Begin Again

Chapter 4

(RYAH)

I sat on my rock looking out over the harbor and tightened my shawl around my shoulders. There had been rain during the night and the morning was damp and chilly. It had been several weeks since Eric had left and his ship would be returning any day now. That knowledge didn't make me feel as insane as I had felt when he first left. He could be back any day now and that thought gave me hope and renewed my spirit. I was extremely excited to finally see him after all of this time. 

I thought of his arms wrapped around me pulling me close. I thought of letting him kiss me for the first time. I had made up my mind and I knew that he was the one that I wanted. He was the one that I was going to marry. 

I had known that all along but that didn't mean that I was going to let him kiss me back then. Instead, I made him wait. I wouldn't tell him that I had known all along. He already teased me enough for refusing to kiss him. He thought my decision to only kiss the man I was going to marry was a silly rule. 

I wanted him to be as excited as I was. I could imagine his face as I walked towards him in a fine gown to be married. Mother and I had already started sewing it together. I wanted it ready for when he returned to me. I had forced him to wait long enough. I reached down to pluck up a shell and brush off the dirt. I rubbed my fingers over the ridges and cracks in the outer-shell. I turned it around in my fingers to trace the sharp edges. The water rolled in and nearly got the hem of my dress wet so I pulled it into my lap where I sat cross legged on my large stone at the edge of the water. 

I looked up towards the ocean and nearly tripped over myself as I scrambled to my feet. Out in the distance I could see tiny ships. I shielded my eyes with my hand as I squinted trying to make out the sails. I recognized the colors and the hand painted designs.

"Eric," I breathed and jumped off of my rock and sprinted home. I held my skirt high in one hand as I flew through the trees. I ignored the puddles that had formed over night in the rain. By the time I reached the yard, my legs were covered in mud. 

"Mother!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I tore through the yard. She looked up from where she was preparing the fire. 

"You're early," she exclaimed as she saw my excited face and took in my appearance. I released my dress and let it fall back into place. 

"I saw ships!" I gasped as I grabbed her hands and spun around her in a circle. "I saw their ships! He's here he's finally back!" I crowed and released her. My mind raced as I realized all of the things that I had to do in order to get ready to see him. "I have to get everything ready and there's my dress that I have to prepare." I felt lightheaded as I realized that the dress we had been working on was far from being completed. I was disappointed that I would have to wear one of my plain dresses for our marriage but I knew that Eric wouldn't care. 

"Slow down!" She said as she laughed at me pacing back and forth shoving a hand through my hair. "You still have a few minutes before he gets here." 

Of course she was right. My mother was always right. If I could just barely see them out in the distance I had more than just a few minutes. Then there was the time to hook up the boat to the dock and time for everyone to get out to their families. There would be a huge crowd at the dock and I would have to wait my turn anyways. But I wanted my face to be the first face that he saw when he stepped foot on our land. 

"What about my dress?" I asked her. She smiled and wiped the dough off of her fingers before brushing my hair off of my forehead with her palm.

"We'll think of something." She said then took my hand pulling me into the house. The breakfast was forgotten. She pulled me into her room and sat me down on her bed as she rummaged through an old trunk. When she found what she was looking for she pulled it out and laid it down in my lap. "While it isn't as fine as the gown we had been making for you, it should suffice."