A/N -- My apologies for the formatting of this story. For some unexplained reason, the italics are not showing properly.
***
After another day spent at the hospital offering her support to her grandfather, a completely exhausted Amber collapsed onto her bed. Her grandfather had gone through so many tests that he had begun to resemble a pincushion. He tried to keep up a good attitude for her sake, but she knew he was having a difficult time holding his temper at being poked and prodded.
They were both anxious for answers, but the doctor would have none until the test results came back. In the meantime, he refused to let Em go home, insisting he needed to be monitored. That scared the daylights out of Amber. In her heart, she knew something was terribly wrong with her grandfather and inside she felt as if she could curl up and die.
Grief-stricken, Amber stood and headed toward the bathroom intent on soaking in a hot bath. Something made her turn around and go to the chest, some little voice in the back of her brain was telling her that Ardeth had responded. She knelt in front of the chest and opened it, quickly removing the false bottom and finding his letter. Her heart skipped a beat as she lifted the pages from their secret place. She was anxious to see what he had to say, and yet, she wanted to savor every word.
She carefully drew her bath and sank into the hot water slowly. The heat felt delicious to her tired body. As she relaxed, she broke the seal on Ardeth's letter and began to read.
Dearest Amber,
I have just returned to camp after several days of patrolling the surrounding area. Truly I am sorry that I caused you worry, for it sounds as though you have enough with your grandfather's health. How is he? I do pray that things have improved.
After reading your letters, I feel that much closer to you, Amber. You have managed to touch the part of me that I have closed off to others. I have shared things with you that I cannot share with anyone else. In that alone, I have found peace.
With each word you wrote, my heart broke for you. It was as though your pain was my pain and I longed to take it from you so that you could be free. I know that your parent's deaths have been very hard on you, and it appears as though you would rather live the rest of your life without ever experiencing love. That way, you would never lose that love and risk feeling pain again.
My dear Amber, that is just not how it should be. As you wish for me the woman who will make me whole, I wish for the man who will do the same for you.
You have been so strong on your own, it would be my wish for you to find a man who would not only love you to the degree you deserve (which is immeasurable by my standards), but to take away the burdens you carry.
You are a strong woman, and that is very admirable, but you deserve to be loved, cherished, and honored as if you were Queen. You have said that our cultures are so different, and that may be true, however, in my world, you would be treated as such. If it were in my power, you would be treated as royalty.
There is something we share. We are both lonely souls afraid of what might be. I still do not understand why we have been joined in the manner in which we have, but I do know that I treasure each word, each letter, each time I open that chest to find you have left something for me.
I can feel you in my heart as I read and it only saddens me to know that I shall never really see you. How could it ever be possible for us to be together? If that were something that could come to pass, I believe we would find the means to dispatch our personal demons.
I still have yet to give the Council my response. What you have said in your letters has touched me deeply. That you find me so worthy of the love you wish for me...I cannot express what I am feeling. You have a beautiful soul, Amber Davis. I only wish it were possible that we shared the same time.
Does it seem cruel to you that the fates have connected us only so that we remain apart? It makes little sense to me, but I do value this new friendship we have begun. As such, I will not go out on patrol or leave the camp without leaving you some notice. I do apologize for causing you worry. There is no other way to know what is happening with either of our lives if we do not leave word for the other. I must remember that so I do not cause you any further worry.
Yours,
Ardeth
Amber suddenly began sobbing and set the note aside. She sank completely into the water until her head was covered. She looked up at the ceiling through the clear water, holding her breath as she willed her tears away. She didn't have time to feel sorry for herself. She needed to be strong for her grandfather and for herself.
After a few moments, she splashed to the surface. A stranger's faith in her seemed to give her the strength she needed. Stepping out of the tub, she pulled the stopper from the drain and toweled herself dry. After shrugging into her nightgown and robe, she picked up Ardeth's letter from the floor and carried it to her desk.
***
For the next two months the letters continued, and each of them poured more and more of themselves into their words. Neither could understand the reason for their connection through space and time. Just as difficult to understand were their growing feelings for each other.
Amber discovered that her grandfather had developed a disease Ardeth was unfamiliar with. One that there was little treatment for. A cancer had developed in his brain and, although devastated that there was no way to prevent his leaving her, she did her best to keep both her grandfather's and her own spirits high.
There were times that her grief was so consuming, he actually felt as though he were experiencing the loss for himself. He offered her what comfort he could, but through the written word, he was positive she found it seriously lacking, although she assured him she did not.
At one point she had joked that if there was a way to squish herself into the tiny space at the bottom of the chest and teleport to him just as her letters did, she would do it in a heartbeat. There were often times that he felt so stifled by the Elders he wished he could do the same.
As Ardeth walked through the compound, he was approached by a young messenger and handed an envelope. It was a telegram from Evie.
Dearest Ardeth,
There has been an unexpected change in our plans this visit. A distant cousin has joined us and it is our sincere wish that you might meet us in Cairo in one week's time and escort us through the ruins and landmarks as we show our relative the beauty of Egypt.
I realize this is a large imposition, but I do hope that you can make the time to join us. We've missed you, and Alex goes on and on about you. He will be severely disappointed if we miss you this visit. We all will be.
Love,
Evie
Ardeth smiled warmly at the thought of seeing his old friends. If he was to meet them in one week after the date of the telegram, he would have to be on his way the next morning as the message was dated two days prior.
***
Amber wandered the quiet old house aimlessly. She was alone now. Her grandfather slipped away in the wee hours of the morning. He had been so pumped with drugs that he barely knew who she was, but it had been better that way. He was so riddled with pain that she could barely handle his cries and moans when the medication abated. She hated letting him go, but he needed to go, he needed to be at peace.
Em had seen to everything long before he took ill. All his affairs were in order; no debts were left behind for Amber to worry over. He was a good man who loved his granddaughter and worked hard to see to it that she would have as little as possible to do when his time came. She was grateful for that, but more than anything, she would give it all away to have him back just as he was before he developed the cancer.
She wandered to her room and went directly to the chest knowing there would be word from Ardeth. Except for a day here or there, there was always a letter, even if it said nothing more than "All is well. Love, Ardeth".
Love. She did love him, in some cosmic way she couldn't understand. As she admitted her feelings to him, he said he felt the same. Sure, it was an easy admission; there would be no follow through for either of them. They may feel a love for each other, but each was powerless to act upon it.
Dearest Amber,
This letter brings with it news that I shall be away for an undetermined amount of time. Two weeks, perhaps a month. It comes at a bad time, I know, because I feel you will need what little strength I can offer you through our correspondence. The plight of your grandfather weighs heavily on your heart and mind and I should be there for you.
I wish there was a way to take you along with me, a way to hold you close to my heart while I'm away. I wish more that there was a way that I could be with you, helping you through your pain.
I will be leaving in the morning and I pray to hear from you before I go. If I do not, please know that I am with you in spirit and love you,
Always,
Ardeth
Tears returned to Amber's eyes in force and spilled over her cheeks without abatement. She would miss hearing from him while he was away, especially after the funeral. She promised herself that she would do her best not to dwell on her loneliness, as difficult a task as that might be.
As she reached for her pen, her eyes fell upon the envelope that she picked up from the drug store on her way home. She opened it and pulled out the photos that it contained. Shuffling through them, she selected one in particular.
***
Hours after mounting his horse and beginning the long trek to Cairo, Ardeth reached into the folds of his robes and the pocket concealed within. He had been overjoyed to see her letter that morning as he gathered his belongings to make his journey.
My dearest Ardeth,
The days ahead without contact from you will prove to be difficult, but knowing you feel the same makes it bearable. Please stay safe on your latest endeavor.
As I feared, Pappy slipped away from this world into the next early this morning. I know it is best and he is now at peace. For that I am grateful. I will treasure him in my heart, along with my parents, forever.
You've helped me to see so many things that are missing from my life. I have hidden myself away, so afraid to face the world. I made one final promise to Pappy...that I would go out and live life. No longer will I merely exist.
If both you and grandfather can see strength in me that I am not quite sure is there, well, perhaps I am just afraid to embrace it. We shall see. I took my first step toward my future yesterday. I applied to the University of Chicago and shall work toward obtaining a teaching degree.
Know that I will be keeping busy while you are gone. It has been some time since I have been out of school and will take some getting used to. In the meantime, you said you wished there was a way to take me with you. Although this is not what you meant, I've enclosed a photograph of Pappy and me. It was taken at the park just shortly after you and I began our friendship.
Take care.
All my love,
Amber
Ardeth slid two fingers into the envelope and pulled out the photograph. His eyes studied every line, every contour, every feature of the woman he had grown to love. In the picture, she sat with her grandfather, happily smiling at the camera. Her brown hair was blowing in the breeze and she looked carefree, but in her beautiful hazel eyes, he could see the pain she hid from the world. She was as beautiful as he had imagined and his heart ached at the sight of her.
He touched the image, futilely wishing that he could touch her. He had never told a soul about her or their connection to each other. It was something he kept for himself. She belonged only to him and, heaven help him, he belonged to her.
***
To be continued...