We had been at Wrens new apartment for an hour, going over and over what happened. Olympia was upset, Wren was the same, and I was trying to be the voice of reason amongst it all.

"Camilla is from a family who are against the lifestyle and the identity of the man she loves, and his family too. It must be incredibly hard for her to also be stuck in the middle of it all" I tried to say, taking the middle ground and offering my thoughts with no judgements either side. "She told us she loves him, and she knows he is a trans man. She loves him and wants to be with him Wren. Imagine falling for someone who nobody in your family will accept. Is that not what happened to Willa?" I ask.

Wren stands and begins to pace across her small living room "In a way. Not quite the same"

Wrens house mates were luckily all out. She had been doing this a lot, pacing and thinking, crying and talking. She was so heartbroken. She had never meant to come across so harsh with Camilla, and now she felt like she had destroyed her trust with Cameron.

"I've spent my whole life with Cam" she tells me for the fifth time "my whole life Mills"

"I know" I say softly.

"Wren stop pacing...you are making me dizzy" Olympia asked.

Wren stopped and sat down, slumping next to Olympia who pulled her in for a hug.

"I don't remember a time I didn't worry about him" she says "it comes from a place of love. I want my best friend to be safe, and to be loved"

"We all do" Olympia soothed "we just need to talk to him and explain what happened"

The buzzer on the front door went, and we all looked toward it. "Expecting anyone" I asked.

Wren shook her head "no"

I stood up and padded over to the door. There was a little display that when pressed, revealed a visual of the person on the stoop below. There on the fuzzy little screen was Camilla.

I hesitated for a moment, and then buzzed her up.

"Who is it" Wren asked.

I reached for the door as I heard her approach "Just be calm" I plead.

I unlatched the door, and opened it. Camilla looked apologetic "Millie.. hi"

Wren stood up at the sound of her voice, and came over "what are you doing here" she asked with surprise.

I opened the door wider and gestured for Camilla to come inside, she did, hesitantly.

She lifted her hand to wave awkwardly as she spotted Olympia on the couch. "Olympia... Wren" she greeted "I'm sorry to show up like this. I found your address in your texts to Cameron"

"Why are you here" Wren repeated.

Camilla looked nervous, and she pointed at the couch "could we all sit" she asked "I just want us to talk"

"Of course" I replied in place of Wren, knowing how stubborn she could be. "Take a seat"

We all moved to the couches and sat down. Olympia was quieter than I'd ever seen her, but she watched and observed Camilla closely. Wren sat on the arm of the chair, keeping herself at a distance.

Camilla fidgeted with her hands on her lap, she was clearly very nervous. "I'm sorry about my Mom" she said, breaking the awkward silence.

"She's a piece of work" Olympia replied.

Camilla nodded "I know. I get so anxious whenever she wants to meet my friends. I never know what she's going to say. I apologise for everything she said"

"Camilla you don't have to apologise for your Mom. She's not you" I remind her "but do you have those same views" I ask.

She shakes her head confidently "No, not at all. I had friends in high school who were gay. It's not a problem for me. I love them just the same as my other friends"

"And Cam" Wren asks "do you accept him as he is... all of him"

Camilla's eyes fill with tears, and she catches a sob "Yes, I love Cameron. I love him so much. I hate that you got the wrong impression of me. I'm just doing my best, and I'm trying to learn on my feet with all of this. Sometimes I say things wrong, and it comes across like I'm uneducated or offensive. I'm working on that, and I want you to know that I don't do it on purpose" she explains. "I met him, I fell in love with him, and from the get go I knew he was a trans man. I didn't think about that being an issue when we started hanging out, because we were friends, and it's never been an issue to me who my friends are, or who they love. As long as they are good people. It's all that ever mattered. I fell in love with Cameron so quickly. We just vibed instantly. Wren, I fell in love, and I didn't consider the consequences. Who does?! When they are falling?! Your heart wants what it wants..."

"And now you love him, does it hurt to know that you are harming him now" Wren asks "by making him go back in the closet, and having to hide his own parents with shame?! He's always been my Cam... confident and loved, adores his Moms. And within months of being with you, he's distant, and is hiding not just them but himself... just to keep you. He's not the same guy"

Camilla looks to her hands, and wipes at her tears falling down her cheeks. "Of course it hurts me. But I'm stuck in this place between my parents, and the knowledge that they will disown me if I stay with him, and my heart, which will break if I leave him"

Wren seemed to take that in, and she sighed. "that must be awful"

"Camilla, we don't know each other out of basketball comps" Olympia says, finally opening up "but I love your boyfriend... I love him so insanely I can't even explain" she confessed.

Wren and I both look to her, taken aback by her honesty.

"I know, you've known him since you were all small. He talks about you guys a lot" Camilla replied with a slight smile and a sniffle "I'm a little jealous of how much he talks about you if we are being honest... which is why I've been a little bit of a jerk and hesitant to connect with you guys. I'm sorry about that"

Olympia moves across the couch so she's closer to her, and she places a hand on hers, and pulls it into her lap. Wren and I look at each other, completely taken aback by Olympias actions.

"That's not it" Olympia explains.

Camilla frowns, not understanding.

"I love him, not like family, and not like a brother. I'm in love with him. I adore him. I think about him all the time, and I hope he's happy. Above all else, I hope he's happy. I didn't like the idea of you" she confessed. "Because I didn't think you were good enough for him"

"I'm not" Camilla admitted "clearly"

Olympia shook her head "He loves you, and you love him... right?" She questioned.

"So much" Camilla said desperately "Olympia soo much I can't even explain"

"Then see the wonderful, kind, handsome, talented and beautiful man that you are lucky enough to call yours... and realise he needs you to either let him go, until you are in a place you can accept him and his family wholly into your life without barriers and pain for the both of you"
Camilla begins to cry before Olympia can finish what she's saying "or" Olympia adds "tell your parents now, set your boundaries with them, and start your life together with Cam. At some point Camilla, as an adult, you have to let your parents know who you are and who you love, and if they are not okay with who you are or who you love... then that's on them. Not you"

Wow. Olympia's emotional intelligence was incredible for her age.

Camilla nodded and wrapped her arms around Olympia, taking Olympia by surprise. "Thank you" she sobbed.

"Don't thank me... I have hated you for months. I have wished for nothing but your swift exit ever since he told us about you" Olympia confessed.

Camilla let her go and looked confused "then why are you trying to help me... if you hate me and you're in love with him"

Olympia looked back to her "He doesn't know that. I would appreciate it if that stayed between us. But yes, I love Cameron ... and like I said... his happiness is everything. If he wants you, then I want you for him too. I just don't want him to get hurt... or for him to change himself for you. You have to accept him Camilla... or he won't be happy... and in the end... neither will you"

"I know he won't. He isn't already. I made a comment about his hair last week, and the next minute he turns up and it's gone. I didn't mean that to happen. I loved his hair. My insecurity about his appearance and what my parents would see when they looked at him... it's driven me to insanity. I can't live like this either. Im so depressed. I love him. I promise I'm going to be brave, and I'm going to tell my parents. Not just for Cameron... but for me too. I won't hide anymore. I can't"

Wren stood up and crossed the room. She sat on the arm beside Camilla "I'm sorry for the way I spoke with you earlier. I would never have outed you or Cam. It's not me. I realise also, thanks to my wonderful girlfriend" she says looking to me "that I have been privileged to grow up in an environment that was completely free and open to be expressive and whomever the hell we wanted to be. Our parents have never judged us for our choices, and we have always been safe. Not everyone is so lucky. I'm sorry I judged you so harshly, when I should have listened, and offered advice. Cameron just wanted us to be friends, and instead I've lost him" Wren said, beginning to tear up again.

Camilla placed her hand on Wrens lap "Cameron is back at his apartment completely broken about what he said to you. We had a fight. He was so upset that my Mom was so awful, and that you and I had words. He said he felt so alone, and then he locked himself in his bedroom. He won't come out for me"

"He's there now" Olympia asked.

Camilla nodded "that's why I came here. To fix this between us. Wren, Olympia, Cameron can't live without you in his life. I love him, and if that means we have to find a way to love one another too... I will try... if you will"

Olympia stood up and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Where are you going" I asked as she ran past me.

"He can't think he's alone" she called back as she left through the front door.

Wren and I stood up quickly. Camilla followed as we ran out too.

"Olympia" Wren called after her "we will take the car. It will be quicker"

Olympia stopped running and instead walked quickly down the street, to where we had left the car.

***
The door finally opened up after five minutes of knocking it aggressively, and Cameron stood there... with red rimmed eyes and swollen lips. He had been crying, for hours if his face was anything to go by. He looked shocked, and emotional. "What are you all doing here" he asked.

Olympia broke through us all and threw her arms around him tightly, she didn't need an invitation "You are never alone Cam. Never" she argued.

He reached down and wrapped his arms around her too. He looked past Camilla to me, and he licked his lips, removing the salty tears, and then sighed "And We're never done" he said to me.

"Never" I confirmed, a tear rolling down my cheek.

He reached for me "I love you Bird"

I threw myself at him and Olympia, and like always, his arm closed around us both, strong and sure. "I love you too. I'm so sorry"

"We talked" Camilla explained.

"I can confirm they did" Millie added "and everyone listened. Nobody argued, and everyone left feeling like they were understood"

"So, you can be friends" Cameron asked, hopeful.

Olympia leant back and looked him in the eyes "Don't get ahead of yourself cowboy" she said slapping his chest "But yeah, I think we can try" she revealed with a smile.

"It's going to be okay" Camilla promised, reaching and stroking his arm "I'm going to be honest with my parents"

Olympia and I let him go so that Camilla could reach him.

"Cameron I love you, and I won't lose you. I want us to have a future, and I know that's impossible in the closet"

He ran his hands over his face, unsure, and uncertain, nervous and hesitant "Mila, don't do anything you're not ready to do" he told her.

She leant her head against his chest, and he held her at her back "I'm sure of one thing" she told him.

"And what's that" he asked.

"Of you" she whispered.

***

I returned to Portland with Olympia, Josephine, and Veda that evening. The journey was quiet, it seemed the weekends events had exhausted everyone. I knew I needed my bed too.

Wren had stayed over Cameron's with him and Camilla to talk more and catch up.

I missed her already.

I would frequently make my way back down to Eugene though, every weekend soon enough, not being able to bear a whole week apart from my girl.

I would be served soon though, with papers and news I hadn't expected, and our love would have to overcome a distance that neither of us had prepared for. A route that wouldn't be unfamiliar to both Willa and Alberta ... East to West Coast... two decades after their own journey, letters replaced by modern technology ... but the contents just the same.

We can do this

Come back to me

I'm waiting

.....
.....
....

Still to come, in Millie.

A familiar cul-de-sac, a perfect view, and a couch ruined by the birth of a little bird.

Going back to where it all began, with a girl, sitting on her porch, awaiting a red head to turn up at the gate and stay for eternity.

Think family, cross country visitors, a change of scenery, a change of career, and a Christmas wish 🫶🏻

*Still on track to complete within the next month. (Had a little set back because we have just had an offer accepted on a house) chaos! But I'm determined to finish Millie before I move and get busy.

Thanks for all of the love guys 💕 you are the best of the best, and I'm lucky to have so much support here. You keep me writing ✍️

See you again, either tomorrow or Friday.

S 💛