"You are the worst boy, Theodore Laurence."
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For centuries, humankind has used the stars. Whether it be for navigating across unfamiliar oceans, for preserving myths and legends of great heroes who were bestowed a spot in the heavens by the gods...
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A/N: Hello all! In honor of Divine hitting over 50k reads, I wanted to publish this short bonus chapter! Thank you so much for over 50k reads! Divine is absolutely one of my favorite things I have ever written and I appreciate all of your support and love, so thank you and enjoy!!
THE MAROON LEAVES of maple trees and the honeyed aroma of crisp spiced apples on the brisk breeze made autumn in Concord unparalleled to any other place on earth. Fallen leaves coated the wet soil like a blanket of muddled colors, crunching underfoot in a sweet symphony that let all of nature know that the sharp sweetness of autumn would stick around for a little longer.
These rare autumn mornings when the sun peeked from behind the clouds and a brisk chill turned noses pink with delight were Charlotte Kohler's absolute favorite, but as she pressed her cheek into her hand on the plush sofa in the Marches garret, watching with a pensive frown as delicate leaves broke free from the trees and guests gathered in the grassy garden below, dampened joy sparked in her chest.
A lingering weight was pressing against her lungs, weighing her down with fear and anxious thoughts that made her limbs feel heavier than stone. She pulled her legs to her chest and hugged them close, bunching the white silk of her dress around in her arms as it pooled around her like a spool of unraveling yarn. It felt completely wrong to feel so horribly miserable on a day like today, but Charlotte couldn't fight the relentless grip of grief upon her heart.
Whilst Meg had weaved delicate flowers and silk ribbons into Charlotte's hair and Amy had rifled through her luggage to find a rouge that matched Charlotte's complexion, she couldn't help but feel a strange darkness settled against her ribs and constricted around her heart.
She longed for her mother's touch against her cheek, her kind words in her ear, the pesky fussing about her dress for hours on end, all the motherly comforts she yearned for. It felt childish to Charlotte to yearn so desperately for her mother. She had grieved and moved forward with a tough smile and resolve years ago, but part of her felt tethered to the past, stuck in her misery and mourning as a little part of her heart dampened her cheerfulness and weakened her smile. She felt a tear form in the corner of her eyes as she watched her friends and family mill about the garden with smiles and light laughter, and she pulled her gaze away.
"Charlie? Are you up here?" Jo's voice rang out as she climbed the stairs to the garret, her heavy, clumsy footsteps loud and echoing against the wooden staircase. She fiddled with the ribbons on the end of her braided hair, absentmindedly tugging at the red silk. Her curious eyes danced across the garret before landing on Charlotte's curled up frame.
Without a word, Jo crossed the floor and kneeled beside the sofa, resting her hands in Charlotte's. "It's not too late to call the whole thing off if you're having second thoughts, Charlie. Just give me the word. Amy will be furious of course, but we'll make it up to her." Her lips quirked upwards in a joking smirk, but the grip of her fingers let Charlotte know Jo wouldn't hesitate to dash down those stairs and cause a commotion in the name of her cousin's happiness.
