She wandered around her grandparent’s house. He was not here yet, and it disappointed her. She had not seen him for months, and ached for his cheery smile and intelligent expressions. For him.

Her grandparents had staged a family reunion, and he was coming, although his family was not related to hers but instead just friends with them. She pined for him, walking around and seeing many different people, some she knew and some she didn’t. With sadness, she realized he might even be here already and just avoiding her. It would make sense, because she treated him badly the last time they saw each other. Maybe he hated her, and never wanted to see her again. But still….

Her grandpa stopped her. “Look, we’re taking everyone to a Brave’s game, tomorrow!” showing her the tickets and looking upon her, to see her reaction.

She smiled gratefully and said, “I can’t wait!” In truth, she didn’t follow baseball; but anything to please her grandpa.

She walked out onto the back porch, screened in to ward away bugs. Most of the men, many she didn’t recognize, were smoking cigars, drinking beer, and playing cards. It was late evening, warm and sticky outside. She sat on a plastic lawn chair, alone at her table, making herself wait for him to come.

She decided to get up and check again, when she saw the familiar back of his head. His hair looked much darker than usual, a vibrant red. She was shaking with happiness and walked past his chair and into the house slowly, hoping he would notice her.

She stood outside the screen door and waited some more before he quickly joined her. They embraced, pure happiness filling her entire body. He led her to another room and they talked for ages. She was just so content that he seemed to have forgiven her, for what had happened.

After a few hours, he led her to her room, for it was time for her to go to bed. Her roommate, Logan, was drying his hair in the bathroom. She looked down upon the queen-sized bed they were to share. They were cousins, they didn’t mind; everybody was sharing beds because of the limited space.

She looked up into his face and let go of his hand. As a finally farewell, she embraced him, trying to melt with his body, content just to stand there forever. He hugged her back, gently, and then placed a hand on her forearm. He put his left cheek to hers, and then pressed his lips to it, kissing her on the cheek.

Everything, every feeling she’d ever felt about him surmounted, and filled every part of her body, leaving her tingling. The past few months, she had felt nothing, and how she felt everything. It was pure, innocent, beautiful…. She had never felt so much in love – it was the closest to it she had ever been. The room around her blurred into a white smear, and all she could make of him was his orange hair. The reassurance he gave her, that he forgave her and that she meant something to him, was the most amazing feeling that she had ever felt in her entire life.

She kissed him, on his left cheek, grinning, unable to believe this was happening to her, her heart fluttering uncontrollably in her chest. He repeated his action with a softer, more tender kiss, and she mirrored him, hearing her lips open and close in unison with his perfect skin, before they both leaned in, their noses touching, exhausted from their emotional outpour. For a minute, their essence just mingled, together, as one.

He started to leave, and she tugged at his hand. He realized her message, and nodded. She could not bear to not sleep without him tonight; although she was afraid if her parents found out, she couldn’t leave him, not now. She couldn’t get enough of him to last through the night alone…. She didn’t want to have physical relations with him – it was just that she was so caught up in the pure thrill of the moment that she would need to unwind with him. She would touch his chest, revel in his handsomeness, and refuse sleep, for she wanted every moment to be about their sweet wordless understanding about each other. It might not have been love yet, but she hoped something would come from it. She just… never wanted a chance of parting, or a mistake, ever, ever again.