The snow gently fell out the window of Octavia’s room when there was a knock on the front door. Octavia stood up, and placed the pencil she had been chewing on down to answer it.

“Hello, Sonata,” Octavia answered warmly to her girlfriend once she made it downstairs.

“Hey,” Sonata smiled back, looking into the house. “So…”

“I’m alone,” Octavia confirmed.

Sonata let out a breath. “Oh good.”

Smiling, Octavia leaned in for a kiss and was rewarded in kind. “Now then, care for a stroll in the park?”

“Sounds perfect,” Sonata confirmed, taking Octavia’s hand.

******

Octavia took a breath, straighter her blue skirt, and knocked on the door. Answering it, she was met with a blue girl.

“Who is it?!” someone inside the apartment shouted.

“Some girl,” she said back. The blue girl stepped out and closed the door behind her. “Can I help you?”

“Um,” Octavia said, blushing, surprised to have gotten this far and not have the door slammed in her face. “Would you like to hear more about the Bible?”

The girl tilted her head. “The what?”

Octavia blinked. “The Bible, the word of God.”

The blue girl blinked.

“You’re serious?”

The girl shrugged. “I suppose I’m interested. Is it a type of Mexican food?”

Octavia couldn’t help but smile at that. This was bound to at least be an interesting day.

📕

“So what’s on your mind today?” Sonata began, kicking at some pebbles as they walked, tongue occasionally out to catch snowflakes.

“More or less the same with the future,” Octavia confirmed, blowing at a snowdrop that landed on her nose.

“Yeah,” Sonata nodded. “What, you only got a couple of months of human school left?”

“Correct,” Octavia sighed. “Must you go all ‘human’ this and that?”

Sonata nervously chuckled. “Sorry, just what I do.”

Octavia giggled. “It’s alright. Cute and why I fell for you.”

Sonata blushed. “Yeah. Crazy, isn’t it?”

🏫

“I admit, it sounds,” Sonata began, trying to find the best words.

“Out there?” Octavia admitted, despite this being their sixth bible study.

Sonata sipped her tea and set it on the cafe table. “Oh, you’d be surprised what I consider ‘out there’.”

Octavia took in a breath, but let it out with a smile. Truth be told, she had been enjoying these one-on-one times with her new friend, and she felt confident enough to say so over the past few weeks. Sonata was a little, quirky, but in a way that made Octavia’s stomach do knots in a good way.

“Yeah, it is a lot to take in.”

Sonata was about to say something when her phone buzzed. “Hang on.” She looked at her phone.

“Anything important?” Octavia inquired.

Adagio: you better not forget the groceries this time, or else!

Sonata put down her phone. “It’s not important,” Sonata smiled. “Continue.”

🍱

“A sea lion,” Sonata said. “What? They’re cute and can swim fast. Plus the whole predator thing.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Octavia nodded.

“Ok,” Sonata added, “now what animal would you be?”

Octavia rubbed her chin. “Maybe… a raven?”

“So you could fly away from here?” Sonata asked, jokingly, but frowned as Octavia face flattened as well.

“I guess so when you say it like that.” Octavia shook her head. “But my original thought was that they seem to be intelligent and pretty birds.”

“Aw,” Sonata cooed, wrapping an arm around Octavia. “My Octy, wanting to be a pretty pigeon?”

“Shut up,” Octavia retorted with a playful shove.

🐦

“I mean, I don’t want to push her,” Octavia nervously said to her mother.

“But if you want her to get baptized?” her mother said plainly, “she should already come to church.”

“Well, yes, but,” Octavia began to play with her hair. “I’ll, bring it up next time we talk.”

“Good,” her mother said with approval, leaving Octavia be right as her phone buzzed.

Sonata: you got a minute?
Octavia: sure, what’s up?
Sonata: in person?
Frowning, Octavia replied; Something wrong?
Sonata: just… need a friend
Octavia: let’s meet at Sugar Cube Corner then, ten minutes.

⛪️

“Bravo!” Sonata cheered as Octavia set her violin down. “Encore!”

Octavia shook her head after playing their favorite song on the violin. “That be the third time.”

“Yes, and every time is just as beautiful as the last three times.”

Octavia blushed. “Why you’re too kind.”

🎻

“Oh my god!” Octavia exclaimed.

“I thought blasphemy was a sin,” Sonata said coldly as she turned her bruised eye away.

“Yes, but, they’re your sisters!” Octavia softly shouted so as not to make a scene.

Sonata shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

“But I,” Octavia began, reaching out a hand.

“I said don’t worry about it!”

Octavia tensed, and pulled away. “O… Alright.”

“Good.” Sonata nodded, then sighed. “So what’s in the good book today?”

🫀

“Waiting in line, waiting in line,” Sonata hummed as she and Octavia stood in line for a hot dog cart.

“Still can’t believe you’re not in a taco mood,” Octavia teased.

“I mean, they’re amazing!” Sonata protested. “But I like different things!”

Octavia nodded. “Yes, very true.”

🌭

“Oh, what a whore!” Octavia overheard someone say at her church after service.

Curiously, she leaned in closer to hear.

“I know,” one of the older ladies said in response. “Little dyke, got rightfully kicked out of her house the moment they found out.”

“As they should!”

Octavia suddenly felt a pit in her stomach thinking about Sonata. Their studies had been going on for a couple of weeks, and each time brought the two girls closer and closer. Things had even been going well with her parents, thinking Sonata was interested in her religion. Yet, despite it all, Octavia couldn’t care less and less about what she was teaching, and more and more about who she was spending time with. It even at times made her wonder if Sonata was a bad influence on her.

Her phone buzzed.

Sonata: movie night?

Then again, could it be so bad if it made her so happy?

📱

“Hey, Octavia?” Sonata asked, hot dogs consumed, the pair now sitting in a park bench.

“Hum?” Octavia inquired.

“You remember the day I confessed to you?” Sonata asked, looking to the sky.

Octavia frowned. “How could one forget.”

🌗

“There, there,” Octavia said, rubbing Sonatas back. “It’s alright.”

“No,” Sonata sobbed, “it’s not! I didn’t mean to make them upset, but… but…” unable to form words, Sonata simply leaned into Octavia’s shoulder.

“Well, you can stay as long as you need,” Octavia assured.

“Thanks,” Sonata muttered. After a while of being held, she then said, “You know, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”

“Yeah,” Octavia smiled. “I like hanging out with you as well.”

Suddenly, Sonata leaned in, and their lips pressed together.

For a moment, they were on cloud nine. This felt, right. Perfect, heavenly, sacred. Their whole lives neither of the girls had kissed, and now in this moment, with the same gender, everything felt right.

Then Octavia’s eyes widened as she pulled away, pushing Sonata back.

🌈

“Was scared there I ruined everything,” Sonata admitted, leaning backward.

“Hey, I was the one raised to believe gayness is a sin and that you were a bad influence on me,” Octavia protested.

There was silence between them for serval seconds.

“That being said,” Sonata took Octavia’s hand, “I never figured out how you came around to where we are now.”

Octavia looked away. “Well, after I told you to leave, I… lack of a better word, did a lot of soul searching.” Octavia began to use her free hand to play with her hair. “I never did find boys attractive, and with you, I found the boring mundane my parents put me through to be less boring.” She sighed. “I almost did confess, won’t lie. But what stopped me, was the thought of how god made me this way, why must it be bad if I can’t help it?”

“Rest is history?” Sonata assumed.

Octavia smiled and squeezed Sonata’s hand. “Yup.”

🤚

The second the car was out of view, Octavia pulled Sonata into a kiss.

“Been waiting all week for this?” Sonata teased.

“Don’t you know it,” Octavia smirked, getting back into the kiss.

Octavia then led her dream girl to her living room, arms never leaving one another they got into a deep kiss. With a moan, Sonata kissed back, lifting a leg in the air behind her as she did so.

The kiss lasted for a couple of minutes, till, being a little bold, Sonata swung her leg forward to wrap around Octavia’s waist. Octavia let out a little meep, but kept kissing, and moved her hand to hold Sonata’s leg in place. The two then moved towards the couch, slowly sitting Sonata on top as Octavia was on the bottom.

Once seated, the two took a moment to open their eyes and look at each other. Breaking apart for a moment, they smiled as Octavia ran a finger through Sonata’s hair. Smiling like idiots, the two went back to making out, their arms starting to explore each other’s bodies, going lower and lower.

“Oh, Octy,” Sonata cooed, not worried what her sisters might think for being gone so long.

“Nata,” Octavia whispered back, raising a hand behind her head. If this could lead one to hell, who was she to care if in this immediate moment, she was in heaven?

“You’re especially pretty today,” Sonata complimented when they broke for a breather.

Octavia blushed. “Same to you,” she said, a boop on the nose. “That being said,” she pushed herself up. “I’d rather we take this a more, comfortable, location to continue our,” she mocked cough, “‘study.’”

Sonata smirked like a predatory cat. “Maybe your bedroom would make for an ideal location?”

Octavia beamed. “Very ideal, I would say.” She then took Sonata’s hand and led her upstairs.

🚗

“You think this is going to work?”
Octavia sat up. “Sorry, that came out of nowhere.”

Sonata let go of Octavia to twiddle her thumbs. “I mean, I know you can’t keep us a secret forever. Then when your family finds out…”

Octavia lifted her girlfriend’s chin. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now,” she looked up at the falling snow. “I just want to enjoy now, with you.”

“Yeah.” Sonata leaned her head on Octavia’s shoulder. “Until I have to go home, that sounds like a plan.”

For at that moment, the cult Octavia that would shun her and the abusive sisters of Sonata could wait. It would need to all be addressed, but at least for that moment, they could just be together.

❄️

Author's Note

Final picture by jade harmony,