The Color in Her Heart

The Color in Her Heart

Lily sat on the edge of her bed, tracing the patterns on her comforter nervously. At twenty-two, she had dated several guys -- from the charmingly awkward Lucas to the suave Ethan -- but none felt right. Deep down, she had known for years that her heart belonged elsewhere. It was time to embrace her truth: she was a lesbian. As she stared at the walls filled with memories, she recalled countless childhood afternoons spent with her Barbies, staging extravagant weddings -- between two brides, of course.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts. It was a text from her best friend, Mia. “Are you ready for this? Remember, you’ve got this!”

“Yeah, I think so. Just... nervous,” Lily replied, her fingers shaking. “What if they don’t accept me?”

“Lily, they love you. Trust that,” Mia replied.

Taking a deep breath, Lily decided it was now or never. She stepped into the living room where her parents were sitting, the familiar cozy space now feeling charged with tension. Her heart raced.

“Hey, everyone, can I talk to you?” Lily called. Her mom looked up from her book, and her dad paused the TV remote.

“Sure, honey! What’s on your mind?” her mother replied, a hint of concern shadowing her voice.

Lily swallowed hard. “Um, it’s something pretty important. I want to share something about myself.”

Her father leaned forward, eyebrows raised. “What is it, sweetheart?”

Lily's heart thudded loudly in her chest. “I’ve been doing some soul-searching, and... well, I’m a lesbian.”

Silence filled the room, thick and heavy. She felt her breath catch, every second stretching into eternity. Her parents exchanged glances, and all she could think was that they might reject her.

Finally, her mother spoke up, a gentle smile forming. “Oh, Lily, you’re our daughter. We love you.”

Lily felt a wave of relief wash over her. “Really? You’re not upset?”

Her dad shook his head, chuckling softly. “Not at all. We just want you to be happy.”

“Wait,” Lily said, her heart racing again. “You’re really okay with this?”

Her brother, Jake, lounged on the couch, seemingly uninterested, but a smirk appeared on his face. “Well, we all knew you were gay. You used to marry your Barbies to each other!”

Lily burst into laughter, the tension breaking like a wave against the shore. “I guess I didn’t exactly hide it, did I?”

Her mom joined in, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye. “Those were the most elaborate weddings I’d ever seen!”

Lily beamed at them, feeling the warmth of unconditional love envelop her. The laughter felt so freeing.

“You know,” Jake continued, his tone turning serious, “I always thought it was cool how you didn’t care what anyone else thought. You just did your thing.”

“Exactly,” their dad added. “And that’s what we want for you. To be true to yourself.”

Lily's eyes glistened with tears -- of joy, of relief. “You have no idea how much this means to me. I was so scared.”

Her mom moved closer, pulling her into a hug. “You don’t have to be scared with us, Lily. You can always be yourself.”

As they embraced, Lily felt like she was finally shedding the weight she had carried for so long. She released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, a smile breaking across her face.

“Wait until Mia hears this!” she said, grinning. “I thought I was going to have to plan a dramatic reveal or something.”

Jake laughed. “Dramatic? You? But you’re not in a rom -- com!”

Lily chuckled, less nervous now. “True! But how do I even tell them about my crush? She’s pretty amazing.”

Her dad raised an eyebrow playfully. “Well, you can tell us all about her. After a few more Barbie weddings, of course!”

“Deal!” Lily laughed. “And I promise to bring her over soon.”

As the conversation flowed from Barbies to crushes, the feeling of acceptance hung in the air, every word stitching the bond between them tighter. The sun streamed through the window, illuminating the room in warmth, flooding it with home.

In that moment, Lily knew she had stepped into a new chapter of her life -- one painted with authenticity, love, and every hue of joy that came with being true to herself.

I am a global nomad/permanent traveler, or coddiwombler, if you will, and I move from place to place about every three months. I am currently in Peru and heading to Chile in a few days and from there, who knows? I enjoy writing articles, stories, songs and poems about life, spirituality and my travels. You can find my songs linked below. Feel free to like and subscribe on any of the platforms. And if you are inspired to, tips are always appreciated, but not necessary. I just like sharing.

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