𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰'𝓼 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮

Chapter Thirty-Two: Quiet

We stood there for a long time, in silence, still failing the astronomically difficult task of coming to terms with everything.

"I love you." he suddenly blurted, turning around and returning my embrace, "More than anything in this life."

"I love you too." I responded lightly, wiping a tear out of the corner of his eye.

"We should be married. Soon." he stated, causing my gaze to snap up to meet his.

"What?"

"You said we need to push through this, to keep fighting. I want to do that with you by my side, as my wife. It's what Anne would have wanted." he nodded to himself.

"I suppose... But don't you think it's too soon? Everyone is still recovering."

"We can wait, it's just that I... I don't want another tragedy to come between us. Not like so many other times before. I want to be with you." he said firmly.

"We'll need to give them all time. A month, maybe more... But so long as you're mine and I'm yours, tragedy will never come between us, whether or not we are wed." I smiled, grasping his hand.

"Come, I want to show you something." his mouth curled into a smile, the first I'd seen in days, as he pulled me further into the garden.

We passed through bushes and trees and flowers, cutting across paths, until I no longer recognized the area. I'd never taken it upon myself to explore so far into the gardens. After trudging along the paths for a few moments longer, made damp by the mild precipitation that day, we arrived. It was beautiful. Carnations, of every imaginable colour, decorated the outside of the path that led to a fountain. How I'd missed this, I couldn't imagine.

"Anne showed me this place when I was a boy, told me it was her spot.  Carnations were her favourite. She loved how they were so different, yet the same. Soon enough, I'd come so often that she just decided to let it be my spot. I'd stopped visiting until..." he paused briefly, "Until I met you."

"Me? But why?" I questioned.

"Believe it or not, my Rose, you troubled my mind often back when we first became acquainted. And I found that when I missed you too strongly but my pride prevented me from visiting you, that I could clear my mind here." he gestured to the bush, "It's an easy place to get lost in thought."

"You know," I began, gesturing to the flowers, "Each colour has it's own meaning."

"Do they?" he smiled.

"I read it in a book a long time ago. They first appeared on earth from the Virgin Mary's tears - they became the symbol of a mother's undying love. Yellow represents sweetness. Red, admiration. And pink..." I paused for a moment, smiling, "As a gift given from one to another, its as if to say, don't forget me."

George's face reflected a sort of appreciation over this information, as though he were finally coming to terms with Anne's passing. Of course, Anne would gift this spot, these flowers, to him, who was almost like her son. Even beyond the grave, she was looking after him, expressing her motherly love. I then took in a deep breath, facing George.

"George..." I began softly, "Dot hasn't got anyone anymore. No one to look after her, to be there for her."

"She has us." he said firmly.

"Of course. But she - I wanted - Perhaps, if you agreed to - Maybe to... Adopt her?" I stammered, turning away, as George's head snapped up, "I mean, not right away, we'd of course giver her time to heal... I just... It's what I would've wanted when I lost Marie. A home. A family."

"Rose." he smiled, "You've such a big heart. It's what I love so much about you. And if Dot would have us, I'd adopt her in a heartbeat." he said, and I smiled brightly at the news.

I turned back to George as I felt his hand close around mine, before slipping a cool piece of metal onto my finger. I looked down to find a simple gold band embedded with thin lines of art. In the centre, was a circular cut spinal gem. I shot George a confused look.

"It was Anne's." he said, "You know, she chose that gem because it has a meaning too."

"It would seem Anne was fond of those," I smiled.

"Indeed. It represents the joy of being alive. She gave it to me the night we announced our engagement. She wanted to be there when I..." his voice wavered, "When I gave it to you. You know, as a young woman, Anne proposed to her husband too."

"She would've." I smiled, grasping his hand.

Then I knew, deep down in the depths of my heart and mind, that everything would be okay. No matter how much we missed Darwin and Anne. Even though there would always be an unfillable void, we would push through it. I loved George, I loved everyone at the castle, and it was that love that would get us passed it.

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