What I Can Give

What I Can Give

By Annette Camp 

July 6, 2026

I met you online August 19th of 2025,

before either of us knew what shape

this would take,

before conversations became comforting rituals,

before your name became part of my every day.

We moved toward each other

one choice at a time,

learning the terrain of each other's hearts,

finding comfort, finding laughter,

finding something that neither of us

could pretend was casual.

And then, six weeks ago,

we stopped standing at the edge of it

and called it what it was.

A partnership.

A promise.

A decision to build something lasting.

Tonight, my heart hurts that I cannot

give you everything you deserve.

You deserve the certainty of marriage.

You deserve the legal protections that

should never be a question for a lesbian couple.

You deserve the security of knowing that

someone is standing beside you and saying,

without hesitation,

"I choose you only for life, as your wife"

You deserve every safeguard,

every recognition,

every assurance that a love

like ours should come with.

And I know there are places where

I fall short of that.

Not because I do not love you.

Not because I do not see your worth.

Not because I cannot imagine a lifetime

of caring for you.

What I can give you is honesty.

I can give you my presence.

I can give you the truth that since August,

you have mattered to me in a way that

changed the landscape of my life.

I can tell you that being your partner is

not something I take lightly.

I can tell you that your happiness matters to me,

that your fears matter to me,

that your future matters to me.

I can tell you that every day I am grateful that

our paths crossed when they did.

And while I cannot offer every promise

that you deserve,

please know that the love I give you is real.

It is thoughtful.

It is deliberate.

It is true.

You have given me laughter,

joy, quality time, and

a place in your heart.

I do not take any of it for granted.

I only hope that when you look at us,

you can see what I see,

Two women who found each other unexpectedly.

Two hearts that kept choosing each other.

And a love that, although imperfect

in its circumstances,

it is not in its sincerity.