My Highlander, My Love

Shattered dreams

Hawk sat in the garden all by himself with his eyes closed, dreaming of Nessa. The wind had settled, and the fluffy snow flakes covered the ground all around him, but Hawk took no notice. He was concentrating on the image of Nessa when she had first told him that she was in love with him.

Her eyes sparkled with love, and he could still hear her sweet voice whisper in his ear words of endearments. His muscled chest tightened and tears threatened to spill had he not been interrupted by Michael's soft voice behind him.

"You might want to come inside now my friend. Dinner will soon be served, and you haven't eaten well in the last few months." Michael said, feeling sorry for his friend who has grieved for Nessa as much as they have and even more.

Hawk didn't even bother to turn around, blinking back a few tears he said in a deep broken voice, "I'm not hungry!"

"Starving yourself will not bring Nessa back, and besides, if I don't bring you back with me, mother warned me that she will box my ears off my head!" Michael reasoned with him.

Hawk sighed, and threw his gaze to the bushes where two wild bunnies chased each other playfully, and left tiny foot prints everywhere across the snowy ground.

"Go back inside Michael. I will join you in a few minutes." He said gently, just wanting to be left alone with his thoughts.

Michael hesitated at first, but then he turned to leave throwing over his shoulder, "I'll hold you to your word my friend."

Left alone again, Hawks thoughts went back to his beloved. She has been gone almost three months now, but the pain has not subsided. They were supposed to have married in Saint Catherine's cathedral on Christmas Day.

Hawks stomach tightened and he choked back a sob. They never made it to the alter as he had promised her, but in his heart of hearts she was his wife in every sense of the word. A pain stabbed him in his gut, and he dropped to his knees on the snowy ground and wept. He wept for all the beautiful moments he held her in his arms, he wept for all the beautiful words they had shared, he wept for all their dreams that were shattered and could never be.

Michael turned around before he stepped out of the gardens, and watched the giant Fay fall on his knees, and a pang sliced through his heart. He knew the Fay loved his sister and what she meant to him, and wished that things could have been different. He will have to speak to William and see if there was a herb that he could give his friend to ease his pain, he thought, before he entered Sterlingshire castle.

Hawk cried his heart out one more time, releasing the pain from his heart, and freeing himself from the torture that was suffocating him, and when he lifted his gaze to a few feet away, he saw a single flower that by some miracle had made it's way through the dirt, and pushed past the snow and stood proudly in the middle of the garden as if it had every right to do so. Never mind that it was the wrong season to blossom, or the fact that it had gone through all the obstacles in its way, but still managed to come out and stand proudly. Hawks heart pounded against his muscled chest, and he smiled slowly as he lowered his body close to the flower.

There was life even though there was cold and snow everywhere. The flower made it's way to the top determined to bloom right through the snow! It was the promise of spring that was around the corner, and everything will come to life again in this wonderful garden. Hope was a magical word, Hawk thought. Without hope, there was nothing for anyone to look forward to. If this flower was able to make its way against all odds, it only validated that there was hope.

Lifting his huge body to a standing position, Hawks heart for the first time since Nessa's death pumped happily, and without pain. Where there was hope, there were possibilities, Hawk thought happily, for the first time since Nessa's death.