Chapter 47
Ivy
Ivy sat down on the blanket, taking everything in around her.
The lights on the ceiling arranged into her favorite constellation.
The telescope in the corner. There was a bottle of wine, the same one they’d drunk on their second date at the book and wine bar.
There were numerous containers of food spread out across the blanket.
No, not containers. She reached out and picked one up.
It was on old coffee cup that Ivy had written a love note on for Cleo.
“This looks like every coffee cup note I ever wrote you. Did you seriously keep all of these?!” Ivy asked, her tone a mixture of surprise, wonder, and a little confusion.
“I hadn’t intended to, I just, well, it just kind of happened,” Cleo flushed as red as her hair. She looked adorably flustered.
“They’re perfect,” Ivy said, reaching out and giving Cleo’s knee a gentle squeeze.
She continued to look at the cups, picking each of them up one at a time, feeling herself blush at how ridiculous she had been to even write some of them.
One stated “You mocha me crazy,” another said “You’re so brew-tiful," and her favorite, which she remembered writing the day after they’d first told each other they loved one another, “I love you a latte.”
Then she noticed one of the containers furthest from her.
Ivy gasped with a smile, “tell me you didn’t,” reaching for the only real food container on the blanket. With a lid.
“I did, but please, that one’s just for show, don’t dare open it or I won’t be able to have clients in here for days.” Cleo pleaded through a laugh.
Ivy laughed as she sat the tub of garlic mushrooms back down on the blanket.
“I would have taken you back to the park where we had our first date, this time under the willow, but I didn’t know how I could get you there without you knowing my plan and choosing not to show. Maybe next time?” Cleo asks, her voice fully of hope.
“That sounds perfect, babe,” Ivy smiled at her at the thought as she leaned in and softly kissed Cleo’s cheek. She was so glad she could do that again.
Sitting back on the blanket, Ivy took a moment to digest the last twenty minutes.
She had left the shop and came here with the intention of learning about a new possible location.
She hadn’t expected the events that followed to happen.
But she was beyond glad that they did. Ivy felt relief flow through her as she looked at Cleo. Her girlfriend. Her home.
“So, a telescope, huh?” She raised an eyebrow as she looked at Cleo with a smirk.
“I figured it was as big of a romantic gesture as I could think of.” Cleo stood and offered her hand to Ivy for her to follow. “I searched online and got the coordinates of where to look. After you,” Cleo said softly, holding her other hand out for Ivy to look through the eyepiece first.
“Babe,” Ivy exhaled, and reached her hand out to take Cleo’s, “is that...?”
“Yeah, you told me before we even went out that Andromeda was your favorite constellation, so I thought that was the perfect one to line the telescope up to tonight,” Cleo said, holding Ivy’s stretched out hand, and resting her other on the small of Ivy’s back.
Ivy stood up. “Thank you,” she said, moving in to lean against Cleo’s body, “I always loved that one the best. I loved the idea of the story behind it, granted not all of it, but the romantic parts.” Ivy sighed into Cleo as she felt Cleo's arms wrap around her shoulders.
“I meant to look it up but after spending all afternoon meeting Lucas and then setting up the telescope and lights, I ran out of time. Would you tell me?” Cleo asked.
“Well, the super short version?” Cleo nodded and kissed Ivy’s forehead.
“Andromeda was a princess who was chained to a rock by her mother as a sacrifice to a sea monster. However, before the sea monster got to her, she was rescued by Perseus, and they went on to get married.” Ivy chuckled.
“It wasn’t the whole guy-saves-the-girl bit that I liked. ”
“Obviously,” Cleo chuckled, and Ivy tickled her side in protest at the interruption, “sorry, sorry, please, continue.”
“As I was saying,” Ivy raised her head and pouted slightly, but her smirk wouldn’t let her do it properly, “it was more the idea that I related to her own mother discarding her, and having someone come along who was willing to fight to save her and love her that I wanted.” She raised her hand from Cleo’s waist to place it flat against Cleo’s chest, over her heart.
“And that’s exactly how my life turned out,” Ivy added with a distant dreamy tone in her voice.
“Well,” Cleo started, “you’re well on your way to getting there anyway.” Cleo leaned in to kiss Ivy, but stopped just as their lips brushed.
“I suppose that’s true. I mean, they did get married in the end,” she leaned forward to kiss Cleo, but Cleo had pulled back.
“All in good time, my love,” Cleo whispered as she leaned forward and finally pressed her lips against Ivy’s.