AN: Thanks all for the support. Please read the endnotes I have a question for my readers.

Enjoy :)

The rains came fast and heavy. Pounding on the roof and seeping into the cracks along the wood until there was almost nothing dry left in the cabin. The rain never seemed to cease as it poured over the land with such fury that Lydia was certain their cabin would be destroyed by the torrential winds and water. The cabin that her grandfather had built with his own hands sometime before Lydia's birth was ill-equipped to handle this sort of weather and it showed.

Normally, Lydia would've been pleased by the prospect of rain and she had been at first. As soon as the first fat drops had hit the ground she had been outside twirling and laughing as the water poured off of her and seeped into the thirsty Earth. She had lifted her face up towards heaven and had allowed herself to be baptized by the water and she had laughed. She had laughed herself silly as her feet sunk into the mud and water into her hair, making it all frizzy and curly. Her grandmother had yelled at her to get inside before she completely ruined her clothes and Lydia had obeyed, but she couldn't stop laughing.

However, her joy had soon turned south when the rains went from being soft and enjoyable to hard and fast, pelting against the roof and the earth with such force that it drowned everything else out. All that could be heard for days was the occasional crack of lightning followed by thunder so loud that seemed to shake the Earth.

The water leaked into the house forcing them to put out all sorts of pots and pans to try and combat the influx of water as it dripped from the ceiling and the rafters onto the floor and occasionally on them. At night, the house creaked from the winds and in the mornings, it grew so cold that Lydia thought they might all freeze to death.

Her grandfather told her that this region had never seen such a bad storm since before she was born, and it made Lydia wonder if God was trying to make the Earth anew just like he did in Genesis. The once barren landscape had been filled to the brim with water that refused to sink into the Earth, flooding the surface until there was nothing left but the muddy water that never seemed to go away.

Lydia had prayed for an end on bent knees and with clasped hands, her head lowered in reverence as she did what she had been taught to do from a very young age. Her voice had been soft, barely audible or discernible from the booming thunder or the crackle or lightening. But Lydia knew she needn't be loud for the Lord to hear her.

When the rains finally did recede on the fourth day, the Earth felt fresh and clean in a way that it had not been for years. Her grandfather told her that the Earth had been cleansed and re-baptized after years of punishment in the form of a failing economy and sporadic droughts that left them in ruins. He believed that their home had finally been redeemed and that their sins had been forgiven, but Lydia wasn't so sure that she believed that. What with everything that had been going on, Lydia wasn't so sure they should be calling the rain a blessing just yet. The clouds continued to hand low in the sky, a sure sign that the rain would soon be back.

Back and angrier than before.

However, it was enough of a reprieve for her to make the journey into town to retrieve the fabrics from Mr. Cooper. The shipment that her grandmother had placed at the beginning of the week had been delayed due to the rains and they had only received word earlier that day that the train had finally arrived into town, which meant that it was no up to Lydia to go and get them. Her grandmother was unable to accompany her because she had come down with something that had left her coughing and tired for the past few days and her grandfather was all the way in Galveston working on the railroad that had been damaged from the rains. Which meant it was up to Lydia to watch over her grandmother and ensure that all the chores around the house and the farm were taken care of, and that also meant going into town for errands.

Lydia had made the trip into town plenty of times by herself and she wasn't afraid to do so, but she really didn't want to get caught outside when the rains did come back, which they undoubtedly would.

"It looks as though the rains will be back soon, which means that you will need to quick," said her grandmother as she wrapped a large wooly overcoat around her granddaughters shoulders before a particularly nasty cough escaped her mouth, forcing the older woman to turn away for a few moments as she fought against the wet expel of air.

"I won't dawdle," said Lydia in concern as she took in the sight of her sickly grandmother, her face beet red as she clutched at her chest, "I promise that I'll come straight home after I get the fabrics."

She paused before adding: "are you sure you don't want me to pick you up some medicine from the drug store while I'm there? That cough doesn't sound too good and I'm sure they'll have something there that would help-?"

Her grandmother waved her hand in the air, "I'll be fine, Lydia. It's just a cough, nothing I haven't had before."

"This doesn't seem like a typical cold though," said Lydia, her voice laced with concern as she shook her head.

Her grandparents had always been against modern medicine, choosing faith and prayer rather than relying on medication and educated providers to heal them from their maladies. Lydia suspected that this belief had only been exacerbated by her mother's death and her doctor's inability to save her, but Lydia did not hold the same belief in her heart as they did, but she knew enough to hold her tongue. Her grandparents had always been stubborn though when it came to their beliefs and Lydia knew that it was pointless to argue with them.

Besides, her grandmother was a tough woman. She had survived consumption without medical aid as well as a breached birth and the loss of her two children, all before the age of forty. If none of those could break her grandmother's body or spirit, Lydia doubted that there was much of anything else that could.

"I'll make some herbal tea," said her grandmother as yet another cough racked her short, stout body.

"Okay," said Lydia with uncertainty, "if that's what you want."

"It is," said her grandmother as she handed the young girl the purse of money, "just the fabrics, no medicine. Lord knows we can't afford it even if we wanted it."

Lydia nodded obediently, "you should rest, grandma. I won't be long. I can make us some stew tonight if that's what you wish?"

Her grandmother smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening as she gazed down at the thoughtful young girl. "That sounds wonderful, dear."

Lydia smiled, "anything for you, grandma. I'll see you later tonight."

The young girl turned and walked down the porch steps and into the muddy ground, her loose brown curls flying in the wind as she pulled her overcoat around her tightly to combat the cold. She turned and offered the older woman a wave as well as a soft smile that reminded the grandmother of another young girl who had not been much older than Lydia when she had died.

Lydia was the spitting image of her mother, but there were also traces of the young man who had fathered her in her features, especially around the eyes. The older woman couldn't say for certain what qualities that young girl shared with him seeing as she had only met the boy only a handful of times before his untimely death. She had remembered that he had been eerily observant and aware of those around him, but he had been kind and polite as well.

"I love you," she called out after the girl, "be safe."

"I will."

Edna Kane watched her granddaughter disappear down the road before another violent cough racked through her body, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as her face reddened. Her lungs burned as they struggled to expel the fluid within them and it was only when the coughing had finally ceased did the older woman look down at her hand.

It was covered in blood.

The town was bustling as usual as the young girl made her way through the crowd that had amassed in the street. The sound of people yelling and the engine of the train was enough to drown everything out as she politely pushed past all sorts of people. Her pace was brisk and not without speed as she looked back up towards the sky, which continued to grow darker by the minute.

She wasted no time in walking over to Mr. Cooper's general store where she could Joshua carrying in a few heavy looking boxes, his biceps taut under the strain. Lydia could feel her cheeks pinken as she watched unnoticed from the street. Lydia had been friends with Joshua since they were children and never once had she ever thought of the older boy in such a way, but things had changed over the past few years and Lydia had begun to notice him more than she had in the past.

She knew it was silly, but Joshua was just so nice and kind that it was hard not to think about him.

Lydia shook her head as she brushed a stray strand behind her hair and marched into the store, her skirts hiked up around her ankles and her cheeks chapped from the harsh wind.

"Hello Mr. Cooper," she said upon entering the store.

"Lydia," he said in greeting as he flashed her a vibrant smile, "we've been expecting you. The shipment finally came in from Galveston and there in the back ready to go."

"How much did you say that will be?" she asked as she pulled out the purse of money.

She gave him the appropriate amount before he motioned his son over, who had been busy restocking the shelves along the far wall.

"Can you get the fabrics for Lydia, please?"

"Yes sir," said Joshua as he motioned for the younger girl to follow him into the back of the store where Lydia could see a few pieces of furniture along with a few anatomy books that no doubt belonged to the aspiring doctor. "Here they are. They took a while to get in from Galveston because of the rain, but they're fine. I checked them over myself."

He began packing up the rolls of fabrics into a bag while Lydia made her way over to the table and picked up the book before turning back to Joshua: "Still planning on making it big as a doctor?"

"Not anymore," said Joshua simply.

"Why not? I think you'd make a great doctor," she said as she opened the first page.

Joshua shook his head, "it's not what my dad wants. He wants me to run the shop after he's dead and pass it on to my son. You know, the family business."

"But that's not what you want," stated Lydia idly as she set the book back down.

He swallowed, "it doesn't really matter what I want when it comes to my dad."

There was a moment of silence before he scooped up the bag of fabrics and handed them over to Lydia, a smile on his face that never quite reached his eyes. "Enough about me. What are your plans?"

Lydia snorted, "I don't think girls like me have many prospects."

"Sure you do," said Joshua as he leaned against the table, "what would you do if you had the chance? Money, education, and rules aside."

Lydia shook her head, "I supposed I would finish my education. I never got the chance to get to the level I wanted to before the school shut down and my grandparents don't see the reason for me to attend a different one."

"Why not?"

"They're getting older I guess. My grandma needs more help around the house then she used too and according to my grandfather, it's time I started learning how to manage a house for when I get married, although I don't think that's a very good reason not to go to school."

"It isn't," agreed Joshua, his voice soft and sweet, "education shouldn't be a privilege, it should be a right. You should be able to finish your education whether your grandparents say you can or you can't."

"I want too, but you know I can't," she said with a sigh, "I can't just leave them behind to take care of the farm themselves, not after everything they've done for me."

Joshua sighed, "you really are devoted to them, aren't you?"

"They raised me, of course, I am," she said pointedly, "they were there for me when my own parents couldn't be."

The older boy handed the girl the bag of fabrics, which she accepted with both hands that strained to keep a hold of the heavy material. They were heavy, but it wasn't like Lydia was weak. Her years working the farm and helping her grandfather out around the barn had physically strengthened her in ways that most girls her age weren't.

"Do you ever wish that your parents were here? If they had raised you instead of your grandparents, I bet things would've been a lot different for you," commented Joshua as he watched Lydia hoist the bag over her shoulder.

"I don't know," she said honestly, "I've tried to imagine it, you know? What it would've been like if things had been different. How different our lives would've been if neither of them had died, but its hard at the same time. I've never known my parents outside of stories and photographs."

"I didn't think your grandparents would've ever mentioned Jasper Whitlock," said Joshua, "I mean, it doesn't seem like you know much about the man."

"No, no I don't. Its true, they don't really talk about him. All I know is that he was a Major in the Confederate army who disappeared one day. He was young, as was my mother. They were only a few years older than I am now when I was born," she said distantly.

"They never found his body, then?" asked Joshua.

She shook her head, "no, they never did find a body. They found his horse a few days after he had disappeared covered in blood as if he had been attacked by something while out on the road. Even though there was never a body, they declared him dead. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I had heard that the Whitlocks had buried an empty coffin, but I didn't know if it was true or not."

"I wish that there had been something of him to bury," said Lydia softly, "or that they knew what really happened to him. But I suppose we won't ever know the truth now."

"Do you think he could still be… alive? I know its probably inappropriate and all to be asking you this, but have you ever wondered?" he asked, not trying to make the young girl uncomfortable.

"I don't think it's inappropriate," said Lydia, "after all, there was never a body."

"So you think-?"

"No," she said quickly and sternly, "I know he died, and I know he's never coming back."

He nodded, "I shouldn't have asked you that, I'm sorry."

Lydia sighed as she brushed a few stray strands behind her ear, "I don't mind. I wish I could be offended, but the facts are I never knew him and I can never mourn him or my mother properly because of that. I can mourn the idea of them, but never them because I don't know what to mourn."

"I supposed it's a lot like mourning what could have been," said Joshua softly.

"Yeah, it is," said Lydia in wholehearted agreement before she shook her head, already tired of the somber mood that had set in between the two to of them. She smiled, "I suppose I should get going. I told my grandmother I'd be home before sundown."

"I could give you a ride?" offered Joshua, "it beats walking and you won't have to lug that bag around and make your arms sore."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," said Lydia, a blush creeping over her cheeks, "It's no big deal, really. I can handle myself."

"I know you can handle yourself," said Joshua idly, "but why should you? Look, it's gonna be dark soon and it's probably going to start raining here in a few hours. Besides, do you really want to be out on the road by yourself when there are all sorts of dangerous things out there?'

She considered his words.

"Are you sure? I doubt your father would want you leaving before you close shop," she said as she looked through the doorway where Mr. Cooper was chatting with an older gentleman.

"My father wouldn't want you walking home alone either," said Joshua seriously, "not after what happened to Willie."

A shiver ran up Lydia's spine at the mention of the deceased boy. The image of his pale, dry corpse flashed across her mind, his mouth wide open in mid-scream and his eyes motionless and frozen as they stared right at her through the recesses of her mind. There was no doubt in her mind that Willie's death had been slow and painful and that he had been terrified.

"You're right," she conceded, "I shouldn't be walking alone. Thank you for the offer.

"It's no problem, really. I'll go talk to my dad and then I'll go get the horse. I'll meet you outside?" he said as he made his way over to the doorway, his eyes lingering over hers as she nodded.

"I won't be long, maybe about ten minutes or so," he added before he ducked out into the store and begun talking with his father.

Lydia looked around one last time before she secured the bag over her shoulder and made her way out of the store and onto the boardwalk outside. She sat down at one of the empty tables where she had seen a few older men playing chess earlier and set her bag down next to the chair before she looked across the street at the row of shops. The saloon was always busy with all sorts of people and although she had never been in one, she had an idea of the sort of people that could be found in one.

She watched idly as a promiscuously dressed woman with red hair and even redder lips made her way out of the saloon, an older looking man trailing behind her before they both disappeared down the alley. Her laugh the only sound that could be heard before Lydia tore her gaze away, certain of the sort of activities they would be engaging in.

She bit her lip as she looked up at the sky once more and saw the clouds, which looked even bigger and heavier than before. A clap of thunder could be heard as the clouds continued to slowly roll in, their color growing darker by the second.

She had been staring up at them for a few moments before a soft voice brought her out of her reverie. She tore her gaze away from the sky to look over at Mrs. Whitlock, who stood in front of her with her hands clasped around a paper brown bag that no doubt came from the drug store. The older woman was dressed in a more simple looking gown than usual with her honey-blond hair pulled neatly back into a low bun that was not her typical style. She looked nothing like the affluent woman that they had seen only a few days ago and it did not go unnoticed by Lydia that her color was considerably paler than before and there were dark bags under her eyes.

"Lydia," said the older woman, "what a pleasant surprise. How are you?"

"I'm fine, ma'am," said Lydia as politely as she could, "and yourself?"

"As fine as I can be, I suppose," said the blond woman with a nod before she pointed at the empty seat in front of Lydia, "you don't mind if I sit, do you? My feet are absolutely killing me."

"Not at all, please," said Lydia, her tone kind but wary at the same time as she watched her paternal grandmother sit down and grimace as if the very act itself brought her pain.

"Is everything alright?" asked Lydia.

"I'm fine, just some back pain, nothing I can't handle," she said before she leaned forward, "I'm happy I ran into you here, Lydia. I've been meaning to talk to you."

Lydia tilted her head in unease as she regarded the older woman who had never had much to say to her or her family ever before. "What about?"

"I can tell you weren't expecting me to say that," said Mrs. Whitlock observantly, "this is probably the first time you and I have ever really talked to each other outside of the usual pleasantries and I have to say, I do regret the fact that you and I never got the chance to know each other due to the circumstances surrounding your birth."

"Because you and your husband wanted it that way," said Lydia earnestly.

The older woman looked away, "not just because of that, my dear. There is more to the story that you don't know."

"I know everything there is to know, ma'am. Your son got my mother pregnant out of wedlock and then they died before they could marry each other, and your family never wanted anything to do with me, even though I am your own flesh and blood. I mean, what else is there to know?"

"So, they didn't tell you, did they?" asked Evelyn Whitlock in earnest confusion as she regarded the young girl in front of her.

"Tell me what?" asked Lydia in confusion as the older woman shook her head.

The older woman sighed as she looked over at Lydia, uncertainty shining in her blue eyes. It was enough to make Lydia uncomfortable.

"I'm not surprised they didn't tell you. Edna and Solomon Kane were always too prideful and stubborn, especially after what happened between our son and their daughter. The loss of Rebecca was hard on them, seeing as they had already lost their son so young. All they had left was you and they weren't eager to share you with anyone else," said the older woman. Her words resonated with truth.

"What do you mean?" asked Lydia in shock, not quite understanding what was being said to her. "What on earth are you trying to say, Mrs. Whitlock?"

"Lydia, my dear," said the older woman as she grabbed onto the girl's hand, "I'm sorry that we were never there for you as a child, emotionally or financially. But you must understand, there was a reason we stayed away from you and it's not what you think."

"You stayed away because you didn't want a bastard for a granddaughter," said Lydia defensively as she pulled her hand away from the older woman. She shook her head in disbelief as she went to stand up, already done with this conversation before Mrs. Whitlock spoke again.

"No, it wasn't like that," said Evelyn, her eyes pleading, "please, just sit down and let me explain."

"You've said enough," said Lydia, "I won't have you saying that about my grandparents. They've been there for me when you weren't, so don't you dare tell me that it's all their fault when you know good and well that they've done more for me than you or your husband ever will."

The older woman's eyes fell as she drew her hands away from Lydia and turned her gaze over to stare out at the dusty road with sadness. Lydia knew that she had spoken harshly and she had been more than disrespectful to her father's mother, an elder who deserved more respect than what Lydia had shown her.

She sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn like that, ma'am. It was disrespectful and I ought to be ashamed of my behavior."

"No," said Mrs. Whitlock softly, "it was my fault. I shouldn't have approached you like that. You were right to be angry with me and I should have known better."

"Then why say it?" asked Lydia, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"I just wanted an opportunity to talk with you and better explain to you why we were never there for you," said Mrs. Whitlock, "I think it's time you learned the truth. But you're right, I shouldn't have insinuated anything about your grandparents, not after everything they've done for you. Our families may be as different as cats and dogs, but there is no doubting that they love you."

There was a moment of silence before Lydia took her seat again and leaned forward.

"Go on."

Evelyn looked up at Lydia in surprise before she looked back down at her lap. "I loved Jasper dearly. While both Theodore and Nathaniel took after their father, Jasper was the only who took after me. We were very close in a way that I couldn't be with my other two sons you see, and Jasper never really got along with his father like his brothers did."

"I had a feeling that might've been the case," commented Lydia truthfully as she watched Mrs. Whitlock wipe away a stray tear.

"It was. You see, your father and your grandfather were always fighting about one thing or another. Don't get me wrong, George loved Jasper as much as I did but they never saw eye to eye on anything. Which was why Jasper went into the army as soon as he could during the war. He wanted to get away from his father, who wanted him to go to law school like he had."

"But my father didn't want that, did he?" asked Lydia.

The older woman shook her head, "Jasper was a stubborn person. No one was going to make him do something he didn't want to do. So, as soon as he turned seventeen he ran away from home and joined the Confederate army by his way of persuasion. You see, your father had a way with words. He had a way of getting what he wanted when he wanted it," said Evelyn with a fond smile before it disappeared.

"That doesn't sound anything like me," commented Lydia. "It seems as though I can never get what I want."

"Maybe not, but you remind me of him, you know. You may look more like your mother, girl, but I can see him in you sometimes and it hurts," said Evelyn as she rubbed her eyes and wiped away the forming tears.

"Was that the only reason Jasper joined the army?" asked Lydia, hoping to divert back to the original conversation. "Because he wanted to get away from his father?"

"That and because he was loyal to Texas," said Evelyn offhandedly, "in fact, if Texas had joined the Union, Jasper would've done so as well. Texas was his home and he would always fight for his home, no matter what side our state fought for."

"Well, I'm sure you know what happened next," continued Evelyn, "somehow he and your mother met up and suddenly he's writing home telling us that he's gonna marry some girl we barely even knew because she was carrying his baby. He always had a strong sense of what was right and what was wrong and he knew that he had to do right by your mother and you, and that meant getting married."

"What happened after you found out?" asked Lydia, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"We told him he needed to do the right thing and marry the girl. My husband didn't like it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. After he married your mother and after she had you, she was supposed to come to our estate and live with us until after the war. But, as you know, that never happened," said Evelyn, her voice strained.

"No, they both died," finished Lydia.

Evelyn nodded, "when we found out that our son had died, it absolutely broke us. We had already lost one son already and we never thought we would lose another. It took us a while to come to terms with his death and I admit, I was hesitant to see you so soon afterward. You were this glaring reminder that my son had died and I didn't think I could handle it," she admitted truthfully.

"When you were only a few months old, we finally decided to come and see you properly. We wanted to give Edna and Solomon time to mourn for their daughter before we came over and we needed our time as well. The first time I saw you, I couldn't help but think you looked exactly like my son did at that age and it really got to me. We offered to help out any way that we could seeing as they weren't going to let you go. We offered to pay for your education, but your grandparents declined our offer and told us that they would be fine without our money or our presence."

"You offered to pay for my schooling?" asked Lydia as her eyes widened considerably in denial and hurt. Her grandparents knew just how much education meant to Lydia and how terribly she wanted to finish it before they married her off.

"We did," confirmed Evelyn, "but your grandparents were too prideful to accept. They said that they would never take someone else's money if they knew they couldn't repay it."

That was something that they had taught Lydia from a very early age. Never to take someone else's money when you knew you could never repay it because it made you a slave to the lender, but knowing that she could've had furthered her education all these years if it weren't for her grandparents made Lydia angry and hurt at the same time.

"That was why I wanted to talk with your grandmother last week," continued Evelyn, "I wanted to tell her that the offer was still open. There's a school in Houston, the same one I went to that I think would be suited to your educational needs. That is, if you want to go."

Of course, Lydia wanted to go. She wanted to go so bad so she could finally get what she wanted and get off the farm and away from her lying grandparents.

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Lydia as she turned away and lowered her head, unable to meet the older woman's eye as she wrapped her arms around herself protectively. She felt betrayed.

"Because I don't want to be strangers anymore," said Evelyn honestly as she reached across the table and grasped the young girl's hand once again, "you're my son's daughter. You deserve more than that."

Lydia paused, "there's something else, isn't there?"

"Yes, there is. To put it simply, Lydia. I'm dying. I have been for a while and I don't want to leave without making my amends first. I have had a lot of regrets in my life and I don't want to die with them on my conscience. Which is why I wanted to talk to you, so I could tell you I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes.

"You're… dying?"

"I have been for a long time now. The Doctors all say it's something neurological but none of them have been able to tell me much of anything," she said solemnly, "only that I'm dying."

Lydia thought the older woman would've been more upset by talk of her own impending death, but the Whitlock matriarch was anything but composed and regal. It was clear that she had already accepted her own death.

There was yet another moment of silence. Lydia turned her head to see if Joshua had returned already but found that he was nowhere in sight. She turned back to regard Mrs. Whitlock once again, her voice shaky and her hands palmy.

"What about your husband?" she asked meekly. "What does he think about all of this? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but your husband isn't very fond of me."

"No, you're right. He isn't. After your grandparents declined our offer, he told me he didn't want anything to do with any of you ever again and that it was probably for the best that you weren't in our lives," said Mrs. Whitlock remorsefully. "However, he is aware that of the offer I made to your grandmother and although he wasn't particularly fond of the idea, he's agreed to it as well."

"I'm surprised," said Lydia.

"I convinced him to go along with it," said Mrs. Whitlock as she shook her head, "for Jasper's sake. He didn't like the idea at first and he still doesn't, but now he can't say he didn't do anything for you."

"How thoughtful of him," said Lydia apathetically as Evelyn leaned forward.

"Think it over. You don't have to give me your answer right away, but if you really want this then let me know. We can ensure a spot for you in the class for the next semester," said Evelyn.

"How long do I have to think It over?"

"The semester starts in June of next year," said Evelyn, "so you have some time."

"I'll think about it," said Lydia with a nod as a brown horse carrying none other than Joshua made its way over to them. Joshua waved at Lydia before his eyes fell on Mrs. Whitlock. He gave her a polite nod, but his gaze was skeptical and wary at the same time.

"I should go," said Lydia as she rose to her feet, "my rides here."

Her paternal grandmother nodded before she too rose to her feet and pulled the young girl into her arms for a brief yet meaningful hug, to which the young girl returned, awkwardly as she wrapped her arms around the blond woman. She was still wary of Evelyn Whitlock and still suspicious, but not even Lydia could deny that they had just had an eye-opening conversation. They had actually talked to one another for the first time ever and it felt strangely good.

"Thank you for listening to what I had to say," said Evelyn earnestly, "I'm glad we could talk."

"I'm glad as well, ma'am," she said as she pulled away, "I- uh, thank for the offer, by the way. It means a lot."

"I'm glad," said Evelyn as she watched her son's daughter climb up behind the older boy on the horse along with the bad of fabrics, her hands coming around to hold onto his middle before she waved to Evelyn, albeit shyly before the horse took off through the street at a brisk pace.

"What were you doing talking to Mrs. Whitlock?" asked Joshua. "I thought the Whitlock's hated you."

"I did too," said Lydia with a sigh as she leaned against Joshua.

She had believed that at one point, but she wasn't really sure what to believe now.

The ride back to the farm was much shorter than the journey into town as the horse galloped through the countryside along with its two riders. Neither one of them said much during the trip as Joshua led the reins and Lydia held onto him, her hair waving freely in the wind as she thought about what had transpired earlier that day.

She felt anger towards all four of her grandparents for what they had done. The Kane's for lying to her and keeping her in the dark and the Whitlock's for agreeing to stay away because of a simple misunderstanding. She resented Edna and Solomon for declining the Whitlock's offer and she hated George and Evelyn for not choosing to try and stay and make things work. She also felt anger towards her parents for dying and leaving them in that situation to begin with.

She resented them all in some sort of way for one thing or another and she wished that they had told her the truth instead of keeping the truth from her. All of them were guilty and she wanted to tell them just how bad they all hurt her, but she couldn't even say that to her parents because they were gone and it that wasn't their fault. None of it was their fault, but Lydia still felt abandoned by them.

By the time they had reached the small cabin that Lydia had called home for the past sixteen years, it had started to rain again. A soft drizzle had gradually turned into sizable pellets that seemed to harden with every second. Before long, it was pouring down on them before thunder had sounded in the distance followed by a flash of lightning that had lit up the entire landscape around them.

The horse had been spooked by this and had almost reared up before Joshua managed to take back control of the horse and steer it back onto the path. Lydia had almost fallen off the back into the mud if she had not hung onto Joshua for dear life, who had reassured her afterward that everything was fine.

As soon as they made it back to the cabin, Lydia dismounted the horse and stepped down into the mud that came up all the way to her chins and made her way over to the front door, her dress soaking wet and her skirts covered in mud. Her hair was wet and plastered to her face and her shoes were covered in mud as she stomped up the stairs.

"Lydia, wait!" called out Joshua through the rain as another clap of thunder sounded. He dismounted, his boots hitting the muddy water with an audible splash before he grabbed the horse by the reins. His words, however, fell on deaf ears as Lydia yanked the door open and made her way into the house.

"Grandma?" she called as she walked further into the cabin, her shoes leaving behind a muddy trail behind her. "You won't believe what Evelyn Whitlock just shared with me back in the town!"

Her grandmother didn't reply. Another clap of thunder filled the air.

"Where are you?" yelled Lydia over the pelting rain as she walked through the cabin. "Grandmother?"

She paused, hoping to get a response. A sense of dread filled her until it settled at the bottom of her stomach. It was far too silent in the cabin for Lydia's liking.

"Grandma?" she asked again as she rounded the corner and looked around before she finally looked down and froze, her eyes widening as her hands began to tremble at her side in utter horror.

She screamed before she clapped a hand over her mouth and began to sob.

For there, lying face down in a puddle of her own blood, was her grandmother.

AN: I'm debating whether or not I should write one more chapter about Lydia in 1879 and how she was turned or if I should jump ahead to her meeting the Cullens in Forks and reveal everything else in flashbacks? Which would you guys prefer? I'm getting too caught up in Lydia's story that I haven't even reached the actual storyline yet, but I have to say, building Lydia into a believable character is hard and fun at the same time. I'm not going to let just the fact that she's Jasper's daughter be the basis of her entire character. She has a story separate from Jasper's and while their stories will connect eventually, her story is separate from his. That being said, her story is only just beginning.

I hope you enjoyed!