CHAPTER 23

- Charlote! Charlote! I need you to listen to me. And I had to go ahead of time, and I know I left you alone to raise those two naughty boys, but I can see they've grown into two great men.

"I wish you were here, Tomas. You would know what to do with Jack now...

"But I'm here, my love. I am with you every day, my Charlotte. I will always love and protect them, but Cha, you don't have to do anything to Jack. He is a responsible man and a great mountie.

'But he's marrying a Thatcher.' Elizabeth is a Thatcher my love and because of them we are losing the farm.

- Tea! Remember my brother... he was a Thorton and he tried to rape you too; he was a bad man, but he was a Thorton, so does that make me a bad man to you?

- Never my Love. Tomas you will always be the kindest man I have ever known. Your kindness was so great, it always made me fall more and more in love with you, with every good deed you did to people...

'So Cha, why would this Elizabeth have to be as bad as her father, William Thatcher?' Just because they share the same blood and the same surname Thatcher?

- But...

"Cha, don't let prejudice blind you. If our son loves her so much, to the point of marrying her, it's because this girl is special. You can't imagine my frustration and when anger gets on my nerves, when I'm up in heaven, and I see Jack saying that if he were to marry, the mountie would give him a wife. This man just married this girl. Cha, our son fell in love.

— Cha, didn't you feel anything reading the letters she always sent you? Was I mistaken when I saw you reading the letters, and when I saw your reactions...

"I've always liked her, since the first letter. We have things in common, such as the pleasure of teaching, loving students and especially Jack's happiness. She talked to me as an equal, I didn't see in any of her words, her humiliating me or using her wealth to speak above me. She always had the utmost respect.

"What about Cha?" There's your answer, I can't tell you what I see from up there. But I can tell you, that she deserves to be very happy. That she loves our son, with an intensity never seen before. When you see them together you will sense their love. Let's say Cha, which is a special love, a love written in the stars and blessed by God.

'Tomas, do you think I should look for them?'

"Cha, I'm sure you should go to them. You will only overcome evil when all the misunderstandings are resolved and only then when many good people are together who will be able to put an end to the evil that is about to afflict you. Another thing, my love, the fate and life of those two young people hang by a thread. Greed can blind people and this can cause loss of life and this is irreparable. You got a message from my friend Bill, if it wasn't urgent he wouldn't have asked you for help.

'Tomas, I'm going there tomorrow.' I miss you, my love.

"Charlotte, look at me. And Tomas, holding her face in both hands, kissed her forehead and continued to talk, never stopping looking into her eyes...

"Cha, I was your first love, like you were mine. But God brought me back to your arms and here I'll be waiting for you when your time comes. But Cha... life has given her another opportunity to love and be loved. When she appeared in front of you, I noticed that you were still grieving and didn't realize it and the opportunity came and went, in the blink of an eye. I want you to open your heart. Try to open your heart and love and be loved. I want to see you fulfilled as a woman, and very happy with a good man who loves you above all else.

"How can you ask me this, Tomas Thorton? Charlotte spoke angry.

"Cha, my beauty!" You look even more beautiful when you make that angry teacher face. Ha and I tell you that our Jack is delighted when Elizabeth does this for him. My son really pulled me... And kissing softly, he continued to speak:

- Love. Today will be our last kiss, our last meeting like this, in the plane where I am, they don't allow me to kiss you anymore, it's time for you to move on. But I will feel your kisses in eternity with me. Yes, I need to tell you that you must continue your life. Cha, sometimes love, true love, the one we find in small gestures, it can be present in the person you least imagine. Look in all directions, see and realize someone who was with you in every moment of your life, just as I was. You are such a wonderful woman that God has prepared for you two opportunities to love and be loved. And know, my love, that I will be very happy when you find your new love, when you really discover your second and last love; promise me you'll give yourself a chance to love again.

"Tomas, I promise!" I can't keep my eyes open anymore, Tomas, stay with me, sleep with me tonight, please...

— I'll be here my sweet Cha, I'll stay here cuddling with you until the first rays of the sun… I love you forever my dear Cha.

And Charlotte passed out, in a deep sleep, her face was on Tomas' chest, and her long, black hair was spread over her face. Tomas caressed her hair, they smelled of jasmine, and even after so many years and so many struggles to raise the boys alone, he was sure that on earth and not even in heaven, there was a woman more beautiful than her. Tears welled in Tomas's eyes; It was necessary for both of them, that closure, that farewell, because he died without having that chance and it hardened that young woman's heart, making her close to love. And Thomas, he knew the love that Bill had for her and now it was time to bring them together.

The sun was already thinking about rising. Tomas said a prayer of thanks to God for the years of happiness beside that woman and asked for protection for his family and for Jack's family, because the fight would be great... Tomas placed Cha's head on the pillow, arranged his hair, and kissed those lips one last time, he took his locket from around her neck, which was buried with her body, and placed it around her neck. In that locket were two pictures; one photo was him, charlote and the boys and the second photo was him with tom in his arms, charlotte in the middle and bill at his side with Jack in his arms. Perhaps that would begin to show her some truths.

And giving a light peck, he saw that she was sleeping, peaceful and with a beautiful smile on her face, which filled his heart with love... Tomas looked at the sun, which was rising and in the first ray of sunlight, he walked and disappeared in that light.

Charlotte stood up, feeling as rested as she hadn't in years, her heart and mind light. Even without opening her eyes, she could smell Tomas's scent; That man, he always had the power to make her happy, like tonight. And now I just wanted to open my eyes and kiss him passionately... but when she opened her eyes, nothing, nobody was there; she couldn't be dreaming or was she going crazy. Charlotte still felt his presence in that room and his perfume was very noticeable there in her bed and on her body. She knew that her husband was there with her and sitting desperately, without understanding anything, she was running her hands through her hair, until she felt something on her neck. Strange...

She wore nothing there. And pulling out the piece, she saw with surprise that it was Tomas' locket, the same one she had placed in him, when in his coffin, they were preparing to close the lid and bury him. She looked at the pictures and wept... She had chosen the pictures on that funeral morning and placed them there; And so Charlotte, wept for hours, easing all her pain, which she had repressed since Tomas' death. Today she knew that Tomas was fine and wherever he was, she would always love them with all her strength. And that he just wanted them to be happy.