Dearest, Theodosia

Chapter XXXXVI:

Chapter XXXXVI:

One Last Time

Here we go...

   As soon as Theo's vision cleared, she saw a large set of gate doors sitting upon a puffy, white cloud. This was the afterlife, this was heaven. Theo just didn't know it. She looked around, not seeing anything else around but the large gates, so Theo decided to go towards it. They swung open, shining a bright light into her eyes. She tried covering her eyes, but it didn't make much of a difference. The light slowly faded, revealing a silhouette of a man. "Welcome, Theodosia."

   The man stepped closer to the young woman, revealing his face to Theo. Her eyes began welding up with tears as she walked over him. "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." Theo said, throwing her arms around the man. He hugged her back, as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Alexander." She said, apologizing for the duel between him and her father.

   Alexander laughed softly, hugging the girl back. "It's okay, Theodosia. Don't worry. It wasn't your fault." Theo pulled away, smiling at the man. "Now, come on. There's a lot of people waiting for you inside."

   Theo nodded, smiling as the two walked farther inside of heaven. There were a lot of people whom Theo was excited to see again. She'd see her son again. She'd see her mother again. She'd see her Philip again.

   The figure of a young boy was running right towards Alexander and Theodosia. Theo immediately recognized the ten year old boy dashing towards her. Her son. The woman let out a loud cry as she opened her arms for the boy. Aaron Philip Alston jumped into his mother's arm. "Mum!" He yelled, hugging his mother tightly. Theo held her son tightly, crying. She never thought that she'd see him again. "Don't cry, Mum. I'm here."

Theo let go and placed her hands on the boy's cheeks. "My beautiful baby." She said, smiling at the happy boy. "My baby." She placed a kiss on his forehead before hugging him again.

"C'mon, Mum. Someone has been waiting a really long time to see you." Aaron took his mother's hand, holding it as the three walked farther.

When Theo noticed a slim, feminine figure, her walk picked up to the pace of a run, then a sprint until she reached her mother's arms. "My beautiful daughter, my Theodosia." Her mother said, stroking the woman's hair as they held each other tightly. "I've been waiting for you for years, my dear."

Theo pulled out of the hug, looking at her mother with a tear stained face. How was this real? "Mum?" The woman said with a tremor.

"Yes, baby girl. It's me." Theo could hardly contain herself. She threw herself back into her mother's arms. "I'm so proud of you, my girl. Everything you've done, I've been watching. And I'm so proud."

"I missed you, Mum. Everyday." Theodosia took her hand and wiped her daughter's tears. It had been eighteen years since they had last seen each other, since they last held each other. "Everyday." Theo repeated.

"I know, I know." Theodosia said, taking her daughter's hands. "I'm sorry I missed so much. Now we can be together forever. I won't miss another thing, I promise you." The two women that shared a name smiled at each other. "Now come on, someone's been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

Alexander and Theodosia smiled at each other. The four began walking and it was only a short time until an all too familiar figure came into view. The tall man with those golden-green eyes, the head of curls, and the freckles sprinkled all over his face. Theo froze in her place, almost afraid to go closer, like if she did, he'd disappear before her eyes.

He just kept coming towards her, smiling softly as he did so. "This can't be real." Theo said in disbelief. "Y-you can't be real. I saw you. I saw you die. All of you are dead." She stuttered, standing still.

The familiar man was now inches from her. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on it. "This is real, my love. This is all real, I promise." Philip.

Theo fell to the floor letting out a sob of joy and disbelief. Philip crouched down to Theo's height, pulling her into his arms. "Philip." She cried, clinging to him. "Philip, my god."

"I'm here, my love. I'm here." Theo couldn't bring herself to look at him. This couldn't be real. I'm on a boat, on my way to visit Georges. "Look at me, please." Philip said, a tear slipping down his freckled cheek.

And she did. She saw the face of the love of her life, the thief of her heart. He was real. "How is this possible? How are you here? How are all of you here?" Philip looked at the woman with heartbreak in his golden-green eyes. She didn't know, until she read Philip's face. "A-am I?" Nobody said a thing. "Am I dead?"

Everyone around her nodded and she looked back at Philip. "I'm sorry, Theo." The sound of him saying her name again. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

"I love you." She said, taking his hand. "I love you, Philip Hamilton. I've never stopped." Philip smiled, wiping the girl's tears. "D-do you still—"

"Are you insane, Theodosia Burr?" Philip asked with a smile. He refused to accept that her last name was now Alston. It felt wrong to him. He remembered the day that Theodosia Senior and himself had peered in on the wedding. He had sobbed. That should have been him. "I love you with everything I have in me. I'll love you forever."

The two leaned in towards each other, kissing passionately for the first time in years. It was magical. The bystanders let them kiss for a few minutes before breaking it up. "Okay, that's enough." Little Aaron had said. Theo pulled her son over to the two of them.

The five giggled and hugged, and smiled. "Wait." Theo said, gaining everyone's attention. "What about Daddy? And Eliza? Angelica?" She asked.

Theodosia walked over to her daughter, wrapping her arm around her. "Now we wait for it." And they did, they waited. Then all was well again. And yes, even in heaven, Theo became Theodosia Elizabeth Hamilton.

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Wow. I don't know where to begin. When I started writing, I didn't expect much. I didn't expect this much love towards my story and towards me throughout my writing.

I'm so sad to end this story (yes, I'm crying too.) I can proudly say that this is my favorite thing I've ever written. I will never write another Dearest, Theodosia. It's special to me, and I hope it is for you too.

One last time... Thank you for all of the endless support, readings, and comments. I could NEVER have gotten here without you. So thank you. I hope you enjoyed: Dearest, Theodosia

~ Jordan