Disclaimer: the TV show Medium doesn't belong to me.

Bridgette's secret

Allison loved her family dinners. Tonight all her family was here, except Joe, of course. There was her baby Marie, now a brilliant teenager. There was Bridgette, now a college student. And there was Ariel with her husband Dave. Allison wished Joe was here to see how they had all grown up. She was so proud of them!

"You're saying this all the time, mom!" Marie said.

"It's true", Allison said. And I'm so happy Ariel married such a wonderful young man!"

"You're making me blush!" Dave said.

"It's true. And one day, you two girls will also meet someone great!"

"Bridgette won't!" said Marie.

Everyone froze. Allison was the first to react.

"Marie! That's a very nasty thing to say!"

"No, it's true!" Bridgette protested.

"Don't be silly. One day, you'll meet someone wonderful, too!"

"Marie!" Ariel said sharply. "We had agreed on waiting a little before telling mom!"

Marie blushed and shrunk on her seat. Allison was puzzled.

"Telling me what? What's wrong, girls?"

"It's OK," Bridgette said. "I wanted to tell her anyway. Mom, I'm asexual and aromantic."

There was a long silence.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" Allison asked. "You're making words up."

"I'm not making anything up. I don't feel sexual attraction and I don't feel romantic attraction either. And I'm fine."

"But… didn't you have a boyfriend when you were 15? Remember, that great boy named Ryan?"

"I did. It's one of the things that made me realize I'm not into boys."

Allison sighed.

"You're just a late-bloomer, that's all", she said. "One day, you'll meet the right boy. Or girl. Maybe you're into girls, what do you think?"

"No, mom. I'm aro and ace, that's who I am."

Allison was speechless. How was that possible? Her love for Joe had been, was and would always be the core of her life. Everything would have been meaningless if she had not met him, married him and had three wonderful kids. She wanted her daughters to be loved as much as she was. Why did Bridgette want to live a loveless life?

"You don't know what you're talking about!" she said. "Everyone has a soul mate! Joe was my soul mate and Dave is Ariel's soul mate and one day, you're going to meet yours, too! Don't you want to be happy?"

"Of course I want to be happy!" Bridgette cried. "I just don't need sex or relationships to be happy! I want something else!"

"But what do you want to grow into?!"

"I don't know!" Dave said timidly. "A cool aunt?"

Everyone stared at him, and then at Ariel. Allison was stunned.

"Are you pregnant?" she asked.

"No!" Ariel said, laughing. "But we'd like to have a child after Dave finds a job."

"Congratulations!" Allison said. "That's great! I'm so looking forward to be a grandmother! I'm sure you're going to be great parents! You're ALL going to be great parents one day!"

Bridgette was on the verge of tears.

"Yeah, congratulations," she told Ariel. "You and Dave are going to be great parents and I'm going to be a great aunt. And I'll never, ever be a mother. Mom, I expected something else from you."

And she got up and left the house.

To be continued…