Page 75 of Love Legacy

“Oh, am I now?” I ask, laughing at Sage’s bossiness.

Sage gives me a large, shit-eating grin. “Yup! I figured we could go apartment hunting and furniture shopping together during the summer, so that way, we’re all moved in and settled before you have to be back here.”

I let out a contented sigh, a warm feeling building in my stomach. The fact that Sage was actually picturing this domestic future for us made me excited to graduate. Originally I was nervous because I had no idea what I was going to do. But now, the future is beginning to look a little clearer to me. Maybe I’ll get a job working for a women’s rights charity? Maybe Sage and I will get a cat or a dog? Maybe we’ll get engaged and eventually married? This is the most optimistic I’ve felt about my future in a long time.

“You’re doing it again,” Sage sing-songs, reaching up to stroke my cheek with her thumb.

I blink, bringing my attention back to her before giving a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Sagey. I started daydreaming about the future.”

She perks up at my confession. “Really? What did it look like?”

I smile, leaning into her touch as I trace circles on her leg. “Us married, both working in the nonprofit sector. You doing sex education, me working for a women’s rights organization. Both of us coming home at the end of the day to our cat, Cheeto, and our dog, Murphy. Maybe we’d start thinking about kids? Fostering and adopting, of course. We’d buy a house first, though. Maybe in the suburbs. It’d be a longer commute, but hopefully, I’d be remote or hybrid, and you’d be traveling all over anyway.”

Sage laughs. “Cheeto and Murphy? You’ve already named our imaginary pets?”

“Of course!”

“You’ve really put some thought into this, huh?”

I shake my head. “Not really. I just got excited and hopeful, and my mind took off.”

Sage stands up from the couch, holding her hands out to me.

Curiously, I take her hands in mine, Sage pulling me up from the couch. “What?” I ask, looking into her eyes.

Sage gives me a devilish smirk, pulling me in close, her hand trailing down my back and over the curve of my ass before giving the flesh a gentle smack. “Come on, let me show you how good our future really will be,” her voice low and sultry.

I return her smirk with a grin of my own as she tugs me to her bedroom. I brace myself because I already know that with Sage’s stamina, we’ve got a long night ahead of us.

27

Sage

Four months later…

Oh shit. Today’s the day.

To say I thought I would make it to this day would be a fat ass lie.

Little twelve-year-old Sage would’ve never guessed that she’d make it to college and have a family of her own, rooting for her every step of the way.

Thirteen-year-old Sage didn’t think she would live to see fourteen, let alone twenty-two.

Fifteen-year-old Sage never would’ve believe she’d be living as an out and proud lesbian in a relationship with a woman that she loves and adores.

Hell, even nineteen-year-old Sage was unsure if she was going to make it through college in one piece, let alone graduate.

And yet, here I am. Graduating from Pinebrook University on time, with honors, with Naomi, Theia, Mel, Ken, and many of the women of Kappa Theta Alpha cheering me on. I’ve never considered myself to be an overly emotional person, at least outwardly. I’m sure Naomi would probably disagree, but I don’t often allow myself to be vulnerable around other people.

Today, however, I’ve barely been able to stop crying. I’ve already had to redo my eye makeup twice, though this last time, I made sure to use all my waterproof products because, clearly, this leaky faucet won’t be fixed any time soon.

“Sage! Are you almost ready? We have to meet your parents outside the field house in twenty minutes, and I know it’s going to be crazy walking over there,” Naomi calls from the living room. We decided to get ready for the ceremony at her apartment since she was located on campus. They anticipated such heavy traffic that the campus shuttle wasn’t even making any stops within campus just along the peripheral buildings. So we knew either we had to leave at least an hour early or we were going to be walking.

I give myself a quick once over in the mirror, making sure I look okay. Instead of the traditional white dress, I opted for a light, sage green, strapless romper. It was chiffon, making it light and airy but still lined so I wouldn’t flash anyone. New York was deceivingly hot in the summer, and even in May, we’re already having some pretty hot, humid days. I paired the romper with a pair of white wedges that have a cork sole.

My hair’s grown out a little bit, now reaching my armpits, and right after Spring Break, I dyed my hair back to a neutral, golden brown color in preparation for the new job. I was going to go back to my natural blonde, but between the dark blue in my hair and the amount of times I dyed it, darker was the safer move for the health of my hair. At least this shade would be easier to transition back to my natural color as it grows out. Naomi likes it though, she says it makes my green eyes pop, so maybe I’ll keep it.

Speaking of Naomi, she’s waiting for me. I tuck the last couple of pins into my low bun, keeping the hair off my neck. I grab my small crossbody purse and the hanging plastic bag holding my graduation cap and gown and head into the living room. “Sorry, sorry, I had to put the finishing touches on my hair. You know how I get if my hair starts sticking to my neck when I’m sweaty.”

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