Dearest, Theodosia

Chapter VII

Chapter VII:

     Theo's fingers ran across the keys of her piano. When things were wrong it the world, playing the piano made everything feel right. It was Theo's connection with her mother. It was raining outside. Her mother loved rain. She couldn't stop thinking about her mother. Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. All Theo wanted was for her mother to see her now, see her happy and in love. That's all Theodosia (senior) would have wanted for her daughter. A warm tear slipped from Theo's dark eyes and down her cheek. "Mum." She whispered to herself.

   The door to the Burr's house opened and shut quickly. "Goodness, it's really raining hard out there." Aaron Burr said to himself. Theo hurried to wipe her tears. She didn't want to tell her father that she was crying again. She was stronger than that. The young woman met her father at the door. "Theodosia, dear." Aaron smiled, getting a smile out of his daughter. "It's been a day." He said as he collapsed onto the living room sofa. "Come sit with me."

   Theo did as she was told and sat next to her father. She couldn't get comfortable quite yet. She had to tell her father about Philip. She couldn't beat around the bush much longer. They had been together for three weeks now and the guilt of not telling her father was eating her alive. "Daddy, I need to talk to you about something."

Aaron turned to face his daughter, a concerned look upon his face. "Dear, what is it?"

She took a deep breath and spoke. "PhilipandIareinloveandhavebeenseeingeachotherforthreeweeks." She spat. Aaron arched an eyebrow.

"Try that again, but slower."

Theo took another deep breath and spoke. "Philip Hamilton and I are in love, Daddy." Aaron expression changed from concern to shock. "We've been seeing each other for a couple of weeks now." Her hands fidgeted in her lap. "It's serious."

"I see." Aaron said softly, causing his daughter to worry. "You know I'm not keen on that family, Theodosia."

Correction: "You're not keen on Mr. Hamilton, Daddy." Aaron nodded.

"You saw what Hamilton did to his wife, Eliza. I don't want Philip to hurt you in such a way." Aaron said, trying to put his feelings gently.

Theo found it hard not to laugh. She could never see Philip doing anything of the sort. "Philip isn't his father. You can't judge him off of Mr. Hamilton."

"What'll happen when he goes back to school?" Aaron said, poking holes in the relationship.

"We've already discussed this. We'll write to each other and Eliza could take me to visit him on holidays."

   "You already made plans without consulting me?" Aaron asked. "Theo, you're fifteen. You're not an adult."

   Theo stood up from the sofa. "It's not a big deal, Daddy. I'll be with Eliza. You know her, I trust her. It'll all be fine." The young lady placed her hands on her dress.

   "I don't think it's the best idea that you go." Aaron admitted. He didn't want his daughter to grow up. It was all happening too fast.

   "But, Daddy, I really want to do this. You know how I feel about Philip. Even if you say that I can't go to visit him, I'll still write him everyday. We'll find time to see each other." Theo's feelings poured out of her. Her father had to know how she felt. "You know what it's like to be in love, you should be able to understand."

   "I knew what it was like to be in love." Her father muttered. "But I do understand." Theo sighed in relief. She didn't want to have to argue with her father. "He has one chance, Theodosia. One. I also require that I sit down with him and have a talk with him." Theo took this as a win.

   "Oh Daddy!" Theo practically threw herself at her father, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Her smile made Burr's decision all worth it. All Aaron Burr wanted in life was for his daughter to be happy, and if a Hamilton made her happy, then so be it. "I'm seeing Philip tonight. I'll tell him that you'd like to sit down with him." Philip had invited Theo over that night so she could see Eliza. It had only been a few days since the release of The Reynolds Pamphlet and Philip thought that if Eliza saw Theo, it would bring her some joy.

   Theo, of course, was excited to see Eliza. She had been worried sick over the thought of how bad she was hurting. At least seeing Eliza would give her some sort of peace of mind. That night, Theo set off for the Hamilton household. When she arrived, she knocked on the door and it was quickly answered by Philip. "Hey." He said softly.

   The two smiled at each other. The world felt so much brighter, just being in each other's presence. "Hi." Philip stepped out of the doorway so Theodosia could enter his home. "Where's your mother?" She asked. Philip gestured to the stairs that led up to the second floor. "I'll be back." She informed him as she stepped onto the stairs. Her wrist was quickly grabbed and she turned around to see Philip.

"Theo, it's not pretty up there. She's hurting and her heart is aching. She hasn't left her room in days and she hardly ever eats unless I tell her to." Philip said softly. He had been taking care of his mother for days. It hurt him to go upstairs and see what his father had done to her.

Theo sighed. "I know. I've seen heartbreak before. My father was a wreck after my mum died. It hurts to see them in so much pain, especially when you're in pain too, but someone has to be strong for the other person. I have more than enough experience being the strong one." The answer Philip received broke his heart. Theo was always strong, even when battling her own pain. She didn't deserve any pain. She deserved pure happiness for the rest of her days.

Theo slipped her arm out from Philip's gentle grasp. She climbed the stairs quietly. When she got to Eliza's room, she peaked through the crack in the door. Eliza sat him bed, staring straight at the wall with wide eyes, pale skin and matted hair. Theo gently pushed the door open and Eliza's gaze met her own. "Theodosia?" Eliza croaked out. Her voice sounded like it hadn't been used in a while.

"Mrs. Hamil— Eliza." Theo sat herself down on the bed beside the broken-hearted woman. The girl had almost asked the woman how she was doing until she realized how stupid it sounded. Of course she wasn't well.

"Did you tell your father about my son?" Eliza asked. Philip must had told her, probably as some sort of distraction from her pain. Theo nodded and Eliza forced a very small, weak smile. "Tell me."

Theodosia took Eliza's hand in her own. Her warm hand immediately chilled by Eliza's. "Well, he didn't seem too keen on it. He was worried about the distance and the possibility that I might end up hurt, but I managed to talk him down." Theo spoke softly. "I told my father how respectful, how kind, and how much he cares about me." Eliza gave Theo the same weak smile that she had before. "You raised a wonderful child, Eliza."

   "I know."

—————
Bah, sorry I got lazy at the end.