Fan Fact
Does Maddie come out to her parents in Kiss Me, Captain?
Updated: Covers chapters 1–69. No spoilers beyond that.
Short answer
Yes. In chapter 64, Maddie sits down with her parents at a park picnic table and tells them she's gay and in love with Emily. It goes badly. Her father, David Reyes, calls it confusion and a sin and makes her skating and schooling depend on ending the relationship. Her mother, Hanna, says she loves her but follows him.
Two visits where she said nothing
Maddie hides who she is from her parents long before she tells them. When they show up on campus in chapter 20, she hides every trace of Emily and moves lunch off campus. At the café her father makes anti-gay remarks and she goes along with him. She also tells them her relationship with Derek is perfect. That night she admits to Emily that her parents don't know the real her.
In chapter 59 she gets a second chance at a tense lunch. Hanna asks her directly about the rumors, and Maddie repeats the story she and Emily rehearsed: they're just friends. Hanna tells her she loves her no matter what. That makes Maddie feel she has failed a test, and she cries alone on the walk back, then admits the lie to Emily.
Why she finally decides to tell them
The push comes from outside. In chapter 60, an anonymous text signed with a D threatens to expose her and Emily. In chapter 62 they weigh their options and choose to come out to their parents on their own terms before anyone else can do it. They plan to tell each family separately, and Maddie's statement has to explain years of lies and fake dating.
Emily goes first, and her mother says she has known since the hospital and is proud of her. That warm reaction raises the stakes for Maddie, who admits right afterward that she isn't ready for her own parents the next day.
What happens at the park
Maddie asks Emily to wait at a coffee shop nearby. Then she tells her parents the rumors are true, that she has known for years and that she has been lying to them. David says she's confused and blames the bullying and Emily's influence. He calls the relationship a sin and makes her choose between Emily and her family, her future and her skating. He walks to the car. Hanna says she loves Maddie but doesn't know if she can change his mind, and she follows him. Maddie is left alone and texts Emily to come get her.
What coming out costs her (through chapter 69)
The fallout lands quickly. Coach Marquette hears about her father's ultimatum and promises to look for financial aid so Maddie isn't forced out of the sport. Hanna calls in secret and says she still loves Maddie but is hurt and confused, and she won't side with her daughter over her husband. In chapter 69 David calls to say he has cut off her tuition. She has two weeks to find another way to pay or withdraw, and she sets up an emergency meeting with financial aid.
Even so, Maddie doesn't go back into hiding. In chapter 68 she decides she's done making herself smaller for other people's comfort. So far the book treats coming out as a choice she sticks with, even though it costs her a lot.
The takeaway
Maddie does come out to her parents in chapter 64, and even after her father's rejection and the loss of his financial support, she doesn't take it back.
Start reading at chapter 60 to watch the pressure build toward the biggest choice Maddie has made so far.