Time After Time

“First time in London, huh?”

“First time in England, actually.”

The cabbie and Rose were exchanging a few words before Rose realised that she was too tired to even speak with clear mind. The cabbie was chatty and friendly and Gustav was the one who talked to him when Rose was already sunk into her seat.

Rose wanted to sit straight and see the view outside the cab as they drove to Gustav’s flat- she was in London, finally. But she had no energy left after almost twenty-four hours flight and all she wanted now were hot shower and sleep. And this place is ice cold, she thought, wrapping herself with her arms more while looking at the glimpse of London’s late at night outside the cab’s window. She just managed to blink all the way until the cab finally stopped at what looks like a small apartment with modern, minimalist architecture. The wall was painted in soft beige and Rose thought about how Gustav left a magnificent-looking place like this for his deformed granny smith place back in Liverpool Ave in Australia.

“We’re here?” she straightened her back and peered outside, too tired to think whether her question was stupid or logical.

“Yes,” Gustav responded and he looked a little distracted somehow.

“You okay?” Rose stared at him, raising her hand to gently stroke his left forearm, and Gustav nodded slowly.

“I just never thought I’m going to go back here in a year,” he smiled and quickly levered himself outside the cab. “Come on. We don’t want you to catch any cold, do we?”

Rose followed him outside the cab, the cold night air wiped her face and she whimpered once again. They paid the cab driver and Gustav pulled his trunk behind him through gravelled ground. When they reached the door, he already had a key in his hand. Rose relieved at the sight- he meant to come back after all, because he still kept his apartment key.

“So…you rent the place?” Rose looked around, feeling like she would be warmer if she do or say something.

“Bought it a couple of years ago when we sign the deal with the record,” he explained, among the sounds of clicking between the key and the lock. “There,” Gustav finally stood back after he opened the door. Rose walked in, only with a small bag in her hand, and he followed her, closing and locking the door after turning on some lamps, revealing a short corridor with wooden floor. All furniture was minimalistic, either in dark or light colour but mostly dark, and she thought that somehow this place fit what she had in mind when she tried to picture his place.

But it even felt icy inside the building. And there was smell of light dust in the air.

Gustav walked past her, his shoes making sounds as it hit the wooden floor. “I’m going to need to fiddle with the boiler and thermostat, this place’s freezing- you can sit or you can go the bathroom over there if you want to,” he said, waving his hand to the direction of living room and then bathroom, and went to the other room. Rose shouted “Okay” to him in other room. She just realised that cold might get threatening here in England- in her house, all she needed was one big good heater and warm blanket and she would be ready for winter.

Rose walked over the wooden floor to his bathroom. She was so glad that she could have a bathroom that wasn’t moving or not overly small like the one in plane. She felt safe on her own privacy again, where she didn’t have to hear noisy sounds of what was going on outside the bathroom she was using. Washing her face with cold water after she was done, Rose shuddered greatly once again before she opened the bathroom door, wishing she could take the hot shower soon. Gustav had turned most of the lights on his flat and he was looking around, gesturing all over place and sighing, “It obviously needs cleaning.”

Rose nodded weakly.



Gustav saw her and he seemed to be reminded of something. “Right. Do you want to take a bath first or go straight to bed?” Rose mumbled a “Huh?” before she shook her head and answered, “Oh. I want to take a shower first if that’s okay with you.” Gustav smiled, “Sure.” He leaded her to his bedroom upstairs. Rose was thinking about the stair- the fact that if you live in a city like Sydney or London; you had to squeeze space in order to make things that take less space. Unlike in her town, where she still have plenty of ground left around her house because she lived near the mountain, not around city area.

“So you need sleeping clothes- that’s for sure,” he moved his hand through his clothes, thinking about what would be suitable for Rose. Rose just followed him, sleepy but she wanted to clean herself first after such a long journey. London might be cold, but Australia was hot and she knew she was sweating, at least a little, back there, “What kind of clothes you still have on your bag? I don’t think even my joggers would fit on you…how tall are you? Like…a hundred and sixty five centimetres?” Gustav’s voice disrupted her train of thought and she remembered about taking a shower soon.

“A hundred and sixty three,” she replied in big yawn. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay- I mean, you’re obviously tired, this is your first time flying and we flied that long…and the other thing that is obvious is that even my pants would be way too big for you.”

Rose stroked her eyes with her fingers, chuckled, “I still have a skirt and dress shirt plus my underwear on the bag. You can just lend me something to sleep tonight and I can wear the skirt and dress shirt while I’m going to buy some clothes tomorrow…”

Gustav finally pulled the smallest joggers he had and the tiniest hoodie he owned.

“This would do?” he asked her.

Rose nodded, receiving the clothes from Gustav, “Would do. I should borrow your soap too…”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I have everything. The new toothbrush is in the cabinet in the bathroom.”

“Thank you,” Rose yawned again and fumbled to the bathroom.

Gustav cleaned up a little, changing his bed sheet and pillowcases, and made tea for both of them. When Rose stepped down from bathroom upstairs, her hair was slightly damp and she basically smelled like him since she used his soap. But the most interesting part of her was his hoodie that was way too big for her that he couldn’t help but laugh. Her hands were completely disappeared on the hoodie’s arms and he somehow imagined a small cat being wrapped in a big towel.

Rose laughed too. “You never know how big or small you are until you lend your clothes to someone else.” She shrugged and stared at the mugs on the kitchen counter. “It smells good.”

“Oh. Here’s yours,” Gustav handed her mug to Rose and she smiled.

“Thank you.” Rose took a seat in front of Gustav and sipped her tea. She hummed in delight after she took a few sip.

“I still have bourbon if you want to digest something else.” Gustav muttered after he took a sip from his own tea.

Rose stopped sipping her tea. “What’s ‘bourbon’?”

Gustav raised his eyebrows; his mouth was already open to explain.

“You don’t mean the alcoholic drink, do you?” she added, concerned with the idea of drinking before sleeping.



Gustav Wood was happy, sad, and anxious to get back home. London didn’t really change and his place either. He had specifically asked to his landlord to leave the place the way it was and he was glad that nothing was changed. Except that he was alone when he left but he was with someone now.

Rose sat across him on the kitchen counter, asking him about bourbon. He could feel her excitement radiated from her body, even though she found the winter unpleasantly cold. Gustav gazed at her tiny figure, sunk on his smallest hoodie. His gaze trailed to her damp red locks and then Rose’s pair of big, green eyes. They were more of olive colour in the room light. And then her reddish eyelashes and a group of light freckles scattered in her fair-skinned face. He tried to remember when was the last time he had chance to sit to her this close and actually looking at her. But then the half-English man realised that they were still talking about this Bourbon; that there was no equivalent for Bourbon biscuit in Australia. Sure they have things like Scottish Fingers and Tim Tam produced by Arnott’s, but as far as he could recall, there was no Bourbon biscuit at all.

“It’s a type of biscuit,” he chuckled. “The name sometimes gives the reference to the corn-based mash American whiskey.” Gustav stood up to reach the biscuit jar, the only thing that probably hadn’t expired in his flat. “I forgot that there’s no Bourbon in Australia.” He spun the lid open and took a piece, “See? It’s just a normal biscuit. Chocolate biscuit.”

Rose goggled at the piece of biscuit in Gustav’s hand. “I think I’ve ate them, I just didn’t know they called ‘Bourbon’.”

“For Australian, maybe. But for us poms,” he chuckled, remembered what people usually refer him as back in the down under. “This is the most popular type of biscuit here in Britain.”

Rose stared at him in awe and he liked the feeling that he could tell her something she didn’t know yet.

“Is it good?”

Gustav smirked, “It’s amazing.”

They ended up emptying the Bourbon jars and drank almost six cups of tea that night, because they just realised that they hadn’t had dinner after they stared at the empty jar.



When Gustav took his shower after the tea, Rose opened her bag on the bed, examining what she had left because her other things were on her undelivered bag. At least she was in clean underwear and clothes now, but she had nothing clean to wear after this. She checked her other belongings; wallet, passport, iPhone (she’d need new number or car and wondered whether there was a way to connect Vodafone Australia with Vodafone England or something), some other important document, and little stuffs like wet tissue and small notebook with its pen. She made a mental note to go buy clothes first thing in the morning, because Gustav’s pants kept falling from her hips when she stood up. She opened her wallet, wondering whether clothes would cost a lot to buy here.

But this is London, she thought anxiously. Maybe it’s equivalent with Sydney, because in the big city, everything is expensive.

Rose looked down at a couple of hundred Australian dollars she had in her wallet. They were still Australian dollars and she just realised she had to exchange them for pounds if she wanted to be able to buy things here in London. When she had put her things back into her bag, Gustav stepped out from the bathroom, his hair were slightly damp like hers as well but he looked clean and fresh after the shower. He was only on his joggers.

“Your things okay?” he asked to which Rose nodded in reply.

“Yes. I’m just checking some stuff. Well, mostly money. I forgot that of course you guys have pounds and have no need to exchange anything before flying here, but I only have Australian dollars. And I’m in a need of clothes,” she chuckled.

Gustav put his head through his long-sleeved shirt and mumbled, “Hey. I promised to buy clothes, right? Don’t worry about money. You’re in my town, remember?”

Rose honestly forgot about that. “Oh. Right.” She stared down at her bag, worrying about her luggage, when Gustav sat next to him, smelled like hot shower and hugged her, kissed her forehead.

“Sorry that your trunk isn’t here yet.”

“It’s okay, really,” Rose chuckled.

“You look really cute in my clothes,” said Gustav. Rose didn’t know whether that was real compliment or he was just trying to make her feel better about this whole trunk situation.

“I’m too tiny for your clothes, I know. Angela said I didn’t grew any taller after I’m sixteen or something.”

Gustav laughed, “Think about the plus side; you don’t need big clothes, because big clothes cost more money.”

“…You’re right.”

“Even my shoes are expensive- because they’re big.”

Rose was the one who laughed now, “That really made my day- and my day are supposed to be over by now. What time is it?” she mumbled.

“One in the morning,” Gustav looked at the digital clock he already put back on his bedside.

“We really should get some sleep,” Rose yawned.

“I agree.”

Gustav lied down comfortably on his own bed first but Rose just sat there, in his oversized hoodie.

“What is it, Rose? You want more Bourbon?” he asked.

Rose laughed and slowly moved to his side. “It’s delicious, but I had too much Bourbon tonight,” she slowly lied down next to him, feeling the warmth of being under a blanket and moaned. “Yes. This is where I’ll stay for a long time.”

Gustav chuckled and kissed the side of her head.

“Goodnight, Rose.”

“Goodnight, Gustav.”

It was almost two in the morning when Rose finally fell asleep.



“Rose, wake up.”

“Nooo.”

“It’s nine in the morning.”

“But it’s a cuddle weather.”

“…It’s a what?”

“Cuddle weather. You’re supposed to stay at your bed and cuddle with whatever in it- pillow, dog, boyfriend, whatever- and stay in there until things get warmer.”

Gustav laughed. He was torn between talking with this half-sleep interesting Rose, but he knew they had to wake up somehow.

“Come on, Rose.”

“BUGGER OFF!”

Gustav jerked back in surprise, not knowing whether he wanted to laugh or he wanted to continue this. The half-Norwegian man was throughly entertained by this side of Rose, where she acted like Bogan and suddenly have various Australian slang in her dictionary when she was half-asleep. Rose’s face was buried on the pillow, hiding from the need to get up.

“Did you really just say ‘bugger off’?” he chuckled, stroking her hair on her back. “You said you want to get clothes, right? It’d be better if we can leave before streets got crowded.”

Rose mumbled another ‘Bugger off’.

So he let her sleep for another fifteen minutes.



Standing in his kitchen, Gustav looked around with a small note and a pencil in his hand. He made list of what he had to do and buy with those two things. He needed to go to supermarket and fetch things like food. Writing in his notes, he skimmed the list. Milk, cheese, and bread…the tall man in long-sleeved thick shirt and grey sweatpants viewed the empty pet bowls on the floor.

And I have to pick up Sampson, he thought, adding once more thing under his to-do list. That means I have to buy cat food too. Scribbling words under his to-buy list, Gustav remembered that he had to wake Rose up. Even the thought of waking her up made him smile. He looked around with big, goofy smile on his face. He looked at the sofas, the kitchen cabinets…he was going to do a lot of thing with Rose here.

And she had agreed to be his girlfriend.

When he walked upstairs, Gustav felt like it was almost criminal to be this cheerful in the midst of winter like this.



It's cold.

That was Rose’s first thought when she gained her first streak of consciousness, the weight of sleep slowly being lifted from her body. She was somewhere warm, her body remembered, but it was winter outside. Even though she hadn’t opened her eyes yet, the girl with long red hair snickered to her own brain. It couldn’t be winter because it was November. It's always summer in November in Australia. But then Rose flickered her eyes open and she recalled that she was in London, England.

She quickly sat, making herself dizzy and groaned a little because of that. She was on a bed- not her own bed, though. Whose bed? She thought. It wasn’t Michael’s. This room was too small and minimalist for his taste. But why would Michael bring her to England? He was busy. He was always busy. Rose shuffled, pulled the warm blanket around her legs. She was wearing ridiculously big pants and an oversized hoodie. They smelled like a man.

Just like the man who stood on the opened bedroom door.

And that man was her boyfriend.

At that moment, Rose remembered everything. She smiled at Gustav who grinned so wide she was surprised the grin didn’t break his cheeks.

“’Morning,” he greeted, strode toward her. Rose enjoyed the moment where she could gaze up at him; tall, beautiful man with a pair of stunning blue eyes and dark brown tousled bed hair.

Rose wanted to reply his good-morning, but somehow all she managed to blurt out was, “Are you going to shave that?” while pointing at his hair chin.

Gustav laughed and sat next to her on the bed, but with his feet still touch the floor. “I am. I was just making list. Are you hungry? We need to get out to get food, unfortunately. The Bourbon last night was all I had.”

Rose hugged him from behind, her arms on his neck and they stumbled together on the bed. She really didn’t want to leave the warm bed but she knew she needed to go. Gustav groaned.

“Rose, if you continue this, I swear all we’re going to do today is just lying here and doing nothing.”

Rose hummed “Mhm” and then let him go. They smiled at each other and then Rose finally get up to wash her face in the bathroom. She put on her white dress shirt under the overly big black hoodie Gustav lent her and replaced the pants with her skirt. She wore her only socks and then shoes, wishing that she had her trunk by now, because all her clothes were there. She also kept her stockings and longer socks in there. But there was no use to complain now. After brushing her long hair, she walked downstairs to see Gustav was ready. He was sitting on the spot he sat last night and he looked at her when she came.

“I just finished moving the list of what I’m going to buy and do today,” he stood up, smiling at her. “If you need anything, you can tell me when we’re on the supermarket. Now, let’s have breakfast and get you proper clothes.”

“Alright.”

Rose didn’t move for a while, enjoying the sight of Gustav in what would Gabriella called ‘natural habitat’. This was his home. This was his town. This was his country. He seemed to be at some kind of ease. And, God, did she enjoy seeing him like a mess before he dressed up and also now, all suited up and ready to go. He wore mostly black, except for the plaid shirts that was peeking from his dark jacket.

“What?” he asked once they were standing next to each other. Gustav had shaved his chin and he smelled like mint toothpaste and shaved cream.

Rose shook her head, “Nothing. I’m just looking at my boyfriend.”

Gustav chuckled and they walked outside the flat, hand in hand.



Gustav and Rose had taken the train to bigger, more crowded area of London in order to looking for food and clothes, when someone called Rose.

“Miss Lette!”

They both turned around towards a tall man with dark brown hair and eyes in dark blue suit. With one look, Gustav knew that this Robert must be Michael’s friend. The man was in his middle thirties and he wore this attitude that let Gustav knew he must have been often speaking in formal public.

“Robert! Oh, please just call me ‘Rose’…” Rose smiled towards this stranger.

“You didn’t tell me you’re in England, Rose” the man hugged her tiny figure and smiled at the red-haired girl. “Michael did say about some friend and surgeon in England, but he didn’t say you’d be here- and who’s this friend of yours?” Robert moved his stare towards Gustav.

“Ah,” Rose quickly moved to stand between Robert and Gustav, two men with heights towering her. “Robert, this is Gustav, the friend that Michael helped with the surgeon he mentioned to you. Gustav, this is Robert- Michael’s friend.”

Robert smiled and spoke with a mix between London accent and general Australian accent he used to hear every day back in Australia. “Gustav, huh? Not the hunter-hygienist, I suppose?” he smiled and laughed to his own joke, which Rose somehow understood because she laughed as well.

“What are you doing here, Robert, if you don’t mind me asking?” Rose asked the man in suit.

“Oh, of course I don’t, Rose. You must be remember Margaret…”

“Your wife- of course, how’s she doing?”

“Never better, thank you for asking- Margaret opened another boutique in London and we happen to stand in front of it.”

The three persons in front of marble-floored tall building turned around to face the boutique belonged to Robert’s wife.

“Congratulations!” Rose quickly smiled to Robert who nodded proudly.

“Thank you very much, Rose. Do you want to look around? We’re going to open it in an hour, so you have time if you want to…”

Gustav and Rose shared a look and Rose responded, “Oh, Robert, I’d love to. But I’m in a need of breakfast and clothes now- not dress that Margaret’s boutique might sell, but normal clothes, so…”

Robert smiled in a way that reminded Gustav very much to Michael, “Rose, Margaret’s boutique Michael brought you once to in Sydney only sell formal clothes, but this one covers underwear and silk pyjama.”

Rose raised her eyebrows.

Gustav tried to stare anywhere but to Robert or Rose.

“But, of course, you’d need breakfast first. My friend’s place next door is already open so please let me treat you and your friend as well,” Robert proceeded to gave them a look that made them unable to refuse his offer.



Sitting with Rose and Robert who happened to know each other pretty well, Gustav could only hold his grunt to himself. He should have seen this coming. Of course they would bump into Michael’s friend. The half-Norwegian man felt a little better as he finished his full English breakfast who happened to be very tasty, something that he would expect in such a grand dining place like this.

Rose and Robert chatted pretty much about things he didn’t thourughly understand; Michael’s hospital, tax carbon and its impact to Australian economy and education, more about economy and Michael and then they finished with breakfast where Robert rather insisted that Rose took some clothes for keeper from the boutique.

When they walked back to Gustav’s place with hands full of beautiful paper bag from Margaret’s boutique, Rose finally spoke.

“I’m so sorry about that.”

Gustav shook his head, “Please don’t apologise.”

“But I know you’re irritated,” Rose pouted.

He chuckled, “I just honestly feel…well, like what I usually feel when I see Michael. They live in a different world with us- no, with me. You can live there too; obviously you lived there once. I’m pretty glad you have some really nice clothes by now, but I…” he sighed. “I also want to buy you clothes- even though I can’t buy you some pairs of underwear that cost a couple hundred pounds.”

“Oh Gustav…you know that doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t really matter for you, but somehow it matters for me.”

The reached his house, where he opened the door and stomped his way in.

“I’m really sorry,” she stared down after she put the bags on the floor.

“Hey,” Gustav tugged her closer to him by pulling her forearm, before he titled Rose’s face up by raising her chin with his fingers, and kissing her fully on the mouth. When he pulled back, Rose panted, her face was red.

After a while, what she said was, “I’m sorry.”

Gustav laughed, “Why are you still apologising? I’m the one who’s supposed to apologise. It was childish- I was childish. At least now you’re going make the expensive lingerie looks really hot on you.”

“Gustav!” she groaned, shoving him aside by his arm. He laughed and hugged her.

Rose sighed, but eventually she hugged him back.

“Hey Rose?” Gustav hummed, with Rose still in his arms.

“Yeah?”

“What does Robert means when he said that I’m not the, if I don’t hear it wrong, ‘hunter-hygienist’?”

Rose chuckled, “Do you know who Gustav Jäger is?”

Gustav pulled back, shook his head with questionong experssion, “Am I supposed to?”

“He was a German naturalist and also hygienist.”

“…Hygienist…?”

“He’s the kind of figure that Michael as surgeon would know. Anyway, his last name, Jäger, means—“

“—Hunter, yeah, I know that part.”

“Basically, he was saying that he’s the second Gustav that comes up to his mind after the Jäger one. You’re neither has Jäger as your surname or a hygienist, so…”

“Ah,” Gustav nodded. “Well, I learn something new everyday.”

Rose chuckled and nodded as well.

“What does Robert do, anyway? Why does he remember this naturalist bloke before…I don’t know…the kings? Gustav of Sweden, maybe?”

“Oh. Robert was Michael’s friend in Sydney since they were in high school. They done their undergraduate medical degree together, but they went different path since starting postgraduate. Michael, as you know, became surgeon. Robert was more in academic path. He married Margaret and he was currently doing research while teaching here in London. He visited Australia a lot, of course, usually with Margaret to check their boutiques in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and Perth.”

Gustav nodded again.

“No wonder they’re kind of alike- God, that was kind of creepy.”

Rose just laughed in response.

“You should see Margaret, though. She’s really enthusiastic in fashion- not to mention very pretty.”

Gustav only smiled. He already had all the prettiness in woman he would ever want to see in form of red-haired girl who was currently babbling in front of him.



"There's no Woollies here, I assume?"

"No, Rose. But we have Tesco here."

Robert Wiltshire gave Rose around eight bags of new clothes, so Gustav and Rose needed to put the bags back in Gustav's flat before they went for grocery shopping. Since Gustav had no car in his possession, they moved around using public transportation. He had apologise to her for that, because they had to cram themselves in between tourists and Londoners in the underground train. Gustav suggested that they take the cab, but Rose enthusiastically told him that they should go with underground train to the supermarket and then take the cab on the way back, because it would be hard to bring groceries using train. Gustav agreed and more than happy that Rose loved to try the underground, and they went to nearest Tesco.

It was just another series of normal activity for Gustav, but strangely, riding on a train and going for shopping were so much more fun when he had extensive knowledge about almost everything compared to Rose, who was more than happy to ask him about everything, from what do people do to lost things in London Underground to what brand of cheese Gustav usually buy when they were in Tesco.

With trolley full of stuffs to be paid for, Gustav pushed the trolley and he talked to Rose about how the currency between pounds and Australian dollar felt to him since he had lived there for the past year. Rose threw comments once in a while before she took a little glance to Gustav's shopping list.

"Oh, you still have one more thing to buy there," she reminded.

Gustav glanced down at the pointed item and pursed his lips.

"'Cat food'," he read.

Rose had moved closer to his side to read it. "I almost forget Sampson. Where is he now?"

Gustav turned the trolley around to pet section of the store. "In a care of a pet store. I'd like to pick him up in our way home- do you mind if I do that?"

Rose shook her head immediately, "No, of course not. I want to meet him. A cat, huh..."

He must be looked sad when he put a bag if dried cat food and a half dozen of canned cat food, because Rose looked all worried when they waited in line for cashier. After they stepped out of the supermarket, with hands full of groceries, Gustav opened his mouth.

"I have a feeling that Sampson might hate me."

Rose looked at him. "Because you left him when you...?" She couldn't finish her question.

Gustav chuckled bitterly. "I'm like an awful father, aren't I? Left him the first chance I got to run away..."

"Oh Gustav..."

He shook his head, sighing, and growled, “Don’t even try to debate that one. You know I'm right, even though you know that I didn't really have a choice- that I just couldn't bring an animal to Australia."

Rose just nodded silently, but they chatted about lighter topic when they finally got into a cab and on the way to the pet store.

The store was rather small and but it looked promising- at least that was what Rose felt about the place. Gustav exited the cab first after asking to the cabbie to wait there with their groceries while he fetch Sampson. Rose followed him inside. He went straight to counter, leaving Rose to see around the store.

"Sampson...the cat's name, right? May I have your name, Mister...?" the bald man behind the counter asked Gustav with his eyes on the computer screen.

"Wood. Gustav Wood."

"Ah. Sampson, Wood...he's in the care of one of our employees now, named Caitlyn Parker. She handled cat for long time stay and she currently handles three now. Do you want to wait until tomorrow so you can take Sampson just here or do you want to go straight to Miss Parker place? I can contact her now if you wish so."

"Please." Gustav nodded.

Rose stood next to cages full of little puppies and her smile faltered in the memory of Lestat. Fortunately, Gustav tapped her shoulder and Rose’s attention quickly shifted to him.

“So where are we going now?” she asked.

“A place- just a couple blocks from here. We’re going to pick up Sampson there. Apparently, there’s this employee who specifically work to take care of pet for long time. I guess I know her- I saw her a couple of times when I have to leave Sampson for touring.”



It was a silent ride to the house where Sampson was and Rose knew because it was Gustav was full with anticipation to see his cat again. Rose remembered Lestat and tried to not look into it too much. Insread, she gazed outside the window, into London through the cab’s window. The sky outside was grey, but it was expected for winter and England. She missed the summer and sun already, but she also wondered when she can have time to walk around to see places like Big Ben or London’s Eye. They had reached quieter blocks compared to the one with the pet store on it and they stopped in front of a simple house in a building that contained a couple of house’s numbers squeezed into one.

Gustav took a deep breath and shot Rose a look before stepped out, “You just wait here, alright?”

“Okay,” Rose wanted to come with him, but she sat there anyway, watching one or two people walked on that rather empty street with their thick clothes on and nose reddened because of the cold. She then looked at the door of house number four. Gustav knocked the door and not long after, a young woman with long dark brown hair in sweater opened the door, handing him a pet crate. They exchanged words for a few more moments before Gustav finally turned around with the pet crate on his hands.

When he finally sat back in his seat, he commanded the cab driver to leave right away.



“Sampson?”

The pet crate had been opened and Gustav knelt in front of it, while Rose watched, still clutching to the groceries bag. She thought they needed to put everything that needed to be put in the fridge right away, before the red-haired girl thought that it was fine to leave them outside for a little bit longer since it was cold outside anyway. “Come here,” the man on the floor spoke once again and an orange cat made its way outside the crate.

The first thought that Rose had about Sampson was that it was tiny if she compared him to Lestat.

“Here, boy…” Gustav opened his arms for the cat, which sniffed his fingers and then his arm. He then scooped the furry creature up in his arms, resulting Sampson to meow as he brought the cat into Rose.

“Hi Sampson,” Rose smiled to big cat on Gustav’s arm.

Sampson just meowed louder and squirmed himself on the man’s hands.

“What do you think?” Gustav smiled rather proudly.

“He’s cute,” Rose chuckled, but she looked serious as she observed him more. “But a little small in term of size…?”

Gustav laughed, “He’s a cat and I suppose he’s a normal-sized cat. Here, would you mind holding Sampson for me? I’m going to prepare him his lunch.”

“O-oh…sure,” Rose nodded even though she wasn’t sure about how to handle a cat properly. She received Sampson from Gustav and tried to imitate the posture Gustav made when he was holding the cat. Rose felt scared even though Sampson was so much lighter and smaller compared to Lestat, but then the cat purred and she gasped and looked at Gustav who currently tried to open the cat food in can.

“He’s purring!” she told him.

“That’s something a cat does,” Gustav smiled and finally cracked the can open.

While watching Sampson eat, they sat on the sofa and drank tea. Rose seemed to be unable to take her eyes off the cat, so Gustav asked her.

“So you never had cat, huh? Not even Gabriella or Angela has cat?”

She shook her head, “Angela has two dogs and Dan has a cockatoo, but no cat.”

“He likes you,” Gustav smirked as he finished the tea in his up. “Sampson likes you.”

“Oh, I’m not sure. Sure it’s nice that he’s purring and all…it’s like you can feel the purr in your bones.” She explained.

Gustav shuffled a little on his seat. “I read that cat’s purring is actually used for therapy for people with bone problem.”

“Really? That’s interesting,” Rose folded her body, hugging her legs with her knees on her chin. “I miss Lestat,” she mumbled, more to herself, but Gustav heard her anyway.

“Oh, Rose, I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head, laughing, “It’s okay. He’s in a better place now. And I am also in a better place now. I never thought I’d go to London. Sure I have some friends who are from London or working here, but I’m not close enough to them that I can just visit this town with them.” Rose finished her tea and then stretched her legs towards the floor. “So, what’s your plan for the rest of the day?”

Gustav shrugged, “Cleaning, mostly. I hope you don’t mind. We can go for nice cuppa and walk and maybe dinner after we done in the evening.”

Rose’s eyes twinkled and she jumped from her seat to stand up.

“Where do we start cleaning, then?” She was just like a kid who will her Christmas present earlier if she clean her room.

Gustav chuckled.