“Yes,” I whispered. “My love finally came back to me.”
Daniel slowly made love to me. Taking his time to whisper in my ear with how much he loved me. Missed me. Fought to get back to me. The emotion I felt was a mix of guilt and overwhelming happiness.
But I was dying. He came back for me and I was soon to leave him. As well as my beloved Annabelle.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I pushed the thoughts from my mind. Daniel was giving me a piece of him to take with me. For now I would relish in the warmth of his body. The feel of his lips to mine. The sound of his voice whispering in my ear.
I loved him. I would forever love him.
My release was building. It was pure heaven as Daniel pressed his lips to mine as I shattered around his body. When he moaned my name and filled me with his seed, I knew all was well again. My heart was back. My emptiness filled.
Daniel had held me in his arms as I cried myself to sleep. Life was not fair. It had ripped my beloved from me only to dangle in him front of me again. I would never tell Daniel, but I was exhausted after we had made love. My chest burned and my head throbbed. Sleep had soon come over me. I hadn’t slept so peacefully in over a year.
Opening my eyes, I turned my head to see him standing at the window. Weakly lifting my fingers to my lips, I smiled. I could still feel them tingling.
“Danny?” my voice croaked out.
Rushing to my side, he took my hand in his. “Yes, my love?”
“My journal. I need to make one more entry into my journal.”
He shook his head. “Darling, you’re so weak. You should rest.”
“No. I need you to take what I write and give it to Annabelle some day.”
Daniel leaned over and kissed my forehead. “My sweet darling, I’ll tell her whatever you wish for me to tell her.”
Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “It needs to be in my own pen. Please, Danny.”
His eyes softened as he nodded. “Where is your journal?”
I motioned to the side table as Daniel turned and picked up my journal.
“Will you help me sit up?”
“Yes, of course.”
It was then, Nelly walked into the room carrying a tray. “I brought you both some broth. Sophia, please eat some.”
“I’ll make sure she does,” Daniel said as he took the tray from her.
“Would you like help, Sophia?”
I shook my head. “No, Nelly. Thank you. Is Devlin with Annabelle?”
Nelly replied, “Yes. He left to spend a bit of time with her.”
“I wish I could hold her,” I said, knowing that was out of the question. I’d never risk her getting sick.
It wasn’t lost on me that the two of them exchanged looks. They were both worried. I was worried. My mind was beginning to think and see things I knew wasn’t there. The fever was taking a hold of me again and this time tighter. I needed to get my words down to my darling Annabelle.
I barely had the strength to hand Daniel my journal. “I’m so sleepy,” I softy said.
Setting the journal to the side, he crawled into bed next me and kissed my forehead. “Sleep my beautiful, Sophia. Sleep.”
MY BODY FELT heavy. The energy it took to even open my eyes was more than I could bare. I had the same nightmare over and over again. Daniel was standing on the boat dock, waiting for me. Walking toward him, he reached out his arms then would fall over the dock just as I reached him. My screams woke me each time.
Turning my head, I Smiled. He was here. My Danny was here. The last thing I had remembered was talking to Devlin before I drifted off to sleep again. My heart ached for him as I knew this couldn’t have been easy on him having Daniel return like this.