Chapter Text
Eresos, The Isle of Lesbos, 1948.
When Lenora awoke that fair morning, the sun sending warm streaks of yellow across her bedroom, she had a lot on her mind. She had been dreaming about Georgia, her old home. Her life in the dream was a far cry from the one she had today. She was married to the mayor. She was still a poster wife for his campaigns. She was still sleeping alone every night, with a shameful secret buried inside her heart.
But as she woke and looked around her room, she beamed. For she was not in Georgia anymore. She was no longer the dutiful wife, and she was no longer ashamed. She was happy.
She was on the Isle of Lesbos. And she had her.
Ginny’s arm was wrapped loosely around her torso, her cropped auburn hair streaked with gold in the sunlight. Her face was turned towards Lenora, never far from her view. Lenora smiled and watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. A part of her wondered if she was even real at all; would she wake up again and make her disappear? And another part wondered what she did to get this lucky.
Who would’ve thought they would be here today?
The last two years with Ginny had changed her life. It hadn’t taken long for the pair to fall head over heels in love, even after Ginny vomited on her at the county market. Under the cover of darkness and guided by fireworks on New Year’s Day, 1946, they ran away together. Away from Georgia, away from that old town, away from responsibility and suburban politics. Ginny ditched her life as a farmer’s daughter, and Lenora abandoned her role as the perfect wife to the…well, flamboyant mayor.
With a little magical aid from some old friends, they sailed away on a private ship, all the way across the sea to Lesbos. In their hearts was a dream of loving in the way they always wanted to, free from prying eyes and fear. She recounted the days they spent travelling the seas together. They were more naive then, still nervous and unsure of each other, both afraid to make eye contact with the other. But they quickly found a rhythm together, like radio waves syncing into tune. They had been anxious too, not knowing how their life together would look. Neither of them had ever dreamed of a life without a man to run the household and their affairs.
Luck (and sapphic magic) was on their side though, and thanks to some divine intervention, they found an old cottage in need of repairs for sale, and using Lenora’s savings from her time as an actress, they bought it on the spot. They spent months fixing it up and making it a home, while they farmed the land to make ends meet. Ginny bought a couple of goats to produce their own cheese, and sewed barley out on the fields behind their house. Lenora meanwhile made all manner of jams and tarts and rich fruit cakes. They would sell their goods at the markets and to tourists in the area.
In time, they had built themselves a foundation there, a safe place to love as lovers, more than friends ever could. They were as close to spouses as they could get.
Ginny’s eyelids fluttered open and met Lenora’s. “Morning hun,” she mumbled, her voice still husky from sleep. She pulled a hand out of the sheets to stroke her face, and her grey eyes lit up. Lenora always had a glow in her eye when Ginny was around, like a crescent moon sparkling in the night.
“Did you sleep well?” Lenora asked.
“I always sleep well when I’m next to you.”
Lenora blushed, despite being well accustomed to Ginny’s flirting at this point. Ginny took it as a victory that she could still make her fawn after all this time together.
Lenora closed the distance between them, planting a chaste kiss on her lips, soft and tender. After spending years denying herself the chance to kiss a woman, she made an effort to kiss Ginny everyday to make up for it. Ginny hummed softly against her touch, weaving her fingers into her hair. They stayed like that for a moment, before Lenora pulled away. She started to roll out of bed, but Ginny pulled her in tighter.
“Come on, five more minutes?” she asked playfully, burying her head into Lenora’s blonde waves.
She laughed, hugging her back. “The oranges won’t pick themselves, sugar.”
Back home, Lenora used to tend to the peaches on her estate, prepping them all year for the annual market. A welcome escape from her marriage, she supposed. These days, she tended to the orange trees around their home. As a result, she often came in smelling of sweet citrus and earth. It was one of Ginny’s favourite things about her.
Ginny gently moved Lenora so that her head was resting on her chest, then wrapped her arms around her shoulders, firmly keeping her in her arms. Lenora rolled her eyes at her and gave in, relaxing into her grasp. Arm wrapped in arm and legs twisted together, their bodies fitting together like jigsaw pieces. They never needed warmth in the Greek sun, but they had it all the same in each other's arms. They stayed like that for some time, neither wanting to break away from the other. Lenora looked up at Ginny, almost blushing again under her loving gaze.
“Hey Ginny?”
“Mhm?”
“Do you….do ever think about being back in Georgia?”
Ginny grinned. “What, you mean- back when I met you? I think about that every day.”
Lenora smiled. “No, I mean our lives there. Before we met.”
Ginny frowned a bit. “Oh.” She thought for a moment. “I guess sometimes I think about my family. My mama and daddy mostly.” Her eyes drifted away. “I was different then though. I was nervous about everything. I hid a lot about myself. And I wanted privacy from my family.” She looked back at Lenora again and her face softened. “It all worked out though. And I wouldn’t change anything.”
She stopped for a second. “I do miss them sometimes, I suppose.”
Lenora nodded, taking in her words. “Sometimes, I think it would be nice if we had more people here.”
Ginny gave her a look that said “Am I not enough for you?” She knew what she meant though.
Lenora laughed. “You’re more than enough, I hope you know that, love.” Her expression turned serious. “But I also wonder what would’ve happened to us if we hadn’t come here.” She swallowed back a lump in her throat. “It certainly would’ve been a scandal for us…”
Ginny met her eyes again, and seeing the concern in her face, she stroked her cheek soothingly. “I know Nor. I know. But we don’t have to worry about that no more. We’re free here.”
Lenora reached up, wrapping her hand around Ginny’s, still warm against her face. “I know. And I’m thankful every day that we are.” Her eyes drifted away, almost as if she was looking miles away. “But I keep thinking....there're many more lesbians out there that aren’t as lucky as us.”
Ginny nodded. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren't for our fairy godmothers.”
It was true. Both of them had grown up with a little voice in their heads, listening to their deepest darkest secrets and guiding them towards each other. Sam popped into Ginny’s life when she was just five years old, while Tammy would follow Lenora in the back of her mind for years until she met Ginny. Sometimes they were overbearingly annoying, and made it impossible for either of them to deny their true feelings, but ultimately, they brought them together.
That was before they went off together to live out their own love story. They still dropped in from time to time, but mostly travelled the world together, often bringing back tokens from the places they’d seen for them. A horse shoe from Kansas, a ring from New Jersey, an ornate dagger from Romania. All of these items lived in a trunk in their living room.
Lenora looked over Ginny’s shoulder to the open window and the sea behind her. Ginny rolled over, careful not to disturb her as she turned to look out too. “Just think.” Lenora said, “somewhere, out there, there are more people like us. People who just want to love like we do. But they don’t have anywhere to run away to. They’re trapped.”
Ginny let out a sigh. “There’s probably another farm girl out there sitting in her room hiding a lesbian secret.”
“Or some other woman married to a man she doesn’t love.”
Neither said anything for a moment, taking in these revelations. In Lenora’s mind, an idea was forming. Her eyes darted back and forth, as strands of ideas looped together in her head. She sat up suddenly.
“We should bring them here!”
Ginny propped herself up in the bed. “I’m not sure I follow hun.”
Lenora grabbed her shoulder. “You remember when I had the big old house with the mayor?” She nodded.
“I took you in after you- well, after you got all flustered over me.”
Ginny groaned and covered her face. “Don’t remind me of that.” Ginny had a severe sapphic breakdown when she first spoke to Lenora. Thank god it all worked out for her, otherwise that moment would’ve haunted her forever.
Lenora continued. “When we were together in that house, we fell in love. I realised I had feelings for you. And then…” she took Ginny’s hand and wrapped it round her own, "we kissed under the fireworks.”
Ginny nodded along, smiling at the memories of their love affair.
“What we need,” Lenora declared with a grin, “is a big old space like that for girls to fall in love. Without anyone interrupting or dragging them away.”
Ginny considered the idea. “Alright. So- do we bring them here to our house?”
“More than that!” She was beaming. “We’ll open a hotel!”
Ginny giggled at her excitement. “A hotel?”
“A lesbian hotel! Where other ladies and such can come and be in love with each other. And we can talk people through their feelings together.”
Ginny smiled. Lenora always had a motherly way about her, caring for everyone and fussing over people's needs. And when she had an idea, she was determined to follow through at any cost. She had that glint in her eye, bright and hopeful, her mind set on her plan.
“It sounds wonderful to me! But how- how are we gonna find other lesbians and bring them out here? I- I don’t think we could just ask…”
Lenora thought for a moment. Ginny was right. They would need someone else who could bring people here. Unless…
“Tammy and Sam!”
Too excited to sit around, Lenora jumped out of bed and went to the wardrobe to get dressed. A little confused, Ginny followed her. She watched her as she pulled off her nightdress, slipping into a floral frock and grabbing a pair of dainty shoes. Without needing to say a word, Ginny buttoned up her dress for her as she explained her plan.
“Tammy and Sam are always talking about the places they visit, and they spent their whole lives helping lesbians. So we’ll have them guide lesbians to the hotel! And then we can give them the space to relax and live as their true selves.”
She moved to the dressing table to fix her hair, still mumbling the logistics to herself. Ginny threw on a checkered shirt and a black skirt, fastened with silver buttons, watching Lenora brush her hair out of the corner of her eye. Finishing off the outfit with a pair of boots, she strided over to her and put her hands on her shoulders. Lenora was lost in thought.
“Are we really doing this?”
Lenora’s eyes snapped up at her voice. Her face fell a little. One of her worst habits was second-guessing herself. “Sorry!” she said, shrugging her off. “I got a little carried away there. It’s a ridiculous plan. We would need to build a whole hotel, arrange activities for everyone, and then we’d be kidnapping those girls out here. Sam and Tammy probably won’t want to help, they’re basically retired and living out their lives now and-”
“Lenora, hun.”
Ginny turned her to face her, stroking her arms reassuringly. “It’s a great plan.” She cupped her face in her hands. “We’ll make it work, ok? For all of them. It’s the right thing to do.”
Lenora held Ginny’s arms, speckled with freckles from years in the sun. With Ginny, her doubts melted away like sugar in water, leaving just the sweet taste of her love.
“You’re brilliant Lenora.”
She pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re too good for this world,” she breathed against her skin. Then she pulled away and grabbed her hand. “Now come on! Let's have an adventure!”
She pulled her out of the bedroom and down the stairs, careful not to fall. They slipped out through the front door and ran past the flower beds and orange trees in the garden. Ginny dropped her hand to open the gate for her, and slipping through, Lenora caught hold of her grasp again. They laughed as they ran down the cobbled streets, down narrow alleys and through the morning market. They dodged past men carrying crates of fruit and fish, and waved to the ladies selling breads and cakes. They continued down the path, past stone walls and shops and houses, past quaint chapels and a grand stone statue of a woman on a pedestal, holding a lyre. Eventually, they made their way down to the beach, feeling the warmth of the sand beneath their feet.
They stopped for a moment to catch their breath. The sun sent streaks of white and gold across the ocean, staining the blue waters with colour. The beach was surrounded by steep cliffs and dunes, shielding them from the view of the townspeople. Not that they would’ve cared anyways. Ginny and Lenora had become part of the community there. No one minded if they ran through town, hand in hand. No one batted an eye when they whispered sweet nothings to each other while walking the streets in the evening.
It was paradise.
Ginny planted a swift peck on Lenora’s cheek, before guiding her down the beach with her. They strolled like that for a while, arm in arm, listening to the water lapping onto the shore. Soon, they came to a stop outside a small cave. It was secluded behind green vines, covering the entrance like a curtain. Ginny held out her hand to Lenora, helping her step over the rocks and inside. The cave was damp with seawater, but smelt strongly of lavender and vanilla. Ginny pulled out a small copper lighter and flicked it on, illuminating the way. They stepped carefully through the tunnel, before rounding a corner and stepping into a lush valley.
Buried deep inside this cave was a rolling valley, complete with oak trees, daisies and marigolds sprouting from the grass, rabbits hopping about and birds singing in the trees. It was a place of pure magic; the air itself felt infused with some spiritual essence.
In the centre of the valley was a little thatched cottage, adorned with flower baskets on the window sills and a stone chimney. Smoke was billowing out of it in little white clouds.
This was the home of the fairy godmothers.
Sam and Tammy had created this place from raw magic. It was their base in between their travels. Though they weren’t often home, Lenora and Ginny were frequent visitors, taking care of their house while they were away. On this occasion, the porch light was lit, a lantern signalling their presence.
Lenora knocked on the door, calling out to them as she opened it.
“Tammy? Sam? It’s us!”
They stepped into a tiny kitchen, the smell of pie wafting in the air. The round table in the centre was bursting with embroidered cloths, delicate tea cups and a vase of eucalyptus. The room was warmed by a roaring fire in the corner. The walls were covered in photographs from around the world, and on shelves stood peculiar little objects from other lands. There were things there that Ginny and Lenora could never make sense of. There was a camera in one corner- it was so small- with little buttons and a screen that would light up when used. In another was a strange little box that spoke when they said its name. It would talk back and could play music, and it seemed to know every fact in the world. Lenora had been frightened by it when Tammy first showed it to her, and she took a subconscious step back when she saw it again.
“Why hello my dears!” cried a cheery voice.
Sam emerged from another room into the kitchen, her pink gossamer wings fluttering as she moved. Her gown was dripping in glitter, cascading down in the colours of a sunset to her feet. Her eyes almost glowed as she came into view, like magic woven into her soul.
“Hey Sam-”
“DON'T LOOK AT ME!”
“Sorry!” yelled Ginny, jumping back in surprise and covering her eyes. “I always forget that damn rule.”
Fairy Godmothers don't come without their weaknesses. Since Sam had been Ginny’s godmother, they could never look at each other directly, lest the magic between them be shattered. And Sam upheld that rule with an iron fist.
“Is Tammy here too?” asked Lenora.
“Why of course sweetie!”
A cheery voice from upstairs hit their ears, and Tammy flew into the room. Lenora looked away on instinct. Tammy was much taller than Sam, and wore a pink gown laced with orange thread. She also never wore shoes- they affected her magic, she said- and her wings were pure white like snow.
“I thought y'all would still be in London,” said Lenora, still looking at the wall.
“Oh well, we got sick of the weather. There’s only so much frollicking in the rain you can do before you get bored,” Tammy replied, speaking as if this was a common inconvenience for everyone, and not a unique habit they were in.
“Come on girls, let's have some tea,” Sam said, “now what brings you two down here?”
“Well,” Ginny began, taking a seat at the table with her back to Sam, “we were hoping you guys could help us out with something.”
Sam scoffed as pulled her wand out of her pocket and lit the stove. “As we haven’t helped you two your whole lives.” Yet there was no malice in her tone. In reality, Sam and Tammy loved them like they were their daughters, literally and figuratively under their wing for life.
Ginny and Lenora took turns outlining their plan, stopping only to sip at the herbal tea in front of them. As they spoke, Tammy came and went from the room, taking very artifacts down from the shelves as she went. Sam meanwhile kept smacking Ginny any time she turned her head in her direction. By the time they had finished, all of the strange trinkets had been moved and Ginny’s face was red and sore.
“So…” Lenora finished, “what do y’all think?”
Tammy drifted back into the room, careful to stand behind Lenora. “Oh it’s perfect, dear! Isn’t it Sam?”
“Yeah, we’ve actually been thinking of getting back into the lesbian match-making game for ages!”
Ginny turned to her in surprise and quickly dodged her incoming slap. “Really? I thought you two were finished with that job.”
Sam stood up from the table and beckoned them to follow. “We probably should’ve told you guys this sooner,” she began, as she led them into their lounge. On the coffee table lay every object Tammy had taken from the kitchen. On one side she had added the souvenirs they gave to Ginny and Lenora; the horseshoe, the ring, the dagger. Lenora whipped her head back at Tammy.
“What- when did you take those back?”
She beamed. “I’m a fairy godmother darling, I had the birds fly them over. And don’t look at me.”
Sam sat down in one of the plush armchairs, and Tammy rested on the arm. Ginny and Lenora sat across from them on the couch, keeping their eyes low. Sam reached over and grabbed the camera. “Have you ever noticed how this camera looks a little different to all the other cameras you’ve seen?”
Lenora nodded. “Why yes. I’ve posed for many a picture in my time and I’ve never seen a camera that small before.”
“Of course you haven’t!” She leaned forward. “Cause it’s from the future.”
Lenora gasped lightly, and Ginny sat up straight. “You- you mean to say that that thing ...it's from the future?”
“That’s what I just said!”
Tammy tapped her shoulder to calm her down and continued. “Well you see, now that we’ve retired and found our own true loves,” she clasped Sam's hand and traced her fingers across her palm, “we’re free to go wherever or whenever we want. We don’t have to stay in this time. And in the last two years, we’ve gone to the past, the future…”
Lenora cut her off. “Now hang on a second. Could y'all do that the whole time?”
Sam shook her head. “We only get to use our full power after we help enough lesbians find love.”
Ginny was quiet for a moment. She thought about her family, her father's traditional values. No matter how much she loved him, she always believed he wouldn't accept her lifestyle. She had always been his golden child, the one who was going to help him run the farm into old age. That was all there was for her in that home, in that time. Escape was her only option.
She had always hoped things would be different one day.
“So…” she probed, “do you know…how is it for lesbians in the future?”
Sam and Tammy looked at each other. Tammy cleared her throat. “It’s mostly better. But it's not perfect either.” She looked over at the ring on the edge of the table, the light catching its diamond centre. “We've met a few girls who still can't tell their loves how they feel.”
“But lesbians are allowed to get married and have a life in the open in most places,” Sam added with an optimistic smile.
“Anyways, what we're trying to say is we know some folks who could do with a place like your little hotel.”
Lenora’s eyes softened, hopeful. “Well, that's just wonderful!” she cheered. “And you can bring them here?”
“Why of course! Once we talk them into coming here.”
Ginny frowned slightly. “What do you need these things for?” she asked, gesturing at the array of goods on the table.
Sam stood up, placing the camera back down. “We took all of these treasures from the people we met. They’ll help us travel back to their homes and find them.”
Lenora tutted with disapproval. “You gave us stolen souvenirs?”
Tammy shrugged. “Well us godmothers have a code to follow: ‘Be Gay, Do Crime.’”
Ginny and Lenora had no idea what that meant, but they knew Sam and Tammy well enough not to ask. They had heard enough stories from them about the shenanigans they got into that whatever explanation they might have would still leave them utterly bewildered. These two had some strange quirks to say the least.
The four of them stayed in the cottage for hours discussing their ideas for the hotel, drawing up plans and swapping suggestions for various events and activities they could host. Once they had drawn up a design, Sam and Tammy went to pack for the journey ahead. From the mirage of artifacts they had gathered, they picked the horseshoe as their first waypoint.
By the time Ginny and Lenora said their goodbyes, the sun was setting over the sea as they emerged from the cave. Ginny carried a blueprint under her arm, with the strict instruction not to open it until they returned home. Lenora carried her shoes over her shoulder, dragging her feet through the sand as they walked. Ginny walked closer to the tide, letting the water lap at her feet.
“Aren’t your boots getting soaked?” Lenora asked.
“I like the water,” she replied, kicking up a few drops in her direction. Lenora jumped back in surprise.
“Hey! I don’t want my good dress getting wet!” she cried.
“Oh really?” Ginny smirked. In a flash she grabbed Lenora and swept her up into her arms. Lenora shrieked and broke into laughter. “You put me down Ginny!”
Ginny just laughed as she stepped further into the water, till she was knee-deep in the sea. She spun around and around, splashing more water at Lenora. Lenora clutched onto her neck, trying in vain to dodge the sea spray. They laughed until their sides ached, as the sky turned a mix of orange and pink against the sunset. Lenora brought their lips together, and for a minute, they were the only two people in the world. Nothing else mattered outside this moment.
They pulled apart, and Ginny brought their foreheads together. “I’m so glad we’re doing this.”
“Me too,” Lenora replied, slightly out of breath. “We get to share this with so many.”
And they just smiled. They smiled with pride, knowing the difference they were going to make. They smiled with hope, wishing to bring their dream to life. And they smiled with love. Love for each other and the life they built. Love for the people they were going to aid, love before they had even met them.
Love for the community they were going to build.
And as the sky turned dark across the island, they made their way back across the front garden. Remembering the godmothers’ instructions, Ginny opened the blueprint and held it out in front of her face.
All of a sudden, a flurry of stars and sparkles burst out from the blueprint. It swirled around them like a summer’s breeze, and spun upwards, encircling the house. In a flash of light, the house began to grow and shift. The building grew to twice its size, and little windows and balconies grew out on every floor. It was now three storeys high, and the door had grown larger, now decorated with ornate flowers and gold trimmings. The garden they stood in grew too, a pool appearing on one end. Branches and paths sprouted up like trees, and the flower beds overflowed with lilies and roses and tulips.
Above the door, gold lettering appeared, spelling out, “Ginora’s Sapphic Sanctuary.”