatively to start a conversation, which Jessie hoped would ease the tension in the air. Sarah finally urged her to get out and both piled out as the fight seemed to start again, with a seemingly innocent comment from Henry.

"Well I'm gonna go and call Gary and let him know we're almost there" Henry said, turning around with a tired look on his face and started to walk away.

"Are you gonna bother to tell me where they live so I can drop you off?" Karen asked with a disdain in her voice that was still very evident.

"Well I was thinking I would just show you" Henry said.

"Fine have it your way" Karen said, "I was thinking it might be a good idea to know where they live you know."

"Karen why can't we just move past this?" Henry said diving right back into the heart of the subject that had already caused so much trouble. "Gary is one of my oldest and most faithful friends and you've never even met him. But you're judging him by one small aspect of his life."

"I don't want my daughter exposed to that kind of perverse lifestyle" Karen said, letting her anger clearly show now.

"I'm beginning to think this whole thing was a mistake" Henry said.

"Mom stop it" Jessie said, suddenly jumping back into the argument, "you're acting like a bigot for crying out loud."

"I have the right to feel the way I want young lady and you or no one else will change that" Karen said as she shot Sarah a look.

"God you're determined to ruin this for us" Jessie said as Sarah moved in behind her and took her hand and found it was trembling. "Why can't you just let all of this go for a few days and let me and Sarah record this demo and then we can go home?"

"I said I would, didn't I?" Karen said, "but I'm not gonna have someone else's perverse and sick lifestyle shoved down my throat for anyone's sake."

"It's not sick" Sarah said as Karen shot her a dirty look.

"She's right Mom, it's not sick" Jessie said squeezing Sarah's hand for support.

"And just who the hell made you the expert on it?" Karen asked looking directly at Sarah and then to Jessie and noticed they were holding hands.

"Because, Ms. Sammler, I'm one of those. I'm gay. That's what makes me an expert on it" Sarah said, stepping right in front of Karen as Jessie's jaw dropped and Henry nearly fainted away on the spot.

"Oh my god I knew there was something that I didn't like about you" Karen said, "and why the hell are you holding my daughter's hand for?"

"Because she's shaking like a leaf; scared to death you're gonna rip her dream away from her" Sarah said as Karen's eyes grew with anger and disbelief. "Not like you'd notice, you're too busy being prejudiced."

"I swear you sure got a smart mouth to be so young" Karen said as Jessie held Sarah's hand tighter, "I feel sorry for your mother having to put up with you."

"MOM" Jessie said in shock as tears came to Sarah's eyes.

"My mother's dead and has been for a long time" Sarah said with an icy cold tone of voice.

"Oh my god I didn't know" Karen said realizing how far this had gotten out of hand, but not knowing how to control it anymore. "I'm so sorry Sarah, she didn't mean it I swear" Jessie said, crying as she hugged Sarah, trying to keep her from shaking as she cried herself. Jessie looked at her Mom in a way Karen had never seen before: with a look of intense anger or maybe it was hatred, she couldn't decide which at this moment in time. "I would never say anything like that if I had known that." Karen said, starting to touch Sarah's head but moving her hand away fearing it would start something totally new. Thinking it would be best to just walk away before something else was said that would do even more damage, Karen turned to walk away.

"I'll never forgive you for this." Jessie said to Karen as her mother turned around.

"I don't care who you think you are. You don't talk to me like that" Karen said, looking at Jessie and tried to figure out now how she could control her anger and make this all stop, but failing miserably in the process.

"Just leave us alone" Sarah said through her tears as Jessie hugged her tighter and tried to keep her from crying so hard.

"Ok, that's enough" Henry said, "You two go inside and we need to all calm down. Just give us a few minutes ok?"

"OK" Jessie said, taking Sarah's hand and for some reason wanting Karen to see her hold Sarah's hand as they walked away. Sarah clutched it tighter it seemed as they walked away, starting to swing it like they're best friends in the school yard; Jessie thought and watched Sarah start to laugh through her tears. Jessie soon joined her as they found themselves falling on the bench inside with a fit of the giggles.

They talked for the longest about anything that came to mind, anything to keep them from the reality of the time. Jessie was scared her Mom was really gonna take this all away from her, just because of the simple fact that Gary and Jakob were gay. She also thought about how her Mom would react to the news that she too was gay. Sarah seemed to read her mind and touched her cheek through the long silence that had developed and said softly, "she can't stop me from loving you."
"She can't?" Jessie asked in a shocked voice.

"No, because me and Grace both got your back" Sarah said smiling, "we both think the world of you."

"Never thought I'd hear that coming from you" Jessie said smiling, "but for some reason I'm glad you're the one who was with me when it happened."

"Ok here's what we're gonna do" Henry said coming inside finally. "I called Gary and he said he would come out and pick up me and Sarah. Jessie, you can ride with your mother or you can go with us. She thinks it's best if she stays at a hotel while we're in Nashville. She said you can stay with her or us, although she obviously would prefer you to be with her for more than the right reasons."

"She's leaving me?" Jessie said as she started to cry all over again.
"All she cares about is herself."

"It's ok Jess" Sarah said. "Everything will be ok."

"You're right, it will be" Jessie said, wiping away her tears and standing up. Turning to look at Sarah, she extended her hand, "It's time to clear the air and find out where I stand with my Mother. Will you come with me?"

"You know I will" Sarah said, lacing her fingers with Sarah's as they walked out the door with a worried and confused looking Henry in tow. Wiping the tears from her eyes first and trying to compose herself, Jessie looked at Sarah and walked on to the car.

"Are you gonna stay with me or not?" Karen said, getting out and facing her daughter.

"Mom I've got something you need to know and I'm to the point now where I just wanna say it and I don't care how you react or what you feel about it" Jessie said rambling on. "And no, I'm not gonna stay with you and abandon Sarah. You can leave me and Sarah here for all I care."

"Fine, that's all I wanted to hear" Karen said. "So what was it you wanted to tell me or was that it?"

"Go on Jess, tell her" Sarah said gently into Jessie's ear and squeezed her hand. Jessie took a deep breath and glanced one more time at Sarah, who smiled and urged her on again with her eyes. Feeling a huge rush of self confidence, Jessie uttered the words that would change everything with her and her mother forever.

"Mom, I'm gay" Jessie said softly as Karen's eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief.

To be Continued....