Riley arrived at Elowen's dorm ten minutes later, out of breath, her hair messy, like she'd run the entire way. She knocked on the door, and Elowen opened it, throwing herself into Riley's arms, crying. Riley wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight, whispering reassuring words in her ear.
"Shhh, it's okay," Riley said, rubbing her back. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Tell me what happened. What did your parents say?"
Elowen pulled away from her, wiping her tears, and told her everything—the surprise visit, her mom's questions, the way her mom had talked about "certain friendships," the fact that her aunt must have told her mom about them. "I think she knows," Elowen said, her voice shaky. "I think she knows we're dating. And I'm scared, Riley. Scared she'll tell my dad, scared they'll make me break up with you, scared they'll disown me."
Riley took her hands, sitting her down on the bed, and knelt in front of her, looking up at her. "Elowen, first of all—your parents won't disown you. They love you, even if they don't understand. Second, even if they do make you choose, you don't have to choose me over them. I'll wait. I'll be here, no matter how long it takes, until you're ready to tell them, until they're ready to understand. I love you, Elowen. More than anything. But I don't want you to lose your family because of me."
"But I don't want to lose you either," Elowen said, crying again. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You won't have to find out," Riley said, wiping her tears with her thumb. "I'm here. Always. We'll get through this together. Whatever your parents throw at us, we'll face it together. Okay?"
Elowen nodded, leaning into Riley's arms, feeling a little better. Riley's warmth, her love, her reassurance—it was like a lifeline, keeping her from drowning in her fear. They sat there for a while, holding each other, until Elowen's phone buzzed—it was her mom, texting her, telling her they were on their way back to pick her up for dinner.
"They're coming," Elowen said, pulling away from Riley, her voice nervous. "I have to go. What if they ask about you? What if they bring it up at dinner?"
"Just be honest, if you're ready," Riley said, kissing her forehead. "If you're not, just say we're friends. I won't be mad, Elowen. I promise. Do whatever feels right for you."
Elowen nodded, kissing her quickly. "I love you."
"I love you too," Riley said, smiling. "Text me after dinner, okay? Let me know how it goes."
"Okay." Elowen watched Riley leave, then took a deep breath, fixing her hair and wiping her eyes. She didn't know what was going to happen at dinner, but she knew one thing—she wasn't alone. Riley was there, loving her, supporting her, and that gave her a little bit of courage.
Her parents picked her up a few minutes later, and they drove to a fancy restaurant downtown, one Elowen had never been to before. The atmosphere was tense, quiet, and Elowen could feel her mom and dad looking at her, like they were waiting for her to say something. They ordered their food, and for a while, they talked about trivial things—her mom's church, her dad's job, Maeve's life in New York. But Elowen knew it was just a distraction, that her mom was waiting to bring up Riley.
Finally, after the waiter brought their food, her mom spoke up. "Elowen, we need to talk about Riley."
Elowen's heart dropped. She put down her fork, looking at her mom, her hands shaking. "What about her?"
"Your aunt told me about her," her mom said, her voice calm, but firm. "She told me you two are dating. That you're… gay."
Elowen's throat tightened. She didn't know what to say—should she deny it? Should she admit it? She looked at her dad, who was staring at his plate, his face serious. She took a deep breath, summoning all the courage she had, and nodded. "Yes. I'm gay. And Riley and I are dating. I love her."
Her mom's face fell, and she reached across the table, taking Elowen's hand. "Elowen, baby—you don't know what you're saying. This is just a phase. You're young, you're confused. You'll meet a nice boy, settle down, have a family—like you're supposed to. This… this isn't right. It's against God's will, it's against everything we've taught you."
"It's not a phase, Mom," Elowen said, her voice steady, even though her hands were shaking. "I'm not confused. I know who I am, and I know I love Riley. This is right for me. Even if you don't understand it, even if you don't approve, this is who I am."
"I don't approve," her mom said, her voice rising a little. "I can't approve. You're my daughter, and I love you, but I won't stand by and watch you throw your life away on this. On her. You have so much potential, Elowen. Don't ruin it for a girl."
"Riley isn't just a girl," Elowen said, her voice cracking. "She's the love of my life. She makes me happy, she makes me brave, she makes me feel like I can be myself. I'm not ruining my life—I'm living it. For the first time, I'm living it for myself, not for you, not for God, not for anyone else."
"That's enough," her dad said, slamming his fist on the table, making Elowen jump. He'd been quiet this whole time, but now his face was red, his voice angry. "Elowen, you will break up with her. Right now. If you don't, we're cutting you off. No more money for tuition, no more money for rent, no more support. You'll be on your own. Do you understand me?"
Elowen's eyes stung with tears. She looked at her dad, then at her mom, who was crying, but shaking her head—refusing to meet her gaze, as if she couldn't bear to see the pain she was causing. The words hit Elowen like a punch to the gut, sharp and unforgiving. Losing their support meant losing her chance to finish college, losing the safety net she'd always relied on, losing the family she'd spent her whole life trying to please. But losing Riley? Losing the girl who'd made her feel seen, who'd given her the courage to be herself, who'd loved her unconditionally? That felt like losing a part of herself—one she'd only just discovered.
"You can't do that," Elowen whispered, her voice breaking. "You can't make me choose between you and the person I love. That's not fair."
"Life isn't fair, Elowen," her dad snapped, his jaw tight with anger. "We're doing this for your own good. You'll thank us one day. This girl—this relationship—will only hold you back. It's a sin, plain and simple, and we won't enable it."
"It's not a sin," Elowen argued, pushing her chair back slightly, her hands gripping the table until her knuckles turned white. "Loving someone isn't a sin. Loving Riley isn't a sin. She makes me better, Dad. She makes me brave. Without her, I'm just… hiding. Like I've always been."
Her mom finally looked up, her eyes red and puffy, her voice trembling. "Baby, we don't want to hurt you. But we can't go against our faith. We can't pretend this is okay. If you choose her, you're choosing a life of loneliness, of judgment—of being disconnected from everything we stand for. Is she worth that?"
Elowen's heart ached. She knew her mom wasn't being cruel—she was scared, trapped by the beliefs she'd held her whole life. Her dad, too, wasn't just being harsh; he was a man of rules, of tradition, and this shattered everything he'd thought he knew about his daughter. But how could they not see? Riley wasn't a mistake, or a phase, or a sin—she was the love of her life.
"Yes," Elowen said, her voice quiet but steady, the first flicker of unshakable resolve lighting up in her chest. "She is worth it. But I don't want to lose you either. Can't you… Just try to understand? Can't you meet her? She's kind and good, and she loves me. She's not what you think she is."
Her dad stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor, drawing stares from nearby tables. "I don't need to meet her. I know enough. The choice is yours, Elowen—her, or us. We'll give you a week to decide. Until then, we're staying in town. And you will not see her. Not once."
He turned and walked toward the door, leaving Elowen and her mom sitting in silence, the sound of his footsteps fading away. Her mom reached across the table, trying to take Elowen's hand, but Elowen pulled away—hurt, angry, and overwhelmed by the weight of the choice she'd been given.
"I'm sorry, Elowen," her mom whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I love you more than anything. But I can't compromise on this. Please… choose us. We need you."
Elowen didn't answer. She just sat there, staring at her uneaten food, tears rolling down her cheeks. The world around her felt blurry—her mom's quiet sobs, the clink of silverware, the soft hum of the restaurant—all fading into background noise. All she could think about was Riley's smile, her warm hands, her promise to be there no matter what. And now, she was being told to let that all go—to pretend none of it had happened, to go back to hiding, to be the daughter they wanted her to be, not the person she really was.
Dinner ended in silence. Her mom drove her back to campus, never saying a word, never looking at her. When they pulled up in front of her dorm, Elowen grabbed her bag and hurried out of the car, not waiting for a goodbye. She ran up the stairs to her room, locked the door, and collapsed on her bed—sobbing harder than she ever had before.
She reached for her phone, her hands shaking so badly she could barely unlock it. She needed to text Riley to tell her everything—to tell her about the ultimatum, about her parents' anger, about how scared she was. But what if she couldn't keep her promise? What if she wasn't brave enough to choose Riley? What if she lost both the people she loved most?
A knock on the door made her jump. She froze—for a second, she thought it was her parents, come to press her harder. But then she heard the soft, familiar voice through the wood, quiet and worried.
"Elowen? It's me. Riley. I know you're in there. Please… let me in."
Elowen's heart skipped a beat. Riley had waited for her. She hadn't left her alone. Through her tears, she stumbled to the door, unlocked it, and threw herself into Riley's arms—holding on like she was her last lifeline. Riley wrapped her arms around her tightly, rocking her back and forth, whispering "I'm here" over and over again, as Elowen poured out all the pain, all the fear, all the impossible choices weighing on her.
And as Riley held her, Elowen realized something—she didn't have to choose right now. She didn't have to be brave all at once. But she knew, deep down, that she couldn't lose Riley. Not when she'd finally found the courage to be herself. The fight was just beginning, and it would be hard—harder than anything she'd ever faced—but she wasn't alone. Riley was right there with her, and together, they'd find a way to survive it.