Page 63 of Only a Breath Away

James said, “On the bright side, we got Sophie back.”

I said, “Aye, we got Sophie back, tis a verra good thing.”

Lady Mairead said tae Sophie, “I am verra glad ye are with us once more, Sophie, ye must, when ye see yer mother, tell her what we hae done in case we arna seen again.”

“Aye, Lady Mairead.”

Sophie and James walked a ways away and set their vessel intae motion. I said, “We must go fast, the castle might awaken, they might see the storm.”

Storm clouds build overhead. I asked, “What are our odds that we will live past the usin’ of the Bridge?”

She looked down upon it. “There are three scenarios I hae thought of… one, we will be stranded wherever we are, tae live as we must, never tae be heard from again. We might even lose our memories, twould be blessing though if ye think on it.”

“Twould be a blessing if we were forgotten, but if this is the way it goes I wish I had brought more food.”

She said, “Two, we will die. Never tae be seen again.”

“Och nae, and what is the third?”

“A fiery pit of hell with unimaginable pain, perhaps unending.”

“There is a fourth? I think we might need a fourth.”

“Nae, I canna imagine a fourth. I canna imagine there is a chance for us tae come away from this pleasantly. We ken the vessels are painful. We ken the Trailblazer is torturous. Tae stitch time taegether, must be horrible.” She pulled a gold watch from her pocket. “Use this.” She pointed at the face. “See the time? In an hour I will use the Bridge. Where will the sun be here?”

I looked up at the sky. “Ye can see it is here? Twill move tae there.” I pointed. “When it is time tae use the Bridge, twill look as if it is nestled in that branch of the tree.”

She and I looked at each other long.

She said, “Ye hae always been a good man, I ken I haena said it tae ye, but I am proud ye are m’son. I love ye. I am glad ye are the kind of man who will go tae wait upon his wife in a moment of uncertainty. This is a good trait in ye.”

“I love ye as well. Thank ye, Lady Mairead.”

“Ye’re welcome, now go, get ye tae the past. I will stay here with…” She and I looked over at the fellow, standing, staring up at the branch that we had looked at a moment earlier.

She sighed. “I will stay here and be comforted and protected by Lochinvar.”

I said, “Aye.”

I walked a few feet away and turned and said, “Twas a good life, Lady Mairead, I daena regret it.”

“I daena regret it either.”

I left her on the shore of the river.

CHAPTER 50 - HAYLEY

There was a storm, and then Quentin called, telling me there was a surprise and then, “Sophie!” I was so excited I was screaming her name before she even got through the door. She was timid, hiding her face, and very frightened. “Sophie! You’re alive, oh my god!”

The kids ran in, looked as if they had seen a ghost, and ran out again.

Emma said, “Sophie, I’m so glad to see you, so so glad, but let me go explain this all to the kids.”

She hugged Sophie and rushed out after the kids to explain that Sophie had been rescued.

Everyone hugged Sophie and made a huge loud fuss.

I said, “Sophie, what do you remember?”

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