The smooth jazz reached Bette’s ears, accompanying the slight sprinkle that beat against the windows. In a rush to Tina’s house, Bette had forgotten to turn off the radio. So she sat with the music, which strikingly contrasted the uproar of emotion inside her.

Another intersection passed, a bakery, some shops and then a park. At this light Bette just stared out the side window. It was the park, not just any park to her. And on this early morning it held tremendous significance.

The picnic had been a surprise. Tina hadn’t suspected a thing because after all it was just another one of Bette’s sweet acts of love. Bette remembered when she would do little things for Tina, like picnics, romantic dates, and little lovesick poems. It was a period of time in which they cherished every moment together wanting nothing but to stop time and hold each other close, wherever they were. They forgot work and responsibilities belonging to the outside world. It was pure and fleeting.

Bette had kidnapped her at work and driven them away to the park. With the picnic basket emptied and the blanket spread, they just held each other watching the clouds move and the winds blow the grass. While holding Tina from behind, she whispered softly in her ear, “Tina…I love you.” No matter how many times Bette said that to her, it still made her weak. She replied, “I love you too baby…so much.”, while holding on tighter to the two strong arms that held her. Bette’s heart bursting with the love she had for this woman, she whispered “I never want to let you go… Tee, will you marry me? ”. Her heart skipped a beat once the question fell from Bette’s lips. Her body at a standstill as Bette slipped the ring on her finger. She swiftly kissed Bette with tears in her eyes. Both sets of tears comingling with each other’s as they shared a tender yet passionate embrace. Feeling as if nothing could break the incredible commitment they just made.

Bette relived this memory while she sat on the grass of this park, under that same exact tree. Bette looked up at the sky and for the last time grieved the loss of that love. The purity of it all. Was it that long ago when she proposed to the love of her life? How could she have let that get away? The rain fell down her face, mixing with her tears, soaking into the fabric of her clothes. Observing how much time she had spent sitting on the grass, she stood up. She quickly broke out of her reverie and was revived with the hope that she could capture that love again.