Year: 1970
Place: Dublin, Ireland
…
On her way to church, Kenna glared at all the Protestants standing outside. Why couldn't they just let her be? It wasn't like she was the one in the wrong. She was the right religion, not them. Ireland had been strictly Catholic forever; she couldn't understand why some would suddenly just decide to switch and ruin Ireland's stability. She noticed one of them glaring at her: a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes. He seemed to think just as strongly as she did, and she didn't like the way he was looking at her.
"Is there a problem?" she asked him.
"The people who think like you; the people who kill us every day."
"I don't order them to do it."
"It doesn't matter. You all think like them."
"Excuse me? Who are you to judge me?"
"Just another Protestant."
Kenna rolled her eyes and made her way into the church, ready to forget all about him.
…
She didn't forget all about him. She got to know him, in fact. His name was Bash, his father left when he was young, he adored his mother, he was Protestant, he loved horses and the outdoors, and he was madly in love with her. She was madly in love with him too, though she kept it a secret. If her parents knew, they would kill him and then her. Presently, she was sneaking into the woods behind her house with a flashlight to meet him.
"Hello love." Bash smiled, picked her up, and spun her around.
Kenna giggled and hugged his neck. "Hi sweetheart."
"I've missed you in the past few days." he said as he set her down.
"I've missed you too." she said and puts her nose against his.
He ran his hand through her hair. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Marry me."
"What?"
"Marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Bash…we can't."
"Who says so? Our parents?"
"They'll kill us."
"Then we can run away. We'll go to Britain or America or France or Italy…wherever you want. Just marry me. Have kids with me. Share your life with me."
"Bash…" she closed her eyes and smiled. "Ask properly."
Bash laughed and got down on one knee. "Kenna Marie Harrison, will you do me the tremendous honor of becoming my wife and making me the happiest man in the world?"
"Of course." she smiled.
Bash cheered happily and spun her around again. "Where are we going to live?"
"Hmm…France."
"When do we leave?"
"Right now."
