"Dear Charlotte,
The war has turned. General Cornwallis took flight with his army and flew North. We continue to engage the British. In the months that followed, Cornwallis entrenched himself in Yorktown in Virginia. George Washington has escaped from the North undetected and surrounded Cornwallis - who could not retreat to the seas. It was blocked off by our long-lost friends who had finally arrived.
Though he eventually surrendered, Cornwallis himself, hid in shame, appointing his subordinate to relinquish his sword. With the war ending and our militia distending, I take measure of what we have lost and what we have won. My hope and prayer is that the sacrifices borne by so many will spawn and fulfill the promise of our new nation. Tell the children and especially Susan, that I will keep my promise and return to you all, soon."
Lily continued to sew the dress together for her daughter. As a gift, some of their fellow refugees made two cradles out of wood. The children took scraps of cloth they came upon to make blankets. Charlotte helped out any way she could. The young twins grew bigger everyday, it seemed. They were nearing two years old and still they hadn't seen their father.
¤
Early, in those few hours before daybreak, Gabriel and Benjamin returned home. Charlotte showed them into Lily's hut while she slept. She crept over to Lily and gently roused her from sleep.
"Is there something wrong, Charlotte?"
"No, you have visitors."
Lily looked at the door and nearly screamed. Quickly, she leapt from bed and hugged her husband, feeling tears start. Gabriel held her close and kissed her for the longest time. Benjamin kissed Charlotte.
"You two are hiding something." said Benjamin.
Lily walked over to the two cradles which they could not see the contents of. She picked up one heavy bundle from each basket. When Lily turned they saw she was holding two very young children.
"I would like you to meet Katarina Elizabeth Martin and Thomas Benjamin Martin." she smiled with pride.
"I'm a father?"
"Yes, Gabriel you are."
He looked ready to either cry or scream.
"Would you like to hold your son? He was the oldest by a few minutes."
"Yes."
Carefully, Gabriel took the sleeping boy from his wife's arms and held him. Gabriel's eyes filled with tears. Benjamin's also did the same.
"I feel so old now..."
Charlotte laughed lightly, "You are not that old, Benjamin."
"I have grand children."
Gabriel handed his son to Benjamin, then took Katarina from Lily. He gently traced his daughter's face with his index finger. She already had long, dark eyelashes like her mother.
"Have they spoken yet?" inquired Benjamin.
"No but they are very close."
Lily traded Katarina for Thomas and set him in his bed. Benjamin studied his granddaughter.
"You both have made me proud, thank you." he said, setting Katarina in her crib.
"I think we all need some rest." said Charlotte.
"Good night Father, good-night Aunt Charlotte."
"Goodnight Benjamin, good night Charlotte."
"Good-night you two...four."
Benjamin and Charlotte left the hut and walked to the other. Lily curled up in her bed beside Gabriel. She stared into his eyes and tried to see what he had seen. He pressed his lips to hers.
"I love you so so much, Lily."
"And I you."
¤
Benjamin and Charlotte were married by the reverend from a nearby town. Not long after the marriage, Charlotte became pregnant.
"Hopefully, it will only be one, but I wouldn't mind two."
"Now I can return the favor."
The war has turned. General Cornwallis took flight with his army and flew North. We continue to engage the British. In the months that followed, Cornwallis entrenched himself in Yorktown in Virginia. George Washington has escaped from the North undetected and surrounded Cornwallis - who could not retreat to the seas. It was blocked off by our long-lost friends who had finally arrived.
Though he eventually surrendered, Cornwallis himself, hid in shame, appointing his subordinate to relinquish his sword. With the war ending and our militia distending, I take measure of what we have lost and what we have won. My hope and prayer is that the sacrifices borne by so many will spawn and fulfill the promise of our new nation. Tell the children and especially Susan, that I will keep my promise and return to you all, soon."
Lily continued to sew the dress together for her daughter. As a gift, some of their fellow refugees made two cradles out of wood. The children took scraps of cloth they came upon to make blankets. Charlotte helped out any way she could. The young twins grew bigger everyday, it seemed. They were nearing two years old and still they hadn't seen their father.
¤
Early, in those few hours before daybreak, Gabriel and Benjamin returned home. Charlotte showed them into Lily's hut while she slept. She crept over to Lily and gently roused her from sleep.
"Is there something wrong, Charlotte?"
"No, you have visitors."
Lily looked at the door and nearly screamed. Quickly, she leapt from bed and hugged her husband, feeling tears start. Gabriel held her close and kissed her for the longest time. Benjamin kissed Charlotte.
"You two are hiding something." said Benjamin.
Lily walked over to the two cradles which they could not see the contents of. She picked up one heavy bundle from each basket. When Lily turned they saw she was holding two very young children.
"I would like you to meet Katarina Elizabeth Martin and Thomas Benjamin Martin." she smiled with pride.
"I'm a father?"
"Yes, Gabriel you are."
He looked ready to either cry or scream.
"Would you like to hold your son? He was the oldest by a few minutes."
"Yes."
Carefully, Gabriel took the sleeping boy from his wife's arms and held him. Gabriel's eyes filled with tears. Benjamin's also did the same.
"I feel so old now..."
Charlotte laughed lightly, "You are not that old, Benjamin."
"I have grand children."
Gabriel handed his son to Benjamin, then took Katarina from Lily. He gently traced his daughter's face with his index finger. She already had long, dark eyelashes like her mother.
"Have they spoken yet?" inquired Benjamin.
"No but they are very close."
Lily traded Katarina for Thomas and set him in his bed. Benjamin studied his granddaughter.
"You both have made me proud, thank you." he said, setting Katarina in her crib.
"I think we all need some rest." said Charlotte.
"Good night Father, good-night Aunt Charlotte."
"Goodnight Benjamin, good night Charlotte."
"Good-night you two...four."
Benjamin and Charlotte left the hut and walked to the other. Lily curled up in her bed beside Gabriel. She stared into his eyes and tried to see what he had seen. He pressed his lips to hers.
"I love you so so much, Lily."
"And I you."
¤
Benjamin and Charlotte were married by the reverend from a nearby town. Not long after the marriage, Charlotte became pregnant.
"Hopefully, it will only be one, but I wouldn't mind two."
"Now I can return the favor."