At First Glance- A Marina Love Story

Chapter 31

Maya sat on the stoop with takeout while she waited for Carina to get home from her shift at the hospital. The girlfriends had made plans to meet up after work to begin packing her up. Just as the sun started to set, Andrea pulled his car to the curb, and both siblings exited the vehicle.

"Hi, my love," Maya said as she placed a small kiss on the Italian's lips.

"My bambina," Carina responded. She took her hand and rubbed the palm of it to Maya's cheek, letting it rest ever so slightly while their eyes met.

"Excuse me," Andrea said as he tried to squeeze past the two lovers.

"Sorry," Maya laughed. "Can I actually talk to you for a second? Babe, can you grab the food and take it in?"

"Sure," the siblings responded in unison.

Carina grabbed the bag and looked back awkwardly as Maya began talking to her brother. Maya smiled at her and then swatted her hand at her, telling her to go inside.

"What's up, Maya?" Andrea asked. He took a seat on the stoop and patted the concrete next to him, encouraging Maya to sit down next to him.

The blonde sat down and crossed her arms. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay with Carina moving in with me. I know she doesn't need your permission or anything, but I know how much you mean to one another."

Andrea gave a small smile and looked up. "I couldn't be happier for you two. Carina and I are very different people and living together was getting to us. I loved spending this time with her, but I think we will be even closer now that she's gone, if that makes any sense."

Maya tried to understand, "Yeah, I think it does."

"Maya, I've never seen her like this before. She was never able to truly be herself in Italy. Even after I moved away, when I spoke with her, she always felt like she had to hide who she was from our father. With you, she's free."

"I'm still not completely out to my family, either," Maya added. "I get it."

"I think what the two of you have is special," Andrea added. "You'll tell your family when you're ready."

"She makes me want to tell everyone-" Maya was cut off.

"My loves," Carina poked her head out of the front door, "you can't expect me to sit here with all of this Chinese food and not eat it. Can you?" Andrea and Maya looked at her and laughed.

"Coming, coming," they said together.

--

"I think this is the last box for tonight," Carina said. "I don't have the energy for much more."

"You better find some energy," Maya winked at her as she taped another box shut.

"I always have energy for that," the Italian whispered. She crawled towards her girlfriend who was bent over the box with a sharpie writing, Shoes. "Why don't we get these boxes in our cars and head home? We can finish the rest tomorrow." Maya's face lit up. "What, bambina?"

"Home. You called it home."

"I did, didn't I?" She closed the gap between the two of them and pulled her girlfriend in for a deep kiss. Maya moaned into the kiss and started to fall backwards onto the bedroom floor. "Andrea left. He had just enough time to run me home and eat before his overnight shift," Carina said between kisses.

Maya reached up and wrapped her hand around her girlfriend's neck and pulled her as close as possible. After nine days apart, both women were desperate for one another's touch. "I need you," Maya huffed.