Dearest, Theodosia

Chapter XXXXV:

Chapter XXXXV:

1813

   January 2, 1813. Theodosia was sitting on a boat, sailing off to London. It had been a tough year for the grown woman. Her son had passed away due to a fever, leaving her completely heartbroken. She needed to get away, so she was sent a letter to her long distance friend, Georges Washington de Lafayette, and he invited her to come and visit him in Paris. She had missed her friend a lot, and he had missed her in more ways than one.

   Georges went back to Paris because he was haunted by Philip's death. He blamed himself for what happened. Georges believed he could have stopped it, he could have warned Philip of George Eacker turning around at seven. He had to leave New York.

   Dear Georges,

   I'm currently writing to you from the Patriot, which is the name of the ship I am sailing on. I wish I could have gotten a straight trip to France, but we unfortunately have to stop in London. That's where I'll be sending the letter from.

   I cannot wait to see you again! It's been how long now, eleven years? We used to see each other practically everyday. It's odd not seeing you that often. I'm just so excited to see you. These past years have been the worst. You're a reminder of the wonderful times in my life.

   Anyway, thank you for letting me stay with you. Joseph is busy with the war and being governor. I feel alone, and I just can't wait to see you. I won't be alone. I'll see you soon, my dear friend.

   Your friend,
   Theodosia Elizabeth Burr Alston

Theo folded up the letter, sealing it and stamping it before tucking it into one of her bags. She didn't know anyone on the boat, so she mostly kept to herself. But a young woman who sailed alone was an object of lust.

Many men had said inappropriate things to the married woman, and some had even tried to make moves on her. Theo managed to outwit the most of them and shove the rest of them away. She wasn't going to have it.

When she was lonely on the trip, she would write letters that she would never send. Theo wrote to her mother, Theo wrote to Philip. She had gotten used to writing to her deceased mother, but she had never written to Philip before the trip. It was hard. She usually didn't finish those letters. Tears would flood her vision and drip onto the paper. Her heart still ached everyday over his passing.

   Dear Mum,

   I miss you as always, Mum. I lost count of how many years it's been since I last saw your face. I expect Aaron Philip Alston is with you now. If you didn't already know, Aaron is my son. I hope you two are watching over me wherever you two might be. Maybe Philip is even with you. I miss you, I miss Aaron, and I miss Philip. I hope to see you again soon enough.

   All my love,
   Your Theodosia

   Theo was sleeping in one of the compartments on the ship when a crack startled her and woke her up right then and there. Many other people in the compartment woke as well. "What was that?" Theo asked, turning to a woman who was a few inches away.

   "Dunno." She told her as she rose from the ground. The two women poked their head outside of a porthole and looked at the scene before them. It was down-pouring rain, the waves were out of control, and thunder and lightning stuck the seas. It was a storm.

   "Oh no." Theo said softly, stepping away from the porthole. She began panicking, her hands beginning to shake.

   The woman put her hand on Theo's arm gently. "Dear, are you alright?" Theo shook her head. "Everything will be all right, don't stress." The woman told her, even though she didn't sound so sure herself. Theo nodded.

   Another thunder strike made Theo jump. The waves were getting wilder and Theo was growing more and more scared. She knew what was coming. The boat was rocking and from what they could see, the wind was the strongest Theo had ever seen. Theo and the woman looked out portholes on opposite sides of the boat. No land.

   This was it. Theo knew that this was the end, and frankly, she was okay with it. She had suffered so much throughout her life, and she was ready to let go. She was just worried about her father, he was going to lose the last person he had left. As a wave crashed onto the deck, Theo sat down and held her knees to her chest. "I'm sorry, Daddy." With that, lightning hit the ship. Theo closed her eyes. It'll all be over soon.

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I'VE CRIED WRITING THE LAST THREE CHAPTERS. GOD. Anyway, the next chapter is the last one. Get ready for some fluff!

As always, thank you for reading and supporting me and this story! It means the world! Sorry about the possible tears!