May 21, 1982: In the Garden
"And this is the garden. The new one," Arnold said, waving his arm towards the obvious lushness in front of them. "Would you like a tour?"
"I'd love one," Elaine answered, looking at it in wonder. "All of this in just two weeks?"
"Yes, well, I am a badger," he replied, as if that explained everything. He offered his arm to her, and she took it.
"A badger?" she asked. "What do you mean you're a badger?"
"Hufflepuff House," he answered, wondering what she'd think of the word "Hufflepuff". "We are badgers."
"All right," she said, laughing. "I'm afraid you really must explain."
"At Hogwarts," he told her as they walked down the stone path, passing tulips on both sides, "there are four Houses. Hufflepuff is one of those houses, and I was in Hufflepuff. Our mascot, so to speak, is a badger. Therefore, I'm a badger." He smiled. "I dream about them sometimes."
"Do you?" she said.
"I do." He guided them to a stop and looked about. "So here are the tulips. I have a dozen varieties in the garden. And beyond, you can see the wisteria. There's a bench to the left and a small artificial brook."
"Oh, Arnold," she said, admiring his work. "It's all so beautiful. You must love spending time out here."
"I find it very relaxing. Very calming. It's reassuring to know that I can create something lasting," he explained to her. "The only other time I feel so relaxed is when I'm with you."
She put her other hand on his arm and smiled up at him. "I enjoy being with you, too.
"And thank you for dinner this evening. It was delicious. It's amazing what you can do in the kitchen. Actually, I'm not so very talented in that area. I do need to work on that."
"I've found that some who aren't adept at cooking dinner can still bake well. Is that the case with you?" he asked as they began to stroll again.
"I'm afraid not," she said. "Well, no. That isn't true. I can bake cookies and cakes from mixes. Does that count?"
"Why not?" He smiled at her. "If they're edible, they count."
"They're edible," she laughed. "But I'm determined to bake something completely from scratch. I will do that one day."
"I'm sure you will." He continued to smile at her as he watched a wisteria bloom fall in her hair. "Hold still a second," he said to her. He placed his hand on her cheek and tilted her face towards him. "The wisteria's attracted to you, it seems."
He reached into her hair with his other hand and pulled out the blossom, but he was still close to her, and it was impossible this time for him to tell himself that he didn't want to be even closer.
He leaned forward and kissed her very gently on the lips and then pulled back far enough to look into her eyes. She gazed back into his for a moment, then smiled softly at him.
He caressed her cheek with his hand as he studied her eyes, and then he leaned forward and kissed her again. She returned his kiss, gently wrapping her arms around his neck.
His hands lowered, moving across her shoulders and down her side. After another moment, he pulled back and smiled at her. "I don't know when I realized that I truly wanted to do that, but I'm glad I listened to my instinct. I could not be happier."
"I am too, Arnold," she told him.
He wrapped his arm about her. "Shall we continue?" he asked, his eyes sparkling. Let her determine what we'll continue.
"Yes," she said. "I think we should." She reached up and drew his face to hers in yet another kiss.
Following that kiss, he held her for several seconds, enjoying the feel of her body against his. "A perfect moment," he whispered.
She, taking pleasure in the warmth of his arms, nodded. "Yes," she said. "I want it to never end."
"I don't see why it has to end. Not in memory. And we'll build on that, of course," he told her. The scent from the garden seemed to float all about them; he breathed in deeply, taking note of all the sensory details. "This is just the start."
She looked up at him. "I hope so," she told him. "I can't imagine anything more wonderful."
Arnold continued to hold her until the nudge at the side of his leg was unmistakable. "Abigail," he mumbled and then let go of Elaine and looked down at the sheep.
She looked up at Arnold and Elaine in turn, carrying her plush lamb between her teeth. She lowered her head and then launched the plush toy towards them.
Elaine stepped back in surprise, but managed to catch the toy in her hands perfectly. She looked at Arnold, and then laughed. "I think," she said, "someone needs a bit of attention."
"I think so, but I can wait," he answered and then laughed. He crouched and scratched Abigail's back and ears. She tilted her head as he scratched her ears, Elaine watching them with a smile.
By obliviator and ovations