September 27th, 1888
Asha Bilton

Tala was not one for drama- or even big displays of affection, but holy Merlin she could not stop thinking about Mr. Bilton, her dear Asha, since the letter from him had arrived this morning! How could she have missed the signs? What was she doing with Gervaise when it was so clear to her now? Oh, what was she going to tell Gervaise? She still cared for him, of course she did, but not like this!

She had to find him! The Cafe! He was always there with his friends! Or at least that's what Eileen had said in the past!

She hadn't even bothered to make sure she was all gussied up, certainly he couldn't hold it against her! She smelled of pine and fresh cut wood and her hair was windswept from being outside all morning mooning over him, but by lunch she just couldn't take it anymore! Tal had apparated straight to the Cauldron- usually what she did when she went to see Gervaise, but not today, today she was going to find her one true love!

Cheeks flushed from the brisk walk through the streets of London, Tala turned golden brown eyes toward the window of the cafe and what luck! There he was! She stormed through the door, admittedly pretty dramatically and grinned. "There you are! I've been pining for you all day!" She said as she sauntered right up to him.

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Most days looked rosy and full of potential to the unlucky Asha even when half of them ended in near disasters, but since he'd opened the mail this morning he had known that today would not be a disaster filled day. No, it would be a rosy day, Asha had decided, for Miss Moreno had written to him. He'd hardly known Tala beyond her friendship with Eileen, but his heart soared at the thought of her. How had he not realized this before? How had he simply sat passive when she came around? Asha was baffled, he wasn't the sort to sit around broken hearted for years, but it almost seemed, when he looked back, to be just that case.

He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he'd been unable to work on developing his photos for the paper and at midday had called it quits. He'd work on them tomorrow. For now he'd head to the cafe for a pint, perhaps Eileen would even know where he might find Tala.

Asha had just settled down at the table with a pint in hand when the door was thrown open. There she was. There was his Tala! His Tala! The words sung in his heart as he beamed at her. "Here I am!" He agreed with a goofy smile on his lips. Pining. She'd been pining for him. Oh, how had he let so many days and weeks go by unused? "Have you now?" He asked with a chuckle, looking down at her as she sauntered up to him. Boldly, as if it had never been a question between them, he wrapped his arms around her waist and looked down at her an almost teasing light to his eyes.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

How had she never noticed just how handsome he was? And tall to boot! She was so tiny, their children would clearly end up perfectly in the middle. Tala allowed herself to be eagerly enveloped in his embrace, her cheek coming to rest gently against his chest as her arms wrapped around his middle. Tal spent one selfish minute soaking it in, feeling his heartbeat just for her, sighing contentedly.

"I have," She admitted a little shyly, leaning back just a fraction to look up at him. "You're all I could think about, all morning." It was just awful being separated from him. How had she ever managed before? "Please tell me we can spend the... afternoon together." She wanted to say the rest of the day, but that would include the evening and that was a little brash! Forever wouldn't be long enough! A blush crept into her cheeks, and she bit her lip in anticipation of his answer.

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Tala's embrace was comforting, like the embrace of an angel. She fit perfectly in his arms and he found peace with her there and delight. What a fool he was for this woman. Clearly she was too, for her admission made his deep chuckle rumble through his chest.

"Of course!" How could they not spend the whole afternoon together. "That would hardly be enough time. All the time in the world would not be enough with you." He admitted, an edge of seriousness in his tone. "What would you like to do this afternoon, then?" He added.

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   Tala Moreno

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Amazing Elaine set!

Tala felt her heart nearly stop at his admission. There simply wasn't enough time, not when they were regulated by society's standards about when they could actually see one another, unless they were... No that was crazy! Tala was crazy though, crazy about him and all the possibilities they had together!

"Anything! Everything!" She chirped with a wide grin. "As long as we're together." She lamented with a long, sweet sigh. "What is it you would like to do, Darling?" She'd do anything for him!

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Talia’s grin was enough to tell him she felt similarly. If only the world would let them spend the entirety of their days together, Asha felt sure he would be the luckiest man in the world if that happened.

“Shall we start with lunch?” Asha asked, that seemed as good a place to start. Then they could walk through the park and perhaps then supper, and …. Oh the possibilities. But at the end of the day she would still head home and Asha would feel bereft again.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

"Lunch sounds positively lovely," Lunch, dinner, maybe breakfast tomorrow if she played her cards right... "Maybe somewhere a little more private?" She bit her lip and lowered her voice slightly, but the upturn of her lips suggested she may or may not have less-than-innocent thoughts on her mind. That startled her into a slight blush, but the fact of the matter was that they were still there, floating about with all of the possibilities.

If she were being honest, she would have suggested they elope then and there, but she wasn't foolish enough to even say such a thing! Then everything floating around would be far from a problem, it would be the most natural thing she could think of! Oh, just the thought of waking up next to her beloved Asha every morning sent a shiver down her spine in the best possible way.

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With the looks that the two of them were receiving Asha certainly wasn’t going to suggest lunch here. He was thinking maybe the Three Broomsticks, but at her suggestion, and the cute blush that made her look even more beautiful, Asha knew that wouldn’t be an option. “I think I know just the place.” Asha assured her with a grin that suggested he knew exactly what she were thinking. He let go of her, albeit a bit reluctantly, and instead offered her his arm. “Shall we?”

Asha grinned down at the woman before him, an idea forming in his mind as he led them out of the crowded pub and the catcalls of his friends and into the streets of London. He would do anything to keep that smile on Tala’s face. “We may need to take a detour.” He told her as they started down the street into the throng of people.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

Tala was oblivious to anyone around them, the stares they were receiving or the hollers of his friends, it was as if gravity itself revolved around him and she was caught in orbit. She latched onto his arm as he offered it, head resting gently against his bicep as they moved out of the cafe and onto the crowed street.

"A detour? How tempting." Tala had no idea just what that could entail, but she was thrilled at the prospect of getting to spend all of the time she could with him. "Do I get a hint?" She looked up at him with amusement and fondness clear in her golden eyes. She felt as if she were floating along, though honestly had to hurry to keep up with his long strides, she would follow him anywhere no matter how far.

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Tala’s head against his arm felt precisely as it should be. He chuckled at her words. His idea was nothing fancy, but he really did have almost no food at home and a picnic in the park sounded even lovelier than a picnic at his solitary table at his new apartment. He wondered how she would react to the bareness of his living quarters, surely if she loved him as she did he wouldn’t mind. But it was a rare beautiful fall afternoon in London and Asha knew the perfect spot for a picnic.

Looking down at her he noted the beautiful golden eyes as they gazed at him inquiringly. Asha chuckled, “Hmm. Perhaps.” He thought about it, a merry twinkle in his eye. “It involves food.” He admitted as he steered her around a corner toward the nearest market. “I’ll give you three guesses.” Mischief played in his own brown orbs as he met her gaze again.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

"That's no hint, we'd already decided on lunch!" Tala hummed out, amused as she swatted him playfully. Her mind rolled over all of the possibilities, though she hadn't any clue what he could be thinking. She'd requested somewhere private... "You live close by don't you?" She asked hopefully, another little blush creeping into her cheeks, though she hoped it could be attributed to the autumn chill in the air.

Her heart fluttered a little as she caught him looking at her with those big brown eyes. "Unless you want to take me down to City Hall and on a honeymoon, I haven't a clue!" She was teasing him... mostly.

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"True." Asha chuckled. About to add more when Tala mentioned his home. "I do." But that was not their goal... yet. Maybe Tala would one day want to call it her own home. Or maybe Asha was putting the cart before the horse. But one could always hope.

Ashas own cheeks colored at her mention of marriage, it were as if she knew his thoughts and his heart, but he chuckled, replying half seriously, "Dont tempt me. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my days by your side. But first, lunch." Before he impulsively took her words as more than just. She was jesting, right?

"You have one more guess." He reminded her as they turned another corner and found themselves on the edge of a street market.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

Had she been paying attention to anything other than his every move, look and word, Tala would have noticed where they were going and would have figured it out, but as it were are was now definitely stuck on the comment about marriage.

"What if I wanted to tempt you...?" She could feel the tips of her ears burning at the thought of it, but turned a look if sincerity his way, eyes wide and serious. She could feel her heart all aflutter at the mere thought of following through on what he'd said, as she wanted that more than anything herself.

Lunch happened every day after all; this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment!

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She was being serious, she was being serious. He could tell by the look in her eyes and the pink on the edges of her ears. Surprise blossomed over Asha’s face as he looked down at the angel clinging to his arm. “Then I would be the happiest man alive.”Asha told her with complete seriousness. Pausing for a moment to add, “If that were what you wanted as well, my love.” He would never want to do anything that Tala did not want herself.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!

Tala wondered if her heart had simply stopped beating, if the world had stopped turning when he actually agreed with her. She smiled slowly at him, "Nothing would make me happier." She breathed out. What could see possibly want more? No short amount of time with him would ever be enough! She wanted to spend all of their time together today and every day.

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Asha had never expected his heart to soar like this again. But now he felt happier than he had even been. Any past loves a mere wisp of a memory in the past, brushed out by his shining love before him. He turned and clasped her hand a broad grin on her face. “Then what are we waiting for?” He asked. He turned his back on the market and led her away, intent on making this woman, this angel, this love of his life, into his wife.

  

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Amazing Elaine set!