Excerpt: The Butterfly Garden

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of the lunch period, and Emma and Gail headed outside together to eat lunch under the shade of the thick oak tree. The tree was surrounded by grass, Dandelions, Four Leaf Clovers, Daisies, and the chirping of birds. Nearby were the benches, where some of the students would sit and engage themselves in idle chat. Emma slumped down against the trunk, straightening her knee length skirt, while Gail sat in a cross-legged position beside her as she sat her lunch bag upon her lap.

Glancing upwards, Emma watched the clouds sail through the sky, the sun hidden in one of them, and then adjusted her glasses. A slight breeze teased her strawberry blond hair, and she flipped the flap of the lunch bag that lay against her chest open. For a moment, her brown eyes shifted, then she noticed a butterfly - orange with black veins and margins, and white dots - fluttering close, landing on a Daisy. Gail also stared at the magnificent insect.

"Monarch," she said through a mouthful of chicken salad.

"Huh?" Emma asked, turning to face her.

"That's a Monarch."

Emma nodded, remembering her girlfriend's expertise in butterflies. The Monarch flew away, most likely to search for more flower's nectar.

Gail prodded her elbow in Emma's side. "Remember when we first met?"

A blush rose on her lightly freckled cheeks."Yeah...you had a Lilac behind your ear."

They first met during their freshman year, during Spring one day, when Emma decided to eat outside. There, in front of the grand oak tree, was where she saw Gail for the first time - eating her lunch, a lilac tucked in her hair by an ear.

Gail told her later that her father would often bring a bouquet of flowers for her mother in the evenings after work: Roses, Tulips, and even Lilies. One day, the bouquet included Lilacs. They fascinated her so that, the next morning, she took one before heading to school.

If it weren't for the fact that numerous students attended the school, Emma would have met her at the first day. Then again, if it weren't for the Lilac tucked by her ear, she wouldn't have noticed her, for the Lilac compelled her to approach Gail, which was unusual considering Emma seemed reserved when it came to meeting strangers.

You had a peach in your hand and I almost jumped up," Gail added, wiping her hands with a napkin.

Emma smiled sheepishly, her mind recalling that day. Other than the fact that Lilacs captivated her, she was also allergic to Peaches. "And your salad had radishes," she said before taking a bite of her apple.

Gail giggled - a sound like the slow current of a river - her hazel eyes gleaming in amusement. Comical how after introducing themselves that day, the first thing they learned about each other was of their food allergies. Since that day, they had become best friends and in the fall of their senior year they started dating.

"Remember when I told you on your last Birthday that I will plant a butterfly garden for us this year?" Gail then asked.

"Yeah?"

"Been working on it."

"Yeah right."

"No, really I am."

Gail loved gardening and her mother taught her how to garden as a child. After her mother began working throughout the daytime hours, especially on the weekends, Gail began to garden by herself. It would amaze Emma that her girlfriend, a girl who would spend hours of her free time using her fingers to push the buttons of a video game controller, would enjoy the feel of dirt on her palms.

Gail downed a bottle of water. "And it'll have butterflies of all kinds," she mused as Emma listened. "Monarchs, Viceroys, Mourning Cloaks, Question Marks, Red Admirals, Buckeyes, Spring Azures, Cloudless Sulphurs, Clouded Sulphurs, Orange Sulphurs, Cabbage Whites..." she listed, counting each name by finger. "Oh, and I'm gonna build a butterfly house." She suddenly raised her arms in enthusiasm. "A bird house too!"

"A bird house?" Emma asked with a bewildered expression before taking a bite of her peanut butter and banana sandwich. Gail bobbed her head, the bangs of her auburn hair swaying on her forehead.

"As long as they don't scare all the butterflies away," Gail continued. "And a bird bath."

"Didn't you tell me one time that they eat butterflies?"

"Some do...but I'm sure they won't eat all of them."

Emma folded her arms, her lips curling into a smirk. "If this is going to be my eighteenth birthday present, why are you ruining it?"

"Let me finish first," Gail replied and kissed Emma's cheek, whose face reddened in response.

"And I'll plant flowers that would attract them: Marigolds, Rosemary, Hibiscuses, Daylilies, Black-eyed Susans, Asters, Coreopsises, Goldenrods, Lavenders..." She cupped her chin with one hand. "Oh, and Butterfly weeds and Butterfly Bushes too."

"What about Lilacs?"

"And those too."

"Why are you doing it on your own backyard? Why not mine since it's for me?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise."

"It's not much of a surprise anyway."

"And your parents wouldn't allow me."

"Yeah...you're right." Emma's parents were all about expectations and rules. Both of their yards only had a few bushes, and the usual grass and even weeds - which were often pulled by the neighborhood workers - and they intended to keep it that way.

Gail wiped her hands clean with a napkin after polishing off a sugar cookie. She placed the containers and remains in her bag, setting it aside on the ground. She dusted the crumbs off her shirt and jeans as she laid on her side, resting her head on Emma's lap. "It's halfway done. In two months your birthday will come and it'll be done...and we'll spend time together there...right after playing Fire Emblem."

Emma closed her eyes, chuckling softly as her hand gently stroked her girlfriend's hair, imagining them in a butterfly garden - Gail's butterfly garden - with Monarchs fluttering about and Lilacs tucked behind Gail's ear. A garden to themselves, just like in that book she read when she was younger, with the smells of Rosemary and Lavenders, and a stormless sky above with clouds like white cotton candy.

The bell rang, although Emma ignored it; she kept imagining that she was lazing about in the garden with Gail. Her hands now rested on her lap beside her girlfriend's head as she began to breathe deeply.

Gail, however, stood up and picked up her bag. She tapped Emma's shoulder with a finger. "Emma?" When her girlfriend didn't respond she poked her ribs hard.

Emma jerked awake from her trance, blurting out a "Huh?"

"Didn't you hear the bell?" Gail exclaimed, then grinned as she helped Emma to her feet while grabbing her bag as well.

As they walked together, hand in hand, the Monarch flew closely behind them - but this time with a blue Monarch - and they landed on the top of a Daisy, facing each other.