"Should things go south, Celine, ye give this t'Calla, and ye tell her–tell her 'at I never stopped thinkin' o'her," he swallowed hard, the words catching like splinters in his throat. His grip tightened on the letter, on the memory of her in the hope that it might hold to the very end.
"Ye get it t'her and ye watch o'er her fer me. Nae matter whit, aye? Promise me."
Callashi,
If you are reading this, it means I could not keep my promise to come back to you...
But it is a strange comfort, knowing you might one day hold this, even though I cannot be there to see your eyes trace the lines the same way you used to trace the letters in the air with your fingers, mouthing each sound like it was a spell. I remember the sway of the ship beneath us, the salt on your lips as you stumbled through your first common phrases, stubborn and bright-eyed, refusing to let the wind steal your syllables.
And I remember every time you got a word right, you'd look at me like you'd just won a battle.
You did, Calla.
You won me over with every page we read, every word you sounded out, every time you asked me to read it again, slower this time, so you could feel the shape of it on my lips.
You deserved more than I could ever provide...
You deserved more than a man made of ghosts and half-truths.
But for what it's worth, I would have given whatever remained of me to see you safe, and to have one more quiet morning beside you.
So if the world has taken me, then know this...
You were the only part of it I wanted to stay for.
Every step I took beside you was a rebellion against what I am, and I would lose a thousand times over to have had those moments again.
I hope, wherever you are, the sea carries you to gentler shores. I hope that when this letter finds you, you learn to read the words without pain... And when you think of me, don't remember the blades or the running, or the blood between us in our fight for freedom.
Remember the sound of the river the night before it all fell apart—your feet splashing in the water, our first kiss beneath the stars, and the moment we sailed away from it all toward something better. Home.
Remember that I tried.
And above all, remember that you were always my greatest treasure.
My precious Pearl...
– Ren
These beautiful images and Callashi the siren belong to a most wonderful friend: @thecampjuicebox
Thank you for not only letting me post these wholesome images of our babies, but for the ways in which you inspire me, as well as listen to me spitball all my crazy ideas with such grace–even when I think I can be annoying about them sometimes. 😚...😬
