"I finished it, papa. See?" Caroline asked, bounding up to her papa as he sat by the fireplace, smoking his pipe and reading a book. He looked over the embroidery she held out for him and smiled.
"Yes, that's a very nice map of the lake. What are you going to do with it?" he asked, as he set the book down on the table beside him. He took the embroidered fabric from her outstretched hands and looked over the detail. Caroline's face lit up with a mischievous grin.
"I can't tell you, it's a surprise."
She was planning on asking Mr. Tate, who worked as a carpenter at her papa's shipyard, to make it into a fire screen. Now that papa was finally home, she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when it was finished!
"Well it's very good, Caroline. I can't wait to see the surp-" her papa started to say, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"I wonder who that is," he mumbled, and went to stand up from the chair, but Caroline held her hands out to stop him.
"I'll get it, papa!" she exclaimed, running over to the door. Papa had only been home for a couple days, and he was still regaining his strength from the hard journey he had made to get back home when he escaped from the British, so Caroline didn't want him to strain himself.
Caroline opened the door and was surprised to see Seth standing there. "Hello, Seth. What are you doing here; I thought you went to go join the navy!"
Seth smiled. "I did. I enlisted a few days ago, and the navy ship is leaving in half an hour, but I wanted to come and say goodbye to you and your family before I left."
Caroline grinned back at Seth. She was glad she would be able to say goodbye, at least, before he went away. Caroline felt tears building up behind her eyes. Who knows how long the war will last, and when I will be able to see him again! she thought to herself. She looked over the bright blue navy uniform Seth was wearing and forced a smile, blinking away the tears. He looked so noble and proud with the white straps that went across his chest, and the bright, brass buttons that shone gold in the sunlight streaming in from outside.
Caroline looked back up at Seth to see an expectant look on his face. Caroline was slightly confused until she realized Seth was still standing outside, and was she blocking the entrance.
"Oh, sorry. Come in, Seth," she said, a pink blush creeping across her cheeks as she opened the door wider and took a step back. Seth walked in just as Mrs. Abbott walked in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron the was tied around her waist.
"Hello, Seth. I thought I heard your voice. Will you be joining us for lunch? It's almost ready," she offered Seth, but he only shook his head.
"No thank you, Mrs. Abbott. I wish I could, but the navy ship is leaving in half an hour," he said. She nodded grimly, but like Caroline, she kept a smile on her face.
"Very well. You'll at least take a biscuit with you though, won't you? My mother just pulled a batch out of the oven," she said, and Seth smiled. He could never turn down one of Caroline's Grandmother's biscuits.
"Of course."
Once Seth had gobbled down one biscuit, and wrapped up another one for later that day, Mrs. Abbott and Caroline walked him back to the door.
"I'd like to thank you all for everything. You've been just like a family to me," he said, giving them each a warm smile. Since Seth had no family of his own, Caroline had come to think of him as part of their family, even though they didn't see him much because of his job as a post-walker.
"No thanks needed, Seth. We think of you as family," Mrs. Abbott said, and Caroline nodded in agreement. Seth tipped his tall, black hat and turned to leave. Caroline felt her heart sink, and before she could stop herself, she called out, "Seth, wait!"
He turned and quirked up an eyebrow, as if to ask 'what is it?' Caroline turned to look up at her mama.
"Mama, may I walk with Seth to the docks?" Caroline asked. Mama turned and gave her a smile like she knew something Caroline didn't.
"Of course," Mama said, and Caroline gave her a slightly confused look before shrugging and following Seth out the door. They walked in silence for a few minutes, neither of them sure of what to say to the other. Caroline remembered all the fun they had before the war started, and the last day they had spent together.
It seemed like eons ago that Seth, Caroline, and Rhonda had sunk Papa's skiff, the Sparrow, to save the supply ship that was headed to Sacket's Harbor, even though it had only been a week at the most. Ever since that fateful day, Seth had voiced his intent to join the navy, and now he was finally leaving. It felt surreal to see the navy ship bobbing in the harbor, all loaded up and ready to leave with her best friend on board. When they finally reached the dock that led up to the boat, Caroline grabbed Seth's arm, not wanting to let him go.
Seth turned to look at her, patiently waiting for her to speak. Caroline looked down at her hands and realized she was tightly gripping his new navy jacket, and she quickly dropped her arm back down to her side.
"I, uh…" Caroline began, but she couldn't seem to form sentences out of the jumbled thought swirling around in her head. Caroline tried to keep her emotions under control, just like she had done while her papa was away, but she couldn't seem hold back the tears she felt burning behind her eyes. Her bottom lip started to tremble, and she bit down on it to make it stop, but not quick enough for it to escape Seth's notice.
"I won't be gone forever, Caroline," he said with a reassuring smile. Sometimes Caroline wondered how he could always smile, even when everything around him seemed to be falling apart.
"I know. I'm proud of you, Seth," Caroline finally said, her voice nearly choking on the last sentence. She really was proud of Seth, but that didn't mean she wanted him to go. She wished more than anything he could stay home. The stupid war had taken away her papa, her cousin Oliver, and now Seth. She was thankful she had finally gotten her papa back, but she dearly missed Oliver, who had gone off to join the navy too, and she knew she would miss Seth just as much while he was away.
"Just…just promise me you'll come back home," Caroline pleaded, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Home?" Seth questioned, with a small smile, and Caroline realized he must've never had a home before. His family had died when he was very young, leaving him an orphan, and when he became a post-walker he was always on the move, never once stopping anywhere for more than an hour. Caroline smiled back at him through her tears and nodded.
"Yes, we're your family, and your home is with us. Promise you'll come back home to us," Caroline said. Seth beamed at Caroline before stepping forward and pulling her into a tight hug.
"I promise," he whispered. When he finally pulled away they simply looked at each other for a few seconds before Seth finally put a hand behind Caroline's head, and gently pulled her closer. He planted a kiss on her forehead, and Caroline felt butterflies erupt in her stomach at the small gesture. His lips lingered there for a moment or two before he finally pulled away.
"Goodbye," he said simply, waving goodbye before climbing up the ramp to the deck of the ship. Caroline waved and stood there until the boat left and she couldn't see it anymore.
Caroline smiled to herself, despite the fact that her best friend had just left. The worry that had flooded her mind before was finally ebbing away, and leaving confidence in its place.
I know he'll come back, because his home is with us…with me.
I was kinda irritated that they didn't have Caroline tell Seth goodbye before he left in the books, and I was in the mood to write a one-shot, so this was the product. Hope you liked it! :)