My Love; My Life: Slipping Through My Fingers

Wars End

*Yet another dress from the 1840's*
*A Million Dreams: the greatest showman*
*Hector & Elenita (age 5 months)*
Setting: February 2, 1848

     Everyone, everywhere is in celebration for the end of the war, everyone accept for Fernando & Hyla; Hyla is more focused on fixing the time gauntlet & getting to a different time period that's hopefully closer to home. With one war over, she didn't want to stick around for the war that follows it; neither her or Fernando wanted to live through the civil war that follows in thirteen years. Working on the gauntlet is hard with the lack of proper technology to do so, but as slowly as it's taking, little by little it's getting done & Fernando can't help but just sit & watch her work. The twin are only five months old, but look as though they're nearly a year. Hector sits on the floor near the rocking chair as Fernando holds Elenita in his lap, rocking in it as he watches Hyla work & occasionally glances over to check on Hector.

"Change Hector," Hyla tells Fernando before the crying starts

"How-"

"A mama knows," she cuts him off as she stays focused

"Whatchya say wes go out dancin tanight?" He asks her as he places Elenita on the floor, stands & grabs Hector, "celebrate the end of the war."

"Maybe..."

"Y'all can wear one of yer new dresses," he tells her

"..." she doesn't answer due to how focused she is

"I'm sure one of the neighbors could watch the twins," he adds in as he sets Hector back down

"Elenita," she says before the girl starts crying

"What?" He asks starting to panic, "hungry? Change? What?"

"Wants er daddy," she states as the child is silenced the moment she's picked up

"I was wrong," he starts, "when I said they wouldn't be safe ere," he continues, "they will be, as long as we're ere ta keep em that way-"

"No," Hyla sighs out as she finally stops working, "Y'all'er right," she tells him as she turns to look at him & picks up Hector as he crawls towards her, "it ain't safe ere, I don't want Elenita growin up repressed n raised in a society where women r seen as inferior, weak, n fragile things who need a man ta protect em. A life where er only options n life r ta become a housewife or a servant-don't y'all want more fer her Nando?" She asks as she looks ready to cry, "I don't want Hector ta grow up n we almost lose 'im ta whatever war comes next when e's old enough ta be drafted...I want em ta be safe n be sure we know that they are in fact safe, no matter what happens ta us."

"Yer right mi diosa," he sighs, "so what're y'all thinkin?"

"As soon as I get this thin fixed," she starts off, "I'm gonna write a letter ta my uncle, n myself-"

"The one that I mysteriously found in the presidential library n was in yer hand," he says in realization, "what did it say?-what're y'all gonna write?"

"Ask me that in two thousand forty one," she tells him with a smirk

"Why two thousand forty one?"

"Y'all'll remember soon enough," she tells him as her smile seems to weaken like she knows something he doesn't

"..." he gives her a confused look, but doesn't ask anything about it, "how much longer do ya think that's gonna take?"

"If we're lucky," she sighs out as she finally stands up from her work with Hector in her arms, "sometime in 1849."

"Gotta admit," he says as he takes a seat in the rocker, "that's sooner than I would've thought."

"I suppose we could go out dancin fer a lil while," she tells him, changing topics back, "can ya go see if one of the neighbors r able ta watch Hector n Ellie so I can get dressed n do my hair?"