September 3, 2943 T.A.

Today I picked up my quill again for the first time in months. I'm sorry, Kili, that I haven't written you in so long. It's just so painful. Last time, I wrote some words down that I didn't really want to read again. So I put my journal away and tried to throw myself wholeheartedly into my work again. And so almost a year has passed. Time seems to pass much more quickly to elves, you see. Nearly a year later, and the pain is still so near. Sometimes I try to smile, and it feels strange on my face, as if it's being twisted into an unfamiliar shape. I need to remember how to be happy.

I will try and focus on the happy memories we shared together.

Wish you were here,

Tauriel.