She lay her head against his chest and felt the thump, thump, thump of his heat against her ear, a calming tapping rhythm the drew her whole self into a doze. Her heart, in response, began to ache for him. She sat up abruptly.
Her hair still clung to the old chest in which his heart was. Will's heart. Will, the new captain of the Flying Dutchman. She still could hardly believe it, even though everything happened about four months ago.
A lot had happened in those four months. She found a new home, and a new way to support herself, as her husband would always be at sea. At least for ten years. Ten! She was sorrowed by the fact that she had only quickly married Will, and then he died at the hands of Davy Jones. But he wasn't really dead. Still, it felt to her at times he was. But they had one time together...
At the memory of their one day ashore together, she could almost feel her baby jump in her belly. Baby! Who would have imagined it!
And yes, Liz was amazingly delighted at the thought of having a child. But her husband...Will would never see the baby.
Not for ten years.
All she had to remind her of Will, to feel his presance, was the chest with his heart. She like to rest her head on it, listen to it, even talk to it, as if it was Will lying there. She missed him dearly, but would look at to sea. Sometimes she could see the flash of green, and there he'd be. But she was not yet good at finding him. And he had a lot of souls to ferry right now. She knew he had his job, but still would long for him. It was not a crime. She knew anyone would feel that way if their beloved was gone for so long. But absance makes the heart grow fonder. When he does come back in ten years, it will be as if he never left.
She got up out of bed and gazed out her window. She could see the ocean in the glow of the twilight. She wrapped her robe around herself and rested her hands lightly on her swollen stomach.
Well, at least I won't be alone. I will have you, in a few months' time... She glanced down at her belly, then around at the chest, still resting on her bed and emitting a muffled whomp, whomp, whomp. It bounced slightly after every beat, and it too, seemed to glow in the faint light. Seeing it made her remember his gorgeous smile, his hearty laugh, the salty smell of his cocoa-colored hair...
...And his heart.