REMEMBER OUR LOVE (Pirate Series - Book 2) (BOOKS 1, 2, 3 COMPLETE)

Remember Our Love Chapter 13

We entered the room to see his mother, it was a guest room but his father visited that often, it held most of his belongings so we referred to it as 'Granddad's room' and most mornings when he was here I would find little Rosie in it, snuggled up beside him snoring gently. How was she going to handle sharing him with her grandmother or nanny as the children referred to her?

"Ella, Tom, it is so lovely to see you both," Rosie said, her voice so weak.

Tom gave her a kiss and she rubbed her hand on his cheek. "Don't be upset baby, I'll be ok. I missed you," she said to him.

"I missed you too," he said as she pulled him to her for a gentle hug. She held him close for a while stroking his head, as he cried silent tears against her chest and whispered how sorry he was.

"You are a very brave boy, I am so proud of you," she said. She held him closer and told him how much she loved him as I stared out of the window. "What's wrong Thomas?" I heard her whisper. He didn't answer but I knew as any mother would that there was a difference in a way her son cried. I knew she recognised the heartbroken cry as she comforted him.

"Have you been keeping well?" she asked after a short while. "I prayed for you every day," she said. "And look they have been answered," she said getting weepy. "You know a mother knows when her little boy is lying, even if it is to protect her," she whispered. "I can see you are unwell. I can see it in your eyes, the way you walked into this room trying to hide the pain. You don't have to be brave anymore; you just have to be you, Thomas Tyler, my handsome boy."

She was so frail and in pain but still managed to be the mother her boys needed. I admired her so much.

"How about we grow strong together?" she suggested. "Go fetch me some warm soup and chunk of Ella's lovely bread. I know she would have made some," she said smiling over at me as I nodded in confirmation.

He gave his mother a kiss and moved out of the way for me and left the room.

"Come here you," she said.

I bent to give her a hug, and burst into tears. Pulling back from her so as not the hurt her.

"You're a good girl Ella," she said holding my face in her hands, "It is no wonder my son loves you so much," she kissed my face.

I smiled weakly, feeling guilty for hiding the truth from her.

"How are you and Tom?" she asked.

"Fine," I lied.

"So why were you out alone on a pirate ship and able to find me?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and bit my lip as more tears fell. She may be very sick but she was still Rosie. Ever observant. She started to cough so I passed her some water and soothed her until the pain went away. She rested her eyes for a short while before opening them and assessing me with the kind of look only Rosie could give.

"Everything is ok," I told her as I held her hand gently.

"I don't believe you," she said and started to cough again. I was upsetting her; my trying to hide behind a lie was causing her pain. "Ella my boy loves you and you love him, this I know. There is no denying it. Whatever has happened between you, you both remember your vows, for better, for worse," she said.

"He also vowed to forsake all others and to keep himself true..." I said as more tears fell and gentle sobs rocked my body.

"Now you listen to me baby, my boy is not a philander. He loves you! You are his girl and when we were going through our worst times out there we had to pick a place in our head to go so we could escape the pain and tortures. Tom's place was with you. I'd see him lying there half dead, bloody and battered, I'd say 'You alright son,' and he would nod. I'd say 'Off you go baby, Ella is waiting, close your eyes' and he would do it and a few moments later his face would become peaceful. I'd say 'How is she?' and he would say 'Perfect'," she said and her eyes filled with tears at the memory. "One time after they gave him a terrible, terrible beating I was sure my boy was going to die right there in my arms. I closed my eyes praying for god just to take him and not let him endure anymore, then he smiled, I thought god has answered my prayers, he has seen an angel, his struggle is over and I heard the faintest whisper. Michael leant forward and asked him 'What did you say Tom?' and listened. He said 'Ella'. He was at death door and he saw your face. Michael asked him once, how he coped with the beatings and he said he just remembered your kiss, a special kiss and he knew that every time he thought of it that you were kissing him back."

I broke down sobbing against the bed; she stroked my head and comforted me.

"He forgot me," I said to her. "He was gone all those years and when we found him he didn't remember me. Michael said he lost abut 7 yrs of memories so I was just a stranger to him. That is why I live here alone."

"Oh sweetheart," she said her face full of sympathy.

"He has only just got his memory back," I said. "But because I didn't use the Tyler name here the pirates didn't know who I was so when they found out they felt sorry for me being married to a philandering pirate and said they had seen it with their own eyes."

"Ella, you have been through a lot and I saw with my own eyes what you did for me today but I am going to ask you to do one more thing for me. Go get your husband back," she said. "Just little baby steps in the right direction and before you know it, you will be back on track. I swear to you, Tom is true to you. He is not what they say. He is a man who has been kept away from his wife and son, missed out on years of their lives, beaten worse than I am now and by some miracle he found his way back to you both in body and mind. Don't let anyone take him from you again. Don't push him away based on the words of others. He never behaved like that before he met you; you told me he was a gentleman too shy to sit on a bed with you."

I nodded.

"Well there you go; he waited a year for you when you were lost to him. You have waited all these years and still he is the one for you. You could have remarried but you didn't."

I shook my head in disgust at the thought.

"So go get him back. Back into your arms. Back into your bed and back into your heart where he belongs," she said making me smile. "Just be gentle with him."

I hugged her "Thank you," I said and kissed her cheek.

A knock came to the door.

My father entered the room, "Ella, can I see your hand now?"

I hid it again. There was no way I wanted anyone touching it! Panic rising in me.

"Tom!" he called. Tom came back in the room with Virginia carrying his mothers soup. "I will need you and Michael to hold Ella down whilst I see to her hand," he said.

"No!" I said.

"Well let me see it then," he said.

I quickly popped it out from behind my back and hid it again.

"Michael!" my father called.

Michael came through the door.

"Fine!" I snapped and held out my hand.

He looked at it, "Ok let's go get it cleaned up and you will need stitches,"

"Oh great," I sighed, grimacing at Rosie as I left as she had been though it too. He led me out of the room to the kitchen.