𝙸𝚁𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙰𝙱𝙻𝙴. ➪ 𝙴. 𝙿𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚎

𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎

The day Ralph Opal met Virginia Moon was a marvellous one. The two met on the 26th of December in 1919. Ralph was twenty and suffering from some shell shock from the Great War and Virginia was nineteen, and looking for something to pass the time.

Virginia was perhaps the prettiest woman in Finchley. Closely followed by her close friend, Helen. And so, on one lonely boxing day, Virginia and Helen ventured into a local bar, The Palomino Stallion. Virginia had never expected to meet the love of her life there. A tall man sat hunched over the bar, a small glass of vodka tucked between his long fingers. His hair was a stunning brunette and seemed to frame his face perfectly. As Helen and Virginia approached the bar, Helen called for two gins.

The bar was empty, apart from the tall man and an old man reading the newspaper at a table in the far corner. "How old are you?" the bartender asked, raising a brow.
"Nineteen," Helen replied confidently.
"Don't look a day over fifteen," the bartender muttered. "I'm not serving girls."
"We could be fifty and we'd still be girls," Virginia replied sweetly.
"Two gins," the tall man at the bar spoke up.
The bartender gave them a wary look before serving the young chap. "Here," the man said, sliding the glasses towards Helen and Virginia.
"Thank you, sir," Helen smiled. "I'm Helen."
"I'm Virginia," the slightly taller girl added.
"Ralph Opal."
The man stuck his hand out for the women to shake. Virginia was surprised at how rough his hand was. It was like sand paper. She daren't mention it as it was highly likely it was some sort of effect from the war.
There was silence for a few moments before Ralph ordered another drink. "Are you sure, Mr. Opal? You've had an awful lot to drink tonight." the bartender questioned.
"I have a reason to."
The pub fell into a silence before Virginia dared to speak up.
"Why?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"I fought in the war for three years. Seeing your friend's face get blown to bits or the god awful stench that emits from masses of rotting bodies is enough to make any man want to drink his life away," Ralph replied, studying Virginia's face as he spoke, realising just how beautiful it was.
"Is that what you want?" Helen asked. "To drink your life away?"
"I did," he said, locking eyes with the beauty that was Virginia Moon.
"But you don't now?" Virginia furrowed her brows.
"I met someone," he whispered, flicking his eyes to the equally as beautiful Helen. But there was something about Virginia that made his knees weak.
"Who's the lucky lady?" Helen quizzed.
"That's classified information, Miss. Helen," he smirked. "But I do hope to see her again soon."
His eyes scanned over to Virginia one final time before he grabbed his coat and hat and departed the pub into the pouring rain. For some curious reason, Virginia felt her cheeks heat up at the stranger's flirtatious words.

The year was 1920. Six months after Virginia met Ralph Opal, she'd almost forgotten about him. In fact, she thought she had forgotten him. Except she hadn't. Because when she locked eyes with him in a book shop, she couldn't help but blush. "Virginia?" he smiled sweetly down at her.
"Ralph Opal."
"You remember?" he chuckled.
"So did you," she laughed.
"I suppose you're right. You have very memorable eyes," he said.
"I do?"
"Indeed. I think your eyes alone relieved me of my wartime woes," he smirked slightly.
"Now, that's terribly dramatic, Mr. Opal," she said. "You have a lovely surname. Opal."
"I agree. Virginia Opal sounds wonderful, don't you think?" he glanced down at her. Virginia couldn't help but laugh at the man's smooth attempts at flirting.

In 1922, on the 4th of June, Virginia Moon became Virginia Opal. She married a man she'd fallen hard for over the previous three years. Helen claimed that she'd seen it coming all along, whether that be true or not. Helen had also met a lovely man who she was set to marry. Virginia couldn't have asked for a lovelier life - she lived next door to her dearest and nearest friend and she was married to the kindest man she'd ever met. What Ralph had said, about Virginia's eyes, was for the most part true. Once he'd officially began seeing Virginia romantically, all of his grief from the past just seemed to wash away for the hours he spent with her. It was in August of 1922 that Virginia first published a book as writing stories had always been a passion of hers and a hobby she devoted most of her time to.

The Old Sweet Shop Up Tikton Lane

by Ralph E. Opal

The book became a hit. And so did everything else that Virginia published under Ralph's name. She'd once tried to publish something under that of her own name, however the publishing company refused to take the book under 'Virginia Opal', claiming publishing it under a woman's name would merely cut profits and turn away customers. Anyway, The Old Sweet Shop Up Tikton Lane told the tale of a young boy named Arnold Hughes, who finds a friend in a young Irish girl named Clementine Woods, who was abandoned by her parents and left in their old sweet shop.The reviews claimed it was a 'heart-warming tale, which highlighted the importance of youth, friendship and innocence, which can be found in the strangest of places'.

In 1924, on the 11th of March, Virginia and Ralph welcomed a little boy into the world. Ralph selected the name Elmer Arnold Opal, which Virginia fell in love with. It was this same year that Helen Pevensie and her husband welcomed a son, whom they named Peter. A year later, and Susan Pevensie stumbled into the world. In 1927, Helen and Virginia fell pregnant again. Virginia gave birth early to a little girl, who was named Phillis Clementine Opal. A month earlier, Helen birthed a healthy boy named Edmund. Phillis had been tiny due to her early birth, which worried Virginia and Ralph. However, she grew into a healthy young woman. And finally, Lucy Pevensie arrived, who was a bundle of joy.