Hey guys! sorry it took so long. Finals started this week so i've been busy.

This drabble is longer than usual which is good because the next drabble may be shorter than usual.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You made me very happy!

Today was special. It was Elizabeth and William Turner's wedding anniversary. She had been married to Will for six years, but spent only one day of all those years with him. It seemed unreal to her. Sometimes she had a hard time believing that she was a married woman. Yet in her heart, she knew she was taken and she made that very clear to any man that looked her way.

Every year on their anniversary, Elizabeth would walk to the beach and watch the sun set. Then after Will was sound asleep, she would pull out the chest from under her bedroom floor and talk to it as if it were her husband. Whenever she did this, she felt closer to Will somehow.

Since Will knew about his father, Elizabeth decided that this year she would celebrate with him. So she wraped her shawl around her, helped Will put on his shoes, and headed for town to buy a small cake. However, she would not answer Will's questions about their destination. She wanted it to be a surprise.

Eventually he gave up his inquiries and walked silently beside her. As they walked through town, Will threw her a curious glance each time they passed a shop, wondering if it was where they were headed. Elizabeth kept a straight face and then turned towards the bakers shop.

Will didn't think this anything unusual as they bought bread almost every day. Just like every other time they went to the bakery, as soon as they entered the shop, Will rushed over to look at the delicious looking cakes and pastries. So today Elizabeth asked, "Which one looks the best to you, Will?"

After a short pause, he pointed to a small two layered cake with chocolate frosting and white a icing boarder. She glanced at the price and was surprised at how expensive it was. She counted her money again and found she had brought just enough. As she debated with herself, Will pressed his nose against the glass separating him from the tasty morsels and practically drooled. His breath created two circles of white mist. Finally Elizabeth gave in. After all, the only time she ever bought something special was for Will's birthday. She walked over to the counter and Mr. Henry, the baker, asked, "What can I get for you today, Mrs. Turner?"

Elizabeth smiled. She never grew tired of being called Mrs. Turner and since it was her anniversary, it sounded all the more beautiful.

"Yes, I'll take that cake. The one my son is staring at." She answered. At this Will looked up.

"Really, Mommy?" The hope in his eyes was hard to miss.

"What's the occasion?" Mr. Henry asked as he removed the cake from the glass case and set it in a box. "Is it a birthday?"

"No," Elisabeth replied, "It's my wedding anniversary." She chose to ignore the skeptical look on his face as he closed the lid and pushed it towards her.

"That means… only four years until Father returns!" Will exclaimed. Elisabeth smiled down at the small boy jumping around the store in glee. However, one glance at the stern face of Mr. Henry reminded her that she was the authority figure and she took Will's hand in her own to restrain him. With her free arm she grabbed the cake and then hastily walked out the door.

"Will what have I told you about inside behavior?" she asked with a scolding tone.

"But I wasn't running. I was jumping." He whined.



"Well from now on jumping indoors is against the rules." She said firmly hoping that he understood that she was serious.

"I run and jump in our house when we play pirates." Will pointed out.

"That's different. There are some things you can do at home that are rude in public." For emphasis and to lighten the mood she added, "Would you walk around town without a shirt?" Will laughed and Elizabeth squeezed his hand. The rest of the walk home was in silence, however, both of their minds were across the horizon sailing the ocean with Will.

Once they stepped across the threshold of their humble abode, Will begged for a piece of the cake. Elizabeth stood her ground and would not even remove the cake from it's box until after dinner. She knew that if she removed it, Will would sneak a taste of the creamy frosting.

Will spent most of the day staring at the scrumptious morsel, dreaming of the rich chocolate while Elizabeth spent her day dreaming of the return of her husband. She couldn't believe that six years had already passed. Everything she did reminded her of Will. As she did the dishes, she imagined the frothy soap bubbles floating in the dirty water was his ship on the stormy sea. When she worked in her garden, the rich brown of the newly tilled earth reminded her of the brown of his eyes. She even wondered if he had enough clean clothes as she hung the laundry to dry.

When suppertime arrived, Will scarfed down his dinner of potato soup and rolls in anticipation of the cake. Elizabeth was slightly hurt that her son seemed to love the desert more than his father, but she reminded herself that Will had never even seen his father. After all, he was only five and, when she was that young, she didn't miss her mother, who had died when she was very young.

As soon as the dinner dishes were stacked in the sink, Elizabeth removed the cake from its box and began to cut it into slices. Will hovered nearby as she placed two used candles on the smooth brown surface. One was for her and the other for her husband. As she lit the candles and set the cake on the dining room table, Will blessed her heart by asking if they could sing "A Pirates Life for Me" for his dad. While they sang, Elizabeth recalled that this was the very song she had sung just before meeting Will for the first time.

Once the song ended, she blew out her candle and was about to blow out her husband's as well when a breeze from the window snuffed it out. She turned her head to stare out the window at the dirt road that lead to the beach. The corners of her mouth curled up in a smile and she closed her eyes allowing the unusually salty breeze from the ocean caress her face and weave its fingers through her hair.

As soon as the wind stopped, Elizabeth wolfed down her dessert and wondered when was the last time her husband had eaten cake. She decided to learn to bake a chocolate cake for when Will returned.

Here on the beach, after Will had been put to bed, Elizabeth sat watching as the disappearing sun cast hues of orange, pink, and yellow across the sky. The clouds looked almost edible as the purple-white puffs drifted across the canvas of this beautiful painting. It was one of the most stunning sunsets she had ever seen and yet it could not lift her spirits.

Slowly a tear rolled down her cheek. She had stayed strong all day for her son, but now that she was alone, she let herself grieve. She could almost feel the physical pain of 

her heart breaking as a flow of tears followed the first. Just like the first night, after Will left, each wave that crashed upon the sandy shore brought a wave of pain. However, she stayed, hugging her knees to her chest and watching the fiery ball of light sink in the ocean. Once the sun had disappeared, Elisabeth stood, brushed the sand off her skirt and the tears from her face, and started her walk back to the cottage.

She was already removing the key to the chest from around her neck before she reached the front door. Unlocking the chest was out of the question, but Elizabeth just felt comforted by holding it. The key was always on her person, and usually around her neck. She tiptoed across the small living room to her bedroom and softly closed the door behind her. Then she dragged her nightstand aside and lifted the floorboards, revealing the chest. Elizabeth pulled it out and curled up on her bed, clutching it to her heart and already feeling closer to Will.

"Another year has passed, Will. Only four more years now." As she said this she realized how long four years actually was and, despite her best effort, another tear escaped. "I miss you so much. I wish you could be here with me tonight. I wish I could just see you. Will, our son knows you are his father. He knows all about you from the stories I've told and he can't wait for your return. He reminds me so much of you. He has the same eyes and the same colored hair." She chuckled. "He wants to be a pirate when he grows up just like you. I promised him that, when you came back, you would make him a sword and teach him to use it. And thanks to Jack I have enough money saved up to buy a smithy for you. I don't know if I can make it another four years without you. I love you, Will. With all my heart. I'm still here waiting for you."

And so Elizabeth drifted into sleep listening to the beating heart of her husband.

Ok, so i have finals next week so the next drabble might take a while.

I'm getting tired of this drabble series so i think i'm only gonna do about three more.

don't worry, i won't quit because i hate it when i'm reading a story and the author quits right in the middle.

review review review. then i won't be so blue. (i rhymed!)