Alaya is looking into each cabin window as the train slowly comes into station. She desperately attempts to locate her special redhead in a sea of olive uniforms. "Alaya!" She quickly turns to her left and gently fights the crowd towards the voice, "Fiona!"
A hand waving a hat is bobbing up and down.
Alaya weaves in and out of the crowd, moving towards the waving hat and soon there she is ... her wife. She quickly grabs Fiona's hand and leads her towards a waiting taxi. "The Golden Fleece 16 Pavement, Please." Fiona and Alaya sit in silence for the entire five-minute cab ride. Alaya gets out, "Remain here, please." Fiona listens and sits back into the taxi.
Alaya returns to fetch Alaya and pays the taxi with a generous tip, "Who shall we call when we return to the station?"
"Paul Miss, just tell them at the pub. They will know to fetch me."
"Thank you, Paul, for taking care of my sister and I." After the taxi leaves Alaya offers a smile, "I have two rooms, we must keep up the charade for our safety. I hope you do not mind."
"Not at all. It is good to see you."
Once Fiona in her room she waits patiently as the adjoining door opens. Alaya instantly scoops her wife up and holds her tight. Fiona breaks instantly crying in her arms. It is the one place Fiona finds safe enough to allow herself to fall into pieces.
Alaya carries her wife to the bed and sits holding her as she cries. This is when she notices how thin Fiona has become and is pleased with herself for ordering a feast when she checked-in.
Alaya hears a knock on her room's door, "I will be but a moment." She gets the room service and leaves a handsome tip, "My sister and I have a single night for R&R please respect our privacy. Is this enough to secure our request?"
The bellhop looks down and nods.
Alaya brings the food into Fiona's designated room and sets up dinner on the small bistro table. "Fiona we must eat. I have not eaten for almost seven hours. Please join me."
Fiona wipes her tears away and sits down to feast. It pleases Alaya as Fiona eats healthy portions. "Do they not feed you at the Hospital?"
"Supplies are limited and funds are low."
"Is there a store to buy more food?"
Fiona nods yes.
"What do you do with the money I sent with each letter?"
Fiona looks down to her plate of food.
"Please I am not upset, just curious."
"I do what I can."
"When do you eat?"
"When I am able."
"When is that?"
"The woman worked in terrible conditions, often working themselves to exhaustion and going without food, sleep and regard to their own safety. I barely have time to sleep or for a proper meal. The whole organization is poorly managed. "
"Fiona, what can I do?"
"There is nothing. I would buy food if there was time to buy food." Fiona opens the leather pouch and pulls out the folded picture and over twenty pounds.
"We must find a solution."
Fiona whispers softly looking at her plate of food, "Of course, but I have to return tomorrow evening. We can bicker in our letters. Unless I am too thin you don't find me attractive."
"Please eat Fiona. We have all night."
Fiona smiles, "I must tell you, I find your detective uniform fetching."
Alaya blushes, "What do you want to do now? We can go for a walk. Sit and read."
"Would a hot bath be too boring?"
"Not at all."
Fiona soaks in the tub with steam filling up the room. Alaya sits down the side of the tub enjoying the humidity.
"Tell me, any news concerning Miss Shaw and Miss Alice Gardner?"
Alaya lights up, "At first I wasn't sure. Then there were a few signs."
"For example?"
"Miss Gardner started to keep her office open, even when the shop becomes noisy. Miss Gardner lingers when she enters enters the establishment. I have never seen anyone take off their coat so slowly."
Fiona laughs loudly at the image in her mind.
"Your laugh, it warms my heart." Alaya continues, "When I managed the business, at the end of the day, Miss Shaw would bring the daily registry for me to go over and put into the safe. Now that Miss Gardner is in charge of accounts, Miss Shaw delivers them only after everyone else has left. Miss Shaw waits at her desk until Miss Gardner is completed her work. They always wish each other a good night. Miss Shaw pretends to be busy to make sure Miss Gardner doesn't stay too late. Their dance begins again the next day."
"That actually sounds quite cute and sad at the same time."
"Patience Doctor. Someone became brave."
"Miss Shaw?"
"Yes! Good Guess."
"You are stalling, please tell me." Fiona splashes her wife.
"Okay, okay ... One morning Miss Gardner was doing her slow waltz removing her coat..." Alaya shares how Miss Shaw became brave.
"Oh, you will keep me updated."
"Finding a spark of love when the world is forever changing. We shall keep an eye on them."
"What of Mr. Gardner? He is an astute man. He seems kind, but you can never tell what someone is like behind closed doors."
"Miss Shaw doesn't know how to handle the situation. For them the war is an opportunity of independence. If this was any other time it would have raised questions."
They stay awake as long as possible enjoying being together as friends, family and lovers enveloped in their scents. It is not until three in the morning they finally fall asleep in each other's arms. Alaya barely sleeps as her heart breaks into tiny pieces as she feels her wife's heartbeat reacting to nightmares. She does not dare wake her, sleep even if restless is better than none at all.
Soon the sun is shinning and they have to leave the comforts of their private room. Paul is waiting for Alaya and Fiona to emerge from the Golden Fleece, "Thank you Paul. Please take us to the Rail station, but first can we stop off at a local bakery?"
Paul nods and quickly goes to bakery down the street.
Alaya gets out, "Fiona wait here, please."
Fifteen minutes later Alaya comes out of the bakery with a large bundle and gets into the taxi, "To the rail station, Paul."
They have just a moment as Fiona train is first to arrive, Alaya, "I have brown breads, ginger breads, whole oats and other essentials. This should last you more than week, even if you share with your room-mates"
Fiona nods and takes the large bundle. She hugs her wife, grabbing tight as she pulls in the coolness and whispers, "I love you with all that I am."
Alaya whispers back soaking up her wife's warmth, "I love you too."
Fiona gets on the train after the last warning whistle and waves good-bye.
Alaya stands there watching the train slowly disappear around the bend.
Fiona settles down in the train. She reminds herself be calm, she will see Alaya again. She didn't have the heart to tell her she leaving for Belgium in two days.