“Do you ever get sick of dyeing your hair blonde?”

It’s a genuine question that falls from Tiffany’s lips as her hand runs through Jessica’s hair. She uses her free hand to prop against the couch’s armrest. The blonde has her head resting on the brunette’s lap, eyes closed. She is hoping to take a quick nap as they sit on the couch, lazing about on a Sunday afternoon.

“No.”

Tiffany smiles in reply, the silence causing Jessica to crack one eye open.

“Are you sick of seeing it?”

“Not at all. I can spot you from a mile away quite easily.”

The corner of Jessica’s mouth tugs upward as she closes her eye again.

“When you get tired of it, please let me know.”

Tiffany’s fingers loosely twirl a few locks of her girlfriend’s hair.

“I think of sunflowers sometimes when I see it.”

This is enough to stir Jessica a bit more awake, but her eyes are still shut.

“Why?”

“Sunflowers are warm and cheery.”

“Because that’s totally me.” Jessica deadpans as her eyes open.

Tiffany laughs and brings her hand that was playing with Jessica’s hair up to her cheek. She caresses it softly, brown orbs locked onto Jessica’s.

“You give me warmth that no clothing, bed sheet, or blanket can provide.”

--

Tiffany places the keys on the counter and shuts the door behind her as she enters their small house.

“Jessi?”

The echo of the rooms is enough to tell her that Jessica is not home. Strange, because she should be.

She walks past the living room and scans the house for her girlfriend’s whereabouts. The backdoor has been left ajar and this causes Tiffany some confusion.

She makes her way to their poorly kept garden and stares at the back of a crouched certain someone.

Jessica wipes her forehead and drops her gardening tools. She stands up and rubs the dirt off her hands. A familiar embrace from behind lets her know that her home is here.

“Hi.”

Tiffany rests her chin atop Jessica’s right shoulder.

“Hi. What are you doing?”

Jessica Jung is no gardener.

“You’ll see.”

“Can I make a guess?”

“No, it will ruin the surprise.”

“It’s hardly a surprise.” A cheeky grin appears on Tiffany’s face.

“Surprises were never my forte.” Jessica mumbles as Tiffany presses her smile against the other girl’s ear.

They both know they are thinking about the same thing. Jessica had once tried to surprise her with a homemade full course meal for dinner, only to have burnt everything, resulting in some take out and an embarrassing story.

“No. No, they never were. Are you ready for dinner?”

“Yes.”

Tiffany releases her hold on Jessica and holds her hand out for her. She smiles widely as she notices the speck of dirt on Jessica’s forehead.

“Let’s get you cleaned up first.”

Tiffany crouches down and picks up a towel off the ground. Using the clean side, she wipes at Jessica’s forehead and the sweat that Jessica has worked up from gardening.

Jessica laughs because she is not a child. She does not need help cleaning herself. But she is always welcome to Tiffany’s coddling.

--

The blonde sits atop the counter (who uses stools?) legs dangling in front of her as Tiffany’s light brown sweater envelopes her. She’s always liked how the brunette’s clothing was always a tad too big for her, too long for her arms. A peanut butter sandwich is nibbled on gently as she watches the brunette make one for herself.

When Tiffany is finished, she turns to look at Jessica, an awestruck expression on her face. The brunette moves over to stand between Jessica’s dangling legs. Then she takes a small bite out of the other end of Jessica’s peanut butter sandwich.

Jessica laughs at the random action.

“Why are you eating mine?” Jessica teases her gently. “You just made one.”

Tiffany swallows the contents and makes sure to swipe her tongue against her own teeth to clean away any remnants of the sandwich. Her eyebrows crinkle together as she asks seriously.

“How is it that you make everything look so good?”

It isn’t a tease in retort, but the simple truth. Jessica feels the red creep onto her cheeks.

“What do you mean?”

Tiffany gently grabs a fistful of the hem of the light brown sweater.

“I was never fond of this sweater, but I love how it looks on you. It’s like… it was made for you.”

Jessica sets aside her sandwich and puts her arms over Tiffany’s shoulders.

“But it’s yours.”

“What’s mine is yours.”

Tiffany leans forward, pressing her lips against the underside of Jessica’s jaw as she whispers in between kisses.

“My possessions, my body, my heart, my love. Take it all. Just don’t leave me.”

Jessica hisses when Tiffany bites softly into her neck.

“How could I?”

Tiffany does not say anymore as she continues the kisses.

But you can. It would be so easy to leave me.

She has her unspoken fears.

--

They walk across the town, hand in hand as the afternoon sun greets them. The vibrant colors and array of flowers on the opposite side of the street attracts Jessica’s eyes. She speaks without looking at Tiffany.

“There’s a myth that sunflowers follow the sun as the sun rises and sets. They say it’s out of loyalty.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“I do.”

“Why do you believe that?”

“Because I’ve seen the magic with my own eyes.”

“Oh?” Tiffany quipped. “Since when did you fancy sunflowers?”

“Since you mentioned them.”

The brunette grins because she knew she was going to respond likewise.

“Thank you for always listening, Jessi.”

She places a quick kiss on Jessica’s left temple.

It is ironic that after all this time, the younger girl is able to make her blush day in and day out with simple words and kisses.

--

The garden doesn’t work out as well as Jessica had planned so she decides to buy Tiffany some sunflowers instead.  (Who knew gardening wasn’t her forte, either?) She presses the small ones into Tiffany’s notebooks and wallet. She makes sure to hand deliver fresh ones to Tiffany’s office during her lunch breaks.

Sometimes, she’ll pick a small one and place it behind Tiffany’s ear in the mornings.

And when she does this, she’ll whisper ever so gently into her ear.

“Stay with me, always.”

--

“Congratulations Tiffany.”

Her coworkers congratulate and applaud her as she stares dumbfounded at the documents before her.

A promotion is welcome, but moving places is not something that she wanted.

She bites her lip and wonders.

Jessica.

Would Jessica come with her to a new country?

Would Jessica give up what she’s worked so hard for here?

When she gets home, she doesn’t have the courage to speak about it when Jessica greets her warmly with the smile she’s only ever been privileged to see.

She doesn’t want to shatter that perfect smile in any way.

--

Jessica wakes up in the middle of the night to Tiffany’s soft cries.

“Tiffany?”

The weight from her side leaves Jessica and presses against her body, sinking the both of them deeper into the mattress. Skin slides against skin as Tiffany digs her head deep into Jessica’s neck.

“What’s wrong?”

Her sobs are quieter now as her tears start to pool around at the base of Jessica’s collarbone.

“I had a nightmare. You weren’t here.”

“But I am here.”

Jessica holds tightly onto her, pressing her hands into Tiffany’s back to show her physically that she is here.

“For now.” It comes off so soft and fragile that it terrifies Jessica how much this really scares Tiffany.

“I’m not going to leave.”

“But I might. What if some irrevocable force ripped us apart? What if something out of our complete control rifted us? What if –”

“That’s okay, because I would follow you.”

“Sometimes I am afraid that I’ll expect you to be following and turn around and you won’t be there. You won’t be here. You won’t be anywhere.” She is speaking too fast, psyching herself out.

“Look at me.”

Tiffany pushes herself up, eyes locking onto Jessica’s.

“I’m never going to leave you, even if you were to throw me away, to kick me aside, or push me away. I’d follow you because that’s all I know how to do, how to love you. I’m too selfish to give you up.”

Jessica pulls her in for a kiss at the corner of her lips.

“I’m too selfish to give up the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

It only makes Tiffany cry more, but a different type of tears. She inhales deeply, wondering if this is the right time to break the news.

“I got a promotion at work. I’m being transferred.”

She expects Jessica to protest, to hide her fears and angers at the thought of being separated, to lash out in some shape or form. She does not expect Jessica to smile and whisper.

“I’ll pack my things tomorrow morning.”

There are no questions of where they are going, when they are going, or demands for explanations as to why.

Tiffany lowers herself back down, head resting on Jessica’s chest.

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It’s only easy because it’s you. Would you have done the same for me?”

“Yes.” There is no hesitation in Tiffany’s voice.

“Then you make it easy, too.”

And it suddenly clicks in Tiffany’s head that they wouldn’t, no, couldn’t be separated just because of a job promotion. They needed each other and would follow each other to the ends of the earth.

On the dresser sits a fresh sunflower in a vase as they fall asleep to their beating hearts, breathing each other in.

--

It’s Sunday again. They sit atop a green hill, side by side as they pick at the blades of grass. In front of them is a giant field of sunflowers. The sun is about to set, giving off an orange glow. Tiffany has her legs straight out while Jessica’s legs are pulled in close, arms wrapping around them.

“Do you remember when you said I reminded you of warmth?”

“Of course.” Tiffany laughs inwardly because it was a conversation they shared a week ago. Leave it to Jessica to bring it up now.

“I was thinking about it and it’s funny because you make me hot.”

Sometimes Jessica said things that could mean a billion different things. Tiffany gazes at her, a quizzical look on her face.

“What kind of ‘hot?’”

Jessica speaks slowly as she holds her palm out, letting the wind blow away the blades of grass she had gathered.

“All kinds. The kind of hot that creeps onto my cheeks when you swoon me with your words. The kind that leaves me hot and bothered. The kind of hot that burns a fire in my chest, hoping that it never gets put out. All kinds of hot, Tiff.”

It’s Tiffany’s turn to blush and grin. But Jessica’s not done saying romantic things. She wraps her arms around legs again, head turned to face Tiffany.

“If I am your sunflower, then you are my sun. I will follow you wherever you go. I need you in my life, Tiff.”

Moving across countries, leaving her behind or being left behind; what was there to really worry about?

Jessica had always been a woman of her words.

Tiffany cups her cheek and kisses her so softly that it throws Jessica off guard. When the brunette pulls back, she rests her forehead onto Jessica’s and runs her fingers up and down the back of Jessica’s neck.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Jessica smiles from ear to ear.

“I love you, too.”

She says it with her eyes closed, eyes too blinded by the entity of this sun of hers.

When she breathlessly whispers, ‘so hot’ soon after, that beautiful, magical laughter from Tiffany lets her know that she’s said the right words, done the right things, and is loving the right person.