strawberry fields | bada lee

029 | crying into their hands (somebody loves them)

Bada and you stood at Potenza's train station, suitcases in hand, and handbags placed over your shoulders, eagerly awaiting the train to Milan. Nervousness crept into your thoughts, as you and Bada held hands, and Bada, sensing it, gently caressed your knuckles with her thumb.

"Nervous?" She chuckled.

"A little bit." You admitted, attempting to downplay your feelings.

"Remember, it's like an eight-hour train ride- you can't be nervous the whole time." She teased, letting go of your hand to grab both of your suitcases before boarding the train.

Following suit, you showed the tickets to the employee as you entered the train. She pointed to your seats, and you could not help but remark. "I just noticed you bought the expensive tickets."

"I wasn't going to spend eight hours sitting straight up. Remember, I'm tall, and my legs get cramped in the standard seats." She explained, laughing as she scanned the carriage for your seats.

A smile illuminated your face as you located the seats, pointing them out to Bada. She opened the overhead compartment, placing the suitcases inside carefully. Settling into your seat, you positioned your handbag between your legs and turned to watch as Bada made herself comfortable.

"I can't believe we're heading to Milano." You remarked, smiling. "It feels odd, but in a good way."

"I imagine, but I promise everything will be fine." Bada reassured, taking hold of your hand and placing it in her lap. "I'll be by your side."

"Thank you." You replied, leaning your head on her shoulder.

You observed other passengers boarding the train, experiencing a bittersweet moment as you left the town that offered your first sight of Italy and where you first crossed paths with Bada. With your free hand, you grabbed your phone to send a text to your parents, saying that the train was leaving soon, attaching a photo of you and Bada.

"Have you told them already?" Bada inquired, and you shook your head in response. "Well, after Milan, let's go back to your hometown so I can meet your parents."

"Shut up." You giggled. "Will you actually do that?"

"I'm serious, I will." She responded honestly. "I'll do anything to prove to them I'm worthy of dating their daughter."

"Dating?" You questioned, as if Bada and you had not been practically dating already.

Bada squeezed your hand. "I was waiting for a special moment in Milan to pop the question." She confessed. "But you can't deny we're already basically married." Bada added with a playful tone.

You looked down at the rings. "Yup, even with rings and all."

A voice echoed through the speakers, announcing the train's departure. You turned to inform Bada, and as the train began moving, you closed your eyes for a second. When you reopened them, you found comfort in gazing out of the window, captivated by the scenery. As minutes ticked by, the cityscape faded into greenery, and an involuntary sigh escaped you, accompanied by a few tears. Sensing your emotions, Bada lifted her eyes from her phone, looking down at you.

"What's wrong, baby?" She asked, concerned. "Tell me about it."

"I just got emotional." You admitted, lifting your head from her shoulder to turn and meet her gaze. "It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that I'm finally a few hours away from seeing Milano with my own eyes, and that no one is going to ruin this for me."

Bada placed a delicate kiss on your forehead. "I'm so happy you allowed me to make this happen for you." She spoke softly, gently wiping away your tears. "It has nothing to do with this, but, can I ask you something?"

You nodded curiously. "Of course, you already know that you can ask me anything, Bada."

"I now have a big collection of photos of you on my phone." She said, handing you her phone, she even had an album titled "my doll", full of photos of you. "Can I post them on my Instagram?"

You looked at the photos, finding the photos she took of you in the park, from the ones in the cathedral, even the first photos she took of you in the strawberry field. Every photo, a testament of how much Bada loved seeing you and how much she adored immortalizing the moments she had with you.

You handed her phone back to her. "Please, post them." You said, blushing. "I would love it."

Bada allowed you to rest your head on her shoulder again as she meticulously selected the photos she wanted to post. It seemed like a good 15 minutes passed as she picked the perfect selection within Instagram's ten-photo limit. A notification popped up on your phone, "badalee__ has tagged you in a post." You turned to see her smiling, and you opened Instagram to see the post she had made. You scrolled through the carefully chosen photos until you reached the caption.

"A collection of photos of my point of view as I fell in love with my angel." You read aloud. You looked at Bada, still showing her bright smile. Letting go of her hand, you wrapped your arms gently around her, burying your head in her chest. "I love loving you, Bada." you whispered.

"I love you, baby." She responded, placing her hand on your head and holding you close to her.

Snuggling into the comfort of her chest, you thought about your incredible luck and the deep love you felt for Bada- no one had ever made you feel the same emotions within you as she did. Thankfulness overwhelmed you for taking that leap, inviting her to join your trip, and overcoming the shyness that might have stopped you from asking a stranger to explore a part of Potenza by your side. You desired to stay by her side forever, as with her, you sensed the missing piece your heart had longed for had finally found its place, making you feel complete.