//------------------------------// // No Love Like the Love of a Dog // Story: Tale Chasing // by Astrocity //------------------------------// We got back to my house by the time night had fallen. Winona relaxed on the couch after our exhausting time at the park, while I went into the kitchen to warm up some dinner. Tonight’s dinner was lacking meat since Winona refused to eat any other animal, so I just warmed up some cheddar and broccoli soup that I bought from the store. I was setting up the table when Winona walked in. “Something smells good. Whatcha makin’?” she asked as she inhaled the delicious aroma. The microwave started beeping, signaling that it was done heating up the contents. I carefully took out the container with the soup, making sure not to burn myself, and set it on the table. “It’s cheddar and broccoli. It’s really good, and no, there isn’t any meat in there,” I replied back. The soup was still steaming and was probably hot enough to scald someone’s tongue. “You might want to wait a while though. It’s kinda hot. I’m going to go take a quick shower first. All that running made me sweaty.” "Okay, let me join you," she innocently replied as she followed me to the bathroom. I stopped dead in my tracks. "No! I mean, you can't come with me." "Why not? You said that when I let you touch these-" She cupped her breasts in her hands. "-you would see me as a mate. So as long as you don't touch them, we can still have a bath together." "Why not?! Because, um..." I should have more specific. I was trying to find the right words while trying to fight the blush that was starting to form on my face. I've always wanted to get in a shower with a hot naked girl, but I couldn't take advantage of Winona's naiveté like that, no matter how tempting the idea was. "Because...there's not enough room for the both us?" "I think there's plenty enough room fer the two of us," she said as she pushed me towards the bathroom. Like I said before, she was pretty strong so she got me into the bathroom easily. Before I could voice why I was against the idea, she was already taking off her shirt and stripping down to her birthday suit. "Come on, Alex! Hurry up!" I averted my eyes as soon as I got a full view of her naked body. I couldn’t think straight with Winona standing naked next to me and urging me to take a bath with her. My face was burning fiercely, and the lower part of my body was getting a wakeup call from the scene before me. I tried to distract myself and veer away from that line of thought by thinking about other things, like how great the floor and ceiling looked when there’s a naked girl standing in front of me. “Um, y-you go ahead and take a bath without me. I just realize that I need to go, um, check on the garbage and take out dinner.” I bolted out of the room and shut the door before Winona could utter another word. “When you’re done taking your bath, go change into a new set of clothes!” I yelled as I left. I ran downstairs and into the kitchen and proceeded to bang my head against the refrigerator door. Snap out of it! Sure, you like her, but how would she feel about it? You don’t even know if she feels same way. You can’t fall in love with her. She’s got a family to get to. You’ll just cause problems for her if you make her stay with you. I knew that I couldn’t make Winona stay because of me. It would just be better if she didn’t know how I felt, and we just acted like friends, who happen to live under the same roof. I didn’t want to complicate things for her and add on to the problem of trying to get her home. My forehead was sore from repeatedly smacking it against the refrigerator. I went over to the kitchen sink and splashed some cold water on my face. I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. Slowly, I turned around and let out a sigh of relief. I saw Winona standing behind me wearing the other change of clothes I bought for her. She was wearing white shorts, a brown tank top, and her dog collar. I saw a worried look on her face, like when children think they’ve done something bad. “Alex, you okay? Did I do something wrong again?” she asked. I shook my head. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just had a bit of a headache.” By the throbbing pain on my forehead, I wasn’t really lying when I said that I had a headache. “I think the soup should be cool by now. You go ahead and eat. I’ll be right back after a quick shower.” I poured Winona a bowl full of the soup and left to take a shower. After a quick shower, I walked into the kitchen to see Winona eating her soup while holding her spoon incorrectly like she was going to stab someone. She didn’t look at me when I took a seat and poured myself some soup. We ate quietly. Neither of us knew what to say. A few minutes passed before Winona finally spoke up. “This is good,” she said as she finished the last of her soup. “Yeah,” I replied. The uncomfortable tension between the two of us didn’t let up. I didn’t know how I should act towards her. I didn’t want to come off as too friendly because then saying goodbye would be harder. I took the empty bowls and utensils to the sink. I washed the dishes in silence, which was broken by the sound of Winona’s voice. “Do you hate me, Alex?” I wasn't expecting that kind of question from her. I stopped what I was doing to look and turned around to see her looking down and avoiding my gaze. “No, I don’t hate you. What made you think that I hated you?” She looked at me, and I could tell she was trying to hold back her tears. “You’ve been avoiding me and not talking as much ever since you left me in the bathroom. Did I do something wrong? Please, tell me what I did wrong. I won’t do it again. I promise! I don’t want you to hate me.” Crap, I really fucked up. I didn’t realize how cold I’ve been acting towards her. I just didn’t want her to make a painful, life-changing decision, but instead I’ve been avoiding her and making her feel bad like it was her fault. I put my arms around Winona and wrapped her in a warm embrace. “I’m sorry for acting like a jerk. I’m not mad at you. It’s just…” I tried to find the right words to say. “How do you…feel about me?” She looked at me with a smile and returned the hug. “I think you’re the most special friend I’ve ever had. When you found me, you let me in yer home, fed me, gave me a bath, and even a place to sleep. You’re kind and caring, kinda like Applejack. But what I like about you most is that whenever you’re around, I feel really warm inside, and my chest feels tight. I feel like I can count on you to be there when I’m lost, like when I showed up here.” Words could not describe how delighted I was to hear how she felt about me, but at the same time, the fear that there will be a time when Winona will have to choose between me and her home consumed my thoughts. A small part of me wanted her to stay here with me, but I couldn’t do that to her. I couldn’t keep her away from the people, or ponies, who cared about her and are worried sick about her. “Winona, there’s one other thing I have to ask you.” “What is it?” I mentally prepared myself for the question I was going to ask. “If you could go back to Equestria, would you go back to your home?” “Of course I would go back home!” she exclaimed. “Even if it meant leaving me?” I asked. She dropped her smile. “Oh… Well, what if you came with me to Equestria?” I shook my head. “I can’t Winona. I’ve got a life here. You, however, have family and friends waiting for you in Equestria. I’m sorry Winona, but I don't think I can give up my life here.” “I can’t choose between you and my family. I just can’t. You’re both special to me. I don’t’ want to leave any of ya behind.” “I’ve thought about this, and I think you should go back to Equestria the first chance you get.” “But—“ “No buts,” I interrupted. “I said I would help get you back home, and that’s what I’m going to do. So, it only makes sense that you should go back.” I used one hand to bring her chin up so that she was now looking into my eyes. “Besides, it’s not like you’re going away now. I’m saying if this happened, what would you do? But until then, let’s just enjoy the ride and make the most of your stay here on Earth. You won’t have to worry about that until it happens.” She held me tightly, as if she was afraid that she would lose me forever, and laid her head on my chest. “Yeah, I guess we can worry about that when the time comes.” We stayed like this for a few minutes and eventually broke the hug. “Now, there’s something I want to show you before you go back to Equestria,” I said as I walked upstairs. “What do you want to show me?” “Have you ever watched a movie?” ~~~~~~~ We were lying on my bed with the laptop on my lap. We had been watching a bunch of movies, and it was now midnight. My room was dark with the only source of light coming from my laptop. Winona laid beside me and had her head resting on my shoulder. Beside us was a tall stack of movies we watched. I made sure not to show her anything gorey, violent, or scary because I didn't want to give her nightmares. The pile of movies consisted of mostly family movies from Disney. Winona really liked The Fox and the Hound. We were now watching our fifth film, Bolt. Our yawning has become more frequent, and looking at Winona, I saw that her eyelids were growing heavy. The movie has just reached the musical scene where the characters are finding their way home while at the same time teaching the protagonist to be a normal dog. From the corner of my eye, I could see Winona smiling as we listened to the lyrics of the song. "I have got so much to give, I swear I do I may not have nine lives, this one feels brand new Yes, I've lived a good one, I have tried to be true There are some things I never realized till I met you How the wind feels on my cheeks when I'm barking at the moon There is no home like the one you've got 'Cause that home belongs to you Woo, woo, here I come, woo, woo, back to you There is no home like the one you've got 'Cause that home belongs to you" Winona snuggled closer to me as we listened to the song. She had that homesick look again. I guessed that she was reminded of her home again with the song. In an effort to cheer her up, I hummed along with the song. She looked at me. I gave her a warm smile in return. "Well, I was in trouble, bad, I was so confused I may not see in color, babe, but I sure can feel blue I have been a lot of things, they may not all be true My experience was so mysterious till I met you Now the sun may rise in the east but I'm barking at the moon" My effort to cheer her up was rewarded by her smile. She then sang along the chorus of the song, and I joined her. "There is no home like the one you've got 'Cause that home belongs to you Woo, woo, here I come, woo, woo, back to you There is no home like the one you've got 'Cause that home belongs to you" Our focus was no longer on the movie but on each other. We were both mesmerized in each other's gaze, and our faces were drawing closer. "There is no home like the one you've got 'Cause that home belongs to you There is no home like the one you've got 'Cause that home belongs to you" The song had ended and the movie continued, but we weren't paying attention to it anymore. My heart was racing, urging me to follow my instinct, so I leaned my head forward. The soft sensation on my lips overwhelmed any thoughts I had. It wasn't sloppy or filled with lust. No, it was a simple kiss. Yet, I savored every second of it. I wasn't thinking about anything else, just the girl in front of me. The past, the future, what she was, or what will happen didn't matter anymore. All that mattered right now was this moment, a moment that I wouldn't give up for anything. It was just me and her, nothing else. Winona had her eyes closed, focusing only the feeling on her lips. I had one hand cradling the back of her head while stroking her long brown hair. After what felt like an eternity, we broke the contact. She opened her eyes with a dreamy look and a grin to go with it. Also her cheeks were tinted light red when she looked at me. "Wow..." she said at last. "Wow..." I replied back. We sunk into a brief moment of silence between us, though it wasn't out of awkwardness. We were both thinking about what just happened. When we made eye contact, she smiled, which I returned with a smile of my own. I broke the tranquil silence first. "We may not know when you'll go back home, but I'll make sure to make every moment with you last and create new memories that we'll look back on fondly." She nuzzled the side of my face, sending a wave of warmth and happiness through me. "I'm glad you were the one to find me. If I ever do go back home--" "When you do go back home," I corrected. "When I do go back home, I'll always remember you. I'll never forget my special human friend." She gave me a peck on the cheek. "And I'll never forget my special canine friend," I said before giving her a kiss on her forehead. She let out a large yawn and gave in to her urge to sleep. She cuddled close to me and rested her head on my chest. I closed my laptop and carefully set it at the side of my bed. Winona remained undisturbed. She breathed softly with the rise and fall of her chest as she slept. I put an arm around her sleeping form and closed my eyes. I didn't need to dream of anything that night. It felt as if I was already in one, only better because this wasn't a dream. From mundane to weird and exciting, my life was flipped upside down, all because she fell into my life like an angel from the heavens. All because of Winona - a dog, a friend, and most of all, the love of my life. I only wish she didn't have to go, but that was only my selfishness talking. In my heart, I knew that good things don’t last forever. ~~~~~~~ I woke up to the sight of Winona still sleeping by my side, though at some time during the night she had taken off her tank top and her shorts were now around her ankles. Thankfully, she still had her underwear on so that she wasn’t completely naked. I could understand that she wasn’t comfortable with wearing clothes since she was a dog, but I still couldn’t get used to the sight of an attractive, unclothed girl in front of me. However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the view. I forced my eyes away from her to look at the time on my clock, which read 9:38 AM. I slipped out of my bed, letting Winona enjoy her sleep. I pulled the covers over her so that she wasn’t completely exposed and quietly made my way to the bathroom to do my morning routine. Once that was done, I went to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast. After last night, I was in high spirits. I was making pancakes for the occasion. Winona enter the kitchen as I was making breakfast. Her hair was a slightly tangled mess, and she now had all her clothes on this time. She let out a yawn. "Morning," I said as I flipped a flapjack. She smiled upon noticing me. "Morning, Alex." She inhaled the delicious aroma of pancakes and saw the breakfast I was making. "Oh, I’ve seen these before!” I placed the last of the pancakes on top of the stack of other pancakes. “Have you eaten pancakes before?” I asked. “Yeah. Sometimes, Big Mac makes a few extras and gives some to me,” she replied. Winona helped me set the table and bring over the plates of pancakes while I got out some cups and poured us some orange juice. Once the table was set and our breakfast was ready, we sat at the table and got started on breakfast. I poured some syrup over both our stacks and added a slice of butter on top of each. Winona thanked me and began eating her pancakes. She still had some trouble holding the utensils, but I could see she was improving. She brought an entire pancake up to her mouth and took a large bite out of it, causing the syrup to drip down on the plate. From the smile on her face, I could tell that she was pleased with my cooking. Mmmm. This is great, Alex! It’s kinda like how Big Mac makes it,” she said before taking another bite. I should have taught her how to eat properly. She had syrup all over her mouth. I got a napkin and wiped some of the syrup off her face. “You know, I think I should have taught you how to use a knife to cut your food so that you didn’t make a mess when eating.” She tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?” I got another knife for Winona to use. It was a butter knife, so I didn’t have to worry about any of us getting stabbed or seriously injured in some accident. I showed her how to hold the utensils in each hand and used my own hands to guide her through the motion of cutting things with a knife. She was a quick learner and was to cut her pancakes into smaller pieces. Sure, she wasn’t as proficient as the average adult when it came to using utensils, or hands for that matter, but at least she wasn’t making a mess. Once breakfast was finished and cleaned up, I went over today’s plans with Winona. “Since we don’t know when you’ll go back home, I’ll let you decide what we do today. Today will be all about what you want.” She crossed her arms and furrowed her brow in thought. “I don’t know. What is there to do?” “Well, we could do something here like watch another movie, but I’m guessing you would rather stretch your legs than be cooped in here.” She nodded her head. “Hmmm, what else can we do? We could go to the mall.” “What’s a mall?” asked Winona. “They don’t have malls in Equestria? Well, you’ve seen a market, right?” I got another nod from her. “A mall is kind of like a market, only a lot bigger with a bunch more things to see and buy.” “I guess we can go there.” “Alright, let me go get my keys.” After getting my keys, wallet, and phone, we got in the car and drove towards our destination. It wasn't long until we arrived at the mall. I parked the car, helped Winona out, and entered the building with Winona holding onto my hand. I asked that she held my hand so that I didn't lose her in the crowd of shoppers. If she thought going to Target was amazing, then going to was going to be an even bigger deal to her. Winona took in the scene around her like she was looking at one of the Wonders of the World. We would stop every now and then so Winona can look at the stores’ displays. “Oh, what’s this store?” she asked when we stopped in front of the Microsoft store. “It’s a store that sells technology and gadgets like my laptop.” “Let’s go check it out!” She pulled me by the hand into the store while I tried to keep up with her and not fall on my face. Once inside, she barraged me with questions about each device and product. We were touring around the shop until we heard the sound of music coming from one corner of the store. “Hey, what are those humans doing?” she asked while pointing towards a group of people dancing in front of an Xbox Kinect. “They’re playing a game where you dance. I think it’s one of the newest games for the game console,” I replied. She beamed at me. “We should go play too!” Winona began dragging me towards the group of spectators and dancers. I tried pulling in the other direction and stopping Winona from dragging me. “Winona, I can’t go up there! I’m no good at dancing! I’ve never danced in my life!” She remained stubborn. “Aw, come on! It looks so much fun.” The group of people who were dancing left the dance floor, and Winona dragged me with her onto the floor. Some of the spectators watching cheered for us, but that didn’t do anything to boost my confidence. I felt uncomfortable that there were a bunch of people watching me. Winona, however, looked like she didn’t mind the attention. A random song was chosen for us, and the game started. Well, here goes nothing. The speakers began pumping music. On the screen there were two figures dressed in black and white suits, representing me and Winona. The lyrics and dance moves appeared on the screen, and I did my best to imitate them. Winona looked at me and copied everything I did. It didn’t take her long to figure out that she was supposed to copy the moves on the screen. I made more than a few mistakes that were really noticeable. Winona, on the other hand, was doing a lot better I was. For someone who was dancing for the first time in a new body, she was dancing like it came naturally to her. While dancing, I took a glance at her. She was laughing and having a great time dancing. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw her this happy. She noticed me looking at her and flashed a smile at me. It was then that I forgot about my worries and actually enjoyed myself. I got more into the dance, no longer being held back by stage fright. People were cheering for us as we danced. Our arms and legs were moving in sync to the rhythm of the song. The song ended. Winona and I were both panting after that little workout. We received applause from our audience, and Winona got a ton of compliments for her dance skills. We left the store and continued the tour of the mall. As we were walking, she leaned against me, probably tired from dancing. She clung to my arm and rested her head on my shoulder. I found a bench for her to sit on. “I’m going to go find something for us to eat or drink. Do you mind waiting here for a little while, Winona?” I asked. She shook her head. “Not at all. I’m still a little tired from that game we played.” “Alright, just stay here until I come back. Please don’t wander off on your own. I’ll be back before you know it.” I remembered passing by an ice cream stand when we were walking around the mall. So, I did a bit of backtracking until I found what I was looking for. I ordered two double scoop ice cream cones, both of which had vanilla and chocolate. When I came back to where Winona was waiting, I found her curled up on the bench asleep. She looked adorable, and I would have let her sleep but I didn’t think it would be safe for her to be sleeping in such a place. I mean who knows what kind of sick fuck would take advantage of her? That and because the ice cream would melt in my hands if it wasn’t eaten soon. I crouched beside her close to her head and spoke in a soft voice. “Winona, wake up. I’ve got ice cream.” She stirred a little before her eyes fluttered opened. She slowly sat up and stretched. When she noticed me, she gave me a smile that I’ve grown used to by now. Her eyes drifted toward the two ice cream cones in my hand. “Oh, that looks like the thing that Apple Bloom likes ta eat!” I gave a chuckle when Winona started sniffing the ice cream. “It’s ice cream. You lick the part that’s melting and eat the cone, that’s the part you hold onto.” I handed her the treat, which she held carefully with both hands like some kind of fragile treasure. I already began eating the refreshing treat. Winona looked at me and then her ice cream before gingerly taking her first lick on the vanilla scoop. Her face lit up as soon as her tongue made contact with the cold treat. “It’s cold!” She gave a few more licks. “And it’s really sweet!” “I’m glad you like it,” I said before taking another lick at my ice cream, which was now half gone. While we were eating, a thought just hit me. Is this a date? I didn’t realize that from an outsider’s perspective we looked like a couple going on a date at the mall by the way we were holding hands, shopping, and doing things a couple would usually do together. I enjoyed being with Winona, and from the looks of it, I think she enjoyed it too. And speaking of Winona… Winona’s face and hands were covered in the sticky remains of her ice cream, the only evidence that she ever had an ice cream cone. She licked her lips of some of the ice cream that stuck. “That was really good! Now I know why Apple Bloom loves it so much.” “It’s great that you’re enjoyed it, but you kind of left a mess all over yourself.” She then noticed the sticky mess that was on her hands. “Come on. Let’s go get you cleaned up.” I grabbed her by the wrist, since her hands were currently sticky, and led her to the restrooms. As soon as we reached the restrooms, another problem presented itself to me. Aw great. How am I going to clean up Winona? I couldn’t take Winona with me to the men’s restroom, and I couldn’t follow her into the women’s restroom. I turned towards Winona. “Winona, I want you to listen very carefully. You’re going to go inside that room.” I pointed towards the women’s restroom. “And I want you to go to the sinks and wash your hands, and if you have to, you can use the toilets there and do whatever you need to. Got it?” She nodded her head. “Good. I’ll be waiting outside.” Winona went inside while I waited outside. Only a few minutes have passed until I heard a shriek coming from the bathroom, startling the crap out of me. The next minute, a woman walked out of the bathroom looking really pissed off, followed by a now clean Winona a few seconds later. “Winona, what happened in there?!” I asked her. “All I did was say hi to her. I don’t get why she gotta scream like that.” “Tell me exactly what you did inside.” “Well first, I washed my hands like you told me. And then I went to find the toilet. Did you know there are more toilets in there with walls between them?” “Winona. Focus.” Right. So after I found a toilet, I pulled down my pants and –“ “Skip that part!” I interrupted. “Okay. So when I finished, I heard noticed someone’s feet on the other side of the wall. I wanted to say hi so I stood on the toilet, looked over the wall, and said hi. Then she screamed, telling me to go away, but I don’t see what I did wrong there. And then she left. I washed my hands again and left and here we are.” I gave a sigh. “You and I need to have a little chat about personal privacy later. But what’s done is done.” I took a hold of her hand again. “What else do you want to do now?” She took a quick look around us before turning to me. “Oh let’s go on that thing!” she exclaimed while pointing at the merry-go-round at the center of the mall. “Sure,” I said. Once again, Winona took off in a sprint while I tried to keep up with her. The merry-go-round had a bunch of horses attached to the poles that went up and down as the ride spun around. There were only kids and a couple of parents riding on it. I paid two tickets for a ride on the merry-go-round. As we were waiting in line, Winona was jumping with excitement as she watched the ride. When it was finally our turn to ride, she took us to the closest pair of horses. “Wow, the ponies here are really different! They’re a lot bigger.” I helped her get on her horse and buckled her in before getting onto my own horse. “That’s because they aren’t ponies. They’re horses. Ponies are still kind of small here.” The ride began, and we started moving up and down on our horses as the carousel spun. Winona looked like she was having a great time on the ride by the smile on her face. Winona took out Applejack out of the pocket of her shorts and held the figurine in her hand. “I wish Applejack was here. She would just love it.” In my mind I was picturing an orange cowpony riding a horse on the carousel. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea. “I’m sure she would.” The ride didn't last that long, just a few minutes. I helped Winona off her horse, and we continued our date. She was back to holding my arm again with Applejack still clutched in her hand. While walking with no specific destination in mind, I decided to use this time to get to know Winona. "So Winona, what's it like being a dog?" I asked. "It's okay, I guess? I don't know. It's like asking you what's it like to be human." "Maybe I should have been more specific. What was life like back at home on Sweet Apple Acres?" "It was really great. The Apples took care of me, and I helped out on the farm. Applejack would play with whenever she could. We would run around a lot, and sometimes we would play a game where she would throw a stick while I go get it. And on some days we would spend the afternoon sleeping under the apple tree." "That sounds nice. Sounds very peaceful. Can you tell me more about your family? How did you meet?" "I can't remember much of how I met them. I was only a pup when they took me in. As for what they're like, they're the nicest folks you'll ever meet. Granny is kinda old, but she sure has a lotta life in her. Big Mac is strong and quiet, but don't let that fool you 'cause he's actually really smart. Apple Bloom is the youngest and still hasn't gotten her mark thing on her flank yet, so she and her friends would get in trouble every now and then when they try to get their marks. But, she's a good girl. She would sometimes give me her food from under the dining table when no one is looking. And finally there's Applejack..." She held the Applejack figurine up to her face, and I saw a small grin and a wistful look on her face. "She's my best friend, the longest I've known since I was a pup. We grew up together. She's honest and hardworking and is always thinking about her friends and family. She can be a might stubborn sometimes, but her heart will always be in the right place." Winona giggled. "You know, you remind me of her." "I do?" "Yeah. You're kind of like her. But enough about me and my family. What about you?" I remained silent for a moment. "My parents were very kind. It's funny how they were like opposites of each other. Dad always seemed stern and strict with me, but that's because he cares about me and doesn't want me to do something stupid. Mom, on the other, was the more easy-going of the two. She was always concerned about my health and would often fret about what I eat and what I wear." Thinking about my parents was causing old wounds to reopen. "So where are they now?" We stopped walking. There was another uncomfortable silence between the two of us. "They died..." "Oh... I'm sorry for dragging up any bad memories." "It's alright. You didn't know, and it's been a long time since the day they died.” I took a deep breath. “It still hurts to think about them but not as much as the day when I about it. I was only in high school when it happened. The day started off like any other day, except that my parents never came back home. I remember my grandma visiting me to tell me of the grave news. They were going grocery shopping when they had gotten into a car accident. It was so unexpected, so spontaneous. That was the nature of death. I was devastated to the point where I kept myself in solitude, avoiding everyone including my friends. I spent all of high school alone, and it wasn't until college that I broke out of that. It took a while, but I managed to pull myself together." I could feel some tears gathering in the corner of my eyes and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “I’m sorry you have to see me like this. I don’t bring this up a lot for a reason.” I felt something warm press against my chest. Winona had her arms around me, and she was nuzzling the side of my face. “There’s no need to apologize, Alex. You’ve been through a lot alone.” I looked into her eyes as she looked into mine. She smiled. “But you’re not alone anymore, and you don’t have to be.” I placed my arms around Winona, and we were now locked in an embrace. We stayed like this for about a minute which was when we heard the sound of water spurting. I didn’t realize that we had walked outside during the entire conversation. We were standing by a water fountain in front of the mall. It was now some time in the afternoon, and the sun was setting, painting everything in an orange hue. The water fountain let out streams of water that left a sparkling mist in the air. The combination of the sun’s rays and the mist left a small rainbow in front of us. Winona and I gazed at the spectacle, still holding each other. “It’s beautiful,” she said. I turned my head towards her. “Yeah… But not as beautiful as you.” “Y-you think I’m beautiful?” she asked with a hint of blush on her cheeks. I gave her a peck on the lips. "The most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Just looking at her was enough to take my breath away. I had my arms around Winona’s waist, and she had her arms around my neck. We stared into each other's eyes for a while before slowly closing the distance between us. My heart was beating faster and faster as we inched closer. Our lips came into contact with each other in this heated moment of passion. Time seemed to stand still in this moment. It was in this moment when dream and reality blended together in which we were no longer on Earth but in a world of our own, a world where it was just me and Winona. While we were locked in our kiss, I closed my eyes, focusing only on the pleasant sensation. I could feel the warmth emanating from Winona’s body and the soft pair of lips on mine. A small breeze would caress us, causing a few strands of Winona’s hair to tickle my face. Winona’s scent was intoxicating to me. As I inhaled her scent, an image of an apple orchard came to my mind. I didn’t want to let her go. I wished that we could stay like this forever, trapped in this moment of ecstasy. But we couldn’t. The dream faded into reality, and we were once again standing in front of the fountain. We broke our kiss and refilled our lungs of the air they’ve been deprived of when we were kissing. I opened my eyes to see hers flutter open. There was a comfortable moment of silence before I spoke up. “Winona.” I felt like I could say that name a million times and never get tired of it. “Yeah Alex?” “Do you think that we could be…more than just friends?” Instead of answering, she gave me another peck on the lips. “Does that answer your question?” she asked. I nodded my head in response, a goofy grin now on my face. I couldn’t have been happier than I was now. It was getting dark, so we made our way towards the car, still holding hands though for a different reason this time. As we departed for home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Winona. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever stopped thinking about her in the first place ever since she showed up in my life. A new chapter has opened up in my life, one filled with excitement and romance. Winona is the one writing on the blank pages of my life now, while I’m taking a glimpse into hers. In the short time I’ve been with her, it felt like I’ve known her forever. If only she could stay forever.