"Rainbow Becca," a short AI story, by K.M. Berrios (Rated R for Mature Content) - Updated 2/2/25

Life has a funny way of surprising us. Just when you think you have everything figured out, the universe throws you a curveball that makes you question everything you thought you knew. This is the story of Matt, a man who never in his wildest dreams thought he would find himself on an emotional rollercoaster, after meeting a gorgeous woman at work, despite being openly gay for over a decade.

Matt had been dating his boyfriend, Lewis, when he met Becca. Matt and Lewis met at the mall, where many gay men meet while doing their Sunday shopping.

"Sunday shopping is like church to me," Lewis told Matt, as they shared their sundaes together. "Do you... want to go out sometime, and shop together?" he asked Matt, clearly telling that he was a homosexual.

"Sure," Matt told him, shyly.

It had been seven months of pure bliss, before Lewis asked if they could move in together. It was just what couples did. Matt knew that he had been gay for a long time, but he had never actually considered making a home with another man. It was just so... "marriage." And Matt was anything but religious.

Lewis was in IT, and interested in music. Matt was not an artist, but he was musically inclined. He loved to listen to all the Hip Hop and R&B tunes his boyfriend came up with. "You should be paid by, like, P. Diddy. Kanye West should worship you," he would tell Lewis. "Thank you, honey. I hope they will listen to my music one day. But I'm content with having you listen, for now."

Matt loved Lewis. At least, he thought so. But Lewis had never said those words to him. He came from a strange background, where he had dated a girl who ultimately didn't like him all that much and suddenly turned to men. "It was out of curiosity, and... I liked it. I mean, everyone in college was going gay, after Electronic music came back to the dance scene, in the millenium." Matt didn't really care if Lewis didn't love him. Life with him was good, and he felt comfortable in his identity.

But then, one day...

"Mattie!" His favorite aunt, Zena, called him over the phone. "How are you dear? Look, your uncle and I will be in town for a special church meeting in Orlando. I was wondering if we could get together."

Matt was elated. He could finally introduce Lewis to his aunt. "I'd love to see you guys. Do you think you could do lunch after church? I have someone I want you to meet."

"Lunch sounds terrific. And I think it would be great if you could join us, too."

"Join you? At church?"

"It's not unheard of! Bring your friend!"

Aunt Zena had been his caretaker all his life. He loved her so much. But Matt still hesitated at the thought of attending church after being out for ten years. Nonetheless, he decided to go, partly to please his aunt and partly out of curiosity. Church was... Okay, he guessed. He hadn't given it much thought, since he'd come out as a homosexual to all his family. He just didn't feel the pressure of sin on his shoulders. He couldn't think that God was all that mad at him for being gay. After all, he had decided to make him that way.

Matt brought Lewis to meet his family. They were polite to him, but he knew, deep inside, that they were disapproving of the relationship. Some Methodists were open to... You know, the times. But Matt's aunt wasn't one of those. Her family was very conservative-orthodox, though very christianly charismatic. "How long do we have to be here for?" Lewis asked, taking out his compact and retouching his makeup. "It's just a couple of hours."

"That' longer than the line at the club. I hope lunch is good, at least. What are we having?"

As he sat in the pew, Matt had a different experience than Lewis. The pastor’s words washed over him like a warm embrace. It was strange, how much he remembered about being a Christian. He felt like he'd been needing this, though he couldn't understand why.

"God doesn't just make things. He creates them with a purpose," the pastor preached. "That's why we have specific, different characteristics. It's why we have talents, especially. Some people, he makes dancers. Others, he makes into mathematicians. Scientists, doctors, chefs, and even people who have a great gift for cleaning your house perfectly, when others can't even muster to take out the trash!" The congregation laughed. Even Lewis chuckled a little. "Our Father in Heaven made everything to a perfect design, for a perfect reason. That is why the Psalmist wrote: 'I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.'"

 Those seemingly harmless words stirred something deep within Matt. They hurt, in a good way. Suddenly, he felt like he was missing something. He looked at his boyfriend and thought, silently: Who brings a gay date to church?

The welcoming entrance of a church inviting people in

After the service, the pastor prayed for Matt and for Lewis. He knew they were gay, but he did not say anything. Instead, he asked to pray for them separately. It was a wonderful prayer, filled with kind words and hope. It almost made Matt say he would come back next week, but he knew that Lewis would disagree to that.

Knowing that he might not return, he told the pastor: "Thank you for such a wonderful service. It really touched something in me. I wouldn't have thought..."

The pastor nodded, as if an angel had told him a secret about him. He ended their meeting saying, "I will keep you in my prayers, so that the Lord will show you the truth of you, Matt."

Matt was stunned. What did that even mean for him? The confusion lingered, but as fate would have it, it was shortly after this that he met Rebecca Greene.

Their introduction happened quite naturally, while they were both taking a break outside in the courtyard, smoking. Matt was captivated by her beauty—those sparkling eyes and radiant smile were something he'd never expected to make such an impact on him. At first, he chalked it up to her looks. It must be all that hopeless wishing in the back of his mind, that he had been born a girl instead of the man he was.

As days turned into weeks, Matt found himself increasingly drawn to Rebecca. She was just this electric force that kept calling to him. If she was not in her cubicle, Matt couldn't sit still. His eyes kept looking for her, like a child with a new puppy. It irritated him, but he couldn't stop doing it. "Look, Matt, you have a little girl crush..." he joked to himself. "It's so stupid!"

And yet Rebecca did not fall away from his side. She was just as attracted to this new friendship as Matt was. They became inseparable friends, sharing long conversations on the phone that often stretched into the night. "Are you coming to bed?" Lewis would call him, when it was past midnight and his boyfriend was still out on the balcony, laughing with someone else. Matt should have cared, but did not. "Oh, come on. I never get to go out with my friends, because you're so jealous. Let me have this, at least. She's a girl."

Lewis shrugged it, because he didn't really love Matt. But he still didn't like it.

It was after the onset of these late-night chats that he started noticing subtle changes within himself. His favorite fruit had always been cantaloupe, but now he was inexplicably craving watermelon. Yogurt had been his go-to snack, yet now he found himself indulging in ice cream. With each passing day, a new craving ensued. "What's going on here?" he would ask, putting another slice of watermelon on his dessert plate.

Matt also noticed an uneasy shift in his feelings towards his boyfriend. The attraction that once sparked a fire in his heart was slowly flickering out, and he couldn’t help but wonder why. He understood it, later, when his sister called to check on them.

"I think you're falling for this girl," she told him, after he confessed everything that was happening with Rebecca. Instantly, he knew it was true. He couldn't hide it anymore. Here he was, a gay man wrestling with feelings for a woman. How could this happen?

When he offered to take Rebecca around town to check out the local hotspots, he was reminded of the world they both belonged to. Knowing he was gay, she excitedly mentioned wanting to explore the nearby gay bars. The prospect both amused and rattled him in a way he'd never expected.

But the real twist came when they went out dancing one night.

Lewis was playing at a bouncing new nightclub Downtown--he did some DJ-ing on the side, from time to time--and the owner gave him extra tickets. But Matt didn't want to be alone. "You scaredy cat. What made you such a party wuss? Ugh. Fine. Get your friend, Rainbow Becca, to come."

"Rainbow... Becca?" Matt laughed. "Wherever did you get that nickname?"

"It's what I'm calling her from now on. I know she has a secret crush on you."

Matt didn't want to think about it. He got ready and hugged his boyfriend. They both smelled of expensive perfume. "You're the one I love," he said, but he knew he had forced the words out of his mouth. The thought of it made him swallow hard.

"You just want me to buy you drink all nights," Lewis laughed at him, not even noticing his boyfriend's nervousness. "Look, I don't care if a girl likes you. Just stay with me."

"I promise," Matt told him, knowing he wanted to be faithful.

But the energy at the club was electric, fueled by laughter and drinks. As they twirled on the dance floor, Rebecca, a little inebriated, let the actual "Rainbow Becca" loose. Matt knew it when she playfully asked, “Have you ever kissed a girl, Matt?” Before he could answer, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his, igniting a flurry of confusion and surprise within him.

The next morning, Matt woke up with a hangover, and in a haze of emotions. He blinked awake, the sunlight streaming into his room, and reality came crashing down. He had kissed a girl. Not just any girl—Rebecca. She was his best friend. They talked about Lewis all the time. He knew that girls who had gay friends sometimes experimented this way, but... Now he had a problem. And he didn't know what to do about it.

Suddenly, feelings he didn’t know existed began surfacing. Each moment spent with Rebecca made him uneasy about his relationship with his boyfriend. What if he found out what Matt was feeling? What if this playful kiss meant something more? The anxiety clung to him like a weight he couldn’t shake.

Meanwhile, Rebecca started viewing him through a different lens. She couldn’t deny his attractiveness, but the thought of pursuing anything with him seemed impossible. After all, he was gay. An unyielding barrier stood between them, and both of them were acutely aware of it.

Matt wrestled with these new feelings. He felt a pull towards Rebecca but could not bring himself to break things off with Lewis. After all, how could he explain this unexpected shift in his heart? There were no words that could capture the complex layers of his emotions; staying in the relationship felt like a safety net, yet it was also a cage.

A week passed, and Matt was in turmoil. Part of him wanted to embrace this new chapter, to explore his feelings for Rebecca, while the other part resisted fiercely, anchoring him back to the life he had carved out for himself. He tried to convince himself that his emotions were simply a product of confusion, a fleeting reaction rather than genuine feelings.

Nevertheless, every encounter with Rebecca made it harder to resist the magnetic pull between them. They were merely two friends enjoying each other's company, yet the connection began to deepen.

"Matt?" Rebecca said once, before they parted ways at work. "Yeah?" Matt asked. When he saw the longing in her eyes, it was too much. "Do you think we should...?"

Kiss again, see how it goes? Matt hoped she would say. He screamed inside. What was he doing?!

"Nevermind. I'll call you tomorrow, for Sunday shopping."

As Matt prepared to meet with Lewis that evening, he couldn’t shake the feeling of impending contradiction. He was feeling very nervous.

"What's up, Matt?"

"What? What do you mean?" he stammered at Lewis.

"Something's going on with you."

"Me?" Matt gave a short chuckle.

"You're jittery. You're fidgety. Something's happening that you aren't telling me."

Matt wanted to cry. Should he reveal his feelings for Rebecca? Could he risk his current relationship for something that felt so uncertain? What if he was being unfair to his boyfriend, who had stood by him when he boldly came out years ago?

In his heart, Matt longed for clarity amidst this overwhelming chaos. His journey of self-discovery was merely beginning, and yet it was daunting. It’s fascinating how quickly one’s world can be turned upside down, all ignited by a single encounter and fueled by feelings rarely explored. Three lives were now intertwined in a complicated dance, and they would ultimately have to confront it.

"Usually, when these kinds of things happen... It goes away naturally," Matt's best gay friend told him, over brunch, one day. "You'll talk about it with Rebecca, and she will say she has feelings for you but she knows that you're gay--you'll kiss, maybe you'll have sex, maybe, and then it'll all be over. The feelings will be gone. It's just healthy curiosity."

Matt didn't know if he could believe that. Rebecca wasn't just some girl he could have sex with and let it go. She was his best friend. He loved her personally. Plus, he couldn't think about going so far with her without... You know... Making it official that he was now turning a little straight, to friends and family. He still couldn't believe it, but... It seemed to be happening.

Unable to take another "friendly gaydvice," he thought of his Aunt Zena and what she would do.

"Prayer?" he thought.

It was a last resource.

He logged online and found a number for a prayer line. Hesitant but resolute, he called. A woman answered.

"Good evening, thank you for calling the Way of Christ Network. My name is Melissa, how can I serve you tonight?"

"Hi. My name is Matt Traynor. I... have some questions that I need an answer to, and..." he laughed, knowing how stupid it sounded. "Well, I guess I think maybe God can help me. I haven't really talked to him in ten years, though."

"God's with us tonight, and he's ready to answer any questions you may have," the person on the other line told him. "What's on your mind, Matt?"

"I'm gay," he started, with a sigh. "I have a boyfriend. We live together. We've been together for five years, but we've known each other for ten. I was happy with him, but... Well, I recently met someone."

"Another man?"

"No, no, that's..." he chuckled, nervously. "That's the weird thing. I met a girl. She's... Wonderful. Beautiful. She's like a sister to me. But, now I don't know if what I feel about her is right... or wrong."

"Do you want to share with me what those feelings are?"

Matt nodded to himself. "I feel like I like her. You know, the way that I like my boyfriend. Or... I guess I should say the way I used to like my boyfriend. I can't even be with him anymore. I can't stand going out with him or kissing him. I feel like I'm doing something wrong!"

"Hm. I see. That is very interesting."

Matt went on. "Some time ago, my aunt came to visit Orlando, and I went to church with her. The pastor was speaking about the 'creation of mankind.' He said something like: we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I wondered about what that meant for me. I mean, I'm gay, and God is said to create only perfect things. But the Bible also says that homosexuality is an abomination. So, why did God create me to be something that he finds detestable? Is it that he hates me?"

"No, Matt. God doesn't hate you," Melissa said, compassionately. "He loves you, and he wants you to understand what's happening."

"You want to know what's crazy?" Matt cried to the phone, sniffling a little. "I don't think he hates me, either. I mean, he lets me live, doesn't he? And this pastor, what he said, it made sense to me. I've just been gay as long as I can remember, and now... Now I have these feelings that don't seem to fit with me, but... Biblically... I'm supposed to fit with them. So, is God doing something here? Or am I going crazy? Am I gay, bisexual, or... just plain perverted?"

Melissa stood quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry, Matt. I was having some water. Can I share something with you about this occurrence?"

"Sure, yes. Please. Anything."

"Matt, sometimes we think we are something that we're not. That's not a result of our own choices, sometimes, but rather of our upbringing and of traumatic events that take place in our lives that may inevitably change us. You learned how to be gay, not because God made you this way, but because something unreasonable and unnatural happened to you, along the way. I think that this woman..."

"Rebecca."

"Rebecca, is a sign that God wants you to meet your true self. Matt, this is beautiful. Your Creator is telling you that you were, indeed, fearfully and wonderfully made by him."

"But... If that's true, then... Why did he wait so long to do this? Why did he let me live life as something so unlike what I'm created to be?"

"I don't know, Matt. Life is an unpredictable ride, full of uncertainty but also brimming with potential. Sometimes, the most perplexing moments lead to the most profound revelations about who we truly are. It might take time, but, if you're ready, and it looks like you are, you should try to explore where this journey will take you. Because it looks like it's going to lead you straight back home."

"Home."

The word struck him like a meteorite on a sunny day. He felt it deep inside his gut. All his life, he had felt like being gay was the normal progression of his life. He had thought that choosing to accept his feelings for men was the right thing to do. He thought it was the most genuine decision. He thought it was logical. Unlike other gay men, Matt had not been very experimental with girls. He never considered the alternative. He just wasn't interested in females that way. But now he thought maybe he just hadn't found the right girl. Rebecca was the kind of woman who would also compromise on his past and understand that he was made a man. That's what felt like home to him; Rebecca had helped him find the door to a place he hadn't even known he'd been lost from.

"Thank you," he told the woman.

"Matt, before you go, let's pray together."

A year later, Matt and Rebecca strutted down Lake Eola, holding hands. He hadn't thought about it much more after that phone call. Lewis had come into he room after getting home and found him packing, his face washed with a new soap: the light of truth. He was ready.

Looking at the suitcases open and being readied, he gasped.

"Are we going somewhere?" Lewis asked him with a little smile. Was this a surprise getaway? He had been feeling neglected for some time, and he thought maybe it had something to do with that little affair he was having with the owner of that club he'd DJ'd at a few months ago. Although someone had told him that Matt was probably falling for Rebecca, but he hadn't thought it could be true.

"Once you're with someone like me, you just never let go. Beside, he's gay. Gay is gay is gay."

"No, Lewis. These are my things I'm packing."

"What for?"

"I'm leaving you," he told him with a breath. "I'm leaving you for Rebecca Greene."

Lewis began to laugh. "Nobody leaves me. And, Matthew, she's a woman. In case you didn't notice."

"Yes, Lewis. That is in fact what I like most about her. That she is a woman. Because I am a man."

Matt and Lewis broke up that same day. He kept trying to reach him, so Matt completely blocked his phone number. It wasn't even painful, he realized. He was doing the thing he ought to have done for years. He just hadn't known it yet.

He didn't know why God had done this twenty-eight years into his life, or why it was Rebecca and not any of his other girl friends who fit the bill. He wouldn't know it until he was writing his wedding vows, on a rainy September night.

Rainbow Becca. That's what my past called the woman I'm about to make my wife. Through her, God gave me a new beginning. She was a ray of light under the rain, a real rainbow to make my days happy. I had never known how lost I was, until I met her.

I never knew that it was loneliness what was drawing me away from my original creation. But here she is, standing right in front of me: my ideal mate, my Adam's rib, the end to my solitude and the lies of this sad, sad world.

I can never understand who I was anymore. All I know is that I was made to be a man to love a woman, and a woman alone. And that woman is Rebecca Traynor-Greene.

The End

May they live happily ever after!