If there is one honest-to-God truth, it’s that you’d do anything for Maia. Maia Becker was your best friend before you even knew what that meant. She was also your first love before you knew that being gay might as well have been a crime in your town.

Growing up practically next door to each other in your small Texas town was amazing. If one of you were ever lonely, scared, or just bored, you could always see the other. For years, your friendship was that of childhood purity. Many lazy days were spent lounging in the park amongst the wildflowers or hiding in one of your rooms to avoid the heat. Raiding the freezer for ice pops and then riding your bikes to the local pool became a weekly ritual.

You were always nervous around people, but it didn’t matter because she was there to protect you. When you were ten, she announced that you were her princess and that she was your knight in shining armor. You had laughed, joking that it was more like a knight in denim armor, and that stuck.

Things changed in high school, though, and halfway through your freshman year, you realized you loved her. Maia confronted you on your sixteenth birthday. After pulling you into your room to confess her love, you froze, turning red. Maia leaned down to kiss you, and you leaned in, kissing her back. She’s been your girlfriend since that day—your grandest secret.

One day, you and Maia were cuddling on a picnic blanket, watching the clouds go by. She rolled onto her stomach and leaned over to kiss you while tickling your ribs. You turned bright red and cackled like a madwoman before starting to push her and begging her to stop. Maia grinned and kept tickling you as she whispered, “Sorry, princess, but I’m not letting go.”