Project Equality

The Future

May

On the morning of my second anniversary with Lisa, I woke up to a note next to me instead of her.

Dear May Bean -
Special treat awaiting you at the coffee house this morning.
xxx Lisa

I did not know what to expect, but figured she probably was waiting there with coffee for both of us. I loved her and I loved coffee, so I rolled out of bed, put on some proper clothes, and walked to the coffee shop. The one nice thing about Marcos's apartment was that it was closer to town than the house had been. Farther from school, but closer to town. Not that I couldn't drive, but I preferred to walk.

When I walked inside, I saw the usual Tuesday morning barista, doing her thing behind the counter. It was mostly empty, skip a couple of people writing on their laptops and listening to music at the tables. No sign of Lisa, though.

"Hi, May!" the barista greeted. "She's not here anymore, but she ordered your coffee for you."

Confused, I took the cup from her. "Thank you." On the side, it read:

"All was golden when the day met the night"

I smiled. That was our song, the very song she sang to me two years ago that very day. It was the song that brought us together, after almost two months of not knowing how to speak to each other. I turned the corner to the area with the instruments, where sometimes a small musician would play indie music for everyone, where open mic night happened. I remembered that night clear as day.

"I don't need to speak a dedication, because she'll know."

I knew.

"I've always needed your eyes in my life more than you've needed mine. I can smile, I can laugh, I love freely and openly to anyone I've set my mind to love. I like dancing in the rain and singing in the shower and writing music that I'll never show anyone. But my heart has been broken for so long. It wasn't until I fell in love with you that I finally became whole."

I remembered kissing her. I had kissed her a thousand times since that one, would kiss her a thousand more then after, but I remembered kissing her that once. She had been a friend to me when I needed a friend more than ever, a love to me when I needed desperately to move forward in my life.

I looked at the guitar on the stand, and on it, another note:

"A year ago today, you surprised me."

I knew what that one meant. The art gallery, where I took her for our one year anniversary. I put the straw in my latte and headed back home to get my car, and drove to the gallery.

"Hello, Miss Cane," greeted the owner. She was the only one there so early in the morning on a weekday. "You must be here to see our L. O'Ryan collection?" Right. Lisa had gotten some of her art in the gallery.

"I suppose I am," I replied, since I was guessing that was the reason Lisa had brought me there.

"Right this way."

It was through her photographs in the gallery that Lisa got her internship, always accomplishing something new and exciting in her work. I followed the owner through the building until we got to the section her works were in. It was only ever a few at a time, but still, it was something to be proud of. They were usually scenery, animals, or candid moments of happiness. I could tell that this was only for a special occasion, though.

There were three pictures of me. One, a closeup of me laughing and smiling. The second, of me hugging her from behind, looking down at her lovingly. The third picture was of me in the lake by Jenna's vacation home, not far away from our normal homes in the slightest. I smiled, seeing what she was hinting at.