Coda
Previously: The Rose of Whitby – Chapter 126
Waking up with her head on John’s chest and seeing him smile at her has to be the best way to wake up. The only way it could possibly be any better would be if she loved him the right way, but he doesn’t hold that against her. At least she doesn’t think, they had far too much fun with each other over the night, first with her nibbling all over him, showing him with every bite how much he means to her, showing her emotions, not just that, yes, he tastes so absolutely terribly good and smells so good and okay, she might have gotten a bit sidetracked with one specific emotion for him, but he likes that, too. She’s not going to apologize for it!
No fair! Why did the day take such a mean nose dive?! She was all ready for having a long, comfy day with all her family, when Mina reminds them that her mother decided she wants to be vampire queen and that means that her parents need to not only prepare for silly political things, no, way, way worse, they are leaving!
No! She doesn’t want to!
And why isn’t Quincy here to cheer her up? He doesn’t even answer when she whimpers at his door, well, he sort of answers, that he wants to be left alone. What did she do wrong now? She thought he liked her gift… She’s being bad again without meaning to and she hates that so much! She tried so hard! No, she doesn’t want Papa to leave! Not again!
The drac can’t remember why it is there… It thinks it was upset, but now there are smells all around that remind it of love. And the big wolf is singing to it. Soft songs, lullabies, like Papa, it knows Papa, it loves Papa, but Papa doesn’t have a drac like it and this one does and it can feel the soft fur against it. Feel the fur on the lap it’s curled up on, feel the hand petting it’s head, and just drift along in the smell and the songs and the love. Yes, this is better, whatever it was thinking and feeling before, this is better.
Darcy wishes tăticu could just have left her there! She doesn’t want to be standing in the library and watch her parents bring more things upstairs through the blasted mezzanine door! She wants to set the door on fire and tell Arthur to blockade everything. No, they can’t leave! They can’t! But when she starts to cry and howl and stomp her foot (again,) there’s John’s arms tight around her, his voice so gentle but firm in her ear and she… well, doesn’t calm down, this hurts too much, but she only cries.
She promised her parents she’d be a good girl, promised tăticu that she’ll be a strong knight, but all she has is her drac howling and feeling so scared to be left behind, to not be able to protect them when they are going to such a dangerous place. Of course Daddy hugged her tight, and her mother told her she’s stronger than that, but it’s Papa’s head-pat, the harsh one she likes so much, that makes her sniffle again. And the way he looks back down one last time, how she feels like they both can’t manage to not search for each other’s eyes just one more time, makes her feel terrible when she wishes with all her heart that Papa would stay, not Mina. She doesn’t want some other woman, even if she’s tăticu’s wife and Lucy’s friend, no, all she wants is her Papa to never leave her. Nobody else matters so much!
Why can she never have the ones she loves?!
Why does him finally closing the door behind him feel the same as the hole still open in her chest?
Why is her love always ripped away from her?
To Be Continued…