Theo Alvin surprised himself by taking, for him, forever to pick an outfit. They were going to a nice place, so he ultimately decided on black slacks and a light grey button-down shirt, putting a tie in his pocket. He didn’t think 13 was THAT swank, but he wanted to be prepared. His loafers were nice, even if they weren’t polished and, as he walked across from his place to Tara’s, he fretted it was not good enough, then chided himself for fretting. Ultimately he realized, as he rang her doorbell that he hadn’t been on a date in literal years and could barely remember what to do. Never mind a date he was literally chomping at the bit to go on with a woman he was so attracted to it blew his mind.
Tara Munroe was standing in her kitchen or the kitchen portion of her open concept suite and drinking a cool glass of water to wash down an allergy pill. She had just been cleared from quarantine and testing for Covid as a negative result. Her breathing problems as it turned out were an allergy to the hay and dust from the neighbour's chinchilla cage. Angel had kindly moved the cage to another part of the room not beside a vent into Tara’s place and Ziggy had promised they’d put a sheet over it before they gave little Feival his dust baths. Feival sounded like a high maintenance pet. She had delayed a date she had said yes to on Canada day and missed weeks of work at her brand new job. But in truth she had been more bummed out to miss the date with Theo. They had texted and he was sweet and patient which only made her ridiculous attraction to him all the stronger. They were going somewhere that sounded nice so she was wearing a long halter necked sundress in maroon with an orange and yellow sunflower pattern on it on it and her fitted jean jacket. Tara also put on an amber necklace her mother had given her that she’d never worn out, since she hadn’t been out really anywear that warranted it. She had pockets in the jacket so she decided to skip a purse. She hated purses anyways and was bad for forgetting them places. Self consciously she realized she was really fussing for this date, not something she was inclined to do often. Her hair and makeup were like she always wore them but she had taken more time to make them nicer than her day to day slap it all together approach. She heard the doorbell and dribbled her water down the front of her dress as she startled “Fuck…” she muttered and used her sleeve to dab herself as she went to the door looking like a clumsy mess in her mind now. She opened it and smiled awkwardly “Hi Theo. I just spilled water on myself….because I’m a klutz apparently. Wow, what a way to greet you…” She blushed. She had a pair of black ballet flats at the door and began to slide her feet into them
Theo blinked at the half wet dress when Tara answered the door. “I … Hi … um … I … Hi …” he stammers. “No … no … you’re beautiful .. I mean you’re fine … I .. fuck ...yea ….” he blows out a breath. “Great way to greet you, so we’re even?” he offers her his elbow, like a gentleman. “Shall we?” and he will head for the ferry. They aren’t late but they shouldn’t delay much.
Tara can’t help but laugh as now they’ve both fumbled “Thank you. You look very handsome Theo.” She takes the arm and hooks her hand through it “We shall. You’re my first outing. It’s so nice to go outside again….”
Theo grins at her as they walk. “And you look beautiful, as I tried once to say.” he grins. “I’m honoured to take you out after your allergy scare.” he shrugs. “My sister loves her man, what can I say?”
Tara smiles and blushes a little. She fell easily into step with Theo for the first time they walked arm in arm. It was oddly comfortable. “Well now that I’ve read about chinchillas I think I’ll stick to cats if I’m going to get another pet someday. They sound like a lot of work, plus the hay and dust. And it’s a specific hay, because I grew up around horses and I’ve never reacted. Mind you you can get allergies at any point so who knows.” She shrugs “He was nice enough to immediately move the cage and so apologetic.”
Theo walks along. “I have two. He volunteers and blinks at himself. “Not that I am asking .. inviting .. ugh. Please stick to cats.” he tries to clarify. “Chinchillas are just tough pets to have. But I guess they were bequeathed to Angel so …” he shrugs also. “Angel is a really great guy.” he agrees.
Tara giggles “You’re not trying to give away a cat?” She teases. “I’m surprised you only have two for a vet….how many does your brother have? Since you’re both vets.” She catches her shoe on a stick as they cut through the grass and stumbles a bit into Theo “Oh see still klutzy...sorry..” Her head had ended upon his shoulder for a moment and now she keeps hold of his arm to balance and retrieve the shoe, laughing at herself “I’m not normally so uncoordinated.”
Theo shakes his head. “No. I board some of the cats. Get them used to forever homes, but I love them. Simon has the dogs because my apartment is tiny.” he tries to help her right herself and laughs with her. “Apparently all of our usual grace and style is gone now.” he sighs but grins.
Tara straightens “And we’re going to eat nice food in a nice place and try not to dump over wine or pasta? Are you feeling brave Theo?” She’s laughing now but has her balance back. “So you’re the cat guy, he’s the dog guy? Good thing I sat beside you.” she grins.
Theo laughs. “As long as we can avoid bibs, I think we’ll be doing well.” he grins at her. “You give me courage, Tara.” he grins. “Pretty much. But I thought you guessed that, considering how Henry bit into me like I was a steak. Granted, he does it with Simon, too. You didn’t sit beside me to keep me safe from canine attack?” he heads into the ferry terminal and goes through as the ferry is already docked and taking on passengers.
Tara boards the ferry with Theo after dealing with her ticket. She had put her mask on before entering the ferry.“Yes you had that EMT sit beside me or I’ll be dogmeat quality to you…” She jokes “I confess I didn't look that way until I was sitting down.” She gestures to the ferry decks “Outside for fresher air?.”
Theo laughs through his mask that’s made of a fabric with a cat and a butterfly “You are top quality and I am glad you sat near me. I didn’t even have to get bitten by a dog.” he looks at the people on the ferry and it feels like a rush hour. “Yea. It’s a nice afternoon. Let’s stay outside.” he heads for the stairs taking them all the way up to the outer deck.
Tara is relieved for Theo’s agreement and heads to a railing spot to look out where it’s not too populated. She leans on the rail but has awareness not to touch it with her hands. There were dispensers for sanitizer on every level so she had used one after touching a door handle. Then once they’re in a spot she says “So tell me about Theo Alvin.” She smiles “Do I need to ask you direct questions or know a secret code to unlock details?”
Theo uses the hand sanitizer and stands by the railing with Tara. He watches the wind whipping her hair as the ferry gets moving. “Ask me anything you want. There may be secret ways to get me to tell you the juicier details.” he grins, still watching her hair whip around and resisting the urge to tuck it behind her ear.
Tara blushes a little “More work for juicer details, noted. OK…..now I forget every open ended question I’ve ever known…” she laughs a bit “OK here’s one. What’s something radical, maybe even dangerous or foolish that you think everyone should try at least once in their life to really live?”
Theo nods. “I am not easy, ma’am.” he proclaims, mock offended. Then he hears her question and pauses, looking into her eyes. “Kissing a person they barely know during a global pandemic…” he breaths and then blinks. “Sorry … totally inappropriate. Um …. Scuba diving?”
Tara bites her lip, looking at Theo. “To really live huh?” She shyly runs her fingers over his arm and then looks around, head jutting to a little alcove behind the bridge area so they can potentially have a moment of privacy “So which answer are you committing to?” she jokes a little “I mean I’ve been scuba diving…”
Theo can see Alexandra only just getting further away as he moves with Tara to the alcove and takes a step closer to her. “To really live.” he leans in a bit and pulls down his mask. “Since you’ve already been scuba diving, I guess I’d better kist kiss you then.” and he does, if allowed. His lips touching hers is like a spark, but instead of pulling away, he moves closer, putting his arms around her.
Tara feels him lean and pulls down her mask in and she knows she’s blushing even more than before. She tilts her head up to meet his kiss and when their lips meet she feels a little jolt. His arms go around her and she slides hers around his neck kissing back sweetly and tenderly.
Theo kisses her softly. He pulls away, meaning to stop there, but finds he can’t. He turns his head and kisses her again from another angle, Her arms around his neck holding him to her … or so he tells himself.
Tara feels Theo start to pull back and feels her entire being resisting the idea of him not kissing her. But he turns and kisses her more and she melts into it, getting lost in him completely. She slides a hand up the back of his neck and strokes his hair as she deepend this kiss. She’s never had a first kiss with anyone feel like this before.
Theo keeps kissing her. He doesn’t know what time it is or where they are, exactly. She is, in his opinion, the best kisser he’s ever experienced. It is literal minutes before he breaks the kiss again, resting his forehead against hers. “Wow…” he whispers.
Tara is breathless when the kiss breaks and Theo’s forehead is against hers. He whispers wow and she nods a little “Yeah that.” She drops her head a bit to his collar bone and snuggles into him, sort of hugging him if she can. “Theo Alvin, what are you doing to me? I’ll agree that I definitely felt alive…” she laughs.
Theo wraps his arms around her. “I was about to ask you the same.” he looks into her eyes. “Then that’s off the list. Not that I plan to never kiss you again.” he pauses a moment. “Whatever it is is very, very shiny.” he uses the Firefly reference without thinking about it, so relaxed is he with this woman.
Now Tara pulls back for a moment but beams at Theo “You’re a browncoat! I knew it.” She looks at him like she’s won the lottery “I am too.” She chuckles “And you better kiss me again after that discovery.”
Theo smiles at her. “I am …” he looks damn pleased himself. “And I will.” and he does, leaning in for another kiss, getting immediately lost in it.
Tara kisses him back intensely. Her heart is thumping so loud she’s sure the whales can heart it in the ocean. Everything about Theo feels so right. Their banter, things in common, the beautiful feeling of his mouth moving with hers, the warmth of his body as she leans into him holding him even tighter this time.
Theo feels her grip tighten on him as if there was any chance he would walk away from her. He deepens the kiss and continues it. Moving his hands up, he buries his fingers into her and moans softly into the kiss. Then his ears pick up words that make no sense.
The next stop is Vancouver. Vancouver next stop.
He pulls out of the kiss. “We’re here?” he blinks in confusion. That was fast?
Tara shivers at his hands and fingers digging into her a bit and his moan. She just keeps kissing him like his kisses are her very oxygen she needs to live. She hears the announcement too and pulls back looking at him and laughing “We just made out like a pair of teenagers for the whole ferry ride. Go us…” She exhales and pulls her mask back up to face the crowd disembarking.
Theo laughs at the comment about making out like teenagers, but it was so true. “Well, I never made out like that as a teenager.” he rolls his eyes. “Late bloomer.” he pulls up his mask again. It has a cat’s face on it sort of black and white but the cat has a blue butterfly on its nose. He moves with Tara and if he can he will put his arm around her and, if possible he will hail a cab outside of the ferry terminal. He’d rather pay the cost then take a bus.
Tara had put her arm around his waist to stay close while his was around her. She’s a shorter woman so it’s comfortable for her. As they get into the cab she keeps leaning close to Theo, feeling very comfortable with him right next to her. She’s thankful the cabbie has a mask too as he waits for the address of the restaurant. Tara doesn’t know it so she looks up at Theo.
Theo gets in the cab. “Thirteen. The Italian restaurant? Do you need the address?” he asks as Tara leans into him.
“Nope. Downtown. No problem.” he starts the meter and pulls off, glad to have masked passengers.
Theo nods and leans back in his seat and puts her arm around Tara. He leans his head against hers. “He’s wearing the mask right. That’s a bigger tip for that alone.” he chuckles. They are both in medicine and had learned how to wear masks long before Covid.
Tara agrees “Definitely.” More masks meant less transmission and less risk for everyone on the front lines dealing with life’s regular stream of emergencies and day to day stuff.
The cabbie was a seasoned Vancouverite, a 30 something man, possibly Japanese and something else in heritage with bleached platinum hair that sported a streak of electric blue. His mask was black and grey checkered and he wore a maroon baseball style button up shirt. He gave them a little nod in the rearview mirror but was fully engaged in safe driving “Islanders? Which one?” A little bulletin came in over his radio about a detour for construction and he grumbled a bit and clicked his signal before weaving a bit through traffic to find a better route.
Theo smiles behind his mask. “Alexandra. Thought we’d take an evening off the island for a change. How are things going here .. I mean we get the news and all but … island life, you know?”
Tara nods “Yeah we’re a little out of the loop. I’m not even from there. You’re good.” She commends the cabbie.
The cabbie’s eyes crinkle in the rearview as he smiles “Alexandra. Oh I like that place. Haven’t been in years. I’m Travis. I’ll give you my card so you can book me for a ride back. It’s nuts here. I mean we’re not like out east but the Covid’s spiking again. Latest outbreak in a neonatal unit….babies...babies with the virus. Scary as hell driving cab. Thanks for wearing masks by the way. We have sanitizer back there too. My cab’s never been so clean. And yeah I guessed from the port but after a while you know. So the boyfriend is an islander from Alexandra and the girlfriend?” He glances back at the woman.
Tara doesn’t correct Travis for calling them boyfriend and girlfriend but giggles “Tara and uh Prince George originally. But now Alexandra.” She uses the hand sanitizer “Thanks. So Vancouver?”
“Oh yeah born and bred. And I’ll die here I’m sure. Hopefully not of this shit.” Travis jokes sardonically. He takes the exit and a little red sports car cuts him off and he has to break suddenly “Sonofabitch! Sorry…” He laughs and then smacks the horn “Some people shouldn’t have a license.
Theo chuckles. “Alexandra doesn’t ban cars … but the vehicle fee is 555 … so of course hardly anyone has one on the island.” then he groans. “Babies. Jesus.” he looks around and it is a clean cab. “I’m a vet, so I appreciate the cleanliness.” he also doesn’t correct Travis on the boyfriend assumption. He’s fine with it. Once Tara is done, he takes his turn with the sanitizer. “I’m Theo … and yes born and bred on Alexandra, but I want to veterinary school here. And I’d love your card for the next time we brave the mainland.” he is thrown forward a bit. “Man … I always forget what it’s like on the mainland.” he chuckles. “Last time I was here was to get my licence renewed…” he breaks off and sits back, remembering that day.
Travis nods along and then gets radio’d, seemingly by some kind of supervisor and he ends up in an exchange “You’re short at the airport….yeah book me in there next. I’ll take my chances….” The other side of the conversation is a bit garbled “Sorry did you say Rafiq? Ah shit is he going to get tested? No man, I’m not driving his cab….no way. Tow it. I’ll use mine….it’s the airlines filling up all the fuckin seats….ya think…” It goes on and Travis is clearly affected by a fellow cabbie who’s been exposed to the virus.
In the meantime Tara grimaces a bit and then turns to Theo “Last time you were here you got your license renewed? That seems like the beginning of more?” She looks encouraging.
Theo rubs at her arm. “It was something that happened during the fog.” he tells her. “Let me tell you over wine?” he glances up front and sighs deeply. “Goddamn airlines trying to make money.” he rumbles.
Travis rubs at his temple from the stress and then grunts and sanitizes his hand “Rafiq, my good pal, took half the flight crew from one of the West Jet flights from Alberta and now the pilot and an attendant just tested positive. Why the hell were they sharing a cab? I mean I guess they just shared a plane….but god….” He blows out a breath and pulls up to 13 “Sorry to dump on your dinner date. This place is the bomb.” He taps the meter to halt it. It says $26.50. “I’ll pass the machine through the plexi here…..don’t worry I clean it every time.” He also passes a card with his booking info and directory number.
As the pinpad comes through Tara scoops it up “I got this Theo. Thank you so much Travis. I hope your friend Rafiq is ok.” She taps her card but then presses the button to give a 20% tip.
Travis retrieves the device wiping it with a lysol wipe as he takes it “Oh hey thanks…..and yeah I hope so too. You kids have fun and eat lots!”
Theo sighs deeply at the story. “I’ve heard it is.” and he just shrugs when Tara pays for the cab. “We will and you take care, Travis. Be safe and we’ll give you a call when we’re done and see if you’re available.” he gets out of the car with Tara and heads for the door. 13 in this day and age was reservation only and they were right on time. He holds the door for Tara and inside they are faced with a maitre d in an expensive looking three piece suit and a stark, crisp white mask on his face. When he looked curiously at Theo, Theo spoke. “Reservation for Dr Alvin, please.”
The Matre d nodded, checked a small book and took two pieces or printer paper. “This way.” he leads them into the dining area, which is nicely lit and very quiet. The space has only five tables in it, spaced a good three meters apart; more than enough for social distancing. He nods to a table by the window, pulls out the chair for Tara and hands them both the paper menus. The table itself is devoid of all condiments. “Your server will be with you in a moment.”
Theo sits and smiles, looking at the menu and the matre d. “Thanks…” he waits util they are alone. “Nice … tables spaced well apart … I like it.”
Tara walked through the door held “Thank you.” Theo was a gentleman and it was sweet to her. She’d known a few that were far from it before Clint and this was a good change. She hangs back with Theo while he talks to the maitre d and follows when they’re led through. She thanks him for pulling out the chair and sits. She nods at Theo “Yeah it’s well planned out here.” She sniffs and nods “A hint of bleach as well as good food.” She looks at the paper menu. “How can we possibly choose….it all sounds amazing. Listen to this one….Orrechiette Kale Pesto, kale processed with fresh lemon, parmesan, almond and olive oil into an amazing pesto. Orrechiete are those little shells….” she points “They even suggest a wine pairing...Fiano di Avellino.” She puts down the paper “That sounds good to me.”
Theo looks at the menu and is almost immediately overwhelmed. He’s gotten so used to the islands restaurants whose menu’s he memorized years ago. “That sounds good to me, too.” he smiles just as the waitress comes up, dressed exactly like the matre d but in a black skirt. “Good evening.” she smiles behind her white mask. “My name is Tessa and I will be your waitress. Would you like more time?”
Then grins at another T name and looks over at Tara. “I’ll have what the lady is having.”
Tara confirms Tessa caught what she was saying and smiles at Theo “We’ll take a bottle of the Fiano please and two glasses. Thank you Tessa.” As she takes their menus and nods and leaves Tara says “What’s with the T names? Tara, Theo, Travis...Tessa? Betcha that maitre d guy is like Terry or something…..no more of a Terrance…” She imitates his stance and then looks like a kid who’s been caught making fun of the teacher as the maitre d passes by again. She cracks up “Oh my god….I don’t get invited to many fancy places as you can tell.”
Theo laughs at Tara. “Well, I don’t either, but I wanted this to be special.” he looks across the table at her. “I think we deserve a break after the last few months.” he finds himself staring at her until the waitress reappears with a bottle and the two glasses. Once she sets down the glasses and pours for them, she backs away and goes about her business. Theo picks up the glass. “To us.” he toasts. He owes her a story and he knows it.
Tara nods in agreement and smiles “This is special and we do.” She takes her glass when it’s poured and toasts “To us….since Travis already decided you’re my boyfriend.” She laughs and then drinks. After she swallows she looks at the glass “Actually it’s a nice one. Fruity.” She looks at Theo “What’s the story that goes with renewing your license? Since we have the wine now.”
Theo clinks and drinks, grinning. “Well, if you don’t slap me after pouring this bottle of wine over my head and walk out on me after I tell you this story I would love to be your boyfriend.” he sips again. “I was in love before.” he begins, looking into his glass. “I met her while I was here in veterinary school. She got pregnant and I asked her to marry me. It seemed the right thing to do, but she told me she’d have to think about it. That threw me a little bit because I thought it would be more … I don’t know.” he takes another sip. “I said fine … and I went home and told my family that I was in love, she was pregnant and I wanted to marry her.” he blows out a breath. “And then there was an earthquake and … I …” he sighs deeply. “It’s another long story within this one …” he doesn’t even know if he is up to telling her about the fog. “But I wound up unable to contact her for nearly three years. I ran into her right after I renewed my license … and … she told me she aborted and married my best friend. Then she told me she had two kids with my best friend and was pregnant with another.” he drains the glass and sits it on the table, looking at the pristine linen tablecloth and waiting for all hell to break loose.
Tara beams when he says he’d love to be her boyfriend. Then she listens very intently while slowly sipping at her wine. Her expressions range from aww that’s sweet to sadness and then to anguish about the end and she reaches for Theo’s hand if she can take it “I’m so sorry Theo. I do know about the fog so you don’t need to go through all that with me. You didn’t choose it. It sounds like you were trying to do the right thing but from what you’re saying she wasn’t with you on that page then….could have been….you know I can't speculate. Your feelings are valid is all. And you didn’t walk away on purpose.” She looks truly understanding “I’m not going to slap you or waste our wine dumping it on you.” She pours him a fresh glass with her free hand and tops up her own.
Theo looks immensely relieved that she knows about the fog, at least. “She thought I’d ghosted her. And our baby. I mean, I can't blame her, but also .. that was not the time to tell her about this mysterious event that cut us off from the world.” he waves his hands dramatically. “But it was still a shock. Honestly … I was not in love with her by the time we came out of the fog .. time and distance and all that. Let’s face it. When someone basically vanishes without so much as a ‘fuck you’ for years on end, can you really expect to just pick up where you left off when they return?”
Tara nods slowly “Yeah. It took me a while to believe the crew….she probably wouldn’t have believed you and that might have just been worse. But you thought you were coming out of the fog to..to a 3 year old child somewhere. Theo I can't even imagine…and she ended up with your best friend?” She sighs deeply and looks at him with kindness “You don’t have to love the other parent to want the kid…” She had tried to take his hand before and now she tries again. He was clearly hurting deeply still.
Theo takes her hand. “That’s pretty much it. I would have liked to get to know the baby, or at least had some kind of say one way or another.” he brushes her knuckles with his thumb, absently. “So thats it … my heartbreak.” he grins. “Now what?” the waitress comes with two large plates of foot setting one before each of them.
Tara keeps hold of his hand, shifting her arm to accommodate the plate being put down and looking up at the waitress “Thank you.” She walks away and Tara answers “Hopefully not heartbreak and some pasta? I agree with you. We both have pasts, good and bad. You know about the partner that I lost because I just blurted out my stuff when you barely knew me. I mean there’s probably more for both of us but let’s at least enjoy the food.” She smiles a bit and lets go of Theo’s hand finally to pick up her fork.
Theo actually laughs. She had told him so much when they’d barely known each other. “But now you’ve heard mine too and the cabbie says we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, so …” he picks up his fork. “Maybe thats why this doesn’t feel like a first date” he begins to twirl the pasts onto his fork. He eats and nods, humming his approval.
Tara just points at the food and chews for the first few bites and then takes a sip of wine and looks between it and the food “Ok I approve of the pairing. As well as our care of the cabbie.” She sighs “No it doesn’t feel like a first date. But I haven’t actually had a first date with anyone since high school so maybe I’m just new?” She looks awkward “I know that sounds odd because I was engaged to Clint but we evolved because he …..he was another paramedic. We got together because he saved me from the guy who came before him…” She breaks off and twists her fork in the little lemony shells “Clint’s actually the good story except for the end of it. Mike’s the bad story….” She takes a few breaths to work up to telling it “He was one of my trainers as an EMT. Older than me, by 15 years, very adamantly pursued em even though it was an inappropriate relationship teacher student. But stupidly I went there. Found out later he picked one a year….by then I was pregnant and he wanted nothing to do with me. He was married. He forgot to mention that bit. He demanded I have an abortion. I didn’t want to but I was so heartbroken I did it.” She has to take another breathing break and now her eyes start to fill with tears. “It was then I found out he picked a girl a year so as soon as I got certified I reported him.” She sighs “Then a whole bunch of allegations came out at him as things tend to evolve….but of course he blamed me. He got fired. His marriage ended. According to him I ruined his life. So he harassed me at work when I got hired at a station...badly….then it got worse…” Now she can’t keep going and just sits trying to collect herself “I probably shouldn’t even be getting into all this right now…”
Theo eats heartily until the story begins and then he forgets to. By the time she gets tot he part where Mike wanted her to abort her child, he drops his fork onto the plate. He’ll reach for and take her hand if she’ll allow him to as the story continues and he watches her trying to collect herself. “Hey … it’s okay, Tara. You can tell me if you want.” he bites his lip. “I mean I feel comfortable enough to tell you what happened to me. If it’ll help, I’ll listen.” he suspects she may be afraid that she’s ruining their date … like his story couldn’t manage that if it was meant to be.
Tara slides her hand into Theo’s and squeezes his, feeling supported and nodding “I know. Mike’s in prison now. He cornered me by my car one early morning and stabbed me. Clint saved my life and IDed him to the police. Then he just stayed by my side through the recovery and the trial. Clint and I fell in love and got engaged but before we could get married he was killed on the job at an accident scene. He had just loaded a patient into the rig and a speeding pickup truck hit a patch of ice…” Now her eyes water again and the tears spill “He died instantly…” She wipes at her eyes “So I’m not really sure I remember how to do normal….dating and relationship stuff anymore. Please let me know if I get it all wrong.”
Theo looks pained as the story continues. “Oh, Tara…” he watches her tears and reaches over to wipe them away with his thumb. “I don’t know about normal. So I’m probably not the one to ask. But … we can just do what feels right or natural or whatever.” he cups her face and offers her a cheeky grin. “Or we can get a book and follow it to the letter… we can’t fuck it up then, can we.” he pauses. “If you’re even ready. I’m not rushing you, am I? It’s just that this feels .. overdue…”
Tara leans into Theo’s hand and looks at him with gratitude “You’re not rushing me. Believe me I’ve had a bunch of time to just think lately so if I wasn’t ready I would have cancelled on this. Texting with you helped me a lot in the last two weeks. Somehow my feelings for you and all of this mess that was my life before just coexist. I didn’t expect that. I also didn't expect to feel what I do for you so quickly and easily. I’m not going to label it,,,,it just is.” She inhales and then puts her hand over his cupping her face still and kisses at his palm lightly before easing both their hands down to the table and just holding his hand again.
Theo slowly nods. “See your self-quarantine was not for nothing.” he quips. “I loved those texts too, believe me. Simon even tried to tease me, but I told the smart chipmunk to shut up and get on with his deworming.” he caresses her face one more time before they just hold hands over the tabletop. “I wish I could define my feelings. I mean .. I can define them … I know the meaning.” he blows out a frustrated breath. “Maybe we don’t need to label it.” he suggests. “Maybe its been labelled for us. After all, Travis the cabbie pronounced us boyfriend and girlfriend.” he grins. “Who can argue with him?”
The two of them had been talking and holding hands and staring at each other for a long time. So long, in fact, that Tessa approached them, her eyes crinkled with minor worry. “Is everything alright?” she asks, very casually.
Theo blinked and looked at her. “What? No... no … everything is fantastic, actually. My compliments to the chef. Seriously.” he squeezes Tara’s hand. “Just having an intense date.” he chuckles.
Tara had been looking at Theo with adoration and sniffing as she listened to him and nodded. Then the waitress walked up and expressed concern and she laughs at Theo’s answer “Yeah what he said.” As she wandered off she gave Theo’s hand a squeeze and let go to eat. After enjoying the food a bit she washed it down and said “Ok so lighter topic, maybe. Tell me about your family. I know you have two siblings. Are you the oldest, middle or youngest? I have an older sister Laura and a younger brother Kyle so I am the middle child.”
Theo is of two minds about letting go of Tara’s hand to eat, but he does. He eats more and washes it down as she brings up lighter topics like family. “Family is the lighter topic?” he jokes. “I have more like two and a half siblings. Well … three. Yea … three.” he decides. “Biologically I am in the middle, too. The fat baby. The fat chipmunk.” he jokes. “Simon lords above us all as the oldest. And then, since I like to think my parents didn’t dare name a baby Alvin Avin, they gave up. But then Ziggy came along. Still, leave it to my parents, they named her Ziggy after Ziggy Marley.” he shakes his head, but is smiling wide. “Now my mother is the local foster care household, but the only foster that’s become like a real sibling was Gareth. You know him. He was quite the handful but in the end the one who is most like family.” he considers as he loads up another portion. “Might be another on the horizon, tho…”
Tara listens with an amused look as he talks about the sibling dynamics. “Simon sounds like Laura.” She smiles “And we’re not chipmunk names but I still get to be the chubby one. You are not fat.” She gestures almost tiredly at her fuller figure and big bust. “I can live with it, even the boobs...but I’m a little jealous she got to be taller. So did Kyle. Holding stuff up high over my head is still their favourite game.” She grins “I do know Gareth. That’s cool. And hilarious because my parents were foster parents too. Our house was full. My mom stopped after my dad died though. We had to move from the ranch...it was just too much in all ways.” She looks curious “Do you mean another foster sibling or one of your siblings now is having a child?”
Theo grins. “So in common we’re missile kids and fat babies.” he looks across at her. “I got over being the pudgy baby, but I love your curves. No offence, but you’re stunning. And your height isn’t so bad. I promise never to play keep-away with you.” he grins. “We do that with Ziggy but now that she’s with Angel it’ll probably stop … or get worse for her.” he chuckles. “And both the bios in the foster home. Our house is still full. Mom will take in fosters for the rest other life.” He considers the last question. “Oh no .. I mean I don’t think Ziggy is pregnant, but she and Angel are incredibly intense. They went from zero to a hundred in a second. You can see how powerful it is with them. It’s beautiful.” he looked at her and felt that tingle he felt when they met. “I meant one of the fosters. My mom loves them all but Gareth was special and now another … Dante Mendoza … might be another special one. He’s one of the kids that lost everything in the fog. And after he just was a kind of demon child, like Gareth but different. He’s a good kid.”
Tara can’t help but blush at his comments “Thank you. I wasn’t fishing for that but thank you. I think you’re quite stunning too.” She freely admits. Tara nods listening about Gareth and Dante. “Sometimes the toughest kids turn into the kindest. Because they appreciate everything in the end so much more. I can tell Gareth is kind. He puts on a show a lot but it’s obvious he actually cares. Your mom sounds like an amazing person.” She nods about Ziggy and Angel “Yeah aside from the chinchilla they are the best neighbors. And so in love. Hard to believe it’s new.... but also..” She smiles self consciously at Theo “Not hard to believe.”
Theo grins a bit as she accepts and returns his compliment. “Yea … recently he fell for one of the new girls in town. Fell hard and fell fast.” he half snorts. “I understand. And Ziggy and Angel … They’re very new. His family moved here in June… but … you can’t pick who and when you fall in love, I guess.”
Tara is both stumped on a reply for a minute and a little called out. She looks up at Theo and then down at what’s left of her meal. She blows out a breath and then finishes the pasta on her plate and downs her wine “Yeah unpredictable. I swear there’s some weird little spell on Alexandra.” Then she jumps to another topic “How is it working with your brother? I could work with Kyle. But Laura would drive me insane. Don’t get me wrong I love them both.”
Theo also finishes up his meal and wine then grins. “Who knows … there might be. Everything there seems more powerful sometimes.” he admits and is slightly relieved at the change in topic. He groans. “Simon has no system to work. Kind of scatterbrained and disorganized, but I’m the opposite, so it evens out. He’s a phenomenal vet, tho. Even better with his super organized assistant.” he chuckles.
Tessa the waitress reappears to take their empty plates and set down steaming coffee cups. “Complementary coffee.” She announces and backs off with the dishes revealing Vincent Reinhardt, dressed in chefs whites and another blindingly white face mask.
Vincent looks at them with a smile touching his eyes. “So you’re the first one to give me compliments.” he tells them. “Very cool. Small world, eh?” he moves a safe distance away. “Caffè corretto. Compliments of the house.”
Tara has to laugh “Ok so you’re tidy and mentally organized. There’s our opposite. Another way my quarantine was useful. I actually made myself unpack and clean. But it won’t last once I get back to work.” As the waitress appears with coffee and then steps aside to let the chef in she smiles “Well hello neighbor. We’ve exchanged hellos but I’m Tara. The pasta was out of this world. Thank you. And also for the coffee.”
Theo looks impressed. “We had to find it sooner or later. But if you ever need someone to organize your space, I’m your man.” then Vincent appears with coffee and he smiles. “It really is a small world. And you are a fantastic chef, Vincent. I didn’t know you worked here? Really? And you’re only … what … you’re seventeen, right?” he was familiar but not completely on Theo’s radar since he wasn’t the same age or a pet owner.
Vincent smiles at them both. “Yea we’ve seen you coming and going. Thanks for the compliments. The coffee is the least I can do.” He looks at Theo. “Eighteen, so I’m still young, but I’ve been cooking since I was a kid.” he shrugs, the smiles. “You two enjoy. I’d better get back to work.” they weren’t crowded by any means, but he didn’t want to interrupt a date.
Tara smiles “Nice. Have a good night Vincent.” She looks at Theo “Alexandra follows us. But that pasta was amazing. Do you cook? I mean no pressure to cook like that...” She laughs.
Theo nods Vincent farewell and gives his attention back to Tara. “It was. I’d heard he was magic in a kitchen .. now I know it.” he picks up and sips his coffee. “Me? Not like Vincent, but you won’t starve to death with me. How about you?”
Tara smiles “About the same. I took a Chinese cooking class at the community centre back home and now everything is pretty much a stir fry.” She shrugs “I never waste veggies though. Easy to portion when you live alone too.”
Theo grins. “So a lot of meals out. Got it.” he sips at the coffee again. “The guy we got our practice from … Dr Avila. He said he would never eat something he had treated, and I get him. So as of now, household pets aside, I don’t eat chicken or goats. Eggs only because they are part of pasta. Self serving exception but …” he shrugs and chuckles.
Tara laughs a little “Is that your diplomatic way of saying you don’t like stir fry? Because I do cook at home a lot. But I’m cool with vegetarian and vegan options. It makes sense when you look after animals to see that bigger picture. Why a cow if we love dogs right? I can see both sides of it. Being with Clint... I hope it’s not weird if I talk about him sometimes. Clint was from the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation. He had a unique cultural perspective on the relationship between humans, animals and the land. His family hunted, traditionally but it wasn’t the same kind of mindless consumption people have from buying a package of meat in a grocery store. I still eat meat but it think about it consciously now.”
Theo shakes his head. “I love stir fry.” he protests. “I don’t think it’s weird. As long as it isn’t one of those things where he was always better than I could ever be. That’s a bit intimidating.” he admits. “Ziven .. Dr Ayala was .. well half First Nation and half Native American. He had something like that. I suppose for me it’s less cultural as … yea … I can’t go out to the farm and treat the goats and chickens and then come home to goat meat. Maybe I am a bad person, but I don’t consider milk and eggs such a bad thing. And I’ve never treated any seafood. I might have to suit my job and become an accountant if someone tries to make me treat a lobster and so put it on the list of thighs I won’t eat. Or a salmon.”
Tara blinks and then shakes her head “Oh god no.... I never meant as a comparison. I don’t and won’t do that. Sorry that came off wrong. I just meant how people influence how we think. “ She looks a little awkward “ And yeah the vegan versus vegetarian. I say do what works.”
Theo reaches for her hand. “I understand but … it happens sometimes and … I hate it when it does.” He drinks the last of his coffee. “Shall we head out?” he motions for the check. If nothing else he can pay the tab and be ready to go when she is.
Tara takes his hand but looks a little withdrawn “Ok.” Maybe Theo had been unkindly compared to someone before. That wasn’t her intention. “Clint is just carried with me now as part of who I am. But I don’t want that to feel like something I’m holding over you or a threat to us. I’ll keep it in check.”
Theo nods. “I think that’s good. I’ve never had a lover who died. And .. hindsight being 20/20 I sometimes wonder if I was ever loved, if that makes sense.” Tessa comes by and Theo quickly reaches for the bill. “I think a lot about what Sarah said to me when she told me to just ghost her again. They’re working on their third kid .. I don't know. It makes me feel like Bob .. my best friend … didn’t just jump right on in when I vanished. I don’t know. I need to stop thinking of darkness when light is right in front of my face.” he grins. “Should I call the cab?”
Tara looks pained when he says he’s not sure he was ever loved. Then he grabs the bill before her and pays like she did with the cab “Sneaky…” She chides a bit “I’ll get the cab ride to the ferry too then…” She listens again and shakes her head “That would be an awful feeling I’m sorry. But maybe Sarah turned to Bob out of sadness over you? Possibly not a happier way to see it but I can’t believe the idea that she didn’t love you. You are rather….loveable.” She doesn’t come right out and say I love you but there’s a definite hint that she’s thinking it for that moment. She pulls out Travis’s card from her pocket and hands it to Theo “Yeah, let’s call.”
Theo makes a face. “Alright … this makes it about even. The meal and the cab.” Then he considers and shrugs. “Bob was always joking with me that I should keep Sarah close to me or someone would snatch her up. So maybe it was both.” he blinks when she says he is loveable, then nods, but loks like he’s not quite buying it. He pulls out his phone and sends a text message to the cell number;
Travis. Theo and Tara need a ride to the ferry from 13. Dinner was awesome! You available?
He sends it and looks back at Tara “Thanks for accepting my offer for dinner.”
Tara makes a face “Bob was a shitty friend. Damn.” She smiles sweetly at him “Thanks for not giving up on me when we had to wait.”
Travis texts back:
Cleaned the cab and heading your way. See you in 10. Good to hear.
Theo snorts. “Bob WAS a shitty friend. They can have each other.” he looks at her. “I admit I was a little scared … that maybe I wasn’t good enough or something.” he shrugs. “Being the kind of man my father was is .. well it’s impossible ot be as good as my father was. At least according to my mom. I know she loved him like you wouldn’t believe, but … its hard when she looks at me or Simon and we know she is thinking our Dad would have done whatever it was better. I think that’s her grief but it can take a toll.”
Tara takes his hand again, looking in his eyes “I’m sure you were more than good enough.” Then she looks pained “OK what you said before makes more sense now. Your mom doesn’t say that to you and your brother though? That you guys don’t meet her standards about who your dad was? If she does, that’s not ok. Maybe she’s not thinking all that at all. She probably just loves you guys. I mean we think people think all kinds of things that they don’t, especially with family. I’ve got a whole cargo ship of that baggage in my head too believe me. I don’t think you ever told me how old you were when your dad died? I was seventeen when I lost mine.”
Theo shakes his head and stands to lead her to the door. “No … but you can tell she thinks about him. Instead of What Would Jesus Do it’s What Would Dave Do. But she’s never said it outright to us, we just sort of know …” he grins. “I was 9 years old when he died, so in a way I think the same way. My Dad was like … Shepherd Book to me. Wise and a bad ass all rolled into one. Maybe that’s why he’s my absolute favorite character … in anything.”
[[Tag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd_Book
Tara walks with him and looks awed by the reference “That’s an intense character there. Was he a fundamentalist too or just the general personality of Book? What would Dave do?” She smiles a bit “That can be a good thing too. He must have been a really amazing person and father.” She hugs Theo a bit as they get to the door if she can.
Theo shakes his head. “My dad wasn’t all that religious. More that personality. He was amazing.” he hugs her and keeps his arms around her. He looks down at her and then with no warning, no words just kisses her again. It’s a compulsion, almost.
Tara smiles and looks up at Theo s she starts to think up a reply and gets spontaneously kissed by him. She gives a little grin into the kiss at first and then just loses herself in Theo’s arms and kisses him back relentlessly. At this point they’ve gotten through the door and are outside the front of 13.
Travis pulls up in his cab and sees his hires necking in front of the restaurant. He chuckles to himself and parks, cutting the engine and waiting. Let them enjoy their moment.
Theo closes his eyes for several seconds of bliss before he opens them and catches the cab out of the corner of his eye. “Time to go home?” he murmurs. He didn’t really want the evening to end, but he also knew it had been a heavy evening .. and he wasn’t sure if she was ready for … more or not.
Tara pulls back a bit as Theo murmurs a question and then sees the cab “Oh he’s here….yeah..” She tries to hold his hand and walk to the cab if she can take it “Hi Travis. I hope you weren’t waiting long?” She asks as she opens the door. She hesitates and puts on her mask quickly.
Travis chuckles through his mask “I was going to start going through my audio books but you two seem to have come up for air.” He teases.
Theo puts his mask back on and holding Tara’s hand goes to and opens the door for Tara. “Smart ass.” he retorts. “It was just a peck is all.” he smirks under the mask.
Tara giggles “Thank you.” And she stis “Like a peck if we hit the pause button…...and maybe some rewind and fast forward…” She teases Theo.
Travis snorts “Whoah I don’t need the nitty gritty. So….what did you eat? I live vicariously because I had stale doritos and one of those health bar things from the airport. Tell me about more exciting food. Then I had this guy in my cab so afraid of covid he had pulled his fuzzy hoodie around his face so tight I swore he was a muppet in the review…..got a bit of dorito dust up my nose from earlier and sneezed and I thought he was going to bolt on the payment.” He laughs hard.
Theo pfffts. “I wasn’t looking at my watch. Felt like a peck.” he looks at the cabbie. “My patients aren’t human, but it is my professional opinion that you should eat better than that.” he tells him and then looks at Tara. “It was completely unpronounceable but delicious.” he laughs at the muppet passenger. “Oh the times we live in.”
Tara agrees and smiles at Theo with her eyes over the mask “Travis I hope you find something more substantial. I can’t remember what ours was called now either but it was basically those flat shell things with kale and a lemon pesto sauce. It was really delicious. Was it at least a muppet colour like green or blue?”
Travis whimpers a bit “I love pesto…..ah life. Maybe my roommate won’t have eaten all my cereal. And yeah he was blue and fuzzy. I’d say he was Cookie Monster but not as cheerful….more of a Grover on an anxious day.”
Theo nods. “That. If we keep coming I will have to learn passable Italian or work on my food memory.” he winces inwardly at cereal. “Cook something … or at least a relatively healthy microwave meal?” he suggests and then laughs at Grover. “Well … anxiety is the new normal. I confess, it’ll be good to get home and relax.”
Tara smiles “I don’t think you need to speak it to cook it. “ She sighs at Travis “How about a salad from a deli? Or even a sandwich with lettuce and tomato?” She leans into Theo a bit, basking in the warmth of him as the sun is getting lower now.
Travis snaps his fingers in the air “Ramen….maybe with a fried egg. If Fox hasn’t eaten all my eggs...or the ramen….”
Tara has to laugh “Your roommate’s name is Fox? Is that a nickname?”
Travis shakes his head “No his parents were and are X-Files freaks. The construction is down so I’ll get you kids to the chill zone faster.” He turns off and is on the thoroughfare towards the ferry port in no time at this time of day.
Theo points at Travis. “See … progress…” he laughs at Fox’s parents. “It could have been worse, says Theodore Alvin the fat chipmunk.” he puts his arm around Tara and enjoys the ride.
Travis laughs “Do you have brothers named Simon and Dave? Aren’t there girl chipmunks now...chipettes? I swear to god the fuck with everything. The smurfs got all goth and hang out with Doogie Howser…”
Tara laughs into Theo at the question about sibling names and then groans at Travis’s rant about chipettes and smurfs. She had one arm around Theo’s waist and her other hand casually resting on his chest.
Theo laughs and hugs Tara closer to him. “Nope. My father was Dave and my older brother is SImon.” he closes his eyes about more and newer chipmunks. “God. No. Please … because my mother will be on us to have kids and name them after the new generation of chipmunks.” he groans. “I can get a vasectomy next week ….”
Travis laughs and laughs “Harsh man…...don’t mess with the boys over that. Maybe you could just agree to make them watch all the films new and old. My niece plays that Chipwrecked movie on repeat. It’s bad…..like Loveboat meets Gilligan’s Island bad.”
Tara gives Theo a shocked look and laughs, shaking her head “Yeah don’t do that….” She can’t abide by that joke even though they’re very new to one another. Then she cringes at the movie description “Wow….sometimes I think they’ve run out of movie ideas. Especially for kids. I have twin nieces and I will text my sister tomorrow and forbid they ever see that. They’re still all about Frozen, which is bad enough.”
Theo laughs. “Alright. Alright. I want kids.” he blinks. “I’ll just find a way to tell my mother I am NOT carrying on the chipmunk tradition … thank god I’m the youngest son.” He listens to the show. “Oh … fuck no! Thanks. If they’d like we adopt out puppies. Do puppies trump obnoxious children's programming?”
Tara looks relieved when Theo says he wants kids. She’s not sure why she’s so relieved at this stage of them, but she really is. Then she laughs about the puppies “Laura would not take well to that. She’s not a dog person. We had both as kids on the ranch but she was really all about the horses more than the dogs and cats. And she’s a neat freak. It’s been a challenge with kids in her house. I think it might just have to be bad kid’s movies for them.”
Now Travis can’t resist the urge and says “You know Theo...you might just have to..” And now he starts singing “Let it go...let it go…..don’t hold it back anymore…”
Tara almost falls over laughing.
Theo shrugs. “Probably good, since we don’t have any puppies at the moment. Pets and neat freaks don’t get along. It’s not like…” he begins and Travis begins to sing Theo nearly dies laughing, but manages some last words. “You are an evil, evil man, Travis!”
Travis sighed after “Oh I know. And good timing, you’re here so you won’t get the whole soundtrack out of me. You guys have been fun. Call me again anytime. Hell friend me on Twitter so I get to snoop on how many kids and puppies you all have someday. CabManTV. Travis Valdez.”
Tara giggles and then gets out her card to pay “No they don’t. CabManTV ok…..” She blushes a bit at Travis’s predictions but only comes back with “I suspect kittens not puppies but thanks for the vote of confidence.” She takes the pinpad and taps to pay and then looks self consciously at Theo about her comeback.
Theo takes out his phone and quickly adds Travis on Twitter. “You’ve been fun yourself, man.” he grins. “I’ll keep you informed how many are in the first litter, I promise. And if you’re ever in Alexandra look us up.” he didn’t mind Tara’s comeback one bit.
Tara waves to Travis before he drives off “Who knew we’d make a friend in the cabbie and see a neighbour from home?” She reaches for Theo’s hand to walk to the ferry. After they board and the crowd disperses she gestures to the stairs that would lead outside again and then to the deck around them with the inside seats “Preferences?” She’s not assuming he wants to make out for every ferry trip they take.
Theo also waves and heads for the ferry as well. “Not me. Hell of a small world we live in.” he takes her hand. “Let’s go up again.” and when they do, he will find a bench and sit with her. He doesn’t take off his mask, but he does put his arm around her. “So a little late, but we finally had that dinner.” he lets his eyes twinkle above his mask. “So when do we start working on that litter.” he immediately holds up his hand. “I’m just kidding.”
Tara leans on Theo happily and nods “We did and I’m so glad.” Then she sees the look and hears his joke and gives him a playful swat “Travis is a bad influence. Not that it’s a bad thing….just not in a rush.” She gives him a little half hug.
Theo recoils from the swat laughing. He returns the hug. “No. Definitely no rush.” He is thinking of the pain of her lost love. “We’ll take it as slow as you need, alright?” he looks out at the water, just enjoying holding her.
Tara chuckles a bit “I mostly meant the litter part. Let your sister have the Chipettes name battle.” She teases. “But I’m also not suggesting we jump into bed on the first date.”
Theo laughs and looks at her again. “God, my sister can have them. She wanted a chipmunk name as a kid … and with Angel she seems so happy.” he smiles under his mask. “But for us .. I just want it to feel right … whenever it happens.” he pauses and takes a chance. “And I really want it to happen.” he tells her, a bit shyly.
Tara grins and nods, just showing the grin with her eye corner crinkling “All theirs.” She looks intently at him and sighs happily “Me too…..on both of those.” She takes his free hand in hers if she can and caresses his fingers “You know two weeks ago when we had this plan originally…” Then she laughs and shakes her head “Probably too soon for this topic. I’ll just say I agree and leave it at that.” She blushes a little and even in growing darkness, the outside lights reveal it.
Theo looks at her face and takes her hands in his. “Two weeks ago when we had this plan originally… what?” he asks her, looking at her. “Because … since when is any topic too soon for us?” he wonders aloud.
Tara laughs and nods “Ok….well my place is clean, because I had time but I also thought….I dunno, that you might come in. Which two weeks ago…..let’s just say mother nature made other plans for me this week. So yes Theo I would love to go to bed with you, in a day or so?” She admits and face plants into his shoulder to hide the next blush.
Theo realizes what she means immediately and chuckles. He mods into the side of her head as she buries her face into his shoulder. “No problem.” he tells her. “Even a few days.” He pushes her away a little bit. “Cause I’m not going anyplace. Just give me a call and I’m yours.” the words are sweet and romantic, but he does follow up with. “Unless I'm fixing an animal, then give me a chould more hours, please….”
Tara laughs hard and looks at him “Thank you. What an offer. We both have jobs, hell my shifts are 24 hours. I’m not expecting us to stop drop and roll the second things are in the clear in the bathroom.” She laughs some more.
Theo is laughing now. “You’re welcome. I’m just saying it’s a little unprofessional for me to clamp of a cats ovary and just let it lay there while you and I make mad passionate love someplace.” he laughs even harder. “Stop, drop and roll. Man … I’ve gotten that wrong since school. Thanks for the correction…” he hugs her tightly.
Tara hugs him back “No cat tortures. See using stop drop and roll this way makes those old fire safety speeches way more giggle worthy. Maybe I work with too many lude fire boys….oh like your brother and Tom O’Leary, and we’re not even on the same shift. And what’s his name...the chili guy….Caito. You can cut the innuendo fog in that place like butter.”
Then keeps laughing and keeps his arms around her. “Oh … yea … I bet it’s something else. It’s not too much?” he asks, suddenly a bit concerned. “There’s something about … I don’t know … people are … freer? Does that make sense?”
Tara gives him a little squeeze and then pulls back and looks at him “No they’re not pigs at work, just goofs. No one’s hitting on me or Dana or any of the other women. It’s just banter you know. And Valentine, my EMT partner on shift, he just rolls his eyes at them and laughs quietly. So he’s not dishing it out. I mean different work places. Have you always worked with your brother? You said there was another guy….the guy who’s half Indigenous Canadian and half Native American? I know we were sort of in it about...Clint….at that point but I was actually listening to you.”
Theo seems relieved. “Oh, Dr Avila? Ziven.” he sits back a little bit. “He worked everywhere … and took me and Simon under his wing. At one point he wanted to start a practice on Alexandra. Bought that house the clinic is in and was going to take on three jobs … for the government, as the vet in Cedar Point and as the vet here. He wanted me and Simon to help run the clinic here in Alexandra. Then he fell in love … and then they both died in the Cedar Point earthquake.” he sighs. “So SImon and I sort of … inherited the place. Once the fog cleared we had to scramble to get the clinic licensed and everything but it went as smooth as you could ask for.”
Tara listens and then her eyebrows furrow as she frowns “I’m so sorry about your friend...mentor? And his girlfriend? Wife? Partner? Not assuming. They both died….” She sighs “I’m glad you and Simon are able to give the place life and do what you love though.”
Theo nods. “Ziven was both … friend and mentor. And it was his fiance .. husband to be? It was a homosexual relationship but .. whatever. I heard they were found in each other's arms. Tragic but .. romantic? Or am I just a sick fucker?” he nods again. “I think we were just happy we had a fully stocked vet clinic when we got cut off. So the animals stayed pretty healthy.”
Tara gives her own arm a swat “I assumed a woman. A habit I’ve been trying to break for ages. Love is love and I totally support all of it. Oh found in each other's arms? That’s both beautiful and horrible. I agree with you.” She sighs “Well the animals needed you guys, and their people. I mean with all this Covid stuff people are suggesting people foster animals who are lonely but essentially Alexandra has already done some of this stuff hey?”
Theo backs away a little as she swats herself. “I don’t mind and Ziven wouldn’t have either. Love was love, he always said.” then he smiles a little. “Well, we did good. Mostly helping people to prepare fish for their animals … even the dogs once the pet food ran out. And we got an orphan pet or two … people who died during the earthquake or committed suicide during the fog. Only one after. A new resident who brought this large grey dog in. He died of Covid and we took in the dog. I trained her to be a support animal and she now does that.” He looks proud, even behind his mask.
Tara smiles a bit with her eyes “Just a thing to work on, among others, but I appreciate that.” She listens about the care of animals during the fog and then her brow furrows about the suicides “Sadly that makes sense….like up North in Canada some places.” She looks curious about the support animal story “Is that part of vet training? The support animal work? Because that’s super cool Theo.” She’s impressed.
Theo sighs and nods. “Like that, but in a way worse. We didn’t know if we would ever be a part of the world again. And some couldn’t handle it.” he shrugs. “Not really. I took a class while I was in veterinary school because I like the idea of support animals. Not so much like support peacocks or pot bellied pigs, but pets do relieve stress and lift depression and with a little help they can be trained to help with whatever their person needs. Int he case of the Grey Lady, she makes her person feel safe because she’s so big and she is loving and accepting … which is more than you can say about humans.”
Tara nods, gravely “Yeah, I got that impression.” She smiles a bit as he explains about the support animals class and the Grey Lady. “You did a good thing. And yes animals can really help with mental health for sure.” She leans into him a bit again “There are humans who make other humans feel accepted and safe…” She nudges Theo “I can think of one right here.”
Theo smiles and keeps her close. “What’s not to accept?” he strokes her arm. “Smart, a great job helping and healing, beautiful body.” he grins. “Oh I absolutely accept you. Every bit of you. I don’t know what kind of protector I am, but I’ll do my best. I promise.”
Tara giggles and blushes at first and then gets hit with just this sudden surge of emotion for Theo and her eyes are watering as she looks at him. She blinks hard and then glancing around she realizes they’re relatively off the radar and pulls down her mask and reaches to pull his down and kiss him if she can.
Theo absolutely allows the kiss. He’s seen the look on her face and after a few seconds breaks the kiss to look into her eyes. “Hey … it’s true.” he gives her a quick soft kiss. “You … you OK?”
Tara sniffs a bit and nods, smiling “Yeah….just um….just got emotional…” She’s about to go on when the PA system talks over her.
Attention BC Ferry passengers, we are now approaching Alexandra. Please prepare to disembark. Thank you.
She laughs at the PA and tries to explain more but vaguely “Just big big feelings…” She cuts off like she can’t put it into words….yet.
Theo nods and glances up as the announcement goes off. He looks at her and nods. “Yea … I know …” he tells her. “Let’s save that … for a few days. If that’s alright.” he wil stand and gather her in his arms for a hug.
Tara tilts her head as he seems to mirror what’s happening for her emotionally, if she’s reading him right. For a few days….She exhales feeling both eager and nervous about the ideas that take a little jaunt through her head as she stands and hugs Theo back, sliding on her mask properly over his shoulder. “Well I don’t think it will run away.” She says about the growing feeling she’s experiencing for him.
Theo gets his mask on and adjusted. These feelings they are not speaking seem mutual … feel mutual … but he has to wonder … and then kick himself for wondering. She mentions that she won’t run away. “I don’t think so either … it may even grow in just a few days …” he takes her hand and begins to walk down so that they can disembark the ferry at Alexandra.
Tara has to smile at his words. She’s still a little in disbelief at their connection but also really feels it’s something that goes deeper than she can even understand. She walks with Theo, holding his hand. Her hand has memorized his already and how it’s supposed to fit into it. It’s the most natural feeling. They walk off the ferry and down the sidewalk a bit. The sun set fully while they were on the early part of the ferry trip. Now it’s dark. But people in town are still out here and there. Dog walkers, couples, groups of teeenagers being loud and acting like they own the streets. Tara watches them all as she casually takes off her mask again and walks with Theo.
Theo takes his mask off as soon as he can and puts it back in his pocket. Walking with Tara felt so natural. As if it was meant to be. They pass Perkatory and head up water. “Almost home…” he tells her angling a bit towards the park and the long line of apartment entrances behind the Water Street shops.
Tara slides her other arm and hand to his forearm of their arms where the hands are holding below. She pouts a bit “Walk slower…” She pines “I don’t want to say goodnight. Or you could come in even if you know I’m not asking like...that? For tea?”
Theo slows his walk a bit and listens ot her as they pass by the door to his sister’s apartment. “I’d love to come in, even if … that … is off the table. Tea and your company I’ll be a happy man.” he admits.
Tara sighs in relief and lets them both into her still tidy place. She sends Theo off to get comfy on her little couch while she starts the kettle for tea and picks out a nice herbal blend. They drink tea, talk more, kiss, cuddle and just keep connecting. Theo is patient, loving and low pressure and it’s exactly what Tara needs. Finally after refusing a third pot of tea, she concedes that he should in fact go home to sleep, let they both need her bathroom 3 more times a piece. Reluctantly they part at the door but she makes him put her work schedule in his phone calendar and laughs at her own bossiness. They set another date, which they both know is THAT date and try not to make a huge deal of it, even though their feelings are already overflowing as they kiss goodnight until Theo is outside the door and Tara breaks off and waves, closing it with a big sigh “Theo Alvin…” She breathes out back into her space as she sinks her back into the door where he just was.
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