The Widower (18+) | [Complete]

Twenty-Seven

We scrambled to our feet and started running down the hill. Augustine's speed left me trailing behind him in just a few seconds. "Tabitha?" he called. "Tabitha!"

A muffled scream came from my left. I turned as I saw her little hand as it disappeared into the water. My fear rose into my throat like bile. "Augustine!" I shouted. He turned and I pointed to the water.

He spotted her and changed his course. I ran after him as fast as my feet would take me. My heart seized when I watched Augustine dive into the water. Sebastian tried to follow him. "No!" I slid down the hill, took him in my arms, and skidded to a stop just before the cliff. As much as I wanted to, as much as every shred of me was screaming to do so, I couldn't go after her without risking him falling in as well. I had to have faith in Augustine to save her.

We waited silently. My heartbeat was hard in my chest, Sebastian's doing the same against my palms. I wanted to cry when he resurfaced alone.

He paddled quickly downstream, and then went under again. I took Sebastian with me, treading as carefully as I could while keeping up with the river's speed. My heart pounded in my ears while I scanned the water for signs of them.

Nothing. No ripple, no shadow. Every second felt like a minute. 

It's been too long, my fear screamed in my head.

Not a moment later, I saw him return to the surface. I didn't breathe until I saw her little head on his shoulder.

"Oh, thank god." I placed Sebastian at my back and slid us down the hill to the rocky shore below.

Augustine crawled out with Tabitha in tow, her little arms clinging to him. I helped pull him onto the grass and he laid her down gently. "Tabby!" I cried. She coughed and coughed—a good sign. I rolled her to her side and brushed the wet hair from her face while she coughed up water. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked at me. "She's okay! You're okay, sweetheart," I hugged her and she shivered in my arms.

It took me a moment to realize she wasn't the only one shaking. The adrenaline pumping through my veins left me vibrating. Augustine looked at me, still panting, the water dripping from his face. He sat on his heels, bracing himself with his hands against his thighs in an attempt to catch his breath. His translucent clothes clung against his skin while his chest and stomach heaved. He combed his fingers through his wet hair and dropped his head back with a sigh of relief.

Nothing, no fear, no planning, not even a second of hesitation to remove his shoes, could stop him from going in to save her. And he had done just that. She was okay because of him.

I had never found him more attractive than I did at that moment.

. . .

A few hours later, once the doctor had checked her out and verified she was fine, I helped her with a hot shower, washing all the river—and the trauma that threatened to come with it—down the drain in a lavender-scented foam. After a hell of a day, both she and Sebastian were exhausted.

He refused to leave her side, even choosing to sleep in her bed with her. They hugged each other close as I tucked the covers tightly around them.

"You were right," she whispered to me.

"Right about what, Tabby?"

"Daddy didn't let me drown."

I had nearly forgotten. My eyes stung with tears. "Of course not, sweetheart. See? Nightmares aren't real." She smiled and I kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart."