Ashes of Thornwood

Chapte 15

The days bled into one another, each indistinguishable from the next, weighed down by an oppressive heat that seemed to seep into the very walls of Thornewood. Every night was restless, every morning greeted with the same gnawing anxiety, the silence stretching unbearably. It had been three weeks since I'd last received a letter from Sebastian, and the silence was suffocating. Each day, I watched the horizon for the distant figure of a courier, my breath catching in my throat at the sound of every horse's hooves. But every day, disappointment settled in when no letter arrived, leaving me to wrestle with the gnawing fear that something terrible had happened.

The war had reached deep into the South, and the news that trickled in was never good. Casualty lists, rumors of battles lost, and stories of horror made my heart sink deeper into despair. And yet, despite it all, I had clung to hope that Sebastian was safe, that he would return to me and our unborn child. But the longer the silence stretched on, the harder it became to maintain that hope. Every day without word from him was another crack in the fragile shell of resolve I had built around myself.

Sitting on the porch, my hand absently tracing the curve of my belly, I was startled by the distant clatter of hooves breaking the stifling afternoon stillness. My heart stuttered, and I pushed myself up, hope and dread twisting in my chest. Could it be? Was this finally news from Sebastian? I moved as quickly as I could, waddling down the steps to the drive, my heart racing with a mix of hope and fear.

But as the carriage drew closer, I realized it wasn't a courier at all. The small, familiar figure that emerged from the carriage wasn't a stranger—it was Lottie.

"Lottie!" I cried out, my voice trembling with disbelief as I hurried forward.

She looked up, her auburn hair catching the sunlight as a wide grin spread across her face. "Evie!" she cried, joy radiating from her as she rushed forward, pulling me into an embrace that felt like coming home.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I clung to her, the sheer relief of seeing her after so many months washing over me. "What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice thick with emotion.

Lottie pulled back slightly, her eyes glistening with tears of her own. "I came to help, silly. I couldn't stay away any longer, not with everything you're going through. I had to be here with you."

I hugged her again, the tightness in my chest easing slightly for the first time in weeks. "I've missed you so much," I whispered, the words catching in my throat. "You have no idea how much I needed this."

She laughed softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "I've missed you too, Evie. I've been so worried about you. How's that little one doing?" Her hand gently rested on my belly, and I smiled through the tears.

"She's doing fine," I said, my voice trembling. "But I'm scared, Lottie. I haven't heard from Sebastian in weeks, and I don't know what to do."

Her expression softened, and she guided me back toward the porch. "Let's go inside, and we can talk. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

We walked inside, Lottie's arm around my shoulders, her presence a balm to my frayed nerves. We settled into the drawing room, where the air was cooler and the light softer. I poured us both some tea, my hands shaking slightly as I tried to keep myself composed. But Lottie's steady gaze and gentle smile made it easier to find the words.

"I don't know what I would do without you," I admitted, setting the teapot down and taking a seat across from her. "Everything feels like it's falling apart, and I just... I feel so alone."

"You're not alone, Evie," Lottie said firmly, reaching across the table to take my hand in hers. "You have me, and you have this little one growing inside you. And Sebastian will come back. He's a fighter, and he loves you more than anything."