I can sort of understand the shock, but it makes me feel as if I don’t know her at all
Our middle child has always been quite shy and lacking in confidence unlike her older and younger siblings. All three of them have done well career-wise, and the oldest is getting married soon, which is going to be a big celebration. My wife has been really enjoying all the preparation, especially since we’ll have friends and family getting together for the first time in ages.
Our middle daughter recently told us she was gay but is only now truly aware of it at 28. She’s in love with an old school friend who had also previously not come out. Our daughter says that for both of them it was just about finding the right person. She’d had boyfriends in the past and these relationships had never lasted very long, but nearly a year ago she bumped into this friend she hadn’t seen in years – they’d always kept in touch – and she said it was as if everything just fell into place for both of them.
I’m delighted at her confidence – she’s happier and seems to be enjoying life in a way she’s never done before. When she came home to tell us it was obvious to me straight away that something was different. She even walked and talked differently – calm, relaxed and just so bright-eyed and happy. When we sat down to dinner and she said she had something to tell us there was no sign she was worried that we might take the news of her new love badly, and although I was a bit surprised I don’t think I showed it. I just said that if she was happy then we were delighted and waited for her mum to agree. Except she didn’t.
My wife acted so shocked that you’d had thought there had been a death. At first, she said “Oh my God, I don’t believe it” three or four times and we laughed because she’s usually so calm. But then she burst into tears and all but went down on her knees, saying “Are you really sure?” It got even worse. My wife was sobbing that our daughter would never give her grandchildren and that there was still huge prejudice against gay people – though at that point our daughter did say “and most of it still in this room I think!” so at least she wasn’t cowed.