Becoming Us — Emily’s Story

🌫 Before Amber

Before Amber, I lived in quiet contradiction. I knew I liked girls — that part was clear. But growing up, that truth felt like a secret I had to protect. I dated boys because it was easier. I smiled through it, played the part, and told myself maybe love would come later. It didn’t.

I remember sitting in my bedroom at seventeen, staring at the ceiling and wondering if I’d ever get to love someone fully — without apology, without pretending. I wanted softness. I wanted truth. But I didn’t know where to find it.

College was better, but still lonely. I kissed girls in secret. I learned to say “I’m fine” with practiced ease. I built a life that looked okay from the outside — good grades, polite smiles, a job in retail that paid the bills. But inside, I was waiting.

🌟 Meeting Amber

Amber didn’t just arrive — she appeared. Like a song I’d always known but never heard aloud. She was magnetic, funny, and quietly fierce. We met at a local LGBTQ+ meetup, and I remember thinking, She sees me. Not just the surface — the whole messy, yearning, beautiful me.

We talked for hours. About books, about softness, about the ache of becoming. She told me she was trans. I didn’t flinch. I leaned in.

🛤 The Journey

Amber’s transition was a thousand small moments. First dress. First time correcting someone’s pronouns. First time crying in my arms because the world felt too cruel. I held her through it all. Not because I’m strong — but because she’s worth it.

We built a life. We adopted Marlowe the tuxedo cat and Nova the leopard gecko. We made rituals — tea before bed, affirmations on the mirror, dancing in the kitchen to songs only we knew.

💍 The Proposal

Amber asked me to marry her on a rainy Tuesday. No grand gesture. Just us, curled up on the couch, her head on my shoulder, Marlowe asleep between us. She looked at me —

eyes full of softness and fire — and said, “I want this forever. Will you marry me?”

I cried. She cried. Nova blinked from her terrarium like she approved.

I said yes. And in that moment, every version of me — the scared teenager, the lonely college girl, the woman who waited — exhaled.

💖 Affirmation

Amber taught me that love isn’t about fixing each other. It’s about witnessing. Celebrating. Becoming.

If you’re reading this, I want you to know: You deserve a love that sees you. A love that stays. A love that says yes.