Three years had past since that night Yvonne had shown up at the Evans door. Jacob woke the next morning well rested for the first time since he arrived back from war. However Yvonne was nowhere to be seen. A note left on his bedside table, thanking him and bidding him farewell until they meet again. His shirt she'd been wearing neatly folded under the paper and a dainty ring placed on top. The note telling him, if he ever needed a surrogate twin to help him sleep at night he can twiddle with her ring and she'd know he needed her through the twin connection they had and would be there laying next to him, keeping him safe. He laughed knowing it was an attempt at a joke about him mumbling out a half conscious "don't move, you make me feel safe, Evie. don't let go of me. you should stay here forever, forget America and just stay here with me, hmmm you smell nice." clutching her tightly to his body, nuzzling into her hair before drifting back to sleep.
he found himself placing the ring on his pinkie finger and it helped calm him. He hadn't taken it off since. every night when he woke, he'd twist it around his finger, breathing out until he was steady, hearing her voice as it had been that night, in his ear, lulling him into a peaceful sleep, whispering, "you're home now and you're safe with me, Jacob. You'll always be safe and home when I am here. The nightmare is over, so sleep." something about her voice soothed him that night, her gentle touch on his bare chest and face, her fingers in his hair, shushing him. Humming gently. He found himself tenderly holding the girl, stroking her hair to comfort himself, surprised that it didn't feel awkward or strange or even wrong, it felt right, like she was meant to be there in that moment, her presence making him feel closer to his dead brother somehow, ending up falling asleep with a firm grip on her, scared she would leave and that feeling would leave with her.
Three years he'd grafted hard to raise his family out of squaller. He was finally making progress. His war with the Barnes continued and escalated. He'd received one letter from Yovone, from America, with a photograph attached, saying she'd arrived safely and hoped he was sleeping well and not getting into too much trouble. Sending her love to his Gran, who he'd since discovered had been meeting the mysterious girl before she left for America, for tea and cake out of town once a week since that evening at the boxing, sometimes more than once a week. Having taking a shine to the young girl and like Jacob, couldn't fight the feeling she was somehow in trouble, feeling like she didn't belong in the Barnes family, at least not the one they knew of anyway.
Three years on and the family were gathered at the graveyard. Showing respects to their matriarch Gran on what would have been her birthday. She died four months previously of influenza. An event that had devastated the family. Jacob lingered behind reading over the the cards on the flower offerings that had been left before their arrival. Laughing at at least three from his Grans fancy men, as she called them. He froze seeing familiar more elegant writing attached to his grandmothers favourite yellow flowers.
'To the gran that took me on as her own and I wished I were, I miss you, I'm sorry I did not make it back for another cup of tea before you left us. keep smiling and singing up there. I'll keep my promises, Maggie, rest peacefully knowing he is safe with me, he will never be alone, he will always have me to watch over him. Love your little E, X
He stood up looking around, catching sight of an elegant figure walking away in the opposite direction to the family, back towards the Barnes side of the graveyard. He took large strides to try and catch them up.
"Jake! What you doing? It's Barnes graves the other side of that gate!" Danny ran over, looking to see who his brother was following "trouble?"
"No. It's...." he looked at the tiny card in his hand, tucking it into his pocket "it's nothing. Thought I saw someone. I was mistaken. Must have been a ghost eh." He nodded, twisting the ring on his finger.
"Come on then, black swan's waiting for us. You alright?"
"I'm fine" he nodded composing himself. "Go on ahead I'll catch you up. Go I'm fine. Just need a moment alone with my thoughts."
"I miss her too."
YOU ARE READING
River of sin
Romance"I've been a gentleman for three weeks. I've not pushed my advances beyond a hand hold, an embrace, a kiss on the cheek.....sleeping in my arms. I have been respectful. Alone together. I have had plenty of opportunity to be otherwise yet I've been a...
