the girl with the silly smile

Chiara smiled at the post it note stuck to the fridge. It wasn’t anything special- just a reminder to pick up egg and a little cat drawing- but it was so Valentina.

Speaking of her wife, she was currently sprawled across the couch, blanket falling off long legs and hair, frizzy, curly, and plastered to her face.

She was beautiful.

Quietly, Chiara padded across in socked feet and pulled the blanket up, tucking it around Valentina’s wide shoulders. She brushed a strand of dark hair away from her mouth and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

Silver sheets of rain played against the windows as Chiara spun around the apartment.Though the sun struggled to rise against the heavy clouds, streaks of red and orange shone through to paint an otherwise gray world. Wind shook the panes as if to announce the coming October and to trumpet the anniversary of Valentina’s birth.

Chiara clicked on a few lamps, letting an amber glow settle over the apartment.

Over on the couch, Valentina mumbled and pressed her face into the pillows. Chiara snickered and moved to the kitchen to start prepping breakfast.
Soon, the smell of huevos rancheros filled the apartment.

Chiara heard Valentina’s shuffling steps before she felt her warm arms draping themselves around her neck.

“Mmmmhhh Ch'ra,” Valentina mumbled, voice groggy with sleep.

“Hey beautiful,” Chiara said, turning to press a soft kiss against Valentina’s lips. “Want coffee?”

Valentina moaned and Chiara laughed, turning so she was facing her, the taller woman’s arms still encircling her.

“Go sit down,” she said, ducking out from under Valentina’s embrace. “I’ll make you coffee, you zombie.”

“It’s my birthday, you can’t be mean to me,” Valentina said teasingly, yawning.

“You’re the cutest zombie in the world,” Chiara offered. “Now go huddle with your cat and hiss at the sun.”

Valentina swatted Chiara softly and moved away. Chiara glanced back to see the curtains shifting as Valentina went to watch the rain, dark hair settling like dust around her.

Even ten years later she was head over heels for the girl with the silly smile.