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There was something about the light that shined through the window, coating the walls and every living thing that lay in its path. It was aureate, shimmering amongst the statues as if it took precedence over them, to somehow prove that it was here before they were ever a thought in someone's mind.
Despite the golden gem that was bestowed upon the land, the home remained cold, almost callous, without an ounce of solace to its name. Perhaps that's what he felt all along, that's why he left in the first place all those years ago. You can only tread water so long until your body eventually gives out.
I waited, still, watching everything play out in front of my eyes, and for the first time I felt oblivious. Even after all this time my ignorance got the best of me, and I couldn't decide how to feel around this area, where life was sucked away from the Earth. And I thought about me, and I thought about him, and how I never gathered enough courage so there could be an us.
Agony and anguish became common words that flew across my mind, and what reason did I have exactly? I couldn't help but sabotage every chance that was handed to me, and the curse continued to hold true even as I became an adult.
When my father announced his wife bore a child, it was one of the first time's I felt like I could actually be apart of something. The doe-eyed, fair skinned, bairn who could barely balance on her two stubby feet made me feel limpid.
Her life would be much more grand than mine ever was, and not in a matter of wealth or stability, but in the fact that she could always find who she was. And I would always be there to help her when she became lost, even though I was still seeking for myself.
But for the time being she was innocent, pure and joyful, the only thing she was afraid of was the night's storms that would wake her from her slumber. Meeting her made me reminiscent of the time where I was once innocent, if I ever was at all, because being born in the wake of grief leaves no one sinless.
While I was away, I met a family called the Addingtons. It consisted of a mother, her five young children, and her husband who was off in the Army that I never had the chance of meeting. They were poor, it was apparent as soon as I saw their cottage on the bend of the hill.
During the winter a sickness fell on the house, taking every single one of the children under its hold, collectively targeting each one. Playing a game of Russian Roulette with children being the main victims. The older ones fell ill but ended up making it through the night, but the youngest children suffered.
I learned quickly about scarlet fever, how it spread between children at the speed of light. It was in that house under the apprentice of Dr. Browning that made me realize that all I wanted to do was help people. When we ended up leaving each child had recovered, even the baby who wasn't given much hope in the beginning. But each one of them lived, and I had something to do with it.
Traveling to the Tewksbury's estate was mostly helping Caterina's sanity, ever since I arrived home she couldn't go a moment without mentioning Tewksbury. It was either him or Enola, and believe me, I preferred to hear about Enola way more than my past tragedy.
The door opened, Caterina was next to my side, her pinky locked within mine as we took in the view in front of us. There the boy stood, his eyes wide, I could see him stiffen. It almost wasn't real, him I mean, like it was only some vision that I've had in the past.
For what felt like forever no one moved – or even breathed for that matter. Only I could watch him, how he looked the exact same as when I last saw him, except he looked more despairing now than when I left.
Caterina convinced me not to tell him about my arrival, that a surprise would be much more splendid. I don't think that's the case though, because he looks like he might have dropped dead if he wanted to. Or seen a ghost – maybe I look like a ghost right now.
Caterina clears her throat next to me, as if she was willing to begin the conversation amongst us all. I still couldn't relieve the shakiness of my left hand against hers, which she tried to calm down by wrapping our hands together entirely. Giving me a little squeeze every now and then, and it seems to be helping.
"We thought we'd come to visit you," Caterina says softly. "Ophelia is only in town for a short-while and we just thought, well I just thought you two could catch up again."
Caterina smiles innocently, it's one that you can't turn down, that you have to say yes to. Today she asserts herself like she's done this many times before, and maybe she has, clearly she loves to fiddle with other peoples love lives.
Tewksbury nods slowly, a weak smile appearing on his face. "Well, it was a nice thought Caterina, but I'm sorry we have guests here and I'm not sure it's the best time."
His voice is shaky, nearly quiet to the point that he's whispering. The sound of clicking against the floor begins to ring in Caterina and my ears, it's sharp and precise.
With each tap growing loudly my hands begin to shake more, Tewksbury turns his head towards the direction of the sound. His eyes begin to drift off as he turns back our direction.
From the far corner of the doorway, a woman appears. Her soft, honey hair is tucked behind a blue hat that rests on her head, it matches her dress. It isn't until she completely looks up that I realized it was Arabella.
Her face begins to harden like stone, the pale of her cheeks now flushed crimson. She appears older now, even more so than Lilia. I'm sure she's quite pleased with her new endeavors, as well as her family. She's not at all in the mood to give up her spot to intruders, especially not to me.
"It's okay, we're leaving anyways." I say quickly, tugging on Caterina's arm as she tries her best to stay standing in the doorway. "Right Caterina?"
She rolls her eyes at me, then faces her head towards the two. "Well it was nice seeing you again Tewksbury. We're very sorry to intrude."
Her body finally releases its tension and she lets me lead her away. We quickly stumble further away from the two, it was my goal to leave as soon as possible.
We should've assumed Arabella would be here, the girl was annoying but she got whatever she wanted, and in this case that was Tewksbury.
"Guess it wasn't meant to be." I whisper into her ear as we venture further down the path.
"She shouldn't even be here, I don't get it. I'm sorry Lia." She whispers back, shaking her head lightly and her black curls bounce up and down.
I shrug lifelessly, pinching my lips together. I didn't really even want to come to begin with, but now that I've been sent away it hurts worse than I can imagine. I think it was seeing her, with him, them together. It made me realize that maybe everyone was right, I messed up.
We finally reach the carriage after our walk of shame.
"Hey," a voice says from behind me and both our bodies stop walking. We turn around to Tewksbury who is standing there panting, out of breath. "Can you come back tomorrow? I'm sorry that you traveled all this way and I didn't even get to talk to you really. But tomorrow I promise I'm free the whole day, and we can catch up like Caterina said."
His honey eyes stare into mine, and for the first time in a long time I see him smiling at me, genuinely smiling.
My eyes shift to the doorway where Arabella remains standing, her arms crossed. Caterina squeezes my arm, shaking it lightly to break me out of my trance.
"Yeah, I can come back." I eventually spit out.
He nods, hesitating momentarily before he reaches out to hug me. I sink into his arms, closing my eyes as I enjoy the comfort of him, the most I've felt in a long time.
In this moment, it doesn't even feel awkward anymore, or ruined, it feels like how it always did. When there was still a chance for there to be an us, it may have been scary then, but it was nothing short of spectacular. And he knows that I'd do it all over again.
"I missed you." He whispers and pulls away.
"I missed you too." I reply, smiling softly.
And it's like everything is normal again.
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kay speaks!!
Hey i'm back, sorry for the long hiatus. I've been really busy with school and finals and everything, luckily i'm finished now. And i've been trying to complete other new books instead of this one. But i came back to wrap this up so this is the 2nd to last chapter of Oh Ophelia. Thanks for sticking around!