The Wax Pools

Chapter 19

Let me know, who's your favourite so far??

Hopefully, I will have more time to work on this story now that I got my degree finally. 

Thank you to everyone still reading <3

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By the time Ambrose got back I had calmed down again. Two wooden mugs of steaming water which he quickly dumped some tea leaves into to steep, some seedy bread, salted pork, and a handful of blackberries. Simple to some but my absolute favourite breakfast, save for the addition of butter. Which the bread absolutely needed I found after my first bite it was beginning to go stale. I lost my appetite a bit after that, which made Ambrose grin and hand-feed me a few more bites of everything before finishing it off.

"What do you want, Lily?"

"...right now I kind of want to go back in time before this whole thing turned messy, and cast this blasted bauble into the wax it came from."

"I understand." Ambrose sounded just a touch strained like he was holding something back. I can't bring myself to say aloud what I really want is to be in his lap right now, with my two other soulmates content. No questions brewing, or simmering tensions, no mysteries sticking to the back of my mind like pine sap. I can't tell him I'm dreaming of a sweet cottage with a giant garden in the middle of the woods as I have dreamed of my whole life, but I have added to this dream... room for a few more in a pile of pillows and blankets by the fire. I just had to keep pushing and hope the mess is worth the happy end. I guess that's most of what life is, pushing through. I never even thought I would get to this point, three soulmates, leaving the only place I had ever known on the slim chance that they decide to keep me, never mind all these secrets that seem to be bubbling under the surface.  I looked at Ambrose again and studied the details of his face, his sharp jawline and brown eyes so deep they could've been black. His trinket was fashioned into his hair with a few small crystals alongside. His brow is furrowed, gazing out of the window, watching the trees rush by, as we get closer to the city they become sparser, and there are swathes of land completely cut down, farmland becomes more common. He looked as lost as I felt.

"Ambrose, I... I am not ungrateful for having met you, I am incredibly grateful to have met all three of you, I thought I was going to spend my whole life alone in that shop, and I love my shop but I was alone for so long, and part of me doesn't know how to act, how to exist around people now, I honestly do not know what I am doing here, I never even thought I would meet a single one of my soulmates when I first saw my trinket, now I have met three of them in a matter of days" I can feel my chin wobbling, my voice wavering, am I saying too much? Ambrose, Bear, and Adam are strangers to me, but at the same time, I had never felt closer to someone than I do now.

Ambrose reached over and took my hands in his,

"Lillian, I am truly sorry that no one has known or loved you in the way you deserve, I hope that over time we can make up for all that love you have missed out on. I was raised by travellers, and have travelled aimlessly for far too long, I want you to know I will follow you to the ends of the Earth if you let me now that I have found you, and though our relationship may be rough now, I hope Adam, Bear and I can grow to... at least tolerate each other"

I could feel my tears dry, Ambrose was like a glimmer of hope personified, his voice so soothing. I couldn't trust them yet, but I hoped I would. The first step to that? Going back to the private car and asking for the whole story I guess. Yikes. that sounded painful but necessary, I had never exactly been a social butterfly, I felt so awkward and unsure of myself, how does one ask this kind of question?

"I think it's time we go have an honest conversation"

"I think that is going to be interesting"

"If by Interesting you mean nerve-wracking and awkward", I made Ambrose smile with that one, and he started to gather his things into a large canvas bag.

"I would follow you into anything, even what promises to be one of the most awkward encounters, and likely awkward rest of my life, ever." Ambrose stood, pulling his bag onto his shoulder, he held out his hand for me,

"It's going to be okay Lily, I'll be there for you." He looked so sincere, I smiled back at him and took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. I let him lead the way out of the car and into the daunting hallway, The red carpeting and worn wood panelling looked a little creepier than romantic compared to when I first boarded the train.

No one has ever comforted me like this before, even tried to be here for me like this, I am a total goner. That deep dark pit of loneliness inside of me ached a little less. If I met another soulmate, I wouldn't jump into it blindly, that was a mistake on my part, but I am still glad I am here now. Bear and Adam are going to tell me everything, we'll talk about the future and everything will be fine.

...Right?