A/N: I apologize for this being so late but I really hope you guys enjoy this. Unfortunately my updates won't be that close together because I have a show coming up and auditions. Not to worry, because I would never give up on this story and I have not given up on Lulip. I just have to wait until summer to update frequently.

Also the title of this chapter is one of my (many MANY) fave musical theatre songs. Kudos if you guess which musical it's from.

Autumn 1794

Some people are lucky not to know what it's like for a child to lose their mother.

Lucy was never certain though if she felt lucky or not. She had lost her mother, but at an age so young that she never felt the emotional impact. She could still see it on the faces of her sisters though. Even if she couldn't understand the root of their sadness, she could see it on their faces. Their heads hung low whenever the anniversary of her mother's death rolled around. They shielded their eyes and talked to few. Neither one of them smiled, even if they liked to smile.

It was too hard for them to smile. And Lucy never could understand why.

The only thing Lucy understood was absence. She was familiar with the feeling. It was almost like waiting for someone to come around. At first, you're excited in anticipation. You get jittery and fix things that you have already fixed. But that soon turns into anxiety. You start to grow afraid when enough time has passed. Then the anger comes, and at first it's so blinding that it feels like it's going to last forever. Until it doesn't. It melts all too quickly into a state of depression; when you truly can't see a way out of the situation you're in.

Acceptance usually followed. You accept that whoever you were waiting on isn't going to show up. Ever. And you learn to keep living your life.

While she had learned to do that with her mother, Lucy was having trouble with doing that for Philip. She had made him promise to write her and had received no letters from him since that promise. She tried to come up for excuses for him, ones that she convinced herself he would tell her in person if they ever saw each other again. His letter got lost in the mail. He was caught up with his education and couldn't take a moment away from his studies. He ran out of parchment paper and out of ink too. He broke his writing hand and therefore couldn't put words on a paper. He came down with an illness and was near death.

Or he made another friend. One that wasn't miles away. One with parents that both his parents got along with. One that made him lose interest in her. He stopped thinking of her. He forgot her. She didn't even exist to him anymore.

Her mind flew to the worst places when she tried coming up with excuses, and soon she had enough of it. It had almost been a year since she last saw and heard from him. She wasn't sure if she could take the absence of Philip Hamilton anymore.

She sat down one day and decided that it was time. It was time to write him. Lucy had avoided it because she was under the impression that a lady should never send a letter of communication first, even if they had communicated with letters before. She didn't want to make a mistake after she had kissed him. There was still so many feelings she didn't understand. Lucy never had the chance to grow up with her parents and see their love for each other. While she had heard stories about it from her sisters about her father's great affection towards her mother, she had never gotten the chance to see it. Even if she had seen Patsy with Tom, or Maria with John... Lucy only knew the concept of love but had yet to understand it.

No matter how much she felt, Lucy convinced herself what she did next would be the right decision.

And so... she began.

Dear Philip,

What can I say?

"I miss you." She whispered to herself, her hand nearly shaking as she finished the sentence. Lucy eyed the quill, having second thoughts about the whole ordeal. "But... you hurt me. And have broken my only heart." It was worse to say those words out loud, but she couldn't bare to bring them to papers unless they were the right words.

But nothing about writing that letter felt right.

All I can say is that I want nothing more to do with you.

We had our time together, and I believe you must have realized that as well. We were foolish to believe our companionship could survive this.

"I was a fool. I was the fool." Lucy hadn't prepared for her spoken words to turn into everything she wanted to say but couldn't say. But that's what happened, and she hated every second of it.

I hope you can respect my wishes to end any further communication with each other.

"For my heart can't bare it."

For I believe neither of us will have peace of mind.

"If I fool myself again."

If we are foolish again.

"Even though I wish–"

Even though I wish

"–you could love me."

we could be friends.

"I don't know if it's better."

I know it's better that we are not.

And I wish you all the best.

"Because I think I love you."

Adieu,

Lucy

She wanted to be free of him once she finished that letter, but part of her knew she would never be free of him. Lucy wanted to walk into her father's study confidently, but instead found herself dragging her feet. She entered his study quietly, not even making her presence known until she dropped the letter on top of his desk.

"Will you send this to Philip Hamilton, please?" Lucy asked her father gently. Thomas was surprised, not expecting his youngest appearing in his study that day. He nodded his head a little,"May I read it first?" Thomas questioned, trying not to overstep any more boundaries with Lucy. Once she gave him a subtle nod, Thomas read through every line twice over before looking at her again.

It was the first time that he had realized what he had done. He had convinced his daughter that the boy she loved had broken her heart, when in reality it was he had done it. Guilt didn't consume him immediately, but as if he had caught fire it would soon eat him all up until he was nothing but a pile of ashes and regret.

"I'll s-send it right away." Thomas didn't expect the stutter that came out. Lucy paid no attention however and exited his study with a dark cloud hanging over her. The moment she was out of sight, Thomas buried his head in his hands as he looked down at the letter. How could he have done this to her? What devil possessed him to do such a thing?

"I need to talk to you. Desperately."

His words didn't fall on deaf ears, but the ears that it did fall on wished they were hard of hearing.

James Madison turned around to look at his closest friend with an annoyed expression. "What, Thomas?" He questioned, raising a brow. Out of all days in the year his friend could've picked to bother him, and he picked the worst one. "Please, I need your advice on a... delicate matter." Thomas pleaded with him, and of course being the man he is James couldn't find it in him to say no.

"You are aware that it's my wedding day, are you not?" James at least tried to remind him, but Thomas barely gave a reaction when he brought it up. "So?" Thomas asked, raising both brows. James sighed, shaking his head gently. "I guess I have the time. I'm sure my beautiful bride has not finished getting ready. What is it?" He asked.

"I... I concealed certain information and it has since had negative repercussions." Thomas explained, trying to pick apart the truth as best he could to avoid looking in the wrong. "What sort of negative repercussions?" James inquired, giving his friend a look that would soon pressure him into giving everything away.

"Philip Hamilton declared his love for my daughter in a letter and I hid it from her and now that very act has broken her heart." Thomas eventually jammed it all out, reaching into his pocket for Lucy's letter. He whipped it out and shoved it into his friend's face, hoping that James would know better what to do with it than he did. James took a minute to open the letter and read its contents, before looking up at his friend in surprise.

He couldn't believe it. Thomas made mistakes at times, and at other times purposely hurt people– but he couldn't imagine his friend screwing up with his daughters this much. It seemed too absurd to believe that the respect he had for Thomas could ever be altered the way it did when he understood the extent to what Thomas had done.

James carefully folded the letter back up again and handed it over back to Thomas. "I think you need to send this to the boy." He finally decided after a few minutes of agonizing silence.

Thomas couldn't help but be stunned at his friend's reaction. He thought James would push him to the right thing and confess to his daughter right away. "What? Are you suggesting that I conspire to keep the children apart?" He asked, hoping to clarify.

"You already did conspire to keep the children apart. None the less– do you truly not comprehend what I am advising you to do here? Thomas, if your daughter ever find out that you concealed that Hamilton boy's letter from her– she would never forgive you. She is but a child. Philip Hamilton is but a child. There is the greatest possibility that whatever friendship they had with each other will not last into adulthood. You had the good intention to discourage any nonsense that it could. But I am certain that despite that, Lucy is old enough that she would never forgive you. And I know you love your daughter and you do not deserve to have her hate you for the rest of your life. Send this letter to the boy, and wait to see what happens. If he does not respond– then you have your answer. You were right and do with his letter what you please. But if he does write back and intends to fight for any relationship with your daughter– then you come clean. She would be so happy to hear from him she would forgive any anger she would hold for you." James instructed.

A small smile of relief appeared on Thomas's face. He nodded his head gently, relieved that James had come up with a suitable answer for him. "As always, you are right, James." Thomas grinned over at his friend. "Are we done? May I get married now?" James chuckled a little. Thomas's smile dropped when he was reminded of the true reason he was there that day. "Right, of course." Thomas nodded his head, leading his friend out of the room.

In another room, Lucy watched as the bride's closest friends and family fawned over her beautiful dress. The bride's youngest sister approached her, the basket of petals in hand. She was only a year older than Lucy, and had every idea in mind that when her sister got remarried it would be her job to do it. She probably never expected that James would ask his bride-to-be if his friend's daughter could do it.

Lucy frowned at the cold stare she received from the bride's sister. Luckily Dolley quickly caught on to her sister's attitude, leaving her guests for a moment to go over and talk to Lucy. Dolley smiled down at the young girl with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face. "Are you excited? Nervous, perhaps?" She asked her. Lucy shrugged her shoulders, looking at the petals in the basket. "I'm not exactly sure how I feel. If I may ask, Mrs. Madison– I mean Miss Payne– no, Mrs. Todd–" "You can call me Dolley if you'd like. I'd be happy to call you Lucy." Dolley assured her, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Lucy calmed down a little and nodded her head.

"Now, what would you like to ask me, Lucy?" Dolley stated her question. Lucy pursed her lips before deciding that it would be better to say anything about it than to leave herself unsatisfied. "Why did you agree to trust me with the flowers? You do not even know me." Lucy pointed out. Dolley nodded her head but smirked,"I think it's more fun that I don't know you. It gives me no reason to hate you." She joked.

While the intention was to break the tension, Lucy's eyes went wide in fear that Dolley could learn to hate her. "Oh–" Dolley realized when she understood the look on the girl's face. "I didn't mean it– I wasn't trying to offend– Lucy, I apologize–" She stopped talking when the young girl began giggling uncontrollably. "What?" Dolley asked, scoffing playfully at the girl's actions.

"You... you tripped over your words. Like me." Lucy simply shrugged her shoulders. Dolley grinned when she understood the girl's thoughts. "Like you." She said to herself, before offering her hand to Lucy. "I can see why James speaks of you in such high praises. You and I are going to be great friends." Dolley decided as Lucy took her hand. "James speaks highly of me?" Lucy asked, her eyes gleaming up at Dolley.

Dolley nodded her head. "He speaks the absolute world about you. You are a daughter to him, and soon to me as well." She told her. Lucy couldn't help but smile. "Are you afraid, Dolley? To marry again? After you lost your husband?" She asked, not being able to fight the urge to feed her curiosity. "I am afraid, at times. But never when James is there to hold my hand." She told her. Lucy nodded her head, knowing in that moment that Dolley's words were taken to heart and would carry with her for the rest of her days.

"I want to thank you, once again." James shook the hand of Aaron Burr, smiling as he looked at the man. Dolley stood by his side, arms linked with him. She smiled over as well at Aaron. "You truly changed our lives when you came up with the brilliant idea to introduce us. I'm certain that we can't thank you enough and won't stop thanking you no matter how many times you tell us to." She added. Aaron smiled a little with a chuckle,"Are you just trying to avoid me scolding you two for thanking me again? James, you have thanked me five times this day. And Dolley, you have thanked me seven." He pointed out.

James turned to look at his wife,"Two more than I did? How did you find the time to do that today?" He questioned. Dolley rolled her eyes,"I got ready on time and took no extra time to talk to my friend." She said, giving him a look. "I told you, Thomas relies on my intelligent advice." James defended himself and his friend. Dolley looked over at Aaron with a smirk,"Luckily I didn't marry him just for his intelligent advice." She said. Aaron laughed as he watched Dolley stand in pride over her words while James just blushed a deep shade of crimson.

"That's what you get when you marry a younger woman, James." Aaron warned the man as he grinned over at him. James could barely recover by his wife's comment, but quickly let out a short cough to clear his throat. "I hoped you enjoyed the ceremony. Dolley, my love, shall we greet our other guests?" He asked. "We could... or perhaps we could retire early to our room so that we could–" "Dolley." James practically squeaked before she could finish her sentence.

The twenty-six year old woman sighed at her embarrassed husband before nodding her head. "Alright, James– my love–" She said in a mocking tone, no doubt to annoy the man who was seventeen years her senior. "We'll greet our guests and leave Mr. Burr to reunite with his daughter who... no doubt looks like she could use a reunion with him." Dolley's tone changed more serious as her eyes caught the sight of the young Theodosia Burr.

It was clear that the eleven year old was not having a good time at the wedding, while others seem to be enjoying themselves quite fine. Aaron turned back to look at his daughter and frowned when he realized that Dolley was right. "Mr. and Mrs. Madison, if you'll excuse me." Aaron bowed his head politely as he bid farewell to the newlyweds.

He walked over to his daughter, taking his seat next to her. "You don't want anything to eat?" He asked her gently, reaching over and taking her hand. She shrugged her shoulders as she barely looked up at him. "Theo," Aaron urged his daughter, waiting until she turned her head to look at him to speak again. "Why are you not having a good time?" Aaron questioned.

Theo didn't want to answer at first, feeling that she may say the wrong thing. "I want to– I just... I wish she was here." She explained, looking away from her father and looking around the celebration. "I wish she was here too, Theo. Not a day goes by where I don't wish that." He told her, squeezing her hand. "I never said you didn't miss her as much as I did, Daddy." Theo said, looking back at him. They both shared a knowing look. Theo had lost a mother. Aaron had lost a wife. And while they shared much more than just that, Aaron was afraid that instead of bringing them closer together it could just tear them apart.

"Give me a minute. If I don't find something that will make you smile– we can leave right now if you want. We'll leave and forget food and forget the celebration and I'm certain that Mr. and Mrs. Madison will understand completely. But if I find something that makes you smile– you have to promise that you will stay. Not for me or Mr. and Mrs. Madison– but for you. Deal?" He knew his daughter had always liked a challenge, much like his late wife did.

She gave it some thought before nodding her head. "Deal." She agreed. Once the word left her lips, Aaron smiled down at her and ran off to find something that would make his daughter smile. He racked his brains for ideas, all the way from cake to perhaps a good joke. He even had the mind to have Dolley talk to her. But deep down he knew that wouldn't work. It wouldn't make Theo smile; it lacked substance.

Aaron had nearly lost ideas until he heard it. The music that was playing. For the entire celebration it had been reserved and dull, but suddenly the music had started to carry color in it. He went to find the source as soon as he could, amazed by the sight of a young girl around his daughter's age who was playing the violin. Someone noticed his sudden interest in the music and approached him.

"Enjoying the show? I'm just surprised that the violinist was coaxed out of his instrument by her." Thomas commented as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking over to Lucy with pride written on his face. "She's incredibly talented. More so than that paid musician." Aaron praised as he looked over. "Wait– is she yours?" He asked. Thomas smirked with glee,"My youngest." He nodded. "She plays just like me–" Thomas added quickly, leaning over to inform Aaron of such.

"Do you mind if I borrow your daughter and her playing skills for a moment?" Aaron inquired. Thomas shrugged her shoulders, seeing no problem in it. It wasn't like Aaron was a stranger to him. "Why not?" Thomas answered before gesturing to his daughter. Lucy stopped playing when she noticed her father, and walked over briskly. "Can this wait?" Lucy asked, looking around at the wedding guests who were enjoying her music. "Go with Mr. Burr for a moment. He is in need of your playing skills." He instructed. Lucy nodded her head,"Yes, Papa." She said, looking over to Aaron.

Lucy followed him all the way over to where Theo was sitting. The eleven year old had been slouching in her seat but sat up when she saw her father return. Theo furrowed her brows in confusion, wondering what the girl with the violin following her father was doing with him.

He looked back over to Lucy,"You may resume playing." He told her. Lucy smiled at him and nodding her head, lifting the violin once more and putting bow to string. Aaron approached his daughter as the lively music resumed and offered his hand to her. Theo looked up at her father with a smile on her face when she pieced together what he was doing. Often at the parties she attended with her parents, her father and her mother used to dance with her. They would dance until their feet gave out, and would always end the night exhausted... yet always happy too.

"You're smiling." Aaron pointed out to his daughter as he took her hands in his. "I am?" Theo had hardly noticed, but a huge grin had grown on her face. "Yes, and you couldn't be more beautiful, Theo." Aaron complimented his daughter as he pulled her into a twirl. Theo chuckled as Lucy picked up the pace with her song, urging the father and daughter to dance faster together.

Theo decided to stay after that, and danced with her father until both of their feet gave out. Even though she had exhausted herself, she used what energy she had left at the end of the night to approach the young violinist that had played for her and her father. Lucy sat with her family, engaging in conversation when Theo approached her. She still managed to turn away for a moment to address the younger girl who had walked up to her. "Yes?" Lucy asked, recognizing her as the girl she played for.

"Thank you. For earlier. My name is Theodosia Burr." She extended her hand towards her. Lucy smiled up at her and took her hand in a polite shake. "Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson." She introduced.

Winter 1794

He had been waiting for this. It had been a year. It had been a year since he had last saw her and almost as long as that since the letter he sent had gone unanswered. The moment that his father had handed his the envelope, Philip had rushed up the stairs to the privacy of his room. He wanted to open it by himself and read it by himself. But after he opened the envelope and read the content of Lucy's letter, he regretted it. He wished he had allowed his mother and father to be in the room with him instead of shutting the door.

If they had been in the room with him, maybe he wouldn't have rushed to conclusions.

Eliza walked in just in time to see him throw the journal into the fire. "Philip, what in the world are you doing?!" She shrieked as she rushed to save the boy's cherished journal. Her hands were scolded as she snatched the book from the flames. Eliza winced as she stared at her unmoving son, who barely noticed that she had hurt herself in the process of retrieving his journal. "Philip! PHILIP! PHILIP, YOU'RE SCARING ME!" Eliza yelled at him, hoping for a reaction from him but receiving none.

She just watched as the young boy picked up a piece of paper and handed it to her. Eliza tucked his warm journal underneath her arm for the moment it took to read Lucy's letter. She grew more and more confused as her eyes scanned the writing. "Oh... oh, Philip, I– I don't know what to say–" She began.

"She doesn't love me." Philip spoke, not even looking up at his mother. All he could do was stare at the fireplace and the flames that almost ate up his journal. "I was wrong to assume that she did." He said, feeling like a fool for believing it with his whole heart. Eliza felt at a lost for words. She didn't know what to say to him. She wanted to say anything but no words came to her lips.

Alexander entered the room, looking between his wife and his son. "Did something happen?" He asked, looking at the letter in Eliza's hands. "Oh, the letter from Lucy. Does she apologize for waiting this long to reply to your letter?" Alexander said it jokingly, but his tone fell dead at the tension in the room. Eliza just pursed her lips and handed the letter over to him. He took some time to read the letter, but the moment he reached the end he understood the look on his son's face.

"Philip, I'm sure this is just her father's doing–"

"No." Philip cut him off, looking up at his father. "This is your doing. I hear you two talking behind my back. I know what you did." Philip confessed. Alexander felt somehow small compared to his son in that moment, even though he was much older and wiser. He wasn't sure if it was because he felt his son was growing up, or because of the guilt. "I know you confessed to Mr. Jefferson about how Lucy and I maintained a forbidden friendship behind his back. And perhaps your actions have ruined everything between her and I but even if they didn't–" Philip stopped himself when he felt the anger reach its breaking point. He knew if he didn't try to restrain himself he might say something that he would later regret.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Philip asked gently, her voice cracking. Alexander could barely meet his son's eyes, knowing there were tears waiting to fall. "Were you?" He asked again, his anger coming back in his tone. "Alexander–" Eliza began but her husband just shook his head. "I wasn't." Alexander admitted, as much as he hated to. "I wasn't going to have you look at me the way you do now."

Philip met his father's eyes, letting out a shaky breath. His anger and sadness had mixed into each other so much that he wasn't aware of which one he felt more right now. "You better pray I never look at you this way ever again." He declared, standing up and taking the letter back from his father.

He looked over at the flames before looking down at the letter in his hands. "I'll keep the stupid journal... but if Lucy doesn't want me in her life, by her father's orders or not, then she will not have me in it." He decided, and tossed the letter into the fire.

Eliza watched in agony as she watched her son turn back to her, collect the journal from her without a word and exit the room leaving a chill in the air. She looked over at her husband, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to handle it if she was mad at him too... but she couldn't help it. "How could you?" She asked him. Alexander refused to meet her eyes. "It's what I thought was best, Eliza." He tried to defend himself, but when he decided to look up at her he realized there was no point in trying. He was clearly in the wrong.

"He's a child, Alex. He's your son. How could you ruin this for him and act the way you are? Like it means nothing to you–" "My son's well being does not mean nothing to you and if you are suggesting that's the way I feel, I won't forgive you." He argued. Eliza raised a brow in shock,"You won't forgive me?" Eliza questioned. Alexander frowned when he realized how it sounded. He didn't want to turn this back on her, especially when she did nothing wrong. "Eliza, I didn't mean to–" "No... you did. You did mean to. And honestly I am afraid one day you will hurt me in a way I cannot forgive you for." She told him honestly.

Alexander felt awful. He hadn't expected her to be so candid with him. It filled him with a certain amount of guilt that he couldn't get away from. "Eliza, I love you. I– I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'll be better– I promise you–" "Will you?" Eliza questioned, more to herself than to him. "Will you be better?" She asked, looking over to meet his eyes. Alexander nodded his head immediately,"Yes, I will." He insisted, taking her hands into his. "I'm also too stubborn to lose your affection for me over this." He smirked, making Eliza fight back a chuckle at his comment. She sighed and pressed her lips to his.

When she pulled away, she rested her forehead on his. "Go apologize to your son, you infuriating man." She whispered to him, smiling small at him. Alexander nodded his head as he stared into her eyes. "Would that be enough?" He asked her softly. Eliza nodded her head as she reached her hand up to touch his chin lightly.

"Yes, Alexander, that would be enough."

Summer 1795

"Miss Jefferson! Miss Burr! Need a remind you that ladies of your class do not run wildly into the house dragging mud on their shoes!" Sally scolded the two young girls as she stopped them by the entrance before they could carry in anymore mud from the outside. It had been a terribly hot summer in Monticello, which had just been relieved by a downpour of rain the night before. It was bad enough that Sally had indulged the girls to go out and get their clothes soaking wet in the middle of night. Now Sally had allowed them outside once again that day to go off and play.

Lucy and Theo shared a giggle as they settled down and began removing their muddy shoes. The hems of their dresses were already stained by the dirty substance, but neither of them seemed to mind. "Are you two supposed to be focusing on your studies? Your father didn't send you to Monticello for the summer just so Miss Jefferson could lead you astray." Sally pointed out.

The thirteen year old let out a dramatic gasp, but her eyes gleamed in happiness showing Sally that she truly took no offense. "I'll have you know that Theo and I were reading the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire together." Lucy defended herself, lifting up the book to show the proof. "Well, she was reading it. I've read it several times over the last couple of years. I was working on my Latin and Greek studies. Then this afternoon I will work on arithmetic, and then perhaps practice Mozart's piano sonata no. 16 when I am later unoccupied this evening?" Theo said, holding her books to her chest with a smirk.

"Frimer."

"Jaloux?"

Sally couldn't help but look a little lost when she stared at them. She was about a decade older than each of these girls, but she didn't even know how to properly read or write. The slave could tell that they were speaking French though. It sounded familiar to the way people spoke back when she was living in France. At least she knew that much, otherwise Sally would be feeling like an imbecile compared to them.

Once the girls had finished talking, Sally reached down to pick up their muddy shoes. "Sally, someone else can get it. Remember Papa doesn't want you working too hard considering..." Lucy trailed off as her eyes shifted to the growing belly Sally couldn't hide at this point. Sally was taught never to argue with Lucy, so she set down the shoes and stood up straight once more. She nodded her head,"Right. Mr. Jefferson gave strict orders." Sally confirmed.

Theo was the only one in the conversation without context. Lucy was young, but she still knew of her father's complicated relationship with the slave. She also knew that the child that Sally would give birth to would be her younger brother or sister. Lucy was also reminded of the baby Sally had lost before when they had come back from France. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but Sally was constantly reminded every time she looked at Thomas... and at Lucy. Sally desperately wanted to have a child who would grow up and be like Lucy.

"Who's the father–" Theo's question didn't a chance to get answered as Lucy grabbed her friend by the elbow and dragged her off before Sally had the chance to give out a clumsy lie. Questions like those better went unanswered.

Lucy and Theo rushed up the stairs to the bedroom that belonged to the older girl. They giggled as they quietly closed the door so they could be by themselves, because as studious as both girls were they had no intention of actually studying. They were still children and still preferred playing to education. Lucy seated herself down on her bed as Theo made her way over to the chair by Lucy's writing desk. Lucy set down the book in her hands, turning back at her friend to realize Theo was giving her a weird look.

"What?" Lucy questioned. Theo shook her head,"It's nothing." The younger girl dismissed. Lucy rolled her eyes,"You can say what you wish about Sally, Theo, it's not like I will tell her–" "No, it's nothing about Miss Hemings. I was just thinking of something, but I'm sure if I should mention it." Theo commented as she shrugged her shoulders. Lucy furrowed her brows, resting her chin in her palms.

"What do you mean?" She inquired. Theo shook her head,"It's silly." She dismissed. Lucy shook her head,"No, it's most likely not. Speak your mind. We're friends, aren't we?" Lucy told her, trying to make the other girl comfortable with confessing what had been on her mind. "Are we?" Theo suddenly asked as she looked over,"I know our fathers are eager to encourage us to be but... you were talking to your sister yesterday. I didn't mean to overhear but– who's Philip? Is he your friend?" Theo felt embarrassed to ask, mostly because she knew it had been a private conversation between Lucy and Maria.

She was surprised to hear that Theo had eavesdropped on her conversation, and grew ashamed that she had talked about Theo in that way. "Philip was my friend. And I was wrong to compare you to him. I was just worried that after this summer together, when you go back home and our studies both increase... that we might lose touch. But Maria convinced me it was wrong to think you would do that to me." She explained. "You lost touch with this Philip?" Theo said, receiving a short nod from her.

"Lucy... did you like this Philip? I mean, as in–" "Yes. But if you don't mind, I rather not talk about it." Lucy confessed as she lowered her gaze at Theo. "I'm sorry... I... I'm just not comfortable with talking to you about this." She felt bad about it, but at least Lucy was being honest with her. Theo nodded her head,"Of course. It's fine. I'll never mention this Philip ever again." Theo said, plastering a smile on her face in order to cheer up her friend.

Lucy smiled small and chuckled. "Thank you. I think it's about time I should stop thinking about him. You're my friend now. You and I play violin and piano together beautiful. The sun rises and sets each day and night. The birds sings and time moves on. And so will I. Without him." Lucy declared, making her friend grin. For a moment, it seemed like getting over Philip Hamilton would be a good thing for her.