Adventure of a lifetime
an excerpt

Annika’s face lit up when the tall woman answered the door. This was the moment she’d been waiting for several months now, and finally…Finally she was getting to see Marie in person. It was a monumental occasion.
“Annika!” The familiar voice carried a note of surprise with it. “I wasn’t expecting you until tonight!” The smile on Marie’s face was warm, and somehow comforting.
“My plane got in early, so I took the bus down here. I hope you don’t mind.” Annika couldn’t help returning the smile as she embraced Marie, her emotions getting the best of her yet again. Marie returned the gentle hug, letting her know that she didn’t mind at all.
“Come in, I can’t wait to talk to you some more…” Marie stepped back and picked up Annika’s weekend bag, the largest of all the bags she’d brought, which surprised Marie. “Are you sure you didn’t forget anything?”
Annika turned and smiled. “I always pack light…I don’t see the need for any extras.”
Marie smiled. Annika was so cute sometimes…it was her favorite way to describe the girl. Girl…there she goes again. Annika was nearly 20 years old, and getting ready to graduate from her first level of Nursing School. This was to be the first of many visits, as Annika had decided, in what she thought was secret, to move to Canada and finish her schooling there. But of course Marie already knew…hadn’t Kaida already figured it out for her? Not that she couldn’t tell…it was just to make sure that she was right, that she’d asked the older woman to read Annika’s plans.
Marie led Annika down the stairs to her room, chatting about what they could do later that day, since the plane had arrived so early. They arrived at a silent agreement to just spend the day together talking.
It’s a special thing, Annika thought, what was between her and the beautiful woman next to her. As she curled into Marie’s side, slightly tired from her journey, she knew that there was going to finally be happiness in her life. Her parents would never approve of it, that she had fallen in love with another woman. They would refuse to come to the wedding, when it happened, and more than likely they would forbid her younger sisters to come. But Kathleen and Malin would come, and so would several of her other friends. Marie’s family probably wouldn’t attend, either. But Somehow, Annika knew that things would work out all right.
‘We’ve got plenty of time to worry about that.’ Annika thought to herself. ‘We’ve really only just met. And besides, if my parents have a problem with it, they can just go fuck themselves.’
Marie glanced down at Annika, who was being oddly silent for such a bubbly girl, and knew what she was thinking.
‘Our parents would never approve.’ Marie thought. ‘But at least Annika could always tell hers she technically did fall for a man…My parents will always just think of me as the Trans woman who married an American girl.’
Annika looked up at Marie and smiled. “What are you thinking?” she asked. She wasn’t used to silence. It bothered her just a little.
“I’m just wondering about your parents.” Marie replied. “Have you told them yet?”
“No.” Annika sighed. “Honestly, I don’t think I’m going to tell them. They’d never understand…”
Marie nodded. “I know how you feel…”