The Seashell Promise: A Sapphic Romance, page 32
"You will sell some," Leila said, turning to Mia. "Even if my parents have to buy a piece. Or Gavin and Shannon for that matter. Do you need a painting for Benjamin's nursery?"
"No, please. We get enough gifts as it is," Gavin said.
"What's your nursery theme again? Mia can paint something for you," Leila suggested.
"Agh, enough!" Gavin exclaimed. "I'm sick of baby talk," he said, rising up from his seat on the couch to join his wife at the couch opposite of them.
"I appreciate you wanting to sell my pieces, but you don't have to heckle your brother," Mia told Leila.
"I know, I know," Leila said, "but your art is really good, and I want everyone to see it."
Mia leaned her head up and gently traced her lips against Leila's cheek. "Thank you." Mia watched Leila's cheeks turn red, though Mia was sure if she pointed it out, Leila would blame it on the sun.
"Alright, I'll go in and start dinner," Leila's father announced, finally diverting attention away from his grandson.
Leila stood and grasped Mia's hand. "Come with me," she said. "I have something to show you."
"What now?" Mia asked, standing up and following her inside. The air conditioning felt good on her warm skin. She followed Leila down the hall and up the steps into Leila's old bedroom, which was still painted in the grossest purple color Mia had ever seen.
"My mom found some more scrapbooks when cleaning out the garage the other day," Leila said, crouching under her bed to grab a few. She pulled out a blue scrapbook with a yellow stitched border. "This one's from fourth grade. It's mostly you and me."
Together, they began flipping through, laughing and smiling as memories came back to them. Mia's heart felt full as she flipped through the pictures of her and Leila together. Only a year earlier, these images would have made her heart ache as she longed for her mother, but sitting here with Leila, her girlfriend, Mia felt content.
"I'm happy you finally grew your hair out a little," Leila said, reaching up to feel Mia's hair. "Not that your old hairstyle was bad! You just look more grown-up now."
"Thank you," Mia said. Her eyes locked with Leila's, and slowly, the two leaned forward to share a kiss. Though they had kissed thousands of times at this point, Mia still couldn't get over the way her heart would pound and her stomach would flutter each time Leila's lips touched her own.
As they broke apart, Leila cupped her hand over Mia's. "Are you happy?" Leila asked her. It was a question she didn't ask too often, but each time she did, she asked it with grave seriousness.
"Yes," Mia answered honestly. "So happy. Especially after quitting that waitress job."
Leila giggled.
"But in all honesty," Mia said, interlacing her fingers with Leila, "I'm so happy we reconnected. I always knew it was a possibility seeing you here again after I moved back. I think deep down, I secretly wished for it. I don't think I realized we'd be dating a year later, but I'm happy regardless. You changed my life in so many ways."
"You're going to make me cry," Leila said, glancing away from her.
"Come on, at least look at me after saying all that," Mia said.
Leila sniffed slightly and turned to stare at Mia. "I'm happy too," she told Mia. "I mean, you've heard me share it all before, but I'm so happy to be in a relationship with you, to live with you, to share joint custody of Fuji—"
"We don't actually share joint custody of him—"
"Either way. I didn't realize how much my life would change running into you one year ago either, but here we are," Leila said. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Mia replied, leaning forward to kiss her once more. They remained sitting like that for quite some time, Mia's head resting comfortably on Leila's shoulder as they flipped through more photographs.
Distantly, in their apartment nearby, as the air conditioner rattled and a tabby cat slept soundly on a couch cushion, two seashells sat next to each other on the fireplace mantle. Both were warm reminders of home – the pain, the memories, the laughter, but most of all, of each other.
Bernd Gruner, The Seashell Promise: A Sapphic Romance
