Swordplay

Part 18

When she retuned home, a packet lay in front of her door without address or sender. It definitely hadn't come by regular mail. Moira took it into the kitchen and opened it. With surprise, she stared at a bundle of letters all addressed to her. All were marked 'Return to Sender'. A folded note lay on top. She read.

Dear Moira,

Please read these letters. They are sorted chronologically. I know you won't forgive me any time soon, but maybe you'll learn to understand. I'm sorry I can't give us back the time lost.

Lavant

Moira let the note sink and breathed deeply. She didn't know if she should be angry or touched. Hadn't she made it clear enough that she didn't want anything to do with her father? She put the letters aside and dressed up for the evening with Druidus but it was hard to concentrate on makeup or dress.

"Very well," she said to the letters. "But only one." She took the topmost, opened it, and read.

My favorite daughter,

I miss you so much and wish I had said farewell to you despite the doubts. Now, your picture is hanging above my desk. The one with the islands full of butterflies, do you remember? Each time I look at it, I want to cry. My interior designer insists I should get rid of the old furniture, but I just can't. How often did you sit on this desk keeping me from my work? I can't remember if I indulged you or if I got angry often. I only know you're no longer sitting here - and it hurts. More than you can imagine.

If you want, you can come visiting. I'll show you my new work and my office (it's bigger than my old one and there is plenty of room on the wall for your pictures). I've got so much more to do than I anticipated, but I'll always have time for you.

Please excuse the old idiot of a father.

Below, a heart sticker glittered.

Moira bit her lip to keep from crying. She read the next and the next and the next. Between the lines, she saw Lavant's growing despair even though he mostly wrote about his work. Tears ran over her face leaving black mascara lines. She wondered why her mother had never accepted the letters. Maybe, she would have been able to forgive her father. Snuffling, she read letter by letter. She hardly noticed time fly by. The doorbell pulled her from her thoughts.

"There is a man claiming to be Druidus van Steen," the nerl said. Van Steen? Druidus is related to Excelsior? Moira told the nerl to let him in, stacked the letter on top of the others on the table, and hurried into the bath to wash her face and renew the mascara.

Still, Druidus noticed immediately that she had cried. He put his hand against her cheek. "Can I help you in any way?"

Moira shook her head and dashed past him down the stairs, glad that he didn't insist on learning more.

They left Druidus' carpisto and walked to a restaurant Moira visited regularly. Silently, Druidus held the chair for her to sit. Then, he read the menu. Moira was grateful that he didn't force her to talk. She ordered and sorted her thoughts until the waiter brought the appetizer.

"That looks delicious." Druidus stirred his soup.

"Yes, I …" Moira's lip trembled. "I loved to eat this as a child."

Druidus put his hand on hers and looked at her face. "Shall we go? We could sit in the park and talk."

Moira watched Druidus silently. Countless thoughts whirled through her head. Finally, she pulled herself together. "I got a whole pile of letters from my father today." Tears dropped into her soup as she told him everything – right from the beginning. It was as if a dam had burst. She even told him some things she hadn't shared with Franka. The warmth of his hand on hers soothed her feelings, but she didn't look at him. "It still hurts that he left us for another woman." She finished.