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PROMPT FOR LILLY: HOW THE GAME SHOULD HAVE ENDED
Dina stood in the garden behind their home, watching the sun dip below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the mountains. She could hear the distant sound of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Her son was asleep on the porch. She kept an eye on him at all times. A little slice of miracle in an unforgiving world.
As the sun dipped, the twilight air wrapped around her, slightly cooler but comforting. It was a peaceful moment, but her heart was heavy.
Ellie had been distant lately, and Dina couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. She couldn't stand the distance that had grown between them, the unspoken tension that filled the air.
As the door creaked open, Dina turned to see Ellie stepping out onto the porch. She had her flannel buttoned up against the incoming chill of night. Elle was looking at J.J. her face unreadable in the waning light. Dina's eyes met Ellie's for a moment, still a shocking green before Dina's gaze drifted back to the setting sun. Silence hung between them like a shroud.
She felt, rather then heard Ellie walk up behind her. This was her family. The moment was now.
"Ellie," Dina began, her voice soft, "we need to talk."
Ellie sighed, her shoulders slumping as she turned to face Dina. "I know we do."
They moved to sit on the porch steps, their shoulders touching, but the emotional chasm between them felt wider than ever. Ellie took a deep shaky breath, but Dina beat her to it, "You've been distant, and I can't pretend it's not tearing me apart."
Ellie looked down at her hands, her fingers tracing the patterns on her jeans. "I'm sorry, Dina. It's just… I've been thinking about everything we've been through. The losses, the violence. It's hard to escape the past."
"I know," Dina whispered. The quiet of the night had descended. It felt like it was just them left in the world. "I feel it too. But we have to move forward, right? For each other."
Ellie nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. "I love you, Dina. I just can't help but worry about losing you. Losing us."
Tears welled up in Dina eyes as she took Ellie's hand. "I love you too, El. I can't imagine my life without you in it. But we can't let fear rule us. We've survived so much, and we'll get through this too."
Dina leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Ellie's lips. It was a soft, reassuring kiss that spoke of love and hope.
She drew back, really looking at her beloved. The wide green eyes, dark in the evening light, the freckled skin pale, the scars on her eyebrow and though not visable another just on the underside of her chin. Her mouth full and slightly parted.
"You won't lose us as long as you are willing to fight to stay. We will fight to keep you. Ellie, the world doesn't get to have you. You are ours and you belong here."
She saw the tears that had threatened, make their way down the sides of Ellie's cheeks. She reached out to wipe them away, but Ellie raised her hand catching Dina's and trapping it to her cheek, her palm rough with calluses. Ellie gazed at Dina, her eyes widened. Dina was surprised to realize that she too was crying. Tears running freely down her face.
"Stay?" She whispered softly, desperately like a prayer.
Slowly, Ellie released her Dina's hand, only to reach up again and cup Dina's face and leaned in, answering the lingering question, she kissed Dina, pouring every word she couldn't express into the action. Her lips spoke paragraphs of devotion. Dina gasped in relief into Ellie's kiss and moved her arms to embrace the only girl she would ever love, squeezing her almost too tightly.
Ellie deepened the kiss, their lips moving together in a dance of passion and longing. The worries and fears melted away in that moment, leaving only the connection they had always shared.
As they pulled away, Ellie rested her forehead against Dina's. "You're right, love. Fear controlled me for so long, and all it brought was a cycle of pain and more fear. It's time to embrace the love we have and let it guide us."
Dina smiled, her heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks. "And we'll face whatever comes our way, together."
With that, they sat on the porch, wrapped in each other's arms, J.J. warm, still sleeping, in his swaddle and crib, watching the last embers of the day spark behind the far away mountains. The whispers of love and understanding filled the air, a promise to overcome their past and build a future together, stronger than ever before.
the end