Lily sat near the tall water fountain, a small wrapped gift in her hands. She lifted it and twirled it around in her hands, inspecting it for any imperfections. She'd spent hours in the shop looking at all of them, keeping well in mind all the advice Carmen had given her before. She thought of the small metal piece inside, cold and waiting for the warmth of another being. She let out a small, shaky sigh, suddenly feeling very very nervous again. This had happened a hour before while the gifts were all being given and was why she snatched the gift back up quickly and hid it in her dress pocket (best dress ever).
What if she hates it? What if she says no? What if-She swallowed hard. It had taken her a while to come to this conclusion and she had to wonder if Carmen felt it to. That they were quickly becoming more than just roommates and that she'd never felt so complete with anyone before. It wasn't that Carmen necessarily took her breath away all of the time. I mean... she did a lot of the time, but for the most part Lily just felt at peace with her. As if everything would be okay as long as Carmen stood beside her and she knew that she needed that. She needed Carmen beside her.
Carmen, meanwhile, had just finished handing out checks to the musicians she had hired to play for the duration of the celebration. The equipment had been torn down and the musicians were now making their way, cases in hand, to their cars down the street. The rest of the former Athalians had also dispersed, going back to their own homes and shops to continue their personal Christmas celebrations. It had been a lovely event in Carmen's eyes, and she legitimately thought that she was the last one left. It certainly sounded like it...all that could be heard was the gentle wind, blowing wisps of snow around. All wildlife was silenced, and as the lights scattered around Pavella began to shut off, one by one, as the sun set, Carmen sighed happily, being alone with nature after a great event.
That is, alone until she turned around to look in the direction of the Christmas tree and the fountain.
"Lily...?" she asked herself, far too quiet for anyone more than five feet away from her to hear. It certainly appeared to be the angel Carmen had grown so fond of in these past three years. Carmen stepped down from the gazebo where the band had been set up and slung her trumpet on her back without taking her eyes off the figure. She walked up to the angel and sat down next to her.
"You look cold," Carmen said in a concerned tone, mistaking Lily's nervous shaking for shivers. "Why'd you stick around? Everyone else left...it's just me. You don't have to wait for me, you know," she finished, a small grin appearing on her face as her statement ended.
"Ahh..." Lily mumbled at Carmen's words. "I suppose I wanted to... wait for you." She explained, pausing slightly. She cupped the small wrapped box to hide in her hands and smiled at Carmen. "I'm not really that cold. And it's nice out with the cold wind and the dark night sky. It's peaceful and I like it." She explained.
"It is quite peaceful, isn't it?" Carmen agreed, her grin growing slightly wider at Lily. "I love coming out here alone to take in the beauty...and the silence. It's breathtaking," she continued, with a glazed look over her eyes as she looked around at the sky as the stars began to come out, one by one. Looking back over at the angel, she said, "Are you
sure you're not cold? It at least looks like it."
Nope, nope. I'm as hot as can be right now.Lily turned her head away from Carmen feeling the heat flush to her face. "I.. Uhh..." Lily began, stumbling over her words. "Oh, man... Ugh..." She soft grumbled, shaking her head.
Carmen tilted her head at the angel. "What's wrong? Is something on your mind...?" she asked, a look of confusion and concern moving across her face.
Lily swallowed hard once again and turned back to look at Carmen, facing her front on, her cheeks flushed red. She lifted the small box and pushed it in Carmen's direction. "I-It's for you..." She told her, avoiding eye contact.
Carmen's face was one of immense confusion and generally a whole slew of emotions occurring in rapid succession. Carmen looked at the angel as she looked away, wondering why she would do that...and it appeared the only way to find out would be to take this small box. She took it, turning it over in her hands and trying to find a meaning as to why Lily would save a wrapped gift until everyone else was gone.
Slowly and carefully unwrapping the box, every few moments looking back up at Lily with a tilted head, until it was unwrapped. Carmen was (obviously) no stranger to all kinds of jewelry, and could tell that it could only be one thing. She again looked up at Lily, unable to find words to express exactly how her brain was short-circuiting. "Is this..."
She opened the box.
Inside was
a golden ring.
Ever the romantically inexperienced skylark, Carmen looked up at the angel. "Lily...what does this mean?"
It sounded harsh at first, but as she continued all became clear. "Does this mean, that you..."
Rarely at a loss for words, the skylark struggled to complete her next sentence.
"Is
this what this emotion I don't understand means?"
"The one that's been steadily growing ever since..."
Silence.
...
...
...
Eventually the skylark picked her head up again to look at the angel.
"...ever since I met you?"
Lily watched, her concern growing only more as Carmen kept digging into the box and looking up at her in confusion. "I... I don't really know what you're feeling but... I know what I've been feeling. Very well. For some reason, it's different this time though." Lily began, Carmen's confusion spurring her to explain herself. She'd been trying her best to prepare herself for this but... it all left her as she simply let it all out.
"I've felt this emotion many times. I know I have. I can't have lived this long without knowing it at least in part. When you worry about someone, and think about them before you sleep and when you wake. When that person smiles, this feeling fills your soul, something like... feeling complete and happy as well. But... with you... it's different." she paused for a moment.
...
"With you, I feel at peace when you're by my side. And when you're not I feel anxious and frail as if any moment my world could come crashing down. When you're with me it feels like the world is stable as if nothing could ever happen to me when you're by my side." she paused yet again.
"C-Carmen.." She stuttered, her chest tightening. "That ring... I... I was... I was hoping you'd we-wear it to... to show our... r-r-re-relationsh-ship." She continued, her words slowly deteriorating into a mass of stutterings. She felt her breath quicken and turned her face to look at the water as it softly lapped against the edge of the fountain. "I was... hoping we could... be together... As more than simple roommates..."
Lily felt as though she'd just thrown her heart on the ground and she desperately, desperately hoped Carmen would pick it up. Her right hand automatically went to her left and began to rub the place where her old ring had sat. She'd long since taken it off and it sat cold and alone in her dresser, a symbol of times gone by as they always do.
Carmen looked away from the angel, her face hidden.
If a soul was around to see her face, they would see that she was smiling.
"I found it."
...
"I finally found it."
She finally turned her head back to look at Lily square in the face.
"The one emotion I was never able to feel, and never thought I would be able to feel..."
"It was
love, Lily."
"That mystical emotion that humans talked about...
endlessly, that I could only hope to one day experience."
"Well...I found it."
The skylark took the ring out of the box and carefully put it on her ring finger.
"I found it in
you."
The skylark smiled a huge smile.
"So yes, Lily. I would like to be more than just roommates. I would like to experience this thing called love with you, and only you..."
"
Forever and for Always."
Lily lifted her legs and pulled them into her chest, burying her head in her knees as her pink hair fell limply around her, curtaining her face. Her cheeks were beet red and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. A few seconds later, Lily's shoulders shook from her tears as she silently sobbed, her emotions getting the better of her.
"Thank God." She whispered, feeling her hands shake slightly.
