Verange

Chapter 24

She crossed the room to the door leading to her own. Within was the room was the bed she had so many memories in.  His clothes would still be in the one side of the wardrobe against the wall.

She took a deep breath and looked around. On the bed was a rolled up piece of paper. She crossed the room in 4 long strides and plucked it up from the pillow.

Elis, This was supposed to be given to you the first time you returned. I imagined it would have been sooner. Keni wrote this before he died, to tell you how much he cared for you. He was going to give it to you when you arrived at the Verange. He must have forgotten it.

I kept it safe for you, so you could know his last words. I never read it as his words were so often only for you.

Her breath hitched as she glanced over the page. The paper had been rolled around another, older piece and she carefully unrolled it, hope and fear bubbling within her.

El, My first and only love.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to find my voice to tell you these things. You always take my breath away. You’re sleeping right now as I write. Do you know how adorable you are when you aren’t frowning?

Anyways, You already know I love you, for I tell it to you always. But remember this, we won’t live forever, no matter what we say to one another. One day, you or I will be gone and the other will be left alone in the world. Or maybe not, if you ever change your mind about children, and I suspect your mind will be changing very soon.

If you ever do find yourself alone, I want to tell you that I would be ok if you found someone else. I only want for your happiness.  

Oh my, I’m being morbid. My apologies. So. My entire point of this letter. Elis, you are with child. You’re going to be a mother and I’m going to be a father. You couldn’t imagine how excited I was when I found out.

I imagine you’ll notice soon. You always notice when something is wrong within you. Too many unnoticed internal injures fixed that up for us. I only noticed when I healed you after you tumbled down the stairs. You always were on the clumsy side. Work on that for me alright?

Dawn is approaching and we’ll leave as soon as the sun breaches the horizon. You’re waking up.

You’re adorable when you wake as well. Very graceful.

I’ll love you until the very second I pass into the void.

Keni.

Elis stared down at the letter as her heart shattered again. He had known. He knew before she did.

Oh if only he had spoken sooner. She would have strove to keep their child alive. She wouldn’t have lost it. He had died defending her and their child, and she hadn’t even thought about the possibility. It was so rare, she never even considered it until it was too late.

A single tear fell from her face and landed on his signature. What would he think of her if he knew?

A knock sounded on her front door and she placed the letter in the drawer of the bedside table before answering it. Her mother stood in the doorway, a large smile on her face. Elis had to bite back disgust and force a smile onto her face as her mother walked into her home.

“Elis! You finally came home.” Her mother, Miran, had been asking her to come home for several years now. She hadn’t complied.

“I didn’t come for you. Please keep your voice down, I have company.” She gestured to the room where Hayden was probably already asleep.