Tally lingered in that liminal space, in between awake and sleep, warm in her bed yet she was aware of a warm hand threading through her hair. And that smell of cloves. She smiled into her pillow and hummed, "Sarah" falling from her lips. She soon fell back asleep after that and dreamt of Sarah and her greenhouse.
When she woke, she woke to a letter on her pillow, she unfolded it and read:
Dearest Tally,
Meet me in the greenhouse after lunch.
Always Yours,
x
Tally was nervous, she had a feeling that her admirer had gotten her letter after all and now she was about to face whoever it was. She felt guilty for turning them down through a letter but they didn't exactly give her a choice.
She had a light breakfast since her stomach already had butterflies, not just from the invitation from her admirer but because she really wanted to go see the General. And that's exactly where those butterflies took her. Lightly knocking on her office door and happily greeted by one of the biddies, she made her way into the office just to find Alder signing a few papers.
"I hope I'm not interrupting you?" Tally gave her such a nervous smile, blushing as the General gave her a smile.
"I'm only just finishing up these papers so you came at the perfect time," they sat in a comfortable silence as Alder finished the last few papers and Tally just watched her.
As Alder signed the last paper and stacked the pile of papers she turned her attention back to the young cadet in front of her, "What can I do for you Tally?"
Tally bit her lip and blushed, "It's nothing really, I just wanted to see you. I mean I thought I'd take you up on your offer to come see you since I don't really have anything to do till after lunch."
"Oh? What's after lunch?"
Letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding Tally averted her gaze, "Well, that admirer I told you about, I'm supposed to be meeting them. Even though I turned them down."
"Did you, why is that?" Alder held a slight smile to try and give nothing away, the biddies all looking up from what they were doing to all smirk at each other.
Watching Tally squirm in her oversized winter coat was just about the most adorable sight Alder had seen in a long time.
"Well, I kind of sort of realized I had feelings for somebody else and it just didn't seem right to accept this person's advances while I like this other person."
Alder stood from her chair, folding her hands behind her back, "How about a walk?"
Tally nodded eagerly and got up to join her, the General grabbing her jacket to throw it on and opening the door to let Tally go first eyeing the smirking biddies behind her. Once out into the crisp fall air Alder came back to their conversation.
"I think it's very mature of you Tally, you've realized what you want and you're being true to your feelings."
Sighing, Tally mirrored the General and walked with her hands behind her back, "Well, I may have realized my feelings but this person definitely wouldn't feel the same as I do. But that's okay, I just want them to be happy, they deserve to be happy."
Alder tried to hold back the shock on her face, nobody had wished her happiness, although Tally didn't know that she knew about the girl's feelings for her.
"I'm sure whoever it is they would be happy just to hear you say that," Alder smiled and they continued on their walk.
Eventually they came back to Alder's office and Tally didn't want to leave but she should get herself something to eat, she hadn't realized how hungry she was. She enjoyed her conversations with the General so much it was quite the distraction.
"Feel free to come see me later if you'd like to talk after your little meeting," Alder gave her another smile and Tally nodded and went to lunch.
She might've eaten a little too much because she wanted a nap, but she had to go meet her secret admirer finally. She wasn't sure what to expect but she knew she always had Alder to go to afterwards should she need it. Of course she always needed to be near the General, it made her happy and whole.
When she got to the greenhouse she was met with the biddies outside the door to Tally's surprise, she stood with her mouth open in disbelief. The oldest of the biddies came to her with a smile, "She's been waiting for you, don't be too hard on her. This whole situation is kind of our fault."
Tally looked from her to the door, "You mean?"
The biddy only nodded and guided her towards the door with a reassuring smile. Tally opened the door and stepped inside to find the General clipping a pink rose from one of her rose plants, "You're right on time, Tally."
"You? Was it you this whole time?"
Alder came to stand in front of her and handed her the pink rose bud, "A Moss Rosebud, it means a confession of love."
Tally looked from her to the rose and with trembling hands she took it, suddenly realizing tears were falling from her eyes, "I wanted it to be you so bad," Tally threw herself into the General's arms grasping the pink rose and hugging her close.
"I am sorry, the biddies were getting fed up with my pining for you, they forced my hand. Nevertheless I appreciate that they did because it allowed me to share something I don't quite often give myself permission to share. My feelings. When I received your letter yesterday I knew you felt the same," Alder hugged her back.
"Was it obvious that it was you I was talking about in that letter?"
Alder pulled back and smiled down at her, "At first I couldn't believe that such a bright, young, beautiful woman such as yourself could see anything in me worth loving. I'm so much older than you Tally, my past….there's so much blood on my hands, I don't know how to love very well. But when you said you cared for me, I think I let myself believe it."
Tally grasped onto her jacket sleeves meeting Alder's gaze with a fierce determination, "But you're the General, you're beautiful and powerful and how could I even begin to be your equal. I thought it'd be impossible for you to ever feel the way I feel, I just wanted you to be happy," Tally looked down remembering her earlier words about wanting her person to be happy because they deserved it.
Alder laughed, surprising Tally, "Aren't we the pair? Tally you will always be my equal, you challenge me in ways I've never had to deal with and that's in the best way possible. If you strip away the ranks, you are you and I am me and there's a power about you Tally Craven. I think you've bewitched me for I am so in love with you."
Tally hugged her back, "Me too, I love you too, Sarah."
After a minute, Alder pulled back and motioned to the table behind her, a velvet box sitting on it, "I thought I might give you one last gift."
Tally suddenly blushed remembering how she had worn every one of the gifts her admirer had given her right in front of Alder and Tally groaned, making the older woman's eyes go wide.
"I'm sorry, I'm just embarrassed, I wore all your gifts right in front of you not realizing and I loved them all. Even the strawberries, I cried because they were so good."
Alder laughed and brushed a strand of that fiery hair behind her ear, "I liked seeing my gifts on you."
Alder nodded to the box again and Tally opened it with trembling hands and cried once she saw what it was, a butterfly clip with blue jewels in it. Alder took it from the box and pulled her hair back and fastened it with the clip.
"Shades of blue are very much your color, it goes with your hair," Alder smiled and placed a kiss atop her head.
Tally laughed, "I didn't realize how much of a romantic you could be."
"I have lifetimes of it saved up, waiting for the right person to unleash it on. Are you prepared, Craven?"
Tally beamed happily up at her, "I'm not prepared at all but that makes it more exciting. I am prepared to swoon any chance I get," Tally suddenly remembered, "Oh, goddess, Abi and Rae thought you were some creeper. Well, not you-you but my secret admirer."
Alder smiled and stepped closer, tilting her chin up, "How about we keep them guessing? Let them figure it out on their own."
"That sounds fun, besides, I'd like to keep you to myself for a while longer."
And with that Alder whispered across her lips, "I'm all yours."
Tally kissed her fiercely and thought of all the ways she could show Sarah how much she loved her too. And she thought back to the stack of love letters sitting currently on her desk, the forget-me-nots and the unfinished strawberries and the smell of cloves that currently enveloped her.
Kissing, kissing was a great place to start with showing her how much she loved her. That Tally could definitely do, so she kissed her back even harder, a smile on her lips.