Mei's Courageous Dance

Mei was a young woman, just entering adulthood. Her people were many things, but they were humans first and foremost. The traditions of her people included a coming of age ritual, which she had achieved at the age of 16. It was thought that if any young person could walk across a lake during the winter solstice, whoever they loved would return their love in equal measure. The idea was that each person had been born with a corresponding soul whose other half was out there somewhere. If one could find that person - for it was usually assigned as a member of the opposite sex - then one should be able to spend their life together.

Mei's father had warned her not to go over the lake. He didn't want her to leave him. He loved her very much and had become quite lonely since his wife passed away from illness 10 years ago. But Mei had insisted that she would go, and she did. She knew that it was silly and superstitious, but she felt like there was something special about this lake that drew her in. As a child, she had always dreamed of crossing it and finding true love on the other side. The reality turned out to be less than ideal.

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It was cold outside, even for wintertime, but Mei's scarf kept her neck warm as she slowly walked across the frozen surface of the lake. She could feel her body stiffening up - it seemed that even her eyelids were cold now - but she kept going anyway. At last, she reached the far shoreline and looked back toward where she'd started from. It felt like so long ago, although it had actually only been about an hour at most. She turned around and saw another girl standing there with a smile on her face as well as tears threatening to spill from her eyes. They embraced each other tightly without saying anything else.

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"So... You're my girlfriend now?" Mei asked uncertainly, looking down at the ring on her finger with wonder in her eyes. Her hands shook slightly as she held them together in front of herself with excitement and anxiety mixed together into one emotion that threatened to overwhelm her calm exterior if she let it get too strong too quickly. She hadn't even considered marriage yet, but here was this girl who claimed to be her fiancee suddenly proposing after having known each other for only 15 days? What would people say? Would they judge? Of course they would! That's what everyone always did! But... Mei couldn't help herself! There was no denying how happy and hopeful she felt in this moment! This girl... Whoever she was... Was so beautiful and made Mei feel so warm inside whenever they touched or looked at each other or talked to each other! It wasn't just physical attraction either; Mei really believed that there was something more between them than just two hormones dancing around together! And if this girl wanted to marry Mei after knowing each other for such a short period of time... Then maybe... Maybe something special really did happen when I crossed the lake! ...Or maybe I really am delusional enough to believe in fairy tales! Who knows? ...I've never felt like this before though... So maybe I'm not wrong...?

"Yes," said The Girl hesitantly after thinking on it for a moment with uncertainty written across her face as well, "I do mean that we are engaged now."

"Oh!" replied Mei excitedly after recovering from being surprised by the answer, "So does that mean we can kiss now?"

The Girl laughed and gently placed one hand on Mei's cheek while tilting it upward towards hers until their lips met sweetly together in a kiss filled with gentleness and warmth that made both girls' hearts race wildly in their chests from nervousness and excitement.

"That means we can kiss whenever we want," said The Girl once their lips parted for air after several long moments together locked into place together leaning into each other close enough to feel every breath taken by the other girl's mouth on their own skin.