━━ There Will Be Time
❛ officer harold lowe
may be the first person
to ever tame the wild heart
that belongs to
miss katherine davenport. ❜
[ titanic ]
[ fifth officer harold lowe x oc...
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❛CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE, ikigai ❜
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May 2, 1912
THE MORNING CAME FAR too quickly. Despite her very enjoyable time with Harold the night before, Katherine had a restless nights' sleep. She awoke with her body aching, screaming for more rest; she stayed curled beneath her blankets for several minutes, refusing to look at the clock on her bedside table. Perhaps if she pretended that time simply did not exist, then Harold would never have to leave.
It wasn't until there was a knock on her bedroom door that she lifted her head off of her pillow, watching lazily as her mother slipped into the room. Amelia sat on the edge of her bed with her eyes shining with sympathy. Katherine wore her heart on her sleeve, and it was obvious just how upset she was. Her mother reached out and ran a comforting hand through her hair.
"You know, your father and I have been fully expecting for you to tell us that you're leaving with him."
"Would you stop me?" Katherine asked. If she was being honest, part of her was still tempted to join Harold and the other officers aboard the Adriatic– but she knew, deep down, she'd be facing the same dilemma. If she stayed behind in America, part of her heart would leave alongside Harold; if she left with him, then the other part would be left behind with her parents. There was no winning in her situation, she'd come to realize. No matter what she did, she was destined to hurt for the next several months.
"I wouldn't have. I can see how much you need each other," her mother said to her. "Your father, on the other hand, is a different story. I'm not sure he'll be able to let you go until that Mr. Lowe puts a ring on your finger!"
Katherine laughed lightly, knowing that what Amelia said was completely true. Although Arthur had begun to search for a possible suitor for his only daughter, she knew that he was reluctant to actually hand her off to another man.
Amelia leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her daughter's head, then stood to her feet. "We'll be accompanying the officers to the city to see them off."
"Really?" Katherine sat up, her heart lifting slightly. Until then, she'd believed that she would have to say her goodbyes to Harold before he left their home. Being able to accompany him on the train ride into the city gave her just a bit more time with him!
Her mother nodded, finding her evident delight amusing. She crossed the room to leave, but before she did so, she looked back over her shoulder and said: "You should go see him. He's trying not to show it, but the poor boy has been a wreck all morning– I know that he wants to see you."
