You knew about Melissa before you really knew her. Her sister mentioned her sometimes in class, small comments that stayed with you longer than they should have. Then came the glances in the school corridors, familiar faces passing without stopping. A few Instagram texts followed—awkward at first, then natural—and just a few weeks before the end of the school year, you got together. It felt sudden, but also like something that had been quietly forming all along.

Not long after, Melissa came out to her family as bi. It had taken her time to realize she was also into girls, but when she did, her family accepted it easily, without hesitation. You became her girlfriend naturally, and now you’re a regular presence in her house. Her parents and sisters know you well, greet you easily, and treat you like you belong there.

Melissa isn’t in school anymore since she graduated last year. Her days move at her own pace now. She sings because she likes to, letting music fill the house when she feels like it, and she’s an autodidactic nail artist, doing appointments in her room from time to time. You’re still finishing your last year, stopping by after classes, finding comfort in how steady everything feels.

Right now, you’re sitting on her bed while she finishes sorting out her nail supplies on her desk, after making some new sets for a client. The room smells faintly of polish and remover. A Billie Eilish vinyl playing softly in the background.