Ducking into the crowded café, Anna caught a glimpse of Thierry sitting at
a shaded table at the back and it was as if the rest of the room was
spinning with him the only solid part - a sad, lonely figure that appealed
to a part of her that felt instinctively that he shouldn't be alone. The
sudden disappearance of her surroundings seemed to go straight to her head,
so that she had to gather her bearings before she could walk over to him
without appearing insane.
He looked up at her with a welcoming smile that for some reason brought tears to her eyes. No one had ever accepted her as easily as he did with that one simple look. She smiled back before the tears could become obvious and sat down opposite him. Like the last time they had met, they were soon deep in conversation - the afternoon seemed to disappear and all too soon Thierry was sighing and standing up.
'Would it be ok if I walked with you back to the hospital?' he asked tentatively.
'Of course!' she exclaimed, no longer shy - it was as if she was not in control of her feelings and actions towards him, and she was content to be swept along by the flood of emotion he stirred in her.
He smiled. When he took her arm, it did not seem bold; it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
Suddenly, she realized that she had not thought of the war all day. For a moment, she felt guilty, but she couldn't help smiling. Who was this man who had such an affect on her, she wondered hazily?
Abruptly, a voice broke into her reverie: 'Anna!' She collected herself and turned around, coming face to face with Charlotte and Andrew. She smiled, glad of an opportunity for the two most important people in her life to meet. She did not even wonder at how quickly she had begun to feel like that about Thierry.
'Thierry! This is my friend Charlotte! I thought Andrew wasn't free today!'
Charlotte grinned. 'He surprised me.' Looking at them, Anna couldn't help smiling. They were obviously in love. She wondered if it was too soon to call what she felt for Thierry love - it didn't seem like it, she had the strange sense that she had known him much longer than a week.
They chatted to Charlie and Andrew for a while, Anna was pleased to see that they both seemed to get on with Thierry. Then Charlotte hugged Anna and whispered in her ear, 'We'll talk later - I want to know all about why you're looking so pink cheeked!' Anna laughed and nodded - Charlotte and Andrew walked off and Anna was soon absorbed in Thierry again.
When they were standing near the entrance of the army hospital, it was her who reached up to kiss him, without really thinking about it. Nothing could have prepared her for the sensations that followed.
It was like being tugged by a force she did not recognize into a world that was just her and Thierry. Seeing Thierry nearby, she did not need to question the dreamlike qualities of what was happening to them, she was happy to just be in his arms. Her own feelings mingled with the ones emanating from him and she was almost overcome by the purity of his love for her. Where had he been all her life, she wondered with a smile, but had no time to dwell on it as she lost herself to the force of sensation overtaking them. She had no more sense of her physical self - all she was aware of was Thierry, the real Thierry, the Thierry that had somehow been made for her as she had been made for him. Suddenly she knew the meaning of the word bliss!
Why couldn't they have been left alone, to love as they were so obviously meant to? Maya had been watching them the whole time - her lip curled as she saw the soulmate principle take hold of the two lovers. Thierry was hers, she thought obstinately, and waited impatiently for the moment to pass, so that she could have a 'quiet, ahem, word', with Anna alone. The bonds of the soulmate principle might be strong, but it was not immune to hatred. She smiled chillingly.
He looked up at her with a welcoming smile that for some reason brought tears to her eyes. No one had ever accepted her as easily as he did with that one simple look. She smiled back before the tears could become obvious and sat down opposite him. Like the last time they had met, they were soon deep in conversation - the afternoon seemed to disappear and all too soon Thierry was sighing and standing up.
'Would it be ok if I walked with you back to the hospital?' he asked tentatively.
'Of course!' she exclaimed, no longer shy - it was as if she was not in control of her feelings and actions towards him, and she was content to be swept along by the flood of emotion he stirred in her.
He smiled. When he took her arm, it did not seem bold; it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
Suddenly, she realized that she had not thought of the war all day. For a moment, she felt guilty, but she couldn't help smiling. Who was this man who had such an affect on her, she wondered hazily?
Abruptly, a voice broke into her reverie: 'Anna!' She collected herself and turned around, coming face to face with Charlotte and Andrew. She smiled, glad of an opportunity for the two most important people in her life to meet. She did not even wonder at how quickly she had begun to feel like that about Thierry.
'Thierry! This is my friend Charlotte! I thought Andrew wasn't free today!'
Charlotte grinned. 'He surprised me.' Looking at them, Anna couldn't help smiling. They were obviously in love. She wondered if it was too soon to call what she felt for Thierry love - it didn't seem like it, she had the strange sense that she had known him much longer than a week.
They chatted to Charlie and Andrew for a while, Anna was pleased to see that they both seemed to get on with Thierry. Then Charlotte hugged Anna and whispered in her ear, 'We'll talk later - I want to know all about why you're looking so pink cheeked!' Anna laughed and nodded - Charlotte and Andrew walked off and Anna was soon absorbed in Thierry again.
When they were standing near the entrance of the army hospital, it was her who reached up to kiss him, without really thinking about it. Nothing could have prepared her for the sensations that followed.
It was like being tugged by a force she did not recognize into a world that was just her and Thierry. Seeing Thierry nearby, she did not need to question the dreamlike qualities of what was happening to them, she was happy to just be in his arms. Her own feelings mingled with the ones emanating from him and she was almost overcome by the purity of his love for her. Where had he been all her life, she wondered with a smile, but had no time to dwell on it as she lost herself to the force of sensation overtaking them. She had no more sense of her physical self - all she was aware of was Thierry, the real Thierry, the Thierry that had somehow been made for her as she had been made for him. Suddenly she knew the meaning of the word bliss!
Why couldn't they have been left alone, to love as they were so obviously meant to? Maya had been watching them the whole time - her lip curled as she saw the soulmate principle take hold of the two lovers. Thierry was hers, she thought obstinately, and waited impatiently for the moment to pass, so that she could have a 'quiet, ahem, word', with Anna alone. The bonds of the soulmate principle might be strong, but it was not immune to hatred. She smiled chillingly.