till' we meet again, william schofield

sixteen

sixteen

ONE WEEK, THREE DAYS BEFORE WEDDING

WILL WAS WALKING HOME, stumbling over every second step. thinking. He had whiskey on his breath, a heavier drink than he was use too. But Elizabeth had cracked down on him again, whining and complaining about his drinking problem and lack of interest in their wedding.

He came to terms with not loving her in the way a man loves a woman, if anything he used her as a shield. She was so head strong and independent. He needed that or else he wouldn't of been able to get out of bed when he returned from war. He left his hometown a bright eyed young man, hoping to make a difference. But he returned as the shell of a man with a bleeding heart.

But now, he was out of bed. He was slowly but surely finding his footing in the world, working towards the normalcy he craved. He didn't know how to break up with Elizabeth— how to shatter his mother's wishes. But he needed to do it.

He walked down Pub Lane. He had just bid his farewells to Jack. His friend needed to go home early tonight, as he had promised his wife he'd help with taming his two little girls while his in-laws were staying over.

The sun was setting as the cool evening air rustled through his hair. Glancing upwards to the strands of hair peeking into his line of sight, he thought about his overdue haircut. Elizabeth would surely want him to get a haircut since their wedding is soon. No. He liked this length. And he wasn't marrying Elizabeth.

He sighed as he glanced at the engagement ring on his finger. Bitterly, he plucked it off and shoved it in his pocket. He'd be sure to return that.

He looked ahead as Pub Lane came to an end. The playground across the street was nearly empty expect for a child with fiery red hair, and a girl with equally red hair. He heart skipped a beat. It had been so long since he seen that shade of red.

He knew he was intoxicated and most likely seeing things, but the worse that happens is it's not her. Not his Rosine.

He walked closer in a tipsy haze, doing his best not to appear as a predator or a creep. He studied them, watching as the girl tickled the boy, causing him to cry out in laughter.

He missed Rosine. He missed the genuine passion and love shared between them. He missed being respected and seen as an equal. He wanted a woman like her, but there was a pessimistic thought in the back of his head that told him there wouldn't be another woman like her.

No woman would come close to his Rosine.

He crossed the street, not bothering to watch for cars as his eyes were locked on the woman and child. The woman picked up the child, pulling him close and hugging him. The child noticed Will approaching, his bright blue eyes trained on him.

"Rosine?" He croaked, feeling his heart tightened as he awaited the response. His world shattered as the woman turned around quickly, her blue eyes lighting up in disbelief as she registered who stood in front of her.

It was her. It was Rosine. She looked different than the last time he saw her. Her lips weren't blue, they were a healthy pink colour. She gained weight, seeming to not be underfed anymore. Her hair grew out. It was thicker and shiner, no longer coated in grease and dirt. Her face was even decorated with makeup, enhancing her already beautiful features.

She shakily put the child down, asking him to stay seated on the bench. She slowly walked towards him. Towards her Will. He didn't waste anytime though. He hurtled towards her, opening his arms to embrace her before he even reached her. He enveloped her in a bone crushing hug, holding her close.

He pulled away and grabbed her face with his hand. A disbelieving, joyful laugh came from him as he studied her tear stricken face. She smiled. The woman he thought to be dead was smiling at him. His heart tightened once again as so many emotions swirled through his body.

She gripped the back of his neck, pulling his face towards hers. Their lips embraced one another, working in sync as they did three years ago. The passion and love was still there, as it had never left.

They pulled away gasping, grasping one another all around their bodies. As if any moment the other would disappear, and this would just be a fevered dream.

Rosine reached up to fiddle with his hair, twirling the long strands between her fingers. "Your hair is much longer," she whispered. Will leaned into her touch, nodding slightly.

A loud cry comes from behind them, causing them both to jump apart from each other. Rosine cursed underneath her breath as she hurried towards Timmy, as he cradled his bleeding knee.

"Timmy I told you to stay put," Rosine scolded the child, as he wiped his tears away. She placed a kiss on his knee after she wiped away the small amount of blood. She pretended to take a bit out of him, to which he giggled. "Go play. Try not to hurt yourself."

Timmy waddled off, leaving Rosine and Will alone. Rosine awkwardly swayed from side to side as Will studied her face. He then glanced at the child, recognizing the same bright red hair and blue eyes in Rosine. He went still as he glanced between the two, and realized approximately how old the child must be.

"Is that... Is he... Is he our .. child?"

Rosine let out a loud giggle, covering her mouth with her hand as she looked at Will's grave expression. Will couldn't help the softening of his expression at the sound of her laugh. It was something he missed dearly.

"Timmy is my brother's son. He's not mine, nor yours."

Relief washed over Will's body at those words. Rosine furrowed her brows, placing a hand on her hip. "Would having a child with me be that bad, William Schofield?"

His face flushed red as he quickly tried to right his mistake. "No! Not at all! I.. I just didn't want to think I left you to raise a child on your own for three years," he explained. He paused for a second. "Rosine, where have you been for three years?"

Rosine went to answer, but then the clock of the church down the road chimed. Rosine listened for the time, and realized she needed to leave before Lara had her head on a stick. Or became ill from worrying.

"I can't explain right now, my love. But, I do wish to explain. I wish to see you again. To perhaps pick up where we left off. What do you say about that?"

Will couldn't say no to Rosine, never could he ever say no. He thought back to what Elizabeth had said the other day. She'd be out of town for the weekend, leaving the house to himself.

Perfect.

"I have a house, a couple blocks over. Why don't you come over Friday, perhaps if you'd like, you could spend the night?"

Rosine smirked, "I'll check my calendar, William Schofield. Perhaps I'll see you Friday, at your house, a couple blocks over from here."

She called to Timmy, picking the child up and walking towards her hotel.

"It's the blue one! Number one seventy-seven. You can't miss it!" He yelled out, watching her figure walk away with a child on her hip.

"I won't miss it! The blue one! One seventy-seven!"

Will smiled to himself. She came back. His Rosine was finally with him.