Delphine's head swam from the wine and shisha and this strange wave of attraction and comfort she felt with her new friend. She was sure they both looked like fools to the other patrons, all smiles and light touches. After their people-watching and light mockery, making up stories and dramatic intrigue for their companions in the square, in the bar, she wondered what others made of them. Wondered if they could see that something rare was happening here.

She didn't think she was alone in this thought, she could feel the dreadlocked woman in the same reverie, but she didn't really know her, did she? She wasn't sure what to do next, where to go from here.

"Cosima, I think I might need something more substantial than ice cream and truffles with all this wine."

"Are you asking me to dinner, Delphine." Her tone playful, as per usual.

"Cosima, would you like to go to dinner with me?" She was equally as playful, lips puckering into a little pout as she finished her invitation.

"Mmmm, yes, yes I would."
-

As they retraced their steps back toward the square, Cosima asked, "So, you're taking me to your favorite restaurant in Barcelona, eh?" Had the blonde been leading them here all day? They had spent most of the evening near the restaurant, she realized, lingering in Barri Gotic.

"Well, it is actually wonderful, but I am under a sort of – obligation – to love it. It is like our family place now. Spanish tapas, great wine."

As they entered the restaurant, a long narrow interior, warmly lit, Cosima knew she would love it. It was cozy, but with a sort of elegant presence. Not unlike the French woman next to her.

"Thomas!" Delphine's expression lit up as she crossed the room toward the bar to a tall, lanky man with wavy light brown hair, just past his ears, his expression immediately breaking into a grin.

"Delly! Tu es venu!" They wrapped each other in a warm embrace, then leaning back, holding each other's forearms as they looked at each other. "Il a été trop longtemps."

"Oui. J'ai été occupé."

Thomas looked at her skeptically, "Et en évitant votre famille …"

Cosima looked on a bit bewildered, not understanding the words, but happy to be witnessing such a personal exchange.

"Thomas," Delphine said switching to English, "this is Cosima, the friend I met on the train. She speaks terrible French, I'm afraid," She laughed as she draped her arm around Cosima's waist and pulled her forward.

"Cosima, I am ... ah … curious about the woman that could convince my dear, serious cousin to leave the train without planning."

"Thomas, so nice to meet you. Your restaurant is totally perfect, I love this place already." She wasn't sure if she should respond to the man's inquiry with humor or explain why she asked Delphine to join her. She chose diversion.

"Well, it is Adrian's, but thank you. I try to bring a French flair," he said with a wave of his hand, "to the cuisine. We enjoy it here. Come, come," he motioned to a table in the back. "I will get you drinks, I will tend the bar tonight, as you are here Delphine, and then can bring out some of our favorite plates? Is that okay?"

"Yeah, like, totally. I mean … Delly," she grinned at them both, "is that okay with you?"

"Oui, geek monkey, that sounds lovely." The blonde giggled and drew her lip between her teeth.

Cosima shot her a glance, mixed at once with reproach and complete adoration, laughing.

"Wow. Okay. Let's get you two seated." Thomas rolled his eyes.

As they were seated, Thomas asked, "Ladies, wine or cocktails this evening," formally, but with mirth in his tone.

"Well, Thomas, I love Spanish wine," challenging Delphine to defend the French variety, "but Delphine says you're an awesome bartender … so, I defer to you. What should I have while in Spain?"

"I enjoy this challenge. I will make something just for you. Delphine, I will bring the Bordeaux Malbec, Oui?"

"Oui, Thomas, Merci."

He then turned his back to Cosima, at the table, focusing on Delphine, "Je sais que vous avez visité grand-mère. Je sais pourquoi. We should talk about this."

Cosima couldn't help but think he was clueing her in to some serious undertone in the familial conversation with his use of English, a warning, perhaps, or an invitation to help him out? She couldn't tell, but she got a sense of welcome from him, and also a sense that she had missed something beyond the story the blonde had shared with her.

Delphine's tone was light, but Cosima was pretty sure she was giving the man a talking-to, "Thomas, non. C'est bien de te voir. Mais je ne veux faire cela à nouveau. Cosima, I think we are in for a treat. Thomas and Adrian have worked out a spectacular menu."

Thomas brought out a glass of red and a bright, yellow cocktail for Cosima.

"Cosima, this is one of our grandmother's favorite drinks, second only to Champagne, Aqua de Valencia." Delphine sighed, clearly even the choice of cocktail meant something.

As he brought out plate after plate, he explained the inspiration for the dishes, very briefly, leaving the women to their conversation, and busying himself at the bar. The banter between the two slowed as they enjoyed the variety of tapas coming their way, conversation focused on the meal, and the genius of the artist-chefs running the place - pan con tomate, goat cheese and quince, raviolis, and hangar steak with smoked mushrooms.

Cosima was making contended sounds as she sipped her drink, back to Spanish wine at Thomas' suggestion.

"Do you mind if I join you for a bit," Thomas asked.

Cosima looked at Delphine, slightly shrugging her shoulders and smiling, Delphine obligingly scooting over to allow Thomas a seat at the table.

"So, Cosima, what did you say to Delphine to get her off the train? She hasn't come to see me in ages."

"Well, you know, we talked about alternate universes and the wisdom of lapses in judgment." She shot a brief glance at Delphine, smiling, tongue slightly peeking out behind eye teeth.

"Cosima is a scientist, Thomas, studying biology. But she is also a photographer."

"Ohhh, well that explains it. Delly gets hard-up on the smart ones. But also an artist, how interesting."

Delphine sighed and pushed his shoulder, "Cosima, Thomas is an artist too. I think I mentioned the collective. His stuff is garish if you ask me, but they call it art" she chuckled, clearly trying to get a rise out of Thomas, and gesturing for him to fill the brunette in.

"Garish! She loves it, actually. It's street art, political."

"In other words, he lives off of Adrian."

Cosima could tell the playfulness had sharp edges, maybe too sharp, and she longed to both learn what was behind it and soften it.

"I have been adoring this street art all day. It's so jarring and oddly beautiful against the old stone. I can't really make out the meaning of most of it, but I find it incredibly … atmospheric. Do you live at the collective here?"

"Thank you Cosima. I am happy to see someone appreciates art," he waves his dramatically toward the ceiling, "this one certainly lacks imagination," hooking his thumb toward Delphine. "I do have a loft there, but mostly I stay at Adrian's."

He briefly turned to Delphine, "Qu'est-ce qui se passe ici? Vous agissez comme un petite chiot. Dois-je vous laisser ma clé?"

"Thomas!" Then a moment later, "Um, oui, maybe. Pas un mot!"

He raised his eyebrows, and then looked at Cosima and back to Delphine, letting out a light chuckle.

"What are you two talking about? You're making a girl feel self-conscious."

"Oh, ma cherie, I'm so sorry. Please forgive us. He is just being cheeky." Delphine turned to him and playfully shooed him away.

Nearly half an hour passed after Thomas returned to the bar, Cosima and Delphine chatted and sipped red wine, Spanish and French, respectively.

Delphine excused herself to go to the restroom, and Cosima grabbed one of the long cloth napkins, pulling out a pen, scribbling. After a moment, she rose, walking briskly to the bar.

"Thomas, I know I must seem a little … out of the blue, unexpected. And this is going to sound super strange, but do you have, like, a blanket or something I could take with me, just tonight? Delphine would like totally send it back, or whatever."

Thomas looked at her deeply, skeptically. "And what exactly do you need this blanket for?"

"I, um, well, I was maybe hoping we'd go down to the beach later. But, I totally understand if not. I just thought …"

Thomas cut her off. "I don't know how much Delphine has told you, but she's been through a lot. What," he paused a moment and smirked a bit like he couldn't believe his next words, "are your intentions?"

Cosima looked back toward their table, worried the blonde would come back in the middle of this conversation. Normally she'd have some retort at his old school question, but she looked at him earnestly. "Oh, um, I think anyone who looked at your cousin would be struck by how beautiful she is, right, like, striking. But … she is so smart. And her heart … she cares so much … I can't quite put it into words. She's warm and empathetic, but she's tough too, I can tell. I don't want to come on too strong here, Thomas, but I think there are moments that just change you. I feel like meeting her is going to be one of those moments for me."

"Okay, a little dramatic don't you think? Here's the blanket." He reached under the bar and brought out a thin blanket, almost a tablecloth. "You be good to her."

She nodded, and tucked it into her bag, walking briskly back to the table.

A little later, Thomas came back by, kneeling next to Delphine. "I need to go in a few minutes, but you two are welcome to stay here as long as you like. It was lovely to meet you Cosima," he passed her a knowing glance. Delphine registered something happening between them, but wasn't sure what it could be.

He then turned to Delphine, his expression more serious and warm than it had been all night. "Delphine, Aurora told me why you went to speak with her. We are worried about you. I know how it weighs on you, but your mother would not want you to spend your life trying to solve a riddle you cannot solve. To waste your life on her death. You have to stop pushing yourself like this." It was all in English, Cosima was sure now that Thomas was enlisting her help somehow.

Delphine eyes filled with unshed tears, and she shook her head slowly back and forth, "Thomas." She reached for his hand. "Merci, I know you mean well. But I am not wasting my life. Je peux résoudre cette l'énigme."

"D'accord," he sighed. "J'taime, Delphine." He kissed her cheek, and turned to the brunette, "Cosima, nice to meet you."

As he walked away, she reached for the blonde's hand and met her eyes, Cosima's face lit with question and concern, eyebrows knit tightly together. She started to open her mouth, forming a plea for an explanation.

"Non, Cosima." She shut her down a bit harshly, but then her tone softened, "Let's get some more wine?"

"Or maybe we should finish up here, and head back out into the city. See if we can't find some mischief to get into?"

Cosima took her hand, lightly tracing her fingers over her palm just once, then intertwined their fingers, "Let's head down to the beach? I'd like to see the sea one more time …" she trailed off, not wanting to ruin the moment by mentioning the inevitable, a topic they had avoided all evening.

"D'accord, ma cherie, I would like that too," she said, slightly squeezing the hand in hers.

They walked out into the evening in a comfortable silence, making their way to La Rambla, taking in the street performers, beginning to pack it in for the evening. The tourists were now back in their rooms, late night revelry just beginning.