Page 168 of Incisive

Stella mouth gapes. “What the absolutefuckis wrong with you?”

“Nothing’s wrong, except that I’ve passed my give-a-fuck point withyou.”

I hear the door to the veranda open and Stella’s face instantly transforms to a smile. “Sorry about that,” Ellis says. “Did I miss anything?”

“Not a thing,” I say, turning to him. “Stella was just agreeing with me how nice it would be to have Mom hold the Bible for me since Stella did it the last time.”

“Oh.” He looks from her to me and nods. “Yeah, I…guess it would.” He sounds confused. I’m certain he thought Stella would be holding it.

“After all, Mom and Dad are the whole reason I’m here in the first place.” Which is completely the truth, in multiple ways. “Isn’t that right, Stell?”

With a smile so tight it could pinch my head off she nods. “Sure thing,bro.” Her tone for the last word is Stella-ese forasshole.

I brightly smile. “Great! Let’s get moving, shall we?”

I head for the door and catch sight of the nearly identical smirks Jordan and Casey-Marie wear and drop them a wink. They fall in on either side of me and Casey-Marie leans in.

“Please, ohpleaselet me have them removed from the stands!” she whispers even though Stella and Ellis are well behind us and separated from us by a line of agents.

Jordan snorts.

“Only if they cause trouble,” I say. “And if they do, give orders that they both get tackledandtazed.”

She literally pumps her fist. “Yes!”

Jordan responds with a sudden coughing fit of his own.

* * *

Standingin the Capitol while waiting to walk out, I lean in toward Jordan and Casey-Marie and raise my hand to cover my mouth as I whisper, “How’d you know that Bible verse?”

I love his smirk. “It was Mimi’s favorite. She wasn’t a religious nut like my parents but she’d go to church on special occasions. She also told me the verse applied to me. Once I came out, it freed me. I had to admit she was absolutely right about that. It freed me to live with her and live an authentic life.”

“Now see, I always thought it went, ‘The truth will set you free but first it’ll piss you off,’” Casey-Marie quips.

“That’s attributed to Gloria Steinem or an alcoholism treatment program, depending on who you talk to,” Jordan says.

I guess it doesn’t matter who said it first, that’s the kind of freedom I hope to have before I fall into bed tonight.

And I suspect it will mean large numbers of people pissed off about me setting myself free.

I can only pray my parents aren’t two of those people.

When it’s time for me to walk out and take my seat it’s hard not to turn and look at Leo, where he stands back with Kev, Jordan, and Casey-Marie. Leo and Jordan are wearing matching ties today.

I wait until I’m settled into my seat next to Mom to lean in. “You’re holding the Bible for me when I take the oath,” I tell her.

Now her eyes widen. “R-really?”

“Heck, yeah.” I drape my arm around her and tip my head over onto her shoulder. “Last time this’ll ever happen for me. I want it to be you. I’m lucky enough you and Dad are here to see me do this.”

She squeezes my arm. “Okay.”

Much to Casey-Marie’s disappointment, Stella and Ellis sit on Dad’s far side and keep their mouths shut. When it’s time to get up for the swearing in, I grab Mom’s hand and lead her up, Dad and Stella and Ellis following.

If I can’t have Leo up here with me, by god it’snotgoing to be Stella holding the Bible.

And once it’s done, after I hug Mom, then Dad, and then get to Stella, she softly hisses into my ear, “I hate you.”