Me Dearest Elspeth,
Every day without ye feels like an eternity. Yer absence is like a gaping wound that never heals, and I miss ye more than words can express. I try to be strong for our son and for our clan, but there are moments when yer absence feels unbearable.
I yearn to return to Glenn Aonarach and visit yer real grave. It has been too long since I have been able to sit by yer side, to speak to ye. The thought of being near ye again brings me a sense of peace, a closeness that I have been missing for so long. I hope this make-believe resting place is enough to quell Arran’s sadness at not having ye. But one day, he will know the truth, when we have yer lands back in our possession.
I love ye, Elspeth, with all me heart and soul. Though ye are gone from this world, ye are forever in me heart. I will see ye soon, me love.
Yers always,
James.
Arran’s eyes misted over as he read the words. He knew his father loved his mother, but the letter told him so much more. His grief had consumed him. And that he had been visiting an empty grave all this time had pained him greatly.
But now Arran understood why his father had been so determined to get the burial lands back. His father must have hidden the truth from him out of shame, but Arran now understood that his pain was born from loss. A loss of the body of his wife.
When he finished reading the letter, he fell to his knees, and a solitary tear streamed down his cheek. Skye squeezed his hand gently.
“He never stopped loving her, did he, Skye?” Arran said gruffly.
“Nay, Arran, he didnae. Their love was a rare one, indeed. One that most want but will never have. Yer faither loved ye and yer maither so much,” Skye whispered. “That is clear now.”
“Most, but nae all,” he said.
The look in his eyes touched her heart. It was not one of passion or desire but of something much, much more.
“I see now why me faither fought so hard for the lands. I only wish that he shared this burden with me instead of pushing me away.”
Skye knelt down beside him and held him tightly in her arms. “Yer faither was an incredible man, Arran. He loved yer maither with all his heart, and he loved ye too. His grief and worry over the lands, sadly, got the best of him at the time. But he nevergave up on his hope to get the lands back and be able to visit her grave. His connection to her had never faded.”
Arran nodded, and then he lifted his head and looked her in the eye. “In a way, he brought us together, Skye. If he hadnae insisted that I be ousted unless I got the lands back, I would have never sought ye out. We would have never found each other. Now I am grateful for his unreasonable demand and what I so wrongly called an obsession for so long.”
Skye smiled. “So am I, Arran. So am I.”
“I never tire of looking at this view,” Skye murmured, her voice filled with awe.
They stood on the rooftop together once more. The rain cleared, and the sky was painted in hues of orange and pink. Skye had suggested they come up for some fresh air after they had finished reading Arran’s father’s letters.
Arran nodded and gazed out at the horizon, appreciation in his eyes.
Skye broke the silence, her voice soft but determined. “Arran, there’s something I need to tell ye.”
Arran furrowed his brow slightly. “What is it, Skye?”
She took a deep breath, her hand tightening around his. She didn’t know what he would say—maybe it would be too soon, or too much for one day, but she knew she had to tell him.
“I’m with child, Arran.”
For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. Arran’s eyes widened, and then his face broke into a broad, joyful smile. “Ye’re… ye’re with child?”
Skye nodded, a smile spreading across her face. “Aye, we’re going to have a bairn.”
Arran let out a joyful laugh, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around. Skye wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling as safe and joyes as ever in his embrace.
“This is the best news I could have ever hoped for!” he exclaimed.
Skye laughed. “I hoped ye’d be pleased.”
“I am more than pleased, Skye. I cannae believe how blessed I am. Look at all we have! And now a bairn!” Arran set her down gently, his eyes shining with excitement.
