Mist on the Moon

She Makes up Her Mind

Then she was there, in front of him. How beautiful she looked. She came right to his bedside, looking down at him. She looked sad, and he smiled at her trying to cheer her. With some difficulty, he raised himself up to a sitting position, legs over the side of the bed, feet on the floor.

"Trent, I'm glad you are better. Are you already able to move around?"

"With difficulty, yes. But each day seems better. I am getting anxious to get back to living life again."

Cara took the chair next to the bed and now sitting directly across from him, put her hand on his knee, the leg that was injured. "Trent, I just know you're going to get better. I can't believe that you will not have use of your leg again."

Trent looked into her eyes, illuminated by the single candle on the wall behind him. "Cara, would you truly want to marry a cripple?" He looked at her closely, for he felt his entire life might be transformed by her answer.

Cara saw his eyes fixed on hers. She looked away briefly, and then with her fingers tapped his leg above his knee. "This is the one, isn't it? This is the one where you have no feeling. What is one leg to me, if I can have all the rest of you? Trent, I would be so sad if you would not take me for your wife."

Trent smiled at her, and together they both reached to embrace the other. Cara moved to sit on the bed, where they could be closer. Seeing his smile, she smiled back at him saying, "So then, my prince, you will once again have me?"

As much as he loved her, Trent didn't want Cara to be saddled with him if he were not well. He considered telling her what he had discovered--that though great effort he had actually been able to move his bad leg, though only a little. He did not know if that meant it would continue to improve or not. With great tenderness he said to her, "I would like to Cara, but. . ."

"But!" she said, interrupting him. "What does that mean? Trent, I am not understanding you at all." Cara stood up from the bed and looked down at him, resentment showing on her face.

"Cara, don't be angry with me. I'm doing this for you."

"For me! You're doing what for me? You're telling me you don't want to marry me. That's for me?"

Trent saw Cara's confusion and her exasperation. He so wanted to tell her what he had discovered, and yet he felt it was too soon. What if he had only imagined what he felt of his leg moving? What if he might never have more than a vague feeling such that he could never really use his leg for anything? Even though Cara was willing, would it be fair to her? As much as he loved her he didn't think it would be right. She turned and started to leave him.

"Cara, don't leave so soon," he said, holding one hand out to her.

She turned to face him. "Trent, I don't think we have anything else to talk about."

Then, she was gone, walking head down with speed out of the room and out of the operations center. She didn't stop or slow down until she was at her apartment door, and then, thankfully inside, she lay face down on her bed and began to cry. She hardly knew what to think. On the one hand Trent seemed that he was glad to marry her, and then it seemed that he suddenly took away everything that he had said before. She didn't understand. Why was he doing this to her? Was there something he wasn't telling her? Was it her? Did he really not care for her?

The next day she felt a sense of resolve. She was not going to let Trent pull her one way and then another. She didn't know exactly what she was going to do, but she would be sensible and think about her options. She could return home to her father's kingdom. There she would be with family. To be back again with her father, her brother and her delightful sister, Evie. That would make her happy, to be where she knew people back home. Yet, despite Trent, she did wish to marry. She didn't want to be a single woman. She felt she would love to have children of her own. She would be a good mother to them. She would care for them. She smiled at the thought. But who might she marry there? The blacksmith? No, she didn't think so. Not many choices back home, especially with Justin gone.

As she thought about it, her chances were much better in Bavaria. True, no man had looked at her in that certain way, but who would, knowing she was espoused to the prince? Yes, she had seen unmarried knights in the castle whom she could have an interest in. And Daniel, Trent's good friend could help her. She trusted him. What she needed to do was to have Trent declare the wedding off and then she would be free. Free to be her own person and to meet any available man. He wouldn't be a prince, and that didn't matter to her. Only that he be a good man who would be good to her and their children. That was all she wanted. Surely, finding a man like that couldn't be so difficult.

Now, this very night she needed to go back and talk to Trent. She felt he was getting well enough to soon leave the operations center. Regardless, she needed to tell him what she was thinking and to have him officially rescind their marriage promise. Actually, it wasn't her; it was he who had reneged. Now, she needed him to set her free. Let Trent do whatever he wanted to do, it was his life. She would have a life of her own.

Who knows? What is Trent going to do when Cara comes to tell him exactly what is on her mind? So often we don't understand each other. Hope you enjoyed this part.