June First

by Jennifer Hartmann

The end of an era. The beginning of a brand-new journey. “Goodness…I feel old,” Mom reflects, stroking Caroline’s little round head. Her eyes lift to me with nostalgia. “It feels like yesterday I was putting pigtails in your hair, pulling pennies from your nose, and washing dirt stains out of your rompers.” I can’t help but laugh. “Now you’re getting married,” Dad muses. He shows no sign of resentment or scorn toward the man I’m getting married to. We’re beyond that now. While our family dynamic isn’t conventional, and I realize my parents may never completely approve of the path we’ve taken, I know there is still acceptance there. And as each day passes, the acceptance grows. They accept that we are what we are. They accept that they can’t change what we are, and they would rather love us than leave us. They accept Brant as the boy they raised and as the man who fell in love with their daughter. And above all, they accept this: Just as we cannot force ourselves to love someone, we cannot force ourselves to unlove them either. Fate can be foolish, and fate can be careless. But fate is always true.