Early hours, April 15th, 1912 – Southampton

The rhythmic ticking of the clock on the mantel was the only sound in the room, the fire in the grate had long since died down to a soft glow of coals. Ada Murdoch slept peacefully in bed, the covers pulled up around her, chestnut hair cascading in a braid across her pillow, her willowy form lying on her side, one hand under her face, legs drawn up a little against the night chill.

She felt the familiar creak of the floorboard by the bed as her husband's weight settled onto the mattress, and she stirred in her sleep, used to his coming and going at different hours. He always said hello, even if he arrived in late.

After a moment, she felt him settle into the bed behind her, his weight pressing up against her. "Mmmm, Will, your feet are cold," she mumbled in her slumber.

"I'm sorry, mo bhean," she felt him whisper against her hair. Sleepily, she snuggled into him as his hand came up to caress her cheek. "Hmmm… so are your hands…" As she drifted off again, she thought she heard him say he loved her, and felt him press a kiss to her hair.

"I love you too, Will…" was her soft reply, as she fell once again into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I'm sorry Aid, I tried to come back to you…

_

Morning light filtered through the lace curtains at the window, Ada enjoyed waking naturally when she didn't need to be at a tutoring session of a morning. She opened her eyes, reaching out her hand to William's side of the bed, surprised to find it cold and empty. Neither was his jacket slung over the valet's stand on his side of the bedroom. She thought for a moment, before she realised he was away and wondering why she'd even thought William had been home. He wasn't due back for over a week – she must have been dreaming that he'd come home last night.

Silly girl, she smiled to herself, you miss him too much when he's away. Her smile deepened when she recalled their little lunch appointment on the ship before the Titanic had left on her maiden voyage. That had been… something. They were always passionate, but it was almost as though they'd never been together before, the intensity which they had lost themselves in during those moments was unlike anything either of them could remember.

She hoped William wasn't missing her as much as she missed him, this time the first few nights he was away had been unbearable, and for a moment she'd wished it was he, and not Davy Blair who'd been bumped off the voyage. Now Ada, she chided herself, don't be selfish, you know Will's been working towards this for years. He had to go, and there'll be plenty of time to make up when he gets back.

With any luck, she thought, she'd have some news to tell him upon his return. She'd had a feeling even before he'd come back from Belfast, but she was almost certain after their shipboard activities that finally, their luck might change. She could just feel it, a big change was coming.

Ada swung her feet out onto the soft rug, slipping on some house shoes and took her wrapper from the chair next to the bed. She tied the sash around her waist, then splashed some water on her face from the washstand at the far side of the room.

She made her way downstairs, stopping to let the cat out into the back yard, and putting the kettle on the stove, stoking up the coals and adding new wood. Then she went to the front door to get the milk which no doubt had been delivered by now.

As she bent to collect the bottle from the front steps, she saw the newspaper folded nearby. The word 'TITANIC' caught her attention in the top corner, and she picked up the paper and unfurled it to read.

She didn't hear the gate opening, nor the hurried rush of footsteps as Sylvie Lightoller raced up the path, heedless of her own difficulty in walking. All Ada was aware of was the roar of blood in her ears and the words 'TITANIC SINKS WITH GREAT LOSS OF LIFE' screaming up at her in stark black and white…

She felt Sylvie's hands come up under her arms as she sank to the ground, her legs giving out under her, a horrible half cry, half scream coming from deep within her as she thought of William, remembering now what she'd thought was a dream. William, whispering in her ear that he was sorry, his feet and hands cold in the night- knowing now that he was dead, gone along with all the other souls taken down with the great ship. She clung to Sylvie and cried, her world would never be the same, not without Will, her north star.

I'm glad I told you that I love you, Will. I hope you heard me in your final moments. I will love you until the day I leave this earth and can be in your arms again. Love, your Aid.