“I want you.” The certainty in her voice made my breath catch. “I want to wake up next to you every morning and fight about whose turn it is to make breakfast. I want to learn your language properly so I can tell you I love you in German without mangling it. I want to meet your parents and embarrass you with how eager I am to impress them. And I want to build something real with you, something that’s ours.”
“And what about your sexuality? Your identity? You can’t just flip a switch and suddenly know who you are.”
She was quiet for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought.
“I don’t know if I’m a lesbian or bisexual or pansexual or something else entirely. I’m still figuring that out. But I know I’m in love with a woman. I know I want to spend forever with you. And if loving you, choosing you, building a life with you makes me queer, then I’m queer. I’m not ashamed of that.”
The honesty in her voice, the respect and humility made me soften despite my best efforts.
“I’m sorry that I hurt you,” she continued, stepping closer. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you weren’t worth choosing. I’m sorry I was too much of a coward to fight for us when it mattered. But I’m here now, and I’m choosing you now. And I’ll choose you every day for the rest of my life if you’ll let me.”
“Princess—”
But she held up her hand.
“I know you probably think I’m just confused, that I’ll change my mind when things get hard. But these past weeks without you have been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. I’ve had plenty of time to think about what I want, and what I want is you. Just you. Always you.”
The tears I’d been holding back finally spilled over.
“You broke my heart.”
“I know.” She reached for my hands, and I let her take them. “Let me spend the rest of my life putting it back together.”
“They really disowned you?” I asked quietly.
She nodded. “My sister Esther was the only one who stood up for me. Everyone else just watched my father call me those names and didn’t say a word.”
“I’m sorry.” And I meant it. Despite everything, despite how angry I was, the thought of her being hurt like that made my chest ache. “I’m sorry they treated you that way.”
“Are you sorry enough to give me another chance?”
“Princess, seriously?”
“A girl had to try.” She leaned into my palm. “God, I’ve missed your hands.”
“Kelechi…”
“Yes, my love?”
“What happens when things get hard again? When you miss your family or when someone makes you feel ashamed of being with me?”
“Then I’ll remember what it felt like to live without you and choose you again.” She brought her hand up to cover mine. “I’ll remember that losing you is worse than any shame they could make me feel.”
“You promise?”
“I promise. I swear to you, Marley, I will never walk away from you again.”
I stared at her for a long moment, this woman who had broken my heart and was now kneeling in front of me, bruised and abandoned by her family but still choosing me.
“Come here,” I said finally.
She launched herself into my arms so hard we nearly toppled over. I held her tight as she sobbed into my neck, her whole-body trembling.
“I’ve missed you so much, princess,” I murmured into her hair.
“I’ve missed you too.”
“In normal circumstances I’d be too angry to even hear what you had to say. But I care about you too much to do that.” I pulled back to look at her tear-streaked face. “Even though you hurt me. Even though I should probably protect myself and send you away.”
