Oh, Ophelia | Tom Riddle

Month of happiness | Carl

"Don't you want to thank them yourself?"

"We haven't been on speaking terms since the whole stock market crash thing. Still not over it." She said and he laughed,

"It's been over a decade," he said,

"But then they hit the world with another war, and then I found out that Disney is actually really messed up, so you know. Maybe I'll ice them out for another decade." She said, he looked at her,

"How are you not a character from a book?" He asked,

"I'm real." Said Poppy turning to smile at him,

"And you expect me to talk to gods for you?" He asked,

"Yes." She said, lowering her sunglasses to reveal those bright golden eyes,

"Not the eyes," said Carl, "You know I can't resist those eyes,"

"When I was a kid all I wanted were blue eyes actually, like that ocean." She said, turning back to the ocean,

"Why?"

"My mother had blue eyes. I wanted to be just like her," said Poppy, "But I guess gold is a nice consolation prize,"

"A hundred movies could be written about your eyes," said Carl, reaching out to take Poppy's hand,

"In all their technicolor glory?" She asked,

"Exactly." He said,

"The thing about blue eyes is that they are like pools of water you could swim in, no one would want to swim in a pool of gold. Except Scrooge maybe," she said thoughtfully and Carl found himself laughing again,

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" He said, and she turned to face him again,

"Let's say no," she said, and he grinned at her,

"My love for you is as wide and as deep as that ocean." He said,

"So romantic,"'she said blushing, "You know I was wondering why I married you."

"Cracked the case?" He asked,

"You are the best most romantic man I've ever met." She said, "I like that phrase cracked the case. Makes me sound like a love detective or something."

"What would your name be?" He asked,

"Can't be detective love, too on the nose." She said,

"Of course,"

"Maybe a literary theme." She commented, "Like detective Lathario, or scrap that detective Lovelace, because who doesn't love Ada Lovelace?"

"No one." Said Carl who was constantly being blown away by his wife's intelligence,

"Precisely," she said, "I want to swim,"

And she pulled him out of his seat and into the water with her,

Carl had never been truly happy, but with her, this bright glittery creature that loved him for who he was, he found joy.

—

Their honeymoon was over and they returned to their home in the valley, Poppy was out seeing Marje just to say hi, and Carl had every intention of working but a knock came at the door.

He opened it to see Daniel Amara her brother, unhappy, and looking a little disheveled.

"Is she here?" He asked, "Is," he took a breath, "Poppy here."

"No, she just went out to say hello to a friend. Are you alright?" Asked Carl,

"You're a good guy Carl, I just need to see my sister." Said Daniel, and then as though she had a sense for these things,