A week passed. Then two and Halt began to heal and function again. Not letting the memory of his daughter escape him but able to participate in life again. Pauline did not heal as quickly she was shaken to her core at the loss of their child. Finally a breaking point came, Halt woke early one morning he reached out in instinct for Pauline but found the bed next to him cold and empty. He lifted his head to see it was in fact empty but then noticed a piece of parchment on the pillow. He turned and sat up lifting it he saw Pauline's neat hand writing and read it.
Halt,
I am sorry... For everything. I cannot stay in this house with you every day. It hurts to much. I will never forgive myself for losing our child. But I also can't continue this life with you. It was a beautiful dream that it would be you and me and our daughter. But it was a dream and nothing more. I did love you that was never a lie but now I cannot feel any emotion at all. I feel like a void and I don't wish to remain here and hurt you like that. Please I know you will not understand this now but try if you do nothing more for me. This cannot happen. We cannot happen. We have tried but we have been pulled apart so much. My heart is breaking saying this to you I want nothing more than to be able to have a normal life with you. But we both know that that can never happen. I love you Halt but this is good bye in the romantic sense.
Please forgive me,
Pauline
Halt read each word at first not sure of what he had read but by the second and third time it sunk in. He felt every emotion imaginable flash through him. He stood crumpling the paper and tossing it in the fireplace watching as it caught alight slamming his hand against the solid timber beside it angrily. He breathed deep to try to collect himself. He walked out into the main room and dug through the files covering the coffee table and found what he was looking for a file he had passed over a few weeks prior it contained a mission that would send him away for a year if he was lucky. He had passed it over so he could be there for the birth of his daughter and for Pauline. There was nothing holding him here now. He collected his belongings and took care of what he needed to the cabin for when he would leave for extended periods. He walked out to the barn Abelard seemed to sense how he was feeling and walked calmly to the gate. Within the half hour he was ready to leave. He swung easily into his saddle then turned and walked down the dirt path and he was gone.