Mi Niña Dulce

At first, Nora led Mila by the hand, through the streets of Huerto Viejo, to the bus that left them at the outskirts of town. Past the city limits, Mila could cover more distance and faster, if she grew. So Nora gave directions from their usual perch on Mila’s shoulder, tucked just under her chin, until it became obvious where they were leading her.

They found the same old broken down balompié stadium on the mountainside where they had met ages past, where Mila could lay down on grass, after setting Nora down. As they watched Mila settle, the sight of continent reorienting herself, they hugged the guitar tight to themself—their relative Justo managed to convince the current, curmudgeonly owner to lend it to them.

Nora stood just above where Mila’s head lay. She tilted her head up, a bright and sunny smile on her face.

“Alright,” she said. “What’s this surprise then?”

Nora took a steadying breath, and started to play the guitar.

The beginning of the song, wordless, gave them a moment to glance at Mila. Nora felt themselves flush at the sight. Pink dusted her cheeks, her eyes were wide, as if for all the world Nora were doing anything all that impressive, and not tripping inexpertly over the recently memorized music.

And then they began to sing

“Alta y delicada, ardiente como el sol.” Nora approached. Just for a moment, they knelt on the grass, right next to Mila’s face. “Eres todo lo que quiero, eres todo lo que quiero, bebe.”

Mila’s expression made Nora smile despite their nerves. Her eyes shined, watery. Her face creased, stuck between amazement and cooing. They felt their own face flush.

“Dulce como el néctar, madreselva,” Nora inched toward Mila all the while, until they stood on her chest, just beyond her collarbone. Mila shifted, tilting her head to follow their path. “Contigo todo es felicidad, ay, niña, mi niña dulce.”

Oh, that unleashed the waterworks. Mila changed speeds, from tearing up to full-out ugly crying. Nora’s hand paused on the guitar strings.

“Should I…?”

“No, don’t stop!” Mila shook her head vigorously. She took a breath, then broke out into that thousand-volt smile. “They’re happy tears.”

Nora moved forward, approaching Mila’s face. They leaned against her cheek, wiping at the tear stains with an elbow.

“Tu sonrisa tan brillante, que me quedo yo sin ver,” they sang as they leaned closer to, but did not touch, that smile.

Given the difference in scale between the two of them right now, it was impossible for Nora not to notice the sudden, slight twitch of her mouth. A request. So Nora let themselves fall backward the rest of the way, to be caught by Mila’s lips, which planted the kind of all-engulfing kiss that would make a nervous enby forget their next line.

“T-Tus palabras e-endulzadas me co-cobijan, me protejen,” Nora rallied. Mila seemed to notice the effect her bout of affection had, and she stilled.

As she drew in her breath, the jacket Nora wore like a cape around their shoulders billowed in the wind thus produced. Nora made a split-second decision to take advantage of this to pose.

“Más alla que la cima del mundo, me pones en el trono.” And just to be even cheekier, Nora winked at Mila. “Hazme el favor y llévame lejos.”

The gentle shadow of Mila’s hands slipped over Nora as their girlfriend cupped her fingers around them. She was still a blubbery mess.

“I’ll take you anywhere and everywhere you want, oh, mihije,” she said through the tears.

Nora chuckled as they nestled into the perch of Mila’s hand. They strummed the last few notes of the chorus.

“Raise your standards a bit, Mila,” mumbled Nora, their face flushed. “A serenade is cute, but… I didn’t do anything that big.”

“Nora.”

Mila spoke softly, but firmly, drawing their full attention. She wiggled her fingers under them—another request, another nod and consent from Nora.

The whole of the continent under Nora seemed to shift, as Mila drew herself into a sitting position. She brought her hands up along with her, cradling Nora, eyes fixed intently upon them. By the time she was fully upright, she held Nora a breath from her face.

“That was everything,” said Mila, and the way she looked at Nora, as if she was holding the entire universe, Nora almost believed her.