Always, It's You

Chapter 43

It's a little visual representation of Ashley's house here😊

It was already late afternoon.
Ashley increased her pace of paddling the bicycle as she wanted to reach home before twilight.

She spent her day in the city library and paid a little visit to her hospital. The director told her to join the work a week later.

She had some books and some groceries in her carrier.
She promised the children to bake cookies for them the next time she pays a visit to The clouds.
She has been pretty busy trying gardening in her yard.
The cottage was quite old and surrounded by enough trees and lake Tekapo behind. It was already beautiful but she wanted to make an actual garden this time. She didn't have enough time before to do that.

She was thinking about completing her doctorate but couldn't decide where she should apply. Any university would love to accept her application around the world but she was confused.

The weather was calm as well.
A mild breeze was blowing ruffling her hairs around. The setting sun behind the mountains was coloring the whole sky in shades of orange and red with strokes of purple. The surface of the lake was coated with the tints of gold and orange hues of the sun.

She got down from the bike as she was near her cottage. She was walking along the driveway pulling the bike beside her, thanking the person who planted poinciana and jacaranda on both sides of the road.
The red and purple carpet covering the road with fallen petals always made her feel like walking into heaven.

She made wooden stairs behind her backyard descended up to the water surface of Lake Tekapo a few days ago. She was thinking of making a small gazebo for a painting studio there from where she can see the vast horizon across the blue lake with snowy mountains and clear blue sky.
It was time she makes her place a little more peaceful.

She parked her bike as soon as she saw someone sitting on the stairs of the front porch. Who's that?

The person approached coming out of the shade seeing her stop.

" T...Tae?" she couldn't speak properly.

"Looks like you are using my teaching perfectly!" seeing the bike Taehyung smiled shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Tae?" Ashley was still surprised.

"How have you been, Ash?" smiled Taehyung.

"H..how!???" she could utter just this much.

Taehyung shrugged playfully. " I missed you. Thats how."

"I don't understand!" Ashley still couldn't process what happened.

"Am I welcomed?" Taehyung smiled.

"Oh God!" this time Ashley released her hands from the bike and covered her face with them, "I can't believe it!"

"Me neither." Taehyung laughed, "Yet here I am!"

Ashley looked at him smiling like the morning sun and she wrapped her hands around Taehyung as he pulled her in a hug. Taehyung smiled in the hug.

"I know, I know, you missed me," Taehyung teased her as he patted the back of her shoulder.

"I am not gonna even ask how did you find me," Ashley mumbled and released him, "Come on in."

Ashley opened the front door and Taehyung unloaded the groceries from the carrier and went in.

"You have found your sanctuary I  see," Taehyung complemented looking around. "It's a very beautiful place. I wish I can finally settle down somewhere like here."