It happened again, like many times. The sheer euphoria of being beside her, the moonlight cascading her bare skin. Her angelic face with a peaceful, serene expression. I brush a strand of auburn hair from her face, careful not to wake her. Her smooth, cream-like appearance radiates in the night. I glance at the alarm clock beside our nightstand, the red digital numbers reading 3:20 am.

“Shit,” I think as I breathe a light sigh, laying on my back and staring at the white plastered ceiling. The thought of tomorrow dawns on me as I hope to dare to pop the question. Everything and nothing can go wrong, right? Preparations for the day are well-planned. A checklist of all I need briefly runs through my state of mind.

The picnic treats and strawberry wine? Check. The pink summer dress picked out for her? Check. Favorite songs by Bon Jovi? Check. The sapphire ring for the occasion? Check. The booking at the local Holiday Inn? Check. There is nothing that could go wrong. Why is my heartbeat thumping against my chest? If I don’t switch my mind to something else and try to sleep, the nervousness will drive me insane.

Try as I may, the checklist repeats like a broken record in my head. The love I feel for her, what she may say, how she may react, and anything that could happen. I glance over at her, thankful she’s resting. The emotions coursing through my veins will never allow me any sleep tonight.

“I’m going to marry you, my sweet Anna,” I think, brushing my lips on her head. I start to cuddle next to her and close my eyes, thanking God for letting me be here. The thought of being without Anna would be akin to life without oxygen. No one, no religious congregation, nor our families will dare tear me and Anna apart.

At this point, the small town of Innsbrook, Virginia, could disown us if they chose. But I never care about opinions. From a young age, I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum. I knew I was different and I was not a normal southern girl like society expects from me. Abnormal from what my family wants.

Living in the twenty-first century within the LGBTQ community, even the term lesbian isn’t even part of their vocabulary. Given their religious ideals, it isn’t acceptable to them. If they had it their way, I’d marry a nice boy and I wouldn’t be here now. Who knew that fate would lead me straight into her arms? A smile creeps over my face as I think back to the day we met.

The sunlight beams on my face, the warm October evening causing sweat to bead into my eyes. I finish track, and go inside for a shower, with a change of clothes. That day I was in a poor mood as I only want to head home and do my history homework. If only life were that simple, right? Not even for a junior in high school with big dreams like everybody else.

“Hey, Mel!” A voice behind me shrills in glee. I groan and turn to face the blonde, petite figure with bright purple athletic shoes to compliment her sport outfit. She looks like she’s trying to suppress a giggle, wearing that ridiculous pink ponytail to match her bright green eyes. She was one of those people that act as if they own the school and are entitled to everything. A recurring daydream of mine is to drive up to her home and scratch her beloved blue Porsche. But that’s not what good Christian girls do.

“Heard you were going to Homecoming. Who’s your date? One of your dumb history books on Richmond?” She says, unable to stop herself any longer, and laughs. God, that annoys me. Sometimes I imagine she knew how annoying that laugh makes my skin crawl to match her superior attitude. I roll my eyes at that with a blithe, fake smile.

“Oh, Heather, bless your heart. Did you fall asleep in class again?” I reply with a sarcastic tilt of my head. Before I knew it, a cool, blue liquid cascades down me, and I squeak a small gasp. I wipe the liquid from my face, hearing surrounding laughter. I glare at Heather as a dirty blonde-haired girl leaps in front of my eyes, laughing with her.

“Nice, Laura! See you next time, nerd!” Heather giggles, giving Laura a high five before bouncing away with her. I knew things could be a lot worse. My seventeen-year-old mind was seething. I consider catching up and pounding her into the ground until I see a tall, lone figure standing by the track field. My heart sinks knowing it is one of the new girls, a gem in the sea of provincial, ordinary townfolks. Embarrassment creeps on my wet, sticky face as she walks my way.

“Are you okay?” she says in concern, I try wiping my face with my bare hands. I only nod, not wanting to meet her crystal blue eyes. “I’m Annabelle,” she adds pulling out a small towel from her brown handbag. I meet her eyes, giving a grateful smile as I accept it. I want to take a shower to wipe off the mess, but this simple act of kindness made my day.

“Melanie,” I respond as I wipe every bit of my face as clean as possible from the blue mess. I hand the towel back to her with gratitude for the helping hand. She waves her hands as if to say, “don’t worry about it,” and gives a reassuring wink. I knew, in that moment, Annabelle would be a major part of my life that day.

A soft moan snaps me back to the present, only to see those pretty crystal blue eyes staring at me. Hers were half-lidded, expressing concern. “Can’t sleep?” Anna asks.

I smile, give her a small kiss, smooth her hair in reassurance, and hold her close in my arms.

“Don’t worry about me. Get some shuteye,” I whisper as I continue to hold her tight. At this rate, I’ll never get any rest. I am determined to make this the best day of our lives. Today is one step in the right direction. This day, I will ask Anna to be mine for the rest of my life.