say you'll see me again

xi

Roseanne wakes up slowly, keeping her eyes closed for a moment while the grogginess lifts. When her eyes slowly blink open, she smiles at the sight of her wife, hair disheveled and drool on her pillow. She has to restrain herself from leaning over and kissing her, not wanting to wake her up. Instead, in a well-practiced manner, she slips out of bed without disturbing her.

Roseanne starts brewing coffee as she rummages through the cupboards, deciding on what to make for breakfast. She settles on pancakes and starts preparing the batter as she hums quietly to herself. A soft "ding" signals that the coffee is ready and, right on schedule, Roseanne feels two familiar arms snaking around her waist and enveloping her. She leans into the embrace and smiles.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Mornin'," Lisa replies contentedly.

Lisa gives her wife a kiss on the back of her neck before untangling herself and rolling up her sleeves. She takes over the pancake-making while Roseanne pours the coffee. They move around each other with ease, getting everything ready in record time. The table where they settle down is decorated with a bowl of flowers that Lisa bought for Roseanne the day before for "being so perfect". Roseanne smiles at the memory and slips her phone out. Lisa is always too sleepy to talk in the morning, and Roseanne takes that time to answer work e-mails. Scrolling through her inbox, one message catches her attention.

TonDC High School- Class of 2010 Reunion

Dear TonDC High graduate,

Please mark Saturday July 18 2020 at 6:00 PM to your calendars to reunite with your fellow classmates and learn what they have been doing these past ten years!

Roseanne's smile grows as she reads the e-mail. She is brought back to the first letter of the kind she received five years ago. It feels like a lifetime ago, when she asked Lisa to be her date to the reunion in order to impress her ex. She silently scolds her younger self for being so immature, but she doesn't regret anything. That high school reunion led to the best thing that ever happened to her.

"What?" asks Lisa, right on cue.

"You," Roseanne answers, still lost in her thoughts.

"What? I was asking why you were smiling, silly."

Roseanne gathers her thoughts and hands her phone to Lisa with a knowing smirk.

Lisa scans the screen and her jaw drops.

"Oh my god!"

"I know," giggles Roseanne.

"Has it really been five years?"

"It can't be," Roseanne gasps. "My love, you haven't aged a day!"

Lisa laughs at Roseanne's exaggerated expression.

"Oh shut up. You know med school gave me wrinkles!"

Roseanne leans forward and kisses Lisa sloppily, neither of them able to contain their smile. Roseanne leans back with a wistful grin.

"I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world."

Lisa's smile widens.

"I love you."

And this time, when they go to the high school reunion as the happiest couple in the world, neither of them is pretending.