Haley had spent the last few weeks fighting the urge to bolt. Her new life on the farm was perfect - the sight and smell of fresh crops, her wife’s laughter echoing through the fields, evenings tangled in quilted blankets while hot chocolate - but perfection itched.

So one afternoon, while her wife made dinner, she blurted out: “I’m going to Calico Desert.” She knew her wife wouldn’t stop her from going and she was right. Her wife had only raised an eyebrow and said, “Don’t forget to bring sunscreen.” And went back to cooking.

The next morning, Haley packed her bag, remembering to take a few extra bottles of water and bags of trail mix before heading out to the bus station.

The bus ride from Pelican Town to Calico Desert was short of just twenty minutes. Haley spent those moments fussing over the essentials in her bag, making sure she had everything she needed. Once the bus finally pulled up to the desert, Haley politely thanked Pam, then embarked into the vast, sandy landscape, moving towards the cliffs.

Haley claimed her spot - a sliver of shade at the cliff’s edge where the wind couldn’t snatch her towel. She laid it out slow, double-checking that no sand clung to the corners. Then came the sunscreen - thick layers on her shoulders, stomach, arms and leg - remembering her wife words from last night.

Satisfied, Haley flopped onto the towel.

It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

Haley woke to the sun drowning in the horizon, painting the cliffs a molten gold. But before she could fully wake up and enjoy the view, something shifted beside her. Her fingers twitched towards her phone (still buried in her bag) as she slowly turned her head to see what was beside her.

The sight of her wife, asleep and caked in sweat, dirt and exhaustion, tucked against her side like a cat seeking warmth, caused her heart to leap in her throat. Where did she come from? Haley’s thoughts were answered quickly when she recognised the pickaxe abandoned nearby and the answer clicked into place. They had scoured the skull caverns before coming to find her.

Haley’s gaze traveled over her wife’s face, tracing the sharp planes and soft curves. Slowly, almost reverently, she raised her hand and brushed some of the dirt from their cheek. “Wake up, my love.”