Welcome to Chapter Two! Enjoy :)


The bell above the door of Rosewood Café chimed softly as Vannah stepped inside, her eyes scanning the cozy interior. It was a charming place, with warm wood accents and the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee permeating the air. Exposed brick walls were adorned with local artwork, and soft jazz played in the background. She spotted Asher at a corner table by the window, sunlight streaming in and highlighting the touch of gray at his temples. His face lit up as their eyes met.

Asher stood, smoothing down his casual blue button-up shirt that brought out the warmth in his brown eyes. "Vannah," he greeted warmly, his voice carrying a mix of excitement and nervousness. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I was excited and wouldn't miss it for the world," Vannah replied with a smile, shrugging off her light denim jacket. She'd opted for a simple floral sundress, a departure from both her Marine uniform and her usual weekend attire of jeans and a t-shirt. The dress swayed gently as she moved, and she noticed Asher's appreciative glance. "This place is lovely. How did you find it?"

Asher pulled out a chair for her, the gesture natural and gentlemanly. "It's one of my favorite hideaways," he explained as they both sat down. "I discovered it during my first year of teaching. It was finals week, and I was drowning in papers to grade. I wandered in here at midnight, desperate for caffeine, and fell in love with the atmosphere... and their blueberry scones."

Vannah chuckled, already feeling at ease. "A caffeine-fueled love story. I can relate to that."

A waitress approached, her apron dusted with flour. "Welcome to Rosewood," she said cheerfully. "What can I get for you two today?"

Asher chose a cappuccino and, true to his word, a blueberry scone. Vannah opted for a strong black coffee and, on Asher's recommendation, a blueberry scone.

As they waited for their order, Asher leaned forward slightly. "So," he began, his eyes twinkling, "I have to admit, I've been looking forward to this all week. I even had my U.S. History class do a an essay on the history of the Marines, just so I could think about you professionally. If I am being honest, thinking of you in a nonprofessional context was distracting while in class. You're a beautiful distraction, darling."

Vannah felt a blush creep up her cheeks, a sensation she hadn't experienced in years. "That's very smooth, Mr. Valentine," she teased. "I hope you didn't go too easy on them just because you were in a good mood."

Asher laughed, a rich sound that made Vannah's heart skip a beat. "Never. If anything, I might have been tougher. Had to channel that Marine discipline you talked about."

Their drinks and scones arrived, the coffee steaming and the pastries still warm from the oven. Vannah took a sip of her coffee, savoring the rich flavor before responding. "Speaking of Marine discipline, how do you maintain order in a classroom full of teenagers? It must be like herding cattle sometimes."

Asher's eyes lit up at the question. "Oh, it definitely can be. But I've found that the key is to engage them, make history come alive." He broke off a piece of his scone, popping it into his mouth before continuing. "For instance, last month we were covering the Civil War. Instead of just lecturing, I divided the class into Union and Confederate sides and had them debate the issues of the time. It got heated, but they were so invested."

Vannah nodded appreciatively. "That's brilliant. Hands-on experience always sticks better than just reading from a textbook."

"Exactly," Asher agreed enthusiastically. "But enough about my teaching methods. I want to hear more about you. How did you end up joining the Marines?"

Vannah took a bite of her scone, pleasantly surprised by the burst of flavors. "Wow, you weren't kidding about these scones," she said, before addressing his question. "As for the Marines, it wasn't something I'd always planned on. I actually took pre-med in an early college course my senior year of high school, but during that year, I felt... lost. Like I was following a path that wasn't truly mine."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Then one day, I saw a Marine recruiter on campus. Something about the way she carried herself, the pride and purpose in her eyes and body language... it spoke to me. I signed up that day, much to my parents' shock."

Asher listened intently, clearly fascinated. "That's quite a change. Do you ever regret not pursuing medicine?"

Vannah shook her head. "Not for a second. The Marines gave me a sense of purpose, a family. It shaped me into who I am today." She smiled softly. "Though I will say, the medical knowledge came in handy more than once in the field."

Their conversation flowed easily from there, touching on a wide range of topics. They discovered a shared love of hiking, with Asher recommending some local trails Vannah hadn't explored yet.

"There's this one trail up in the mountains," Asher explained, his hands moving animatedly as he spoke. "It's a bit of a challenging hike, but the view at the top... it's breathtaking. You can see for miles, all the way to the coast on a clear day."

Vannah's eyes sparkled with interest. "That sounds incredible. I'll have to check it out sometime."

"Maybe we could go together?" Asher suggested, a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

Vannah felt a warmth spread through her chest. "I'd like that," she replied softly.

As they continued talking, Vannah spoke about her passion for photography, a hobby she'd picked up during her deployments. "It started as a way to remember the places I'd been, the people I'd met," she explained. "But it became so much more. In the midst of chaos and conflict, photography allowed me to find moments of beauty, of humanity."

Asher leaned forward, clearly moved by her words. "That's beautiful, Vannah. Have you ever thought about exhibiting your work?"

Vannah shook her head, suddenly feeling shy. "Oh, no. It's just a hobby."

"From what you've described, it sounds like much more than that," Asher said earnestly. "I'd love to see your photos sometime."

The conversation then turned to Asher's interests outside of teaching. "Well," he said, a boyish excitement creeping into his voice, "I have a bit of an obsession with the night sky. I have a small telescope, and on clear nights, I love to stargaze. There's something humbling about looking up at the vastness of space."

Vannah found herself charmed by his passion. "That sounds wonderful. I've always loved the stars, but I've never really studied them properly. In the Marines, we used them for navigation sometimes, but that's about it."

Asher's eyes lit up. "Well," he said, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice, "maybe I could show you sometime? There's actually a meteor shower coming up next weekend. We could pack a picnic, head out to a dark sky area... I could point out some constellations, we could watch for shooting stars..."

Vannah felt a spark of excitement at the suggestion. "That sounds perfect," she said softly. "I'd love to."

Asher's smile widened. "Great! It's a date then. I know a perfect spot, about an hour's drive from here. We can finalize the details later in the week?"

"Absolutely," Vannah agreed, already looking forward to it.

As their coffee date drew to a close, neither Vannah nor Asher seemed eager to leave. They lingered over the last sips of their drinks, the conversation meandering from Asher's recent efforts to make history more engaging for his students to Vannah's favorite books.

"I've been on a sci-fi kick lately," Vannah admitted. "There's something about imagining future worlds that I find fascinating."

Asher nodded enthusiastically. "I'm a big sci-fi fan too. Have you read any Octavia Butler? Her 'Parable' series is incredible."

"I haven't, but I'll add it to my list," Vannah replied, making a mental note.

Finally, glancing at her watch, Vannah sighed. "I hate to say it, but I should probably get going. I promised my kids we'd make homemade pizzas for dinner and have a movie night."

Asher nodded, trying not to look disappointed. "Of course. Family time is important." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Vannah, I want you to know, I've really enjoyed this morning. You're... well, you're pretty incredible."

Vannah felt that now-familiar blush returning to her cheeks. "Thank you, Asher. I've had a wonderful time too. You're pretty special yourself."

They stood, gathering their things. As they stepped out of the café into the warm afternoon sun, Asher gently touched Vannah's arm. "So, I'll call you about next weekend? The meteor shower?"

"Please do," Vannah replied, her eyes meeting his. "I'm really looking forward to it."

For a moment, they stood there, the air between them charged with unspoken possibilities. Then, acting on impulse, Vannah leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Asher's cheek. "Thank you for the coffee," she said softly, before turning to walk to her car.

Asher stood rooted to the spot, watching her go, his hand unconsciously touching the place where her lips had been. And as Vannah drove away, both of them felt a sense of anticipation, already counting down the days until their next date under the stars.