So here’s how the last Sunday dinner went down. I brought my fiancée, Mallory, over to meet my parents officially. She’s tall, broad-shouldered, platinum blonde, and yeah—she’s not a size two. But Mallory’s the warmest, sharpest, most loyal person I’ve ever met. She lights up every room she walks into, even if she doesn’t fit into whatever narrow box people expect.

My mom barely smiled when she hugged her. My dad wouldn’t even look her in the eye. The whole meal felt like sitting on top of a powder keg.

My dad chimed in, talking about “health” and how I’d “resent it later.”

I felt like the table flipped upside down. I couldn’t even process it at first. I just stared at them, thinking about how Mallory always cooks for me when I’m stressed, how she pays attention to every little thing I like, how she’s the first person I’ve ever felt completely safe with.

I didn’t argue. I didn’t defend her. I just said nothing.

But later that night, when Mallory asked why I seemed off, I realized there’s something I’ve gotta decide—whether I keep playing it safe with my family, or finally tell them what I’m really planning.

Because there’s something they don’t know yet.
Something I’ve been waiting to tell everyone.

I lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. Mallory was sound asleep next to me, her breath soft and even. She always could drop off in a heartbeat, something I envied. She looked so peaceful that night, and I felt guilty that my parents’ words had wedged themselves into my head. Before drifting off, I promised myself I’d talk to my folks again soon—no matter how uncomfortable it might be.

The next day, I woke up to Mallory flipping pancakes in our tiny kitchen. She was in her old gray sweatpants with paint stains, from the time we redecorated the living room together. The smell of butter and sweet batter filled the room.

“Morning, sunshine,” she said with an easy grin. “I made these special, with caramelized bananas. Thought you could use a pick-me-up.”

I slipped my arms around her from behind, pressing my cheek against her shoulder blade. I couldn’t help but smile. “You always know what I need,” I mumbled.