After life.

                                           Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.

Andrea stood up, the fog around her ankles waving over her feet. She peered at the clothes on her back, all white. A white blouse with a cream colored vest which fit her curves perfectly and white skinny jeans with white heels. Her shiny brown hair in a soft wave down her back, not a gray strand in sight. Glancing at her surroundings which was nothing but open air with the fog at her feet. The sky, a white color almost like she was in an extremely large room with white walls that went on forever.  Her body felt great, no achiness like it had felt when ..she.. died…… she died. Miranda. Where was Miranda?! She felt at her left ring finger which felt strange. Her ring was gone.  

                Andrea spun around in a tizzy.

                “Miranda?!” She yelled to the open space. It only echoed back. Andrea felt tears sting her eyes. They did this together so they could be together. How could God decide this? Suddenly a mirror formed before her. Andrea, confused, stepped forward and realized she was no longer in the state that she was when she died. She was once again 30, the year she confessed her love to Miranda.

                While staring at her form in the mirror she heard a voice like a breeze by her right ear.

                “You are here because you loved without regret. Regret for the past, present, or future. You have made mistakes Andrea. But your undying love for another has brought you here. You may go now.”

                The mirror slowly faded away and in the distance a gold gate appeared. Andrea walked towards it, with every step she prayed that where ever she was being lead that her Miranda was waiting. As the golden gate came clear into view she saw a middle aged woman off to the right of the gate, maybe in her late 50’s, sitting in a golden chair. Her outfit was white but instead of the slacks, vest and blouse she wore a white suit top with a blouse underneath, her white pencil skirt sitting perfectly below her kneecaps. She was reading a magazine of some sort, flipping through the pages with a look of disgust. Her classic white hair flawless, the wave across her eyes emanate as she stared down. The only difference there was between the two ladies was upon the older woman’s feet was a pair of not white but red Prada heels. The younger woman stared at the goddess for a long time until she looked up and Andy’s heart flew into her throat.

                “For heavens sake did you really think I was going to leave you behind?” She smirked, her ice blue eyes withholding the intensity and liveliness they held when Andrea first fell in love with her. Miranda stood placing the magazine down and held out her hand. Andrea stared and smiled as tears flew down her cheeks.

                “By all means move at a glacial pace, you know how that thrills me.” She winked and Andrea made her way over to her lover with her smiled still embedded on her face.

                Andy fell into Miranda’s arms and as she did her left ring finger began to sting. Miranda’s did the same as both women pulled out of the embrace. It was only then that Andy noticed Miranda’s ring finger was bare as well. She looked at Miranda and Miranda stared back. Both women placed their left hands out in front of each other as they began to glow. When the glowing subsided, on their fingers laid the rings Miranda had given them, the ruby in the middle glowing as if it held some sort of power.  And with that the gates began to slowly swing open.

“Ready darling?” Miranda asked Andrea.

“Strangely enough I’m not afraid at all.”

“Neither am I.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Miranda smiled and held out her right hand and Andrea took it with her left, the power of they’re touching making the rubies in both rings glow even brighter. Miranda bestowed a kiss on Andrea’s lips after they locked hands and began walking through heavens gates together, ready for eternity.