Constant

Chapter 4

(PETER)

Ryah shoved his arm making the arrow fly off target. 

"It's Torin!" She said as she jumped to her feet, Peter watched as Ryah ran around the boulder and raced through the water holding her skirt up so her legs wouldn't get tangled in the soaked fabric. Peter watched as Torin waded through the water and caught Ryah in his open arms as she threw herself at him. Peter couldn't hear what they were saying as they held onto each other. 

"Come on," Peter said to the twins. Thea was staring at Ryah and he had to nudge her shoulder to pull her back to reality. "Grab your shoes."

Petey didn't need to be told twice. He pulled his shoes on his feet. Thea sighed as she pulled her shoes on and followed Peter as he made his way into the trees. 

"What's going to happen with Ryah?" Thea asked and Peter didn't answer her. Peter knew that she had been hoping that Ryah would stay with them. The little girl idolized her. They walked quietly together and as soon as they were back at home the twins ran off to go find dry clothing. Peter managed to find Ben and inform him of the approaching group. A man named Rollo was the first to arrive. 

"Where is Anna?" he asked and Peter offered to take him to her. 

"Is she alright?" Rollo asked and Peter assured him that his wife was just fine. After she had rested up she had started feeling better. Anna was with Ellie and the two of them were pulling in the laundry. Anna gasped when she saw her husband. Ellie managed to catch the dress that Anna dropped as she ran to meet Rollo. Rollo caught her in his arms. Anna clung to him as Rollo kissed her cheek. Peter saw the large smile on her scarred face over Rollo's shoulder. 

"Are you alright?" Rollo asked again and Anna nodded. Peter felt like he was invading their moment but he couldn't take his eyes off of the couple. He could easily  imagine that he was Rollo and that Ryah was Anna. He wondered what it would be like to see the woman that he loved look at him with that much love in her eyes. Rollo pulled away to kneel in front of Anna. He put his hands at her hips and leaned forward to place a kiss against her stomach. Peter started to understand Rollo's concern. Anna was pregnant. Anna blushed and she knelt down in front of her husband. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to kiss him. 

Ellie walked over to Peter and tugged on his arm to drag him inside with her. The couple deserved some privacy. 

"I guess our two guests have been discovered?" Ellie said.

"It would seem so."

"Where is Ryah?"

"She's with her precious Torin," Peter spat out with more anger than he meant to.

"You knew that he would come find her."

"I didn't know that she would launch herself into his arms and hold him close. She never said anything about her relationship with him. I assumed that they were friends." 

"It's usually more complicated than that," Ellie replied with a sad smile on her lips. Peter couldn't take her pity. 

"I'll see you later," He said as he walked away from her. He made his way to his home which was built nearby. It was small but it was sturdy and it was all his. Ever since he had built his home he had loved how quiet and peaceful it was. But now he would give his left arm to have his own children running through the hall and his wife smiling at him as she put their supper on the table. He could already see her bright blue eyes and her shining blonde hair as she tucked it behind her ear. 

Peter felt disgusted with himself for imagining that there was something there when there really wasn't anything. He pulled one of the two chairs away from his table at sat down. For a long time he glared at the single chair across from him. He didn't need two chairs. He only needed one for himself to sit in. He knew that the chair across from him would remain empty and it gnawed at him. Peter heard the bell that was ringing to signify dinner but he ignored it. The bell told him that he had been in his house for hours.