Eryn and I are sitting together. My arm is around her shoulders. She’s in a green dress with white polka dots. I’m in a floral dress in red, white, and blue. There are a bunch of ropes hanging behind us for some reason. Eryn taking a photo of the island in the middle of the lake at Koishikawa Kōrakuen Eryn and I pose in front of a banner at the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade in April. Eryn and EJ sit in a half-tent beach shelter thingy on the beach. Eryn is smiling at the camera, while EJ glares at it. Some of EJ’s beach toys are visible on the sand behind her. Eryn’s holding a water bottle. The weather doesn’t seem super great for a beach day, but it didn’t stop us. There’s a single strip with three photos from a photo booth. The strip is labeled ’MOTHER’, the name of a lesbian bar in San Francisco. In the first and third photo, Eryn and I smile at the camera. In the second, we kiss. A close shot of Eryn and me smiling at the camera. We’re outside on a sunny day. EJ, Eryn, and I take a selfie inside a Muni Metro station. EJ is hugging a large, colorful stuffie of a cup of boba tea. I have a rainbow flag draped over my shoulders. Eryn is wearing a rainbow tutu. Eryn and I march down the street in a large crowd. A few rows behind us someone waves a pride flag. A selfie of three smiling humans: Val on the left, Eryn on the right, and yours truly in the middle. Eryn and EJ sit on one side of a table at a restaurant. Eryn is wearing a very cozy gray sweater. EJ has a pink hoodie on over a green dress. Eryn is looking at EJ and smiling. EJ is smiling and side-eyeing the camera. Eryn stands on a beach in a wetsuit. Her hair is wet and plastered to her head in a way that suggests recent activity in the ocean behind her. Eryn and I are standing next to each other in front of a Christmas tree and wall of twinkling lights. She’s in a fancy, dark-colored dress. I’m in a black blouse and matching pants. She’s laughing and my smile doesn’t looked forced, which is pretty good for me. I am trying to kiss Eryn in a very goofy way. She is not having it; her facial expression is one of mock-disgust. We’re both wearing gray cardigans. My hair is clearly more gray than I care to admit.
You’ve , love! I’m so glad you’re here. That you exist. That you’re you. Thank you for sharing this past year with me. I love you. ∎