{"id":979,"date":"2012-01-01T00:00:25","date_gmt":"2012-01-01T05:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=979"},"modified":"2011-12-20T14:17:13","modified_gmt":"2011-12-20T19:17:13","slug":"epilogue-day-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=979","title":{"rendered":"Epilogue – Day 21"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom sat alone on the mattress, the tiny little box cupped between his palms, nerves turning his guts to sour water churning away at his core.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He knew he shouldn\u2019t be nervous.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It wasn\u2019t like she was going to say no, was she?<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is she?<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>He squeezed his eyes shut.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The rift that had opened between them\u2014the rift he knew now that he\u2019d caused thanks to his own fear\u2014was potentially one that could never be fully bridged.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Talking to Phelan, though, had made him sure he had to try.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>This was only a first step.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The first of many, many more with her at my side, I hope.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Images of a boy\u2014of their son\u2014floated up before his eyes, then gave way to the images he feared, of him begging Jacqueline to somehow save her, to do <\/span>something<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I can\u2019t lose her, I can\u2019t live without her.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThom?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>His hands tightened and he looked up at her, smiled weakly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her brow creased.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Marin whispered, kneeling down next to him.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d he said softly, reaching up to stroke her cheek, turning his other hand to hide the box for at least a moment longer.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cEveryone settled?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Questions answered?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She laughed weakly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAs much as I was able, anyway.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What about you?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Are you\u2026are you okay with all of it?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI have to be,\u201d he said, and meant it.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s a reality of life now.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I can\u2019t pretend it\u2019s not real, not after what happened to you.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What happened to both of us.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Hope shown in her eyes, overshadowed by the tears that welled up along the rims, caught in her lower lashes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThen you believe?\u201d she asked, voice trembling.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He swallowed past the lump in his throat and simply nodded.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She put her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It made his ribs hurt, but he ignored the pain as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, burying his nose in her hair.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The box lay against his thigh, almost forgotten for a few long moments as she wept against his shoulder and he reveled in the feel of her in his arms, the scent of her hair.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She smelled of lavender and the woods.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI love you,\u201d he murmured in her ear.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI know,\u201d she whispered against his shoulder.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She pulled back a moment later, sniffling and wiping her eyes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He reached up and brushed a few away with his thumb.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI made a mistake eight months ago,\u201d he said slowly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhen I bailed on that trip to the island.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I got cold feet.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She looked confused.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He just smiled weakly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m not afraid anymore.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAfraid of what?\u201d she whispered.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis,\u201d he said softly, and kissed her cheek.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He fumbled for the box, then pressed it against her palm.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She startled, looking down at it.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her hands trembled as she opened it slowly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her breath caught.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cMarry me, Marin,\u201d he whispered into her hair.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI know we don\u2019t have a priest or a chapel or anything, but marry me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Stay with me for a year and a day and forever.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>As long as love lasts.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAs long as love lasts,\u201d she murmured, staring at the ring.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A claddagh, with a diamond cut into a heart shape between the hands.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She squeezed her eyes shut, a tear splashing down onto her palm.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t say no,<\/em><\/span> he thought.<\/span>\u00a0 Please, don\u2019t say no.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYes,\u201d she said after an agonizing silence.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Relief flooded through him, robbed his limbs of strength for a moment.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He shivered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She laughed weakly but lightly, lacing her fingers through his hair.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI love you,\u201d she said, and kissed him fiercely.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI know,\u201d he murmured back against her lips. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>His arms went around her and crushed her against his chest.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her kiss stole his breath away.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>They sat astride a horse, she behind him, her arms around his waist.\u00a0 <\/span>He put his bandaged hand over hers as she clung there and he stared back over her shoulder, back toward <\/span><\/em>home<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAre you sure about this?\u201d he murmured, stomach feeling sour.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They were leaving them.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Leaving their son.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>What were they <\/span><\/em>doing<\/span>?\u00a0 <\/span>But she nodded a little, voice weak as she answered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t have a choice, Thom.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I have to find it.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>His fingers tightened.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/em>Will they be safe without us there?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s going to happen to them?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWill the wardings hold?\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYeah,\u201d she said, resting her cheek against his shoulderblade.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI think so.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>For a while, at least.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Until we can come back and strengthen them again.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/em>At least she\u2019s talking like we\u2019ll be back, even if neither of us quite believe it.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Her arms tightened around his waist.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He looked down at her, smiling.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cYeah,\u201d he said gently.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/em>Promise me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Lie to me.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ll believe.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ve always believed, even when I didn\u2019t want to.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He set his heels into the horse\u2019s flanks, heading west, toward the lake and away from the rising sun.\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019d return someday.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Somehow.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom blinked back the tears on his face as he broke the kiss and buried his face in her hair.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That day, the day he\u2019d seen, was still a long way off.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>But it was <\/span>hope<\/span><\/em>, and in the darkest hours, sometimes hope was all they\u2019d have.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI know,\u201d he whispered again, over and over.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thom sat alone on the mattress, the tiny little box cupped between his palms, nerves turning his guts to sour water churning away at his core.\u00a0 He knew he shouldn\u2019t be nervous.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t like she was going to … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,32,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-1","category-day-21","category-epilogue"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-fN","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=979"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":982,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/979\/revisions\/982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}