For Once We're At Peace

Chapter 8

The anniversary of Alexander 'AJ' Hamilton Jr.'s death was soon upon the cast of Hamilton – August 2nd, 2016. Esperanza was sat in her dressing room, her window open to allow some fresh air into the room. Opening one of the draws, the girl gingerly took out a sketch of her son and set it beside a candle she kept for whenever one of the deaths of a friend or family member came around. She would light the candle, say a prayer, blow it out, and place it by the window before leaving the room to try and distract herself. So that's what she did.

She took her lighter and lit the pumpkin spice candle. When the children were younger, Esper would always make a pumpkin pie since she remember her mother from this era always used to make them the minute it hit the autumn season. It was a tradition her children had carried on through their lives, dedicating it even after her passing according to the public letters she had read between her surviving children after her death.

After the candle was lit, the brunette glanced at the sketch with a sad smile before closing her eyes and started to recite the prayer she knew off by heart at this point since she did this whenever her children's, her husband's, her siblings', her father's, her mother's, or her friends' death anniversaries came around. Grant him eternal rest, she recited. Let light perpetual shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. Blowing gently on the candle, she watched as the flame flickered slightly before finally diminishing.

"Rest easy, my little AJ," she whispered as she placed the candle by the window to allow the smoke to go into the atmosphere instead of her dressing room before she turned to get ready for a rehearsal they were doing that night. If the mother of eleven had turned around, she would have seen the smiling, tearful face of her fourth eldest child.

Luckily, the day after AJ's death anniversary it was a relax day. No rehearsals so the cast was left to do whatever they pleased for the day. Whether that be rehearsing, getting their hair done, spending time with friends and family, or just relaxing with a good book. Esperanza wasn't too sure what she wanted to do that day, contemplating between dancing, or travelling down to Mt. Vernon to visit her childhood home. However she would have to get her mother to take her, and she knew the woman would be pretty busy so that was off the table. Maybe she could hang out with her childhood best friend, James Eddowes? That is, unless, he had moved out of NYC to somewhere else in America.

When they were younger, especially when the two of them had almost gotten hit near the same spot she had been hit and sent into a coma, James' parents had spoken about moving to Utah, or Ohio, maybe even Pennsylvania where there wouldn't be as much traffic. Unfortunately, it was the most likely case. Especially when Ella had told her that she hadn't spoken to the Eddowes family three months into her coma which meant they either fell out of contact or they had moved away. Part of her hoped it as the former, but she knew it was more likely to be the latter.

Sighing, the girl noticed how no one was using the stage area. Dancing it is then, she thought as she changed into a pair of leggings and a loose shirt before stretching and putting on Helpless, and just dancing. She wasn't sure what move was going to come next, but she just let her body flow to the music like she always would at home.

In the seats, AJ, George, John, and James all watched with wide eyes as their mother moved so fluently, her movements seeming to fit so well no matter how odd they were to them. Alexander watched on with a fond, loving look as his wife danced with her heart, knowing the amount of passion the woman used when dancing. Whether it be ballroom dancing from their era or modern dancing from this era, she always moved so eloquently.

"Ma is amazing!" George exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder as AJ chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Huh? Who's that?"

Thayne waltzed onto the stage, bowing down and offering his hand to Esperanza who took it. The duo then started to do a simple ballroom dance, letting the music take over their bodies and flow through their bloodstream, allowing it to control them as they moved with smiles on their faces. The four boys turned to look at their father who was watching with a soft smile, evidently lovestruck by the beauty of his wife who he hadn't seen in over 250 years. The boys turned back to watch their mother and this man – Thayne, they had guessed – dance together so fluently and eloquently.