One Last Chance

Paris Special

The TGV Lyria departed Zurich Hauptbahnhof, sliding past lakes and the green foothills of Switzerland. As the train sped through the French countryside, the scenery gradually flattened into golden fields, small villages, and distant church spires.

Charlotte looked out the windows in excitement, she had always wanted to visit the city of Love with the love of her life. Her hand was loosely entangled with her wife's on her lap, Engfa's head was snoozing on her shoulder. This was the eighth day of their honeymoon and the rest of it will be spent in the romantic city.

Through the windows, rows of Parisian apartment blocks with wrought-iron balconies started to appear. Charlotte turned her head and gently shook her wife awake. With a gentle voice and tender gaze, she called out, "Fa fa, wake up, my love. We're in Paris!"

Engfa's eyelids twitched before they opened sleepily, she yawned and snuggled deeper into her wife's neck. She mumbled, "A bit more, bee..."

"Fa, you've slept for four hours, wake up sleepy head!" Charlotte chuckled and stroked her wife's silky hair.

"My wife tired me out yesterday." Engfa mumbled some more and twisted her body, pressing her chest into Charlotte's arm and sighed.

She received a playful slap on her arm and yelped, she sat up straight and looked at her wife with a pout. Charlotte replied with a huff, "That was in the afternoon and you started it!"

"Fine, I'm awake now. How long til we reach the station, baby?" Engfa pretended to rub her arm and asked.

Charlotte reached out to massage her arm for her and bent down to kiss the spot she lightly hit. She replied happily while opening the cap of a water bottle for Engfa, "Half an hour more, is Fa hungry?"

Engfa sipped the water gratefully and nodded, she leaned over her wife's body and looked out the window. In the far distance, she could see the iconic Eiffel Tower among the bricks and stones. The weather was perfect too, the sun was shining and the skies were blue. She turned her head and said, "We'll check in then pick a nice spot for lunch. I hope they have lemons."

"You and your lemons." Charlotte grinned. "I wonder if our hotel can see the Eiffel Tower, that'd be so romantic."

"Yes, because we can..." Engfa had a smirk and leaned down to whisper some unspeakable things in her wife's ear. She received another slap on her arm and laughed out loud. Looking at Charlotte's glare and red cheeks, she reached out to pinch those chubby cheeks she loved so endlessly.

"You're so shameless, Faaaa!" Charlotte blushed.

The train finally pulls under the high glass roof of Gare de Lyon, one of Paris's historic stations. Engfa stood up to take their luggages from the overhead compartment, while Charlotte carried the rest of their belongings. Together with the other passengers, they got out of the train and stepped onto the platform.

"Hold on tight to me, baby." Engfa said to her wife while holding her hand tightly. Charlotte nodded and pressed her body closer, her other hand clutching their handbags to her front cautiously. The atmosphere hit them immediately: crowds rushing, travelers tugging suitcases, the rich scent of baked goods and coffee drifting from station cafés. Above the station rises the iconic clock tower, it was almost midday and they were both craving for a steaming cup of coffee.

Their taxi pulled up to Hôtel Raphaël, its elegant façade rising just off the Arc de Triomphe. The building looked like it had stepped out of another century: stone carvings, wrought-iron balconies, and tall windows draped in soft golden light. As the doorman in a crisp uniform tipped his hat, the heavy doors opened into a lobby that smelled faintly of polished wood and fresh flowers.