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“I’m on my way,” you said into the phone as you jumped into the driver’s seat of your car.
It was obvious Albedo was smiling on the other side of the phone. “Okay, I can’t wait to see you. Talk to you soon, my sunshine,” he said before ending the call.
Warmth flooded through you just thinking about seeing your boyfriend, Albedo. Saturday had taken an eternity to arrive because your entire week had been spent working up a sweat at your demanding job. This past week had been especially stressful, but knowing that you would meet Albedo for tea today made work more bearable.
When you arrived at the tea room while looking for a spot to park your car, you caught a glimpse of him standing outside of the building. He looked classy and studious like usual, wearing beige dress pants and a white knit sweater. The sight of him made your heart pound in your chest.
After parking, you made your way to the building.
“Good morning,” he beamed as you approached him.
“Morning!” you replied before falling into his warm embrace. Hints of vanilla and sandalwood drifted off of him, making you feel even more comforted by his presence. “I missed you so much,” you said into his shoulder.
Albedo placed a delicate kiss on top of your head. “You live rent-free in my head, so I miss you every second we aren’t together.” He entwined his fingers with yours. “Shall we head in?”
“Of course,” you said as he led you inside. He remembered to take you to your favorite spot in the entire tea room: the quiet table in the back corner.
The tea room had a rococo-style theme, with high ceilings and parquet wood flooring. Elegance was in every corner of the building. Chatter was a plentiful sound, since many people also enjoyed a cup of hot tea on a relaxed autumn morning. Rays of light softly glimmered through the tall windows.
Albedo pulled out one of the chairs for you. After you were seated, Albedo sat at the opposite end of the table, cupping his face in his hands, his expression brightening as your eyes met. “I couldn’t help but notice your beauty this morning. You’re always a dazzling sight of course,” he said charmingly. “The lighting in here just makes you look even more gorgeous.”
He also looked quite handsome. A halo of light delicately rested on his blond hair, and his teal eyes glowed with warmth. “You look stunning too, ‘Bedo,” you replied while blushing, feeling a little flustered at his comments. “If you could get a glimpse of your hair from where I’m sitting, you would be dying to touch it too right now,” you chuckled.
“I’m glad the conditioner I’m buying is going above and beyond,” he chuckled back as he picked up one of the menus on the table. “So…what will you be ordering?”
Glancing at the menu, there were many options to choose from. Small pastries, ice cream, all sorts of teas, coffee, and more. From black tea to milk tea, it was all there. Luckily, your favorite type of tea was on the menu, and the tea room also had your favorite pastry. You told Albedo what you had selected.
“Sounds like you’ve made some good choices. I think I will order the lemon chiffon tea with two blueberry scones. And I’ll order for us, give me a moment.” He stood up and walked to the cash register to submit both of your orders and pay for the food.
“I wonder what another me would have ordered in a parallel universe, if it exists,” he pondered out loud as he sat down.
“I don’t know, maybe Earl Grey? It’s not possible to know for sure.”
His gaze lowered as he pondered for another moment. “Do you believe in parallel universes?”
After you answered his question, Albedo was clearly impressed by your answer. “You have an interesting perspective on the matter. I really should ask you more philosophical questions.”
“There’s no time like the present,” you replied. “Ask away.”
“Do you think art has value in society? As an artist myself, I think art definitely has importance, but I want to know what you think.”
“I think…”
“Interesting. Many people would definitely agree with what you said. Do you think humans have free will? Or is it just an illusion? A lot is still unknown about the brain, after all.”
“In my opinion…”
“That’s a fascinating way to think about it. Do you think humans are inherently good or evil? Or could it be both?”
“I think…”
Right after you finished answering his question, Albedo’s name was called to pick up the tea and pastries from the front counter. “Excuse me a moment,” he said as he stood up.
When he returned, he set down your tea and pastry in front of you before he sat back down. The tea was the perfect warmth as you sipped it, making you feel as cozy as sitting in front of the fireplace on a chilly night. As you nibbled on the pastry, it clearly tasted like it was baked with love and care. A more exquisite duo between pastry and cup of tea could not have existed. Albedo was also clearly enjoying his tea with scones. He had always been a dessert enthusiast since the day you both met. There was never a time when he would turn down sweets.
“I can see you’re quite enjoying the food,” he smiled at you.
You could feel your smile in both corners of your mouth. “How could I not be?”
Albedo took another sip of his lemon chiffon tea. “Are you wanting to answer more questions I have for you?”
“Of course.”
He sat his cup down on his plate. “Do you think science has limits? More specifically, are there some phenomena in the universe that science can never explain?”
“I believe that…”
“I’ve also thought the same thing. Do you believe life has a purpose? Or is life truly meaningless?”
“In my opinion…”
“Interesting. Do you think humanity will end? If so, how will humanity meet its end?”
“I think…”
You took one final sip of your tea before setting the cup on the table.
“I like your perspective. Also, are you wanting to order anything else? I see you’ve finished your food,” he said.
“I’m good, thank you.” Glancing out the window, the sun climbed higher in the partly cloudy sky. “Anywhere else you’d like to go?”
“How about my place?” he asked with hopeful eyes. “I’ll even bake you some cookies.”
“I’d be happy to meet you there,” you replied with a smile. Albedo was truly one of the sweetest guys you had ever dated.
After you both chatted for a few more minutes, he took your hand and walked you to your car, delicately kissing you on the lips before you hopped into the driver’s seat. Every time Albedo kissed you, you could feel his love flowing through him and into you. His lips on yours said just as much, if not more, than his loving words. Butterflies fluttered in your chest, the vanilla scent of him calming your body.
As he pulled away, he tenderly ran his hand down your face, looking at you with nothing but love in his eyes. “Drive safe, my sunshine. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he sighed happily.
“You too, and see you soon, ‘Bedo.”
The gentle autumn wind caused the ends of Albedo’s hair to slow dance as he walked away to his car. Once you sat in the driver’s seat, you put the keys in the ignition and started the car. Your heart was still pounding from the kiss, and thoughts of Albedo took up all of the space in your mind. You couldn’t wait to spend the rest of the day with him. Hopefully every day will be spent with him. Hopefully you were going to spend your lifetime with him.
Driving to his house was a wonderful feeling. This day couldn’t get much better than this.