Perfection

The next day, the two women were just about ready to leave. They agreed on only bringing one other set of clothes each, some dried food, and water. Linda was very sure in the fact that there were other civilizations around them. When Tama was about to defy her mother, Linda defended herself, using the fact that they didn't know about anyone else that could be out there because no one was allowed to leave Tay unless on extremely urgent business; business that entailed a life-or-death situation.

When they were finished, Tama laid down on her bed, her mother in the other room, looking at what they intended to bring with them. Leaving Tay? Sure, they both hated being there. Not only did the place remind them of the few happy times they had and then lost, but the town itself was becoming more and more corrupt by the day. The curfews, the rise in food costs . . . it was beginning to be too much. Yet, it was the only place Tama knew of. To her, there wasn't a world outside of Tay. It was like if you went past the looming fence of Tay, you'd fall right off the face of the Earth, never to be seen again.

Tama thought about Aria. Maybe she had been fooling herself the whole time. Maybe Aria had been dropping hints the entire time she'd known the girl. But then, why wait so long? They'd known each other for ten years and Aria decides to act, strongly, on something that Tama had no idea was even blooming? She didn't know what to think. Everything seemed to be working at a pace that was too fast for her.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to get Aria." Tama swung her legs over the bed.

Linda seemed to glide right into the room. "Are you sure we can trust her?"

"Mom-"

"Tama, tell me now. Do you think she'll tell her parents; her grandparents?"

"Mom, I want her to come with us."

Linda stood in place; a blanket was draped over her bent arm.

"What?" Tama asked, not sure what the expression her mother was wearing was.

"I just don't think that she would come." When Linda saw the hurt look on Tama's face, she tried to explain herself. "I mean that. . . Tama, her whole life is here-"

"My whole life is here, too, Mom! I'll be leaving behind the only friend I've ever had if we go without her!"

"How do you know if she'll even say yes if you asked her?"

Tama blurted out, "Because she kissed me."

In shock, Linda dropped the blanket she was carrying. It was a long time before she said, "She kissed you?"

"Yes." Tama said slowly. "Is that hard to imagine?"

"No, it's not that, I just. . ." Tama was actually able to see a smile crack on her mother's lips. "I just never thought her to be someone who would go against the List."

Ah, yes. The List. Another Forbidden act that is placed high up on the Bad List is Same Sex Romance. Unfortunately clever, the Creators of the List almost wrote "Marriage" instead of "Romance", but someone among them changed it to forbid any kind of Display of Romance between two women and two men. Aria's family had been proud advocates of this Forbidden Act.

"Well, I'm going to get her. Right now."

"Hold up, Tama." Linda said getting a hold of her arm just before Tama made it out of her room. "Do you like her the same way?"

"I-"

"Honestly?"

". . . I don't know." Tama admitted with a sigh. "But, she's my friend. I can't leave her here."

The two women looked at each other for a while before Linda let her daughter's arm go. "Go. Get her. We're leaving tonight."