House of Sand

We spent the night in Anna's old bedroom, which her parents hadn't changed much since she left for college. There was a keyboard in one corner, a TV against the wall, a small desk, and a bed. The bed wasn't very large, but as much as we cuddled it wasn't an issue.

We snuggled in bed. Normally, we would have slept naked, but we wore pajamas. It seemed a little more appropriate since we were in someone else's house.

"They're so nice," I whispered, Anna's warmth bleeding into my body.

"Told ya," she replied aloofly. "They really don't care who I date as long as I'm happy."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But I didn't expect them to be that nice. I mean, they already have a picture of me. That was shocking."

"They love you," she reaffirmed.

I huffed, "you know what I hate most?"

"What?" Anna asked, her tone shifting to one of concern.

"I hate that we can't have a conversation about us -- about our lives and our relationship -- without it circling back to my anti-gay parents. No matter what we're talking about or where we are, it just seems like it always comes up."

"That's because you fear it, Sweetie. But I can ignore it if you want me to."

"It's not ignorable," I leveled. "But you know what?" I chirped. "Walking around this house today I thought of how great it would be to have a place of our own. Not an apartment or anything, but a real house. We'd be totally independent."

"It would be nice," Anna answered softly, nibbling at my neck. Her nibbles became kisses, and she bathed every part of my skin with her lips.

She muttered, "do you know how many orgasms I've had on this bed?"

I giggled, "a lot, I presume."

"A lot," she confirmed.

"Want at least one more?" I seduced.

"Yes, but that's unfortunately not gonna happen tonight," she sighed. "It's my time." But she slipped her hand into my pajama bottoms and fingered my wetness until I came.

Chapter XII - Cooper River

- Charleston, South Carolina -

April

We burrowed through the mass of people in search of Brie. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Anna questioned.

"I have no idea where I'm going," I admitted. "But if we keep moving, we're bound to find her, right? She said she's standing in front of a BP station."

"What does it look like?" Anna asked.

"How should I know? Like every other BP station on Earth?"

"Aren't you the one who lived in South Carolina, smarty?"

"I lived two hours from here, dear," I snarked. "There it is," I pointed to a green gas station. "But where is Brie?"

Fortunately, her fiery Irish hair stood out among the blonds and brunettes. "There!" I exclaimed, rushing toward her. I pushed through the horde of people like a snowplow. "Brie!" I shouted unsuccessfully. "Brie!" I hollered again. Her face animated when she saw me. She encased me in her arms, lifting me a few inches from the ground. "How have you been?" I screeched, strained from her squeeze.

"I'm making it," she griped. "And how are you, Ms. King, the teacher? How's the new life?"

"Absolutely amazing," I bragged, looking toward Anna. Anna smiled and I melted into her beauty. "My life is as awesome as it has ever been. You about ready to graduate?"

"Yes, ma'am," Brie gleamed. "One month left. Already got a job lined up too -- $100,000 per year to start."

"100,000?" Anna joined. "Doing what?"

"A patent attorney for the federal government."

"Good grief," Anna bantered.

"Hi, Maddie's friend," Brie greeted.

"Hi," Anna replied casually.

I gestured, "Brie, this is Anna, my girlfriend."

Brie nearly said, "hello," but stopped herself after "h--."

"Girlfriend," she raised her eyebrows. Brie prodded, "do you mean girlfriend? Or do you mean 'girlfriend'?" Putting the latter in air quotes.

"Yes, 'girlfriend'," I repeated with the same inflection. "Dating since November."

Brie shook her head in confusion. Taken aback, she put her palms to the sides of her head. "Wait, back up. You never told me you were--" She paused. "Are you--?"

"You can say lesbian, Brie," I jested.

"You're a lesbian?" She squealed. Her grin grew three times in size. "You never told me that," she shrieked.

I scratched the back of my head. "Well, I guess I didn't realize it. I was just as surprised as you are when I found out."

Anna rolled her eyes at my comment. "Oh, boy."

"Anna's very sweet," I noted. "We're coworkers too."

"You're both teachers? That's so cool," Brie glinted. "Oh, my God, that's awesome. It's nice to meet you, Anna." Brie grabbed Anna's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Obliged," Anna smiled small.

Brie insisted loudly, "but why didn't you tell me? You told me about your leg but not about being a lesbian. Of course, November was the time we started texting a lot less, so now it all makes sense."

"Jesus, Brie," I snarled. "Could you say 'lesbian' any louder?"

"Sorry," she giggled. "But how come?"

"I don't know," I responded. "I've spent every waking hour with Anna that I really shut out the rest of the world."

"Hmmm, okay," Brie groaned apathetically.

"Well, I have," I squeaked.

"This is-- oh, my God. I should have worn my rainbow shirt."

"We don't need all that, Brie," I griped. I suggested, "after the run, we should get cleaned up and go get dinner or something. Catch up a little."

"I'd enjoy that," Brie exclaimed. "But we gotta finish this run first."

Anna, Brie, and I lined up on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina -- along with forty-thousand others, of course. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature rested at a perfect sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. Spring-time pollen gave a yellow hue to the air and lightly dusted everything beneath the sun. We stretched in preparation. As I held my right foot behind my hip, I taunted Brie, "remember, I told you I was going to finish before you this year."

Brie scoffed, "yeah, and I told you that there's no way."

"You're right," I admitted. I looked to Anna. "But we should stay together," I proposed. "It's not a race, anyway."

"I'm fine with that," Brie agreed.

Anna nodded in accord. I added, "I just need to beat fifty-four minutes. That's my goal."

"Don't hurt yourself," Anna warned.

"I know what I'm doing," I argued. "Fifty-four minutes. Ten kilometers, fifty-four minutes."

When the run began, it was not so much a start as it was a herd of people proceeding when the group in front of them moved. We were in group B, which meant we were expected to finish in fifty to sixty minutes (groups I-K, conversely, were walkers expected to take over three hours). We jogged but paced ourselves lest our bodies crash. Brie and I both wore the medals we earned the year before, instilling in me once again a modicum of pride.

The horde of people crossed the bridge from Mount Pleasant onto the Charleston peninsula. As the run persisted, the mob dispersed and granted more space between individuals. Anna remained at my side throughout the course, her skin slick with perspiration, her breasts bouncing with every step. I couldn't keep from noticing even if I tried; I was confident she caught my lust. We hurried through the ancient city, encouraged by the lines of cheering crowds on the sidewalks. As we rounded the final corner, the clock above the finish line read, "53:15."

"Holy shit," I mumbled. That's forty-five seconds to run three blocks. I darted forward with my last bit of energy. Sweat poured from my skin like a sprinkler. My heart fought for its life. Two blocks away, "53:30." One block away, "53:45." Brie kept in step with me, but as we neared the finish line, Anna disappeared from view. I crossed beneath the final banner at "54:02," neither breaking my previous record nor failing to meet it. Anna trailed behind a few seconds later. I halted and leaned on my knees, and the three of us received a medal for our completion.

"Great job, Maddie," Anna huffed.

"What the hell?" I paused to gasp. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" Anna wrinkled her face.

"You slowed down at the end," I stated.

"I got tired," she lied, averting her eyes.

"You and I know full well you let me finish first," I chuckled breathlessly. Anna smirked, forfeiting her ego for my pride.

"Just say that you beat us and be happy," Anna instructed, her sweat glistening in the sunlight. Why does she look hotter when she's sweaty?

Brie chimed in, "um, she didn't beat me. We tied."

"Oh, shut up, Brie," I exclaimed in good humor. She threw her palms up in surrender. "I didn't beat my record," my voice became shallow.

"I'd say you did," Anna confessed. "After a broken leg, a cast, and crutches, you did fantastic."

I grabbed a bottle of water and gulped the whole thing in a few swallows. "Na, I should have gone faster. I was just -- distracted."

"Distracted by what?" Anna asked.

"You." I pinched her ass and she jumped out of her skin.

"Okay, Brie," we're going to go to the hotel and get cleaned up. "We'll meet you for dinner afterward, right? I'll text you where."

* * *

We raged into our hotel room, still sweaty and sticky from the run. We smelled to high heaven, but there was nothing that could stop our love. We stripped and thrashed onto the bed and fucked each other crazy until the room smelled of perspiration and pussy. We knew it'd be a long drive back to Washington, so, for good measure, we fucked again after dinner and again in the morning before checking out.

Chapter XIII - Love and Cherish

May

Anna joined me on the couch in the living room. "I have an idea," she ignited. I lifted my eyes from my sudoku. She said, "and you gave me this idea to me the first time we were in Pennsylvania together."

"Uh, oh, what did I do?" I wondered.

"We should move in together," Anna chirped.

I tightened my lips and wrinkled my nose. "Umm, honey, I don't know how to break this to you, but we've been living together for months."

"That's not what I mean," she shunned. "Let's buy a house. A real house that belongs to us."

My eyes widened. "A house?" I stammered, "but I was just dreaming. We can't afford a house."

She stared puzzlingly at me. I squeaked, "can we afford a house?"

"Sure we can," she proclaimed. "Both of us have great credit, enough in the bank, and earn a decent wage every year." She spoke with both excitability and urgency. "And if we stop paying rent, we'd be building equity."

"I've never bought a house before," I mused. "But I like the idea."

She went on, "I haven't either. That's why we'd hire an agent. But we wouldn't be beholden to anyone. It'd be our home, not a space we rent." Her face radiated with confidence, and her voice reamed with assuredness. "We could do it Maddie, but we'd have to do it soon before I renew my lease. Otherwise, we'd have to wait another year. I've paid off my student loans and my car. I don't have any debt. You're not much of a debtor either. A real estate agent would snag us up in a heartbeat because we're a sure sell."

"Then yes, let's buy a house!" I yelped. "One with a fireplace and a cozy bedroom."

Anna jumped, "and beautiful bathroom."

"And a backyard," I brooded. "One where we can invite friends and have parties."

"And close enough to Washington that we don't have to quit our jobs, but away from hoards of people," Anna considered.

"Wait," I mumbled. "Where are we going to live?"

Anna declared, "Virginia, Maryland, Washington, I don't care. I just want to live in a house with you. Wherever you want to live, dear." I jumped to her in happiness and kissed her on the lips. I whispered, "you always know how to say the right things."

"It's because I love you," she cooed.

"I love you too," I avowed.

Immediately, we looked on Zillow.com for homes. Anna's fingers seemed unsteady as she eagerly typed on the keyboard. She loaded dozens of homes, ranging in size, location, price, and style.

"This one is gorgeous," Anna pointed.

I chuckled ostentatiously, "but it's also $750,000. Let's be realistic."

Anna leveled, "I'll set price ranges. What about this one," she noted. "Nice living room, bathroom, and back yard."

"Or that one," I gestured. "Look how pretty it is."

"And that bedroom," she noted. "Imagine the things we could do in there." My body jolted with excitement. I found myself gawking at my girlfriend once again.

She smirked, "but we'll have to talk to an agent. I'll call around today if you want to get started."

"Of course!" I declared. "Yes!"

Anna put in a request to some online server in search of a realtor. Within minutes, realtors were calling her from all sorts of companies. As she spoke with each one, she Googled their names, checking in on their ratings. I left the hard work to her. After all, she seemed to enjoy it. Finally, she emerged into the living room and said, "I have scheduled an appointment tomorrow at three with a realtor. We won't make any decisions then. We'll just talk about what we're looking for and go over the basics."

"But that's when I have my doctor's appointment," I sank.

"Damn," Anna cussed. "I forgot. I can call back and--"

I interrupted, "if it's just the basic stuff, can't you go without me? If I reschedule this appointment, it'll be months until I can go back."

"Yeah," she slumped. "I'll let you know what we talk about."

* * *

I returned to the apartment about an hour before Anna. I breathed relief when she arrived. I couldn't seem to live five minutes without her, and my chest was tense in anticipation of what she had discussed with the realtor. She sidled in, her hands strangely behind her back.

"Hey," I greeted, closing my book.

"Hey yourself," she answered.

"How was the meeting?"

She looked away. "It was fine," she answered plainly. "We'll start touring houses tomorrow."

"That's awesome," I sang. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. "But what are you hiding behind your back?"

"I brought you a rose," she said, now concealing her giant smile with the red flower. Her voice was soft and reserved.

"That's cute, Anna." She sat on the sofa and patted the space beside her, inviting me to cuddle. I obliged and embraced her, rubbing my cheek against hers. Our lips danced again.

"It's very sweet, honey," I said, nibbling at her neck. I muttered, "and what have I done to deserve something so sweet?"

"By being so wonderful," she purred, returning my kisses and stroking my thigh.

"You're wonderful too," I radiated. "But I'm surprised. You're not a flowery-type girl."

"It was on sale," she joked. She pulled a petal from the rose and tossed it to the floor. "I'm grateful that I have the greatest woman in the world by my side. You are the most amazing person I've ever met."

I gleamed as she bathed me in affection. I took her lead and plucked another petal. "I'm grateful that I have a woman who loves me no matter what." The petal fell from my fingers to the hardwood.

Anna pulled another, "I'm grateful you enjoy spending time with me."

I followed, "I'm grateful you shower me with affection, even though I'm not deserving of it."

Anna tore another petal, "I'm grateful I can share my life with someone who deserves the very best of everything, even if you're too humble to admit it." She kissed me again as she dropped the petal to the floor. My heart thumped with passion and my arousal kindled.

I peeled one more, "I'm grateful that you're always there for me, even when times are bad --even when I'm aggravating."

Anna continued with an additional petal, "I'm grateful you aren't aggravating and that you fill my life with passion and purpose." Our tongues wiggled together, this time longer.

I plucked another petal, "I'm grateful to be able to share my worries with an amazing woman who will care what I have to say." The flower slowly dissolved into oblivion as the rose blanketed the floor.

I repeated, "I'm grateful you're so wonderful."

Anna furthered, "I'm grateful you're so beautiful."

I yanked another, "I'm grateful that your parents are so sweet and understanding."

Once more, another petal. Anna grinned, "I'm grateful you love me and that you accept my love."

Again, I pulled. "I'm grateful--" I halted. I perceived something peculiar about this flower, an unnatural shimmering that my plucking revealed. "What's this," I whispered as I fingered the object. I pulled it from the flower: a silvery, diamond-studded ring that glittered in glory.

"What's this?" My tone jerked, my heart pounding, my mind drowning in love. I shot to my feet and glared at Anna, "What's this?" I exclaimed loudly, holding the ring toward her. Anna took the ring from me. Her face maintained a simple smile as she fell to a kneel with one knee planted on the floor among the rose petals.

I covered my mouth with both my hands and gasped. My eyes grew heavy with tears as Anna muttered the most important words of my life: "Maddison King, will you marry me?" She extended the ring upward, offering to me not only the metallic jewelry, but the fullness of her life.

My legs weakened, wobbling beneath my weight. It felt as if I was standing on water. My lower lip quivered, and though Anna's face remained composed, I could see the purity of joy in her eyes. I collapsed to my knees -- to her level. I clasped her cheeks and resounded, "YES!" With every ounce of urgency and passion in my body I declared, "yes, Anastasia, yes!"

She entwined me with her arms. "I love you so much, Maddie," she sniffled. "Thank you for saying yes." I cried into her shoulder, her blouse soaking in my tears of fervor.

"I love you too," I whimpered, muffled in her warmth.

She took my hand into hers and slid the ring onto my finger. It glimmered in the sunlight through the window, and the tears in my eyes enhanced its luster. She took my cheeks in her hands and kissed me again, this kiss the most powerful and ardent of them all. Of course, I welcomed her touch. Our tongues slid past one another and our hearts seemed to beat in tandem. She leaned forward and pushed me onto my back before mounting me and unfastening my clothing.

* * *

The next morning, I awoke to Anna's stare.

"You're beautiful when you sleep," she whispered. My eyes would have looked at her smile if her breasts weren't nearly in my face.

I snickered, "and if anyone else said that, it'd be hella creepy." I crawled toward her and we snuggled. "But not you," I wooed. "Thank you so much," I breathed. "You have completed my life."

She took my ringed finger into her hand. "This was my father's mother's ring," she explained. "If Dad ever had a son, he'd give it to him to give it to his fiancée." She chuckled, "I guess it still made it to a woman's hand after all."

She said, "that's the actual wedding band. Traditionally, people would have an engagement ring and then a wedding ring. If you're wanting to be traditional, I can buy another one."

"No, it's beautiful," I gawked, wiggling my fingers. "I have no problem wearing this before and after the wedding." My mind whirled. Holy shit! We're getting married.

"You'll just have to take it off before the wedding so I can put it on your finger at the ceremony."

I nibbled at her neck. "And where are we having the wedding? When are we having the wedding?"

"Hmmm, let's think about it for a while. We have time, right?" She returned my kisses.

"We do," I mumbled.

She continued, again taking my hand into hers. Her touch was invigorating. "You should know that it was recovered from a battlefield -- Leningrad, 1943. The Soviet army was out of manpower, so they enlisted women and teenagers to fight. My grandmother was among them. A friend took care of my infant father while she was gone -- while the city was bombed and ravaged." Her voice dripped with pride. "She was a sniper. They would bury themselves in destroyed buildings or piles of snow for hours or days and wait. I don't know how many of the invaders she killed, but I'm sure she saved many, many lives -- at least, that's what I like to think."