Author's note: Happy Birthday Tea Induced Scribbles! Thank you for the awesome stories you've shared and talking with me. Story time; It's a little OOC but it's in the future, you have been warned. Hope you like your presents!
Paris
Azima spoke in fluent French to the waiter as the man placed down their breakfast of Croissants and Hot Chocolate. They were talking about the city and how much of it had survived and was slowly being rebuilt.
Alisha Granderson could've joined in but her eyes were on the Eiffel tower in the distance. It had survived the pandemic and the nuclear weapon the Russians dropped on the coast line. The people were slowly filtering back into the city as food was no longer an issue.
But still, the city felt like a ghost of its former self. Sometimes, Alisha felt exactly the same way but she was healing. Being here was a part of that process, closing the proverbial door on the past; on what would never be.
Alisha allowed herself one shaky exhale as she indulged in thoughts of Sara, how she had planned to take her to Paris. How she had mentally planned the whole day. It would've looked just like this, a beautiful sunny Spring day. They would stroll the streets, hand in hand taking in the sights. Later in the evening from their hotel room that would've had a view of the Eiffel tower; glittering in the night- Alisha would have laid in bed with Sara, pulled the diamond ring out from the bedside table and proposed. Sara would've said 'Yes'.
She felt a warm hand lay over hers, it brought her back to reality. She looked to Azima and gave a weak smile. Part of their reason for coming here was to have a holiday but also let Alisha finally move forward again. She wanted to retake cities and places that had been tainted with grief and disappointment and remake them her favourite spots with happier memories. She wanted to let go of her hang ups of how Paris was supposed to be- to what it was and could be.
"Sorry," she said as she wasn't doing a good job of letting the past go.
"Don't be, we all have someone we lost. It's ok, to think about them from time to time. As long as you're present in other ways." Azima offered in a soft voice and sly smile, like Alisha, she carried ghosts of her own. Alisha smiled at the innuendo before she grew wistful.
"Sara loved this city, I was going to propose to her here." Alisha confessed, she knew it was breaking all the rules of the relationship to confess something so personal about her past lover.
"c'est très romantique." Azima remarked with a dreamy smile, she wasn't jealous or envious of Sara as everyone came with a past. Their relationship was strong and solid. If Azima had her way, she was going to pop the question first in a very lavish affair as Alisha deserved nothing less.
"It was the aim but never came about." Alisha said wistfully.
"Hmm, well we are here and I will show you a side of Paris, that you probably have not met but I promise you will love and Sara will smile down on us from the heavens." Azima told her.
"Ok, but can we not do anything that could get us arrested?" Alisha asked her. Azima made a face at her not liking the restriction.
"I will have to amend some of our agenda but yes. Now eat your croissant and drink your hot chocolate, it's too good waste." Azima told her.
Alisha smiled and did as Azima said. She was right, the croissant was perfect and the Hot Chocolate was the perfect finish. She didn't know what adventure she and Azima would have together but was glad she was with her.
End