Breaking Glass

(26) A Meeting

Chapter Twenty Six

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THIS IS PART ONE OF A THREE PART UPDATE.

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I turned on my heel and barreled into the boat’s inside. My thoughts were racing but all of them revolved around one person, Aiden. He’d come to see me? Surely it was an unexpected surprise… but why? Had he come for closure, or to say goodbye and tell me I ruined him? Maybe it was the latter. He hadn’t seemed the slightest bit hurt in the earlier times I’d seen him – but that in itself was seldom, and I probably acted like I was fine too.

Something brushed my hand, and I looked up into Lydia’s bright blue eyes, their irises danced in concern. “Are you all right?” she asked, a motherly tone in her words.

Nodding, I assured her that I was fine, that I was over it. But why lie? I stopped, then began shaking my head frantically. Tears collected in my eyes and tightened my throat. I tried and tried to swallow them, but down they came. And with them, came Lydia’s embrace, warm and comforting.

After calming down a little, I felt the strength to talk about it. I needed to; I needed to think this over – with some guidance. “He came to see me,” I choked out, then buried my face in Lydia’s shoulder.

“Oh,” Lydia let out in a wispy breath. So she didn’t know. But now she knows who, without me even having to tell her. Was the look on my face once I got on the boat the thing that told her that I wasn’t all right? That or her motherly instinct. Maybe both. “It will be all right, Rose.” But I kept crying, so she added, “Do you want to go back?”

I adjusted my head to look out of one of the small circular windows on the boat. Land was far behind me – they were right, steamboats did go amazingly fast. I felt my heart sink as I realized that was my last opportunity to see Aiden. And it didn’t happen. Maybe it was fate that kept us apart? No, I ended our relationship. It was me, fate had nothing to do with this.

My surroundings became clear to me, and I let go of Lydia. I turned my head back and forth, realizing that we were in a dim, lonely hallway. The only thing that provided light were the few windows. I sniffled and told Lydia that I was all right, that I’d get through this. Then I motioned for us to start making our way to the room. After looking at me closely for a moment, her lips pursed, she nodded and she began making her way to the far end of the hallway.

I followed suit, both our bags in hand. Lydia had dropped hers while she was hugging me, and now I was left with the chore of carrying it, but I didn’t mind. After all she’d done for me, this small gesture was nothing.

Life was bustling behind the door. People frantically trying to find their rooms, attendants helping them, but it was clear by their faces that they were trying their best not to slap them and stomp off. Lydia was far ahead of me, and I struggled to catch up.

After being bumped many times, I began to give people looks – to which they returned with an even meaner look, until they looked down and saw that I was pregnant. Then they stopped. Some even uttered an “Excuse me, miss.”

Finally, I decided it was better just to barrel through the crowd, not caring who I was making upset. Maybe that’s what life is about, I thought. You just have to do what you need to do, and not care who has a problem with it. That’s what I did when I made that speech. Maybe it was what I needed to do all along.

I reached for Lydia right as she was reaching to open a door.

“Lydia!” I yelled, slapping her shoulder.