DISCLAIMER - Ecce Romani isn't mine. If it were, it would be less about a cart getting stuck in a ditch and more about... Well, you can imagine.
Cornelia's breasts did eventually grow in. She didn't show them to Flavia, for though they were rounded and pretty, they weren't as impressive as Flavia's had grown to be. Around this time, she and Flavia began to talk about the men they would one day marry. Flavia always described the most brave generals and grandiose senators as her future husbands; Cornelia never quite knew what to say.
One morning, while Cornelia was helping her mother Aurelia pin up her hair, Cornelia asked her, "Mother, do I have to marry a man someday?"
Aurelia didn't even look at her, continuing to stab at her head with a hair pin. "Yes," she said. Cornelia didn't ask anything else, she just held her mother's mirror as a strange feeling of sadness and resignation washed over her.
A few days later, Cornelia's father called her and her brothers in to his study and announced that they would be leaving for Rome as soon as possible. That night, Cornelia couldn't sleep. They would be leaving in the morning, and Flavia didn't know. Eventually, she made up her mind to go tell Flavia. She got up and pulled on her tunic.
While the sky was becoming light, the sun hadn't yet risen. Even the slaves were still asleep. As she slipped out of the front door, Cornelia marveled at the light mist that lay across the fields. She ran across them, through the mist, to Flavia's family's villa, and snuck in. Finding Flavia's room was easy enough; waking up Flavia was another matter. Flavia awoke with a yell, and Cornelia had to whisper consolingly to her.
Soon, the two girls escaped into the field. The sun was beginning to rise and they could hear slaves' voices from the two villas, but work wouldn't begin in the fields for a while yet. There was no time to run to the forest, so they couched among the growing wheat. Cornelia watched Flavia's face as she told her that she would be leaving soon. She saw Flavia's eyes fill with tears. "Oh, don't cry," she pleaded.
In response, the tears began to course down Flavia's face. "How can you expect me to not cry?" she asked angrily. "You're going to Rome, but I have to stay here! It's going to be so lonely…"
Cornelia, feeling helpless, hugged Flavia. Flavia put her arms around Cornelia's waist and pulled her closer, sobbing into her shoulder. Cornelia began to cry too, half in sadness, and half in awe at the glorious feeling of Flavia's body pressed against her own. So, the girls sat there and wept a while.
Eventually, Flavia ran a hand across her eyes and drew back. She cupped Cornelia's face with a hand. "You will write to me, won't you?" she asked.
Cornelia nodded. "I promise," she said, her voice shaking.
Flavia kissed her. This kiss was different to their childhood pecks; it was deeper, sadder, and salty from tears. Then, Flavia stood up, murmured a shaky little "Goodbye," and set off at a run towards her villa.
"Goodbye!" called Cornelia after her. She stood up and watched Flavia go before turning towards her own villa. The slaves would be in the field soon, and her family would be leaving in a few hours.
Continue reading for Chapter 3, the last chapter! Leave me a review, and I'll love you forever; I genuinely do want some feedback on this. I can review something of yours in exchange, if you like. Also, concrit is love!