"How much does it cost to rent a dress?" I asked.

Rosie blinked up at me. "Are you serious?"

"I am. I think we should go to the prom."

Her eyes lit up. "l've always wanted to. I've dreamed about it."

It had been preying on my mind. I didn't know why I should have to give up my senior prom. I shouldn't have to give up everything.

I touched her face. Her gentle, golden face. "What would you wear?"

Rosie bit her lip. "That green dress. It is sooo gorgeous."

I smiled. "You'd look awesome in it."

She would, too. Her expression grew serious. "But Jennie, at Seoul high? I don't know. We could go as a group maybe. Safety in numbers. Wendy sort of likes this girl -"

"No," I said. "If we go, I'd want it to be just you and me. Our special night together."

Rosie held my eyes for a moment, then flung her arms around my neck. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too. You and only you." I kissed her.

Our dance mix CD skipped and we both cursed. It was getting a little worn from overuse. Rosie jumped off the bed to restart it.

"What is Leisure Arts?" I called to her.

"Is that a major?" She slid out the CD and put on this Norah Jones we both liked.

"Sign me up."

I flipped a page in my Metro catalog. I was propped against the wall where we'd shoved Rosie's bed so we'd have more floor space to dance. Since I spent so much time here lately, Claire had relaxed the house rules a bit, allowing us to hang out in Rosie's room as long as the door was open. Now the battle raged over the definition of "open."

Rosie sprawled backward on the bed, settling her head in my lap again. "Wow, they have an aviation technology major," I said, my fingers trailing absently through her hair. "I could learn to fly."

She slid her hand up my shirt. "I could teach you that."

I slapped her away."You already have."

Rosie grinned. Reaching up, she removed my glasses and slid them onto her face, then stuck her hands under her head, watching me. Making it extremely difficult to concentrate. I set the Metro catalog aside.

"You going to invite me to your graduation?" she asked.

"No, I'm going to make you rent the videotape."

We sneered at each other. She added, "Mom wants to know because Alice's graduating and she'd like to celebrate yours with hers. Throw you both a party."

My eyebrows arched. "You're kidding."

"Would I lie to you?"

I just looked at her.

"Serious," she said. "She didn't want you to miss out on your big day."

Why did that make me feel like crying? "That's so sweet. I really love your mom. Your whole family."

Rosie looped my glasses back over my ears and rolled off the bed. "I was supposed to wait to give you this, but you know me. No self-control." She dropped to her knees and scrounged under the bed.

"Donʼt look." She straightened, twisting away.

"Okay, here." She thrust a package at me. "It's from all of us. Happy graduation."

"Rosie -" It was so pretty, all gold and blue. Seoul high colors.

"You'll have to wrap it back up," she said. "And act surprised. Like this." She framed her face with her hands and mimed a squeal.

It made me laugh. I slid off the satin ribbon and unwrapped the gift. It was a case. On the top was an engraved insignia of two knights on horses, jousting.

"FABER-CASTELL," it read underneath. What was this, cigars? I unlatched the hook and opened the lid.

"Oh, my God," I gasped. Inside were trays of drawing supplies - pencils, chalks, pressed and natural charcoals. Dozens and dozens of water-color pencils. "Rosie, this is unbelievable." I dug out a yellow water-color pencil and felt it come alive in my hand. What I could do with this: sunshine, roses, Rosie.

"I had to promise Mom and Dad you'd draw a life-size nude of me so they could

hang it over the mantel," Rosie said.

I snorted.

"My own personal and extremely private present is coming later." She blew me a

kiss. It made me wish later was sooner. "Oh, I have something else for you."

Rosie spun around and wrenched open a dresser drawer. She tossed me a T-shirt.

"You can send this to your mother."

I shook it out and flipped it over. "I LOVE MY LESBIAN DAUGHTER," it read on the front. Tears sprang to my eyes.

"Oh, no, Jennie." Rosie lunged at me. "It was a joke" She wound her arms around my neck.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." I peeled her off me. "It's funny. Really." I wouldn't send it, of course. Maybe one day. Rosie told me to never give up hope.

She ripped the shirt out of my hands and tossed it into the closet. "I'lI give it to my mom. She can add it to her collection, since I give her one every year for Christmas. Has she ever worn it? No."

"One of these days she'll surprise you," I said. "She'll have her own coming out."

"Oh, yeah. She'll be marching in the Pride Day Parade." Rosie rolled her eyes..Claire bellowed up the stairs, "What are you two doing?"

Rosie hollered back, "We're doing the nasty."

"No, we're not," I volunteered. "We're just having sex." We mock-laughed at

each other.

"WelI, hurry it up," Claire said with a smile in her voice. "You're both going to be late for work."

"She doesn't know how late." Rosie took my hand and kissed my palm.

Shiver city. "Better get changed," I said in a sigh.

Rosie slipped into her work jeans and tied her bandanna on her head, while I finished the Metro Urban application. All but one question. Wow, they had a great art department. I could get a degree in graphic arts, or line arts, or even art education. Did I want to teach? Did I even want to go into art? There was so

much to choose from. Too much. And too much I didn't know about myself, too many possibilities to explore. Who knows what direction their life will take?

You can't plan that.

I scanned through the list of majors again, then made my decision. Let nature take its course.

On the last line I printed, "Undeclared."

🧸THE END🐿️