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The delightful aroma of roses filled her nose as she pushed the door to her classroom open. As Astoria flicked on the lights, she saw the most extravagant bouquet of roses and wildflowers sitting atop her desk. There was a small card peeking out of the top of the flowers and a small wrapped box sitting beside.
Astoria plucked the card out of the bouquet and set her belongings down on her desk. She settled into her chair as she slid her finger along the seam of the envelope, opening it without ripping through the fragile paper. There was a large heart with one of Cupid's arrows stuck in the middle of it on the front of the card. A small giggle escaped her lips as she extracted it from the envelope and opened the front cover.
"What do we have here?" she mused cheerfully to herself as her eyes skimmed over the card.
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Life wouldn't be as sweet without you.
Love, Graham
A smile pulled at the corners of Astoria's lips as she settled back into her chair, running her thumb back and forth across the note in the middle of the card. Her thoughts drifted off to her very first run in with her sweet valentine.
Astoria made the decision upon graduating from University that she was going to move stateside, much to her mother and father's dismay. Their plans for the rest of Astoria's life didn't line up with the plans that she had laid out for herself. By leaving London, Astoria gave up her rights to her inheritance. Thankfully, that was the only thing her parents chose to hang over her head.
Mrs. Greengrass was sympathetic to her daughter's request to leave. She knew all too well the toll that the war had taken on everyone. It wasn't everyday that a child had to watch their friends being killed. When her father pressed the issue of an impending marriage contract, her mother stepped in and reminded him that times had changed. Neither of their daughters needed to be married off, it meant more to Mrs. Greengrass that her daughters marry for love and enjoy their happiness. It didn't take much convincing to get Mr. Greengrass on board with the idea, especially after Astoria assured him that she would find her way on her own. The only financial assistance she asked for was the cost of the ticket.
Astoria packed a bag and hopped on a plane bound for Maine. She liked the idea of experiencing the seasons and enjoying fresh seafood. When she landed, Astoria took a look at a map and noticed a forest on the outskirts of town. That was where she decided to start her new life.
Storybrooke was a happy accident of a discovery. As she crossed into the city limits, she felt a surge of energy much like the ones she used to feel when she stepped onto campus at Hogwarts. The surge brought back a sense of home.
The town was quaint and quiet. Everyone seemed to keep to themselves and go about their business without really interacting with one another. It wasn't until Astoria had found her way into the local diner that anyone even realized there was a newbie in town.
A man in a leather vest and a badge was the first one to introduce himself to her. His smile lit up the entire room and Astoria couldn't take his eyes off of him. "Hello, there," he said, extending a hand to her. "My name is Sheriff Graham, and you are?"
Astoria took his hand, shaking it firmly. "I'm Astoria Greengrass. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine," he said with a wink.
From that moment on, the two were inseparable. Graham made sure that she had a place to stay and even assisted in getting her the job at the school - which took a little finangling since Astoria's degree didn't exactly meet the qualifications for the job. However, Graham and Mary Margaret had both vouched for her and insisted that she be given the job.
Astoria and Graham started dating a little over a year after she had arrived in Storybrooke. He was always finding cute ways to remind her just how much he loved her and today was just a prime example.
She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She dial the number of the station from memory and lifted the device to her ear as she listened to it ring. Three chimes later and his sweet voice echoed through the phone.
"Good morning, love," Graham said. "Did you find your surprise?"
"I did," Astoria replied, leaning back in her chair and propped her feet up on the desk. She smiled as she stared at the flowers. "They are beautiful. Where did you find the wildflowers?"
"In a field on the outskirts of town," he answered.
"Of course," Astoria laughed, nodding her head slowly. "I thought the card was very clever, too. How did you get in my classroom?"
"Which card?" Graham said, a smirk pulling at his lips when he heard the confusion in her voice.
"There are multiple?" she asked, raising a brow as she dropped her feet to the ground and leaned forward to grab the wrapped box that was still sitting on the desk. Much to her surprise, there was a small envelope attached to the box. She shook the box and heard the rattle of candies inside. "What's in here?"
Graham laughed, shaking his head as he held the phone to his ear. "Why don't' you open the card and find out?"
Astoria rolled her eyes. "That's what I'm trying to do," she laughed, slipping her finger along the seam of the envelope. She pulled the card out of the envelope and something onto the desk. "Oops."
"Did you drop something?" Graham asked.
"Maybe," Astoria replied, biting her tongue to keep her smart remarks to herself. "Why would you stick something inside of the envelope along with the card?"
"Because I was trying to be clever," Graham replied. "Just read the card."
Astoria let out a sigh and moved the two pieces of candy that had fallen out of the card into the middle of her desk. She flipped them over and noticed the question mark on one piece and the word me on another. She furrowed her brow and opened the envelope.
Astoria,
You're sweet on my heart.
Arrange the candies to find my question for you this Valentine's Day.
Love, Graham
She picked up the envelope, turning it upside down and shook out the remaining pieces of candy onto the table. It took her a moment to flip all of the pieces over and study the words on each piece. The room fell silent as she clutched one hand to her chest and held the phone to her ear.
"Well?" Graham asked, pulling her back to reality.
Astoria nodded her head slowly, too stunned to speak.
"You need to say something, sweetheart," Graham laughed, shaking his head. "I can't hear a nod of the head."
"How did you know I nodded my head?" Astoria asked, furrowing her brow as she turned to the door.
As if on cue, Graham stepped into her classroom with a grin on his face. He slipped the phone into his pocket and made his way over to where Astoria was sitting. He dropped to one knee and presented her with the ring.
"What do you say, Astoria?" he asked, offering a smile. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Astoria shouted, jumping up out of her chair and flung her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips into his, kissing him passionately.