Chapter 33

How long? How many days, weeks, months, years, have passed since he first met those stunning blue eyes? How long had it been since he longed to reach out and hold her close to him? However long it had been was long enough that when it did finally happen, when he woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed, his eyes adjusting to the light flooding in from the window beside a vanity, he thought he was still dreaming. "It must have all been a dream" he thought until a warm metal arm wrapped itself around him from behind and a pair of cool lips pressed to the back of his neck before the unmistakable voice of the woman he loved filled his mind.

"Good morning." She whispered into his ear and the memories he thought were dreams came flooding back. The kiss at the door, her suggestion to get out of their wet clothes, the way she held his hand as they went up the stairs, slowly removing layer after layer of wet clothes. He turned around in the bed and she stifled a laugh at the sight of his red cheeks and concerned eyes as he spoke in a tone that revealed that he is still trying to believe that this is reality. "That was-- unexpected…" Her smile began to fade and he quickly pulled her face to his. "I'm happy it happened." As her smile came back he pulled her to him until their lips met and they both sighed into the moment.

As they got dressed she only caught him peeking once. "How should we tell Aster?" He asked calmly as he buttoned his shirt and watched as her dark green dress fell over the silk slip she wore underneath it all. Something about seeing the anatomy of her attire made it more alluring to him.

As she smoothed the fabric over her abdomen she looked at him with a happy smile. "Together." She walked to him and helped fix his collar. They practiced what he wanted to sign to her until he was sure he had it. Violet found herself lovingly admiring his desire to learn and ability to keep what he learned so quickly.

"Okay. Now that is settled." He smiled before seeing the wrinkle near her eyebrow. "What is it?" He asked as he brushed his finger across her cheek until he could rest them just behind her ear as she looked up at him and asked. "When? If memory serves you have a very busy day starting in—" She glances at the clock on the mantle behind him. "Three hours."

He sighed a smile as he rests his forehead to hers. "Today is busy, yes. Tomorrow is my last day here and I have a few meetings in the morning. Would it be possible to meet the two tomorrow afternoon?" She nodded and they continued to hammer out the details, making sure to seal it with a chaste kiss.

They stood in front of the front door of her house, holding hands, neither one really wanting to let go yet, and too afraid of Aster coming out of her room to spot them kissing to do anything about that need as well. His voice was low and sweet as he released one hand to reach for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes." She slightly nods as the door opens and reveals Dietfriend assisting his fiancé from their car.

"Good morning Vio— Mr. Stephanotis…" Irma cheeks dust pink at the sight of a man, any man, leaving Violet's home this early in the morning.

Dietfried's eyes narrow with his scowl as he looks between Violet and Leon just in time to see their other hands release and fall to their sides. He speaks in a low tone of concern. "Indeed."

Violet is clearly flustered. "What are you doing here so early?" She asks the engaged couple as they walk through the doors.

"Did you forget?" Irma's entire expression saddens, only making Dietfried look more unpleasant as he speaks to his sister in law. "We are here to have breakfast with our flower girl before taking her into town to dress shop."

Violet nervously sighs. "Right. I'm sorry I only forgot in this moment, I swear."

The scowling "Mhm" from Dietfried as he takes Irma's coat from her only makes Violet more nervous.

Leon, no longer willing to hesitate, grabs Violets hand as he speaks with a confident smile. "It's very nice to see the two of you again. Good luck on your shopping trip with the lovely princess strawberry." He turns to Violet, the smile fading to something a little more intimate as he pulls her hand to his lips and closes his eyes as he kisses the back of her smooth metal knuckles. "I wish I could stay and help smooth all of this out. Please forgive me. I'll see you soon." Violet nods in understanding, feeling the calm returning to her entire body at the sight of him kissing her hand.

As soon as the door closes behind him Irma's eyes go even wider than they already were and an excited grin spreads on her face as an operatic squeal of excitement exits her being. Dietfried does not make any such sounds, nor has his face changed from the scowl as he begins questioning. "Does Aster know that he stayed the night?"Irma smacks her fiancé's chest as she barks his name at him in disapproval.

Violet shakes her head. "No." She considered leaving her answers short and to the point, but the look on Irma's face, begging for more details, and the skeptical look on Dietfried's face convinced her to tell them. "It wasn't something I had been planning on the entire evening. If anything I was fighting back those kinds of— thoughts. But then she asked him to come back with us and tuck her in, and she asked him about his mother, and he told us a little about both of his parents, who have passed, and the way Aster hugged him and connected to him—"

"Okay. I get it Violet." Dietfried still wasn't smiling when he interrupted her.

Irma stepped forward and grabbed Violet's hand with a gentle smile. "As a woman who also lost a great love, and found second one: I couldn't be happier for you Violet." Dietfried lightly blushed as the corners of his mouth began to finally lift and the scowl in his eyes faded.

Later that day, after signing hundreds of books at the bookstore, all he wanted to do was he didn't want to have lunch with manager, he didn't want to do an interview with the newspaper, he didn't want to go to dinner with his publishers, but he did. He signed the books and smiled for his readers, he chatted with his manager about the next days calendar and the three months on tour they will be continuing, he even asked if his manager had any time to enjoy the city. "Oh, No. I haven't really left my hotel room for anything outside of work or a meal…" The middle aged blonde man said between sips of iced coffee. "You should take a walk around the city, go see the famous Evergarden, maybe you'll meet someone while you do." His manager blushed before continuing to eat his meal. The interview was met with an equal amount of effort for the commitments he had made before finding Violet again.

When the dinner was over and he had politely informed his manager and the publishers that he was going to take a break from traveling and writing after the book tour, he returned to his hotel room. When his head finally hit the pillow he found himself dreaming of her soft yellow hair before his eyes were even shut.

Morning meetings went by quickly. He agreed to be the face of the camping equipment company as long as he wasn't contracted to travel anywhere and they gladly agreed to his terms. Before parting for the day his manager awkwardly made sure that Leon would still be meeting him at the airplane the next morning.

He got to the place they agreed upon earlier than they agreed and sat on the bench he had sat on two days ago and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back and ran through the signs he had practiced with Violet the day before, and every moment he could since then.

"Leon." The happy tone of her voice pulled him from his mental practice and he smiled when he saw Violet standing in the entrance to the asters with her daughter in hand. She didn't have to sign to Aster for her to run to Leon and climb on to the bench beside him and start to move her hands, slowly for her new pupil. "Good afternoon. How are you today? Do you want to play hide and seek with me?" The tilt of her head and and smirk made his heart feel so warm, he wondered if she could feel it too.

His signing is still slow, but Aster is impressed by the accuracy of his signs, while behind her Violet is feeling a sense of accomplishment already. "Good afternoon. I'm well. Maybe we can play later. I have something I want to ask you."

The five year old puffs her cheek for a moment when he says that playing will be postponed, but smiles and nods when he mentions his question and signs "Okay. Ask me anything!"

He begins moving his hands the way Violet showed him. "Is it okay with you if—" he pauses for just a moment, glancing at Violet and taking a breath, which Aster takes full notice of, and goes continues. "If I love your mother?"

Aster's eyes flicker for a moment as her smile fades a bit and she deeply considers what he's just said to her. Violet approaches them now, ready to answer her child's questions and interpret. Aster looks to her mother, a somewhat serious and inquisitive look. "You love him?" She asks her mother.

Violet smiles and nods as her eyes move from her child to Leon and back to Aster. "Yes. I love him."

There is a lift to the child's eyebrow as she looks up to the man who her mother loves. "Do you love me?"

Leon was nodding her head before she even finished, which brought tears to the little girl's eyes as she signed again. "Promise?" Little happy tears fell from her precious green eyes as Leon pulled her into a hug and her mother wrapped her arms around both of them.

He stayed for dinner that night, and was mercilessly questioned Dietfried and Aster and whatever they missed Irma asked about. When the meal was over and it was time for Aster to go to bed her uncle offered to tuck her in and she smiled at him as she shook her head no and pointed to Leon. "He will. With mama." She signed and Dietfried had to reach for Irma's hand as his heart not only broke a little, but somehow felt like it was healing as well.

Leon did his best to sign the story of what it was like at the top of Mount Liatris and what the stars look like up there to her, she taught him whatever signs he was missing until her mother said it was time to go to sleep. She hugged him again, and he kissed the top of her head, this time taking a moment to thank her father for the little princess in his arms, and taking a mental picture of it all for the three months he would be away from them.

As the adults stood from her bed Aster grabbed his wrist. When they turned around to see what she had to say Violet was stunned and Leon was a bit in the dark until she translated. "When you get back, will you watch the stars with me?"