Let's go to the firework show.

“Let’s pretend,” you tell her. “Let’s pretend we’re together and have been planning on going to this firework show.”

She smiles, her eyes glancing down at where she has you straddled. “I like the sound of that.”

You both blush, desiring more out of your almost cursed relationship. You click your tongue. “You look great, by the way.”

Her smile widens, and you can see her perfect white teeth. “It looks like I’m about to go out and play tennis. I’m not even good at tennis.”

“Still cute,” you remark as she steps off. You see a pair of shorts beneath her skirt, and your eyes wander up to her plump behind. “We should play that sometimes too. Any kind of sport.”

Astrid reaches down and helps you out of the couch. You wrap your arms around her and kiss her. She moans, looking deeply into your eyes. “We should ice skate again. That was a lot of fun to do that one time.”

“We can discuss such things later,” Astrid breaks free from your loose grip and spins away. “Get dressed. I’ll meet you out front.”

“Where are my clothes?”

“In our room,” she winks at you. “You should know where that is, don’t you think?”

“Right,” you blush: too embarrassed to admit you don’t have a clue— a memory comes back, feeding you the exact location of your folded jeans and T-shirt on the dresser upstairs in your master bedroom. You waste not a second more to get dressed in the clothing provided. You find some red socks and slip those over your feet. In a closet inside the same room are black high-top sneakers you know are yours. On your way out, you see a watch with a three-stripe design. Red, white, and blue with a navy blue background for the clock face. You hesitate but then lace it around your wrist before joining Astrid.

Astrid has her back turned at you. The sky is constantly flashing with vibrating colors. Blue sparkles, red flashes, and loud noises emit and fade in every moment. Your chest throbs against the pounding, but no panic or unfortunate memories exist. Instead, you’re grinning like a child— amused by something otherwise queer in the world you are used to.

She turns to you and sees your watch. Her grin looks as childish as yours felt. Astrid bends her wrist, highlighting something similar on her arm. It’s the same one on your wrist too. “Nice watch,” she’s gitty.

“It’s— yeah. Nice watch.” You glance down, rubbing the fabric with your fingers idly before you look outward and see the neighborhood for the first time. It’s twilight. The shadows from the suburban area cover the clean street and sidewalks. People of all ethnicities and ages are running around, celebrating in a way that is foreign to you.

Astrid wraps her arm around yours and draws herself close enough to touch shoulders. Despite never seeing this before, you find yourself comfortable with the situation. The fireworks don’t bother you, nor do the people. Surprisingly, they don’t seem…robotic or fake. They greet you, and there are a handful of times they seem familiar. They talk to you with an expectant expression; they’re waiting for you to notice a joke or to recognize them. One older woman spends a few blocks following you as you chat.

When she gives her farewell, you turn to face Astrid. She’s smiling and already looking at you before you even ask your question. “What?”

“You’re going to love it here,” she says. “And then all of this will make sense to you.”

“So, you know what’s going on here then?”

Astrid nods. You press. “Who are these people? Do I know them?”

Astrid puckers her lips. “Don’t you?”

You think, but your mind is split into two different worlds. It’s challenging to decipher which memories are from Earth and which are from the current place. “I don’t know. Everything is so blurred when I try to think of my life.”

Astrid leads you to a nearby park. There are several people laid out in blankets. Eating, chatting, living, waiting for what you assumed to be the firework show. She steps into the grass, still leading you. “You knew everyone back there. And they knew you, too.”

“Who…were…they…?” You realize who they are, and Astrid sees the realization in your expression. “Jesus…Family?”

“Extended and not. Your father’s side. Your mother’s side…”

“They’re…waiting for me here?”

There’s a pause. Suddenly, you know you’re hitting a sensitive subject to study. Astrid hugs you. “Everyone has someone on the other side waiting for them. It doesn’t matter if you go down or up.”

“What happens if I go down? Who’s waiting for me there?”

Astrid pauses for a long time. “I don’t know who’s down there. I’m afraid that’s up to you to remember on your own time.”

“Ok then,” you sigh. “Let’s not think about that. Let’s enjoy what we have here.”

...And what is here? A picnic blanket with a basket on the side is in the break of the landscape of trees and bushes. Astrid gasps playfully, pondering how this got here and why it was placed. At first, you worry that you’ve stumbled over to someone’s spot, but then you see Astrid kicking off her shoes and taking a seat on the blanket.

You sit down across from her, relieved to know this was a part of her plan all along. You’re also glad that you decided to come here despite giving a chance to stay at home. Astrid takes out some food from the basket, handing you a cold sandwich and then a chilled drink. You banter for a while, sharing a wholesome conversation of favorites and preferences before she takes out the dessert—strawberry cake with whip-cream on the side.

It’s normal. And you can’t recall ever having a date like this before. The food provided tastes homemade. It’s sweet and savory and leaves you satisfied to the last bite.

The lower the sun gets, the darker the sky becomes. It also becomes cooler, prompting Astrid to cuddle closer to you. “Keep me warm,” she giggles, folding into your arms.

Your figures become enveloped. You smile without reason, enjoying this interaction more and more as your bodies begin to share heat. Your legs tangle around each other, and your fingers lock around each other. If not locked in a squeeze, your hands travel each other’s limbs. If not on legs or arms, they travel to the head to find the knots in the hair. This is perfect. It cannot get better.

Astrid laughs suddenly. She looks up at you and gets lost in your gaze. Your heart flutters, and you start smiling too. You shower her with compliments until she blushes. She pushes your face away and turns away. “You’re a playboy, Warren. Your compliments mean little to me.”

“Oh, you consider me a playboy?” You giggle at her remark and lean in to kiss her. “Then what should I consider you, my love?”

Astrid wiggles in your arms, her voice bouncing as she laughs. “Your love sounds enticing. I love the sound of that.”

All words are lost between you. Astrid licks her lips and blinks, her eyes getting lost in yours again. You studied every square inch of her face. Her makeup, her complexion. Her hair, her lips. Your stomach tightens. “I love you, Astrid.”

Something whistles somewhere, and a pop follows it—a flash of colors explodes in the sky above you. There are more whistling and more colors. A fantastic array of colors flashes, giving her shape and dipping her in different hues.

Astrid doesn’t blink away from you, and the fireworks going off don’t distract her. She swallows hard and moves to her knees to become at eye-level with you. “I love you, too.”

The quick flashes of color ignite Astrid's features. Her eyes sparkle with every blast. The rumbling from the fireworks shakes your body, but you feel your heart beating against your chest more than anything else. You’re becoming lost in her too.

Astrid blinks finally and looks at the fireworks, she watches them for a few moments, and she smiles. In the bursting display, you see her eyes have glossed over. She flashes her smile at the sky and then at you.

“I’ve been looking at you all day,” you grab her hand, and she smiles wider at you. The strong connection you’ve always felt with Astrid bleeds into your words. “And even though I appreciate you taking me with you…I honestly couldn’t care less about these fireworks.”

Astrid frowns a little bit, giving the flash one glance before returning to you. “Since we’re being honest with each other, I’ll admit I don’t either. Not now, at least.”

Her fingers slither on the blanket to find yours. They become locked again, and she kisses you. It’s not innocent, and it isn’t held back. It’s long and passionate. “This is special because of you.”

Your lips mash each other. You close your eyes and feel her lips pressing and her tongue slipping into your mouth. Mysterious lights shine through your eyelids as the fireworks continue to boom overhead. Your hands are still joined, but they start to become slick with sweat.

She leans in, climbing into your lap. Your hands unclasp, and you hold her waist while you make out. The longer you are joined with each other, the messier your kiss becomes. There is no worry about being seen, but you feel exposed in the open nonetheless.

Your tongues rub against each other in your mouths, tickling and teasing one another. You reach around her body and pull her closer. She replies with this by running a hand up your shirt, touching your skin with her sweaty hands.

With a little moan, she pushes you back and lays on you to push the kiss deeper. She naughtily trains her fingers on your jeans, and you start pulling at her shirt. Slowly, you begin undressing each other, pushing the boundaries past their thresholds.

Suddenly, however, Astrid starts shaking her head and pulls away from the kiss. “Are we sure this how we should…end our time together?”