"EMMA, LET'S GO!" Olivia yelled from the hallway of my childhood home, anxious and excited to leave.
It was the third day of our annual family vacation to Buffalo. Me and Olivia grew up here before moving to Pittsburgh last year.
It's been an entire year since we've been back. Olivia lived just two houses down from me; the blue house on Chamberlein Drive was hers. We've been best friends since we were 3, but as we got older, it turned into something more. When we were 12 and at the movies seeing 'The Secret Life of Pets' (yes, I know it was childish, but it's the only thing our parents would let us see), she reached over and held my hand. We both made eye contact, then she took a deep breath and said, "I'm a lesbian." I was too, but hadn't told anyone yet. I guess I got caught up in the moment because I shouted, "Me too. And I like you." which was completely true. I had feelings for her for almost a year at that time, but I was too afraid to say anything. "I feel the same way; I was scared you wouldn't feel the same way," she said before kissing me. I kissed her back. And that was the start; now we are going 7 years strong.
The snow was starting to fall outside, so I grabbed my coat and two pairs of gloves and said, "Here, you forgot these!" I said to Olivia. She rolled her eyes and said, "Thanks." in an unamused tone.
I put my gloves on, then opened the front door. Olivia wrapped her hand around mine and ran out to the car. She opened the passenger door for me and waited for me to get in before closing the door and running over to the driver side, hopping in, and turning the car on. The car was freezing, and my nose immediately turned red, as well as my cheeks, which has happened since I was little. Olivia knew it too, so she handed me her red cashmere scarf. I looked over at her as I wrapped it around my neck, all the way up to my nose, and said, "Thanks." She smiled at me, then backed the car up and asked, "Where to first?"
"Ooo- hm. Target?"
Our yearly tradition is to do Christmas shopping together for everyone the day before Christmas Eve.
"Sounds good. Now comes the real question. Which target?" She said she was looking over at me and laughing.
I started laughing and said, "Surprise me!" About 20 minutes later, we pulled up at Target, and it was the one I'd hoped for.
"Starbucks?" She said to me
"Oh, how could I say no to that?"
"Tall iced green tea matcha?"
"You know me too well," I said while leaning in to kiss her cheek. She quickly turned her head, causing our lips to collide together, forming a perfect kiss. I smiled, and the kiss was broken a few seconds later.
She reached for my hand as we were walking in. I wrapped my fingers around hers as she squeezed my hand gently.
We ordered our drinks. She ordered a chocolate cream frappuccino and paid for both of our drinks.
I smiled and thanked her. We walked around Target for a couple hours, and we found gifts for both our moms and her sister.
Then I headed to the mall, specifically Sephora, because she knew I wanted a new Prada perfume that came out.
I was looking at the Pat McGrath section when she came up from behind me and tapped on my left shoulder, handing me a small bag with the perfume in it. She couldn't contain her excitement, giggling and squealing. I opened the bag and discovered the perfume I had been wanting.
"Olivia!!! Thank you so much; I'm going to cry."
"Well, Merry early Christmas, my love." She said it softly.
I leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She reached for my hand and pulled me out of the store. With my Sephora bag in hand, we ran across the mall.
