Maybe If You Stay.

“Tiff!” Alex yells as his younger sister comes racing across the Arrivals lounge at him.

“Alex!”

She hugs him tight and laughs when he pulls back and looks her up and down.

“You’ve gotten taller.” He comments, and she laughs again.

“They’re called high heels, big brother.” She giggles. “You should invest in some.”

Alex puts, and she looks over his shoulder and sees Lisa dragging two suitcases behind her.

“Hey, Tiffany,” She says with a tired smiles as the younger girl waves at her.

“Come on, get in the car.” Tiffany says, dragging Alex by the arm towards her parents’ car in the parking lot outside. “We’re late enough as it is.”

Alex catches up with his sister on the long drive back to Essex, since it’s been at least five months since he saw her last.

“Oh, and Jack says hey.” He says.

“Tell him I said hey, and that I have to see him soon. It’s been years.” Tiffany replies, keeping her eyes on the road. “Seriously, Alex, tell mum and dad. They’re more accepting than you think.”

“Doubtful.” Alex replies, typing a text to Jack.

“Alex. Seriously.” Tiffany continues, voice stern. It’s hard to believe she’s only nineteen, from the way she berates the older boy. “If I was in his place, I would’ve left you years ago.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence, Tiff.” Alex sighs, even though he knows she’s right.

“I’m just saying,” She says, “unless you’d rather I wasn’t honest with you.”

Alex frowns, realizing they’re pulling up into the driveway of his parents’ house.

“Lisa, remember, we’ve got to act like we’re together.” He says as he helps her out of the car.

“God, Alex, I know. I’ve been your fake girlfriend for four years; I think I’ve got it memorized.” She frowns as she dusts herself off.

Alex looks sheepish for a second and takes hold of her hand as Tiffany marches up to the front door and throws it open.

“Guess who’s home!” She yells, and Alex’s mom sticks her head out of the kitchen.

“Alex, Lisa!” She exclaims, moving quickly over to them and embracing her son in a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Mom!” Alex grumbles, trying to break free from his mother’s tight grip.

“Tim, Alex is here!” His mom calls for his father, who appears from upstairs a few moments later.

After a few long-winded conversations, they’re sitting down for lunch and Alex’s dad is complaining loudly about something.

“Did you hear about Proposition Eight getting repealed?” He asks through a mouthful of food. “Now the fags can get married! It’s ridiculous! Next they’ll want to adopt!”

Alex winces, his grip on the cutlery getting tighter. Lisa gives him a warning look and squeezes his knee under the table.

“It’s ridiculous! They’re animals!”

Alex almost throws his knife and fork onto the table, and Tiffany stares at him.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” He says flatly. He can’t stand to hear any more.

He stomps up the stairs and into the bathroom, where he stares at his own reflection for a few minutes.

“Stupid homophobic parents,” He grumbles, wiping his eyes quickly to clear any trace of tears.

He returns to the dinner table just in time to hear his father start talking about ‘that fag Barakat’ and Tiffany notices his tears as he sits down.

“You okay?” She asks quietly while their father rages away in the background. Alex shakes his head, silently praying that no one sees he’s crying.

Lisa looks at them both, before standing and straightening her clothes.

“Alex, we should get going. We haven’t checked in yet.” She says, and Tiffany nods.

Alex stands and Lisa takes hold of his hand and squeezes it gently, as if to tell him everything’s alright.

“Come on,” She says quietly, Tiffany following behind them.

“I’ll be back soon,” Tiffany says, closing the door quietly behind her.

She bites her lip gently as her brother fights back tears as Lisa hugs him tight.

“Now, now do you see why I haven’t told them, Tiff?” Alex says with a shaky voice. Tiffany sighs quietly and nods, rubbing her brother’s back.

“But, Alex, at least understand why Jack’s getting upset about you not saying anything,” She says softly, “I understand that it will be difficult, but try to see how he feels.”

Alex just stares at her.

The next day, the five of them go on a ‘family outing’, as Alex’s mother has taken to calling it. Really, it’s Alex’s father dragging him to a golf course to complain at him while the girls sit around and look pretty.

“So, have you thought about how you’re going to propose to Lisa yet?” His father asks as Alex takes a swing. He splutters and almost throws the golf club backwards.

“What?”

“Alexander, you’ve been seeing each other for four years now, isn’t it time you finally commit?”

“Dad, we’re twenty three. Isn’t that a little... young?”

“Nonsense,” His father replies, taking a ridiculously perfect swing at his golf ball, “your mother and I got married at twenty one.”

Alex bites back a sarcastic comment and doesn’t say much more until they regroup with Lisa, Tiffany and his mom, at which point he drags Lisa off.

“He wants me to propose to you!” Alex whisper-shouts, and Lisa stares at him.

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously!”

“Well, fuck.” Lisa says, exhaling and pushing her fingers through her recently bleached hair.

“That’s your contribution to this situation?” Alex asks incredulously, throwing his arms around.

“I’m sorry! Look, I’ll think of something,” Lisa sighs, blinking a few times, “I’m obviously the brains in this fake relationship.”

As they walk back to join the three others, Lisa sends a quick text to Jack.

Nothing so far. Sorry. X

Jack wakes up to the text waiting for him the next morning. He’s tired, having spent far too many hours in the company of Dan and Zack the night before, and the last thing he needs right now is to be told that his boyfriend’s parents are still unaware of his relationship with their son.

His phone rings as he’s halfway to typing a reply, and Dan’s name appears on the screen.

“Good morning sunshine!” Dan says loudly, and Jack winces at the sound of his voice.

“What do you want?”

“I was just checking up on you. You seemed pretty out of it last night.” Dan says.

“What did you expect?” Jack asks, “I miss Alex.”

“I know, Jack, I know.”

Jack bites his lip and blinks away tears.

“Look, Jack,” Dan replies, twisting his hair in his fingers, “get out of bed, ‘cause I know you probably just woke up and don’t feel too hot, so I’ll get some takeout and come over and we’ll sit and watch Arrested Development or something, if you’d like. I know you probably need the company right now.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” Jack says in a tiny voice, sitting up and stroking a sleeping Sebastian gently.

“Good. Just don’t answer the door naked. Again.”