Chapter Text
In the southern part of Rohan, not far from the White Mountains, there was a mansion that was the home of a family by the name of Eorl. Meduseld—that is the name of the mansion—was not only home to this old and noble family, but it was also home to the many servants who took care of it. There were cooks and kitchen staff to create and serve the meals, and maids to ensure that the mansion was spotless. There were gardeners to tend the gardens, and a specialist who trimmed and pruned the shrubbery into the shapes of horses. There were groundskeepers who took care of the grounds, and others who saw to the upkeep of the indoor swimming pool and the outdoor swimming pool. There were also staff whose job it was to care for the horse stables and the indoor polo field and the outdoor polo field.
Also living at the estate was a chauffeur by the name of Háma, who lived above the garage that housed the eight cars in his care with his daughter, Hanna. Háma was very good at his job and always acted professionally whenever he addressed any of his employers and drove them wherever they needed to go. He diligently cleaned and polished every car at least three times a week, if the weather was agreeable; and if there was ever a bout of bad weather, he would wash and polish the cars twice on the next clear day to make up for it, for sitting idle was something that Háma abhorred, unless it was time spent reading his beloved Western novels. Like the rest of the servants, Háma was going above and beyond to make sure that all of the vehicles were pristine and looked as brand new as the day they drove off the assembly line. After all, there were going to be a lot of important guests at the mansion that evening.
It was the eve of the annual two-day horse racing event, and as had been a tradition for the last ninety-eight years, a party was held the night before. It never rained on the night of the party; the House of Eorl wouldn’t have stood for it. Everyone in attendance was dressed in their best finery, much like the thoroughbreds who would be on display the following morning, so a bit of bad weather was out of the question. Rumor has it that the House of Eorl had paid someone off to keep the clouds away.
There were four remaining members of the Eorl family, although even that was a heated topic of debate among social circles, as one of the four had not been seen or heard from in nearly two decades. The eldest was Théodred, the only son of Théoden, the previous head of the family, and his wife Elfhild, who died from complications while giving birth to her two children; Théoden never remarried, despite endless pressure from many in his social circle and in the business world. After earning his degree, Théodred went to work in the family business and became vice president at the age of twenty-six. He served in that role until his father became terminally ill, and while Théoden Eorl was bedridden, Théodred ran the business as acting-president until the board approved him as company president upon the death of his father.
The next-oldest was Idis, the twin sister of Théodred, who dropped out of school at nineteen and eloped with her college roommate, a music major, and ran away with her to live somewhere up north. Ever since, Idis has remained estranged from the family, and when asked, no one within the family nor outside of it is wholly certain of whether or not she is still alive. There was also a question of whether any of the family had attempted to make contact with her.
Théoden adopted his young niece and nephew when his sister and brother-in-law passed away within months of each other, and they were given the same upbringing as their cousins, including enrollment at prestigious schools and being immersed in the family business and the world of horse breeding and horse racing. Éowyn, the younger sister, had always had a knack for athletics and could outride any professional polo player who had the misfortune of crossing her path when she was in one of her competitive moods, which was almost always. During her final year of college, Éowyn studied in Gondor where she met Faramir, an attorney who had a private practice in Minas Tirith. They dated for a year and then got married, with Théodred’s blessing; after all, it was always beneficial to have a lawyer in the family. The wedding was held at the Eorl estate in tandem with the annual horse racing championship, and it was the most televised wedding since the daughter of the CEO of Imladris Industries married the founder of Telcontar Incorporated.
Éowyn’s older brother, Éomer, was the most eligible bachelor in Rohan. Théodred was also a bachelor, and while he had charisma when he was at the head of the conference table, Éomer’s magnetic personality and irresistible good looks made him the frequent subject of gossip and the most sought-after public figure among single—and sometimes married—women and their entrepreneur fathers looking for a leg up in the corporate world. Éomer was as skilled at polo as his sister, though he saw it as more of a hobby than an activity that he engaged in regularly; he did keep physically fit, however. He attended several universities to study business—at the insistence of his uncle, though he had little choice since his uncle was paying for his tuition—but he never completed his degree, and his GPA was nearly half of the current average price of gasoline.
While in school and after he finished, he had entered into contracts with magazine publications and television, advertising men's cologne, watches, menswear, protein powders and sports drinks, as well as appearing in commercials for equestrian sporting events. The latter certainly helped with publicity for Eorlingas Racing, not that it needed any help in that regard, since even their main competitors acknowledged the House of Eorl’s dominance in the racing world; but as far as being involved with the business itself, Éomer had zero interest. Éomer was more immersed in the party scene, both the ones hosted by his family and the impossible-to-get-an-invitation ones where only the crème de la crème of society could be found. Just as he drifted from one party to another, he did so in his dating life, and to this day he had never been on a third date. He was allergic to commitment—and to shellfish—and preferred to live spontaneously and as he liked, much to his cousin’s chagrin, as his behavior had caused quite a few scandals that had required a lot of hush money to bury.
In spite of the losses incurred in the past and the occasional family drama, life was good for the House of Eorl. But as was common in the world of business, even surpassing the competition and reaching the top wasn’t enough, and the ambition to keep climbing higher was ever present and not easily sated.
~*~
Your face twisted in a grimace as you carried the heavy bucket to the end of the driveway and dumped the soapy water. You and your father had just finished washing the last car and he was parking it inside the garage. A low murmur of voices drew your attention and you crossed the lawn to stand beside the large tree that towered over the archway that led to the garden. The last of the musicians were arriving and were taking out their instruments, blowing or plucking a few notes to check the tuning. All of the musicians were dressed in matching white suits and black bowties, with polished white loafers that shined beneath the strings of lights that hung over the garden.
The race and the preceding party had been kept unchanged since the first one was held nearly a century ago, so the music was always performed by a live orchestra that played smooth jazz and upbeat tunes that were perfect for dancing with one’s sweetheart. The party guests were dressed as if they had stepped out of the past—the women arriving in fur-lined coats, wearing classy gowns, silk gloves and strings of pearls, and the men wearing tuxedos or three-piece suits, and sometimes a fedora or top hat with a sleek cane to complement the ensemble. And the following two days at the horse races were just as glamorous, if not more so.
You leaned against the trunk and sighed as the orchestra began to play, and the music filled you with longing for a time that you never knew. You also imagined yourself in Éomer’s arms while dancing to this song.
Tonight, he would be out there in a crisp black suit fresh from the dry cleaners with the top two buttons of his shirt undone, omitting a tie altogether, and he would dance to this song and other songs with another woman—likely the daughter of a business executive or banker. And she would be pretty—all of the women that Éomer danced with were pretty—and her dress would be gorgeous and expensive, her hair would be professionally styled in an elegant bob or braided and pinned into a tight bun with loose curls framing her face, and she would flirt with him and entice him with her laughter (although you have always found the sound to be rather irritating), until he would take her off the dance floor to a quiet corner of the garden and whisper something in her ear. She would look around coquettishly, seeing if anyone was watching them or may have overheard, and then she would sneak away to the indoor swimming pool. Éomer would grab a pair of glasses and a bottle of champagne or wine or whiskey—depending on the lady’s tastes—and then he would take his time in joining her there, so as not to rouse any suspicion from the other party guests. They would have a drink, and finishing his first, Éomer would take off his suit jacket and then slowly start to unbutton his shirt. And she would be drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and his shirt would join his jacket. And then he would press a button on a panel on the wall, and the shades would come down from the ceiling, darkening the windows and hiding the pair from prying eyes. And then they would enter the pool and—
“Hanna!”
You flinched and nearly dropped the bucket. After managing to regain your grip, you slowly turned towards your father, keeping your head lowered and avoiding his gaze as if you had been caught doing something that warranted a scolding.
“Yes, Dad?”
“Edna saved us each a plate. We should eat our dinner before it gets cold. And you still need to finish packing, since you won’t have time in the morning before you leave for the train station.”
“Yes, Dad…”
He came to stand beside you and took the bucket from you. He was looking at you with a patient smile, and you avoided his gaze and braced yourself for one of his incoming life lessons.
“This will be good for you. It’ll give you a chance to see another part of the world that is completely different from here. And you’ll be living by the ocean! I’ve never seen the ocean, and you’ll get to visit it as much as you want!”
“It’s just a bunch of water. I could just find pictures on the Internet if I really wanted to.”
“Ah, but seeing it up close and getting to be there will be so much better than simply looking at an image on a computer. Or on your phone.”
You hummed in acknowledgment before looking back at the garden, where some of the guests were beginning to congregate. Your eyes scanned the faces, looking for Éomer, but you hadn’t spotted him, yet. Everyone was holding a champagne glass and laughing. The women’s jewelry sparkled under the strings of lights like glittering stars.
“They look like they’re having so much fun.”
“You’ll get to attend parties in Dol Amroth.”
“But how will I ever get invited if I don’t know anybody?”
“I don’t think you’ll need an invitation to those kinds of parties. They’re open to everyone. I bet they even have them on the beach.” You heaved a sigh, and your father draped an arm around your shoulders before leading you to the servant’s entrance. “Moving to a new place is scary, but I’m sure that after you’ve gotten into a routine and have had a chance to become familiar with the area that you’ll have a wonderful time.”
“Sure, Dad,” you mumbled sullenly and turned your head to look back at the party to search for Éomer before you went around a corner and were left with only the fading music to keep you company.
~*~
“Eat up while you still can! You won’t have any more of my cooking for two years!” Edna fussed, pausing in her stirring of a large pot and shaking the spoon at you, sending some of the contents in various directions, which turned out to be a chocolate glaze. Her husband, Gamling, grimaced and wiped his face with the back of his hand before immediately going back to washing dishes.
“I’ll try,” you said with a forced smile, though you didn’t have much of an appetite.
“I’m so jealous! I’ve always wanted to see the ocean!” said Matilda “Mattie,” Gamling and Edna’s fourteen-year-old granddaughter, who was arranging garnishes on the dessert plates. Her twin brother, Magnus, was slicing a sheet cake and mocking his sister with exaggerated facial expressions. “I bet you’ll get a nice golden tan, and then maybe Éomer will ask you out!”
“Shh!” Edna hissed. Mattie cowered when Edna moved like she was going to smack her on the head with the spoon.
“I don’t think a tan will help,” you said quietly. You looked down at your food, which was now a pile of unidentifiable mush after it had been pulverized by your fork. You picked up your plate and scraped the food into the trash before setting it and your utensils on the counter for Gamling to wash. After sitting back down at the table, you laid your chin on your arms and sighed. “He’s dated plenty of girls who had pale skin.”
“There’s a man out there for you somewhere. Maybe he’s not here or anywhere in Rohan. Maybe he’s waiting for you on the beach in Dol Amroth,” Edna prattled on.
“I guess. But there’s no one who’s as handsome as Éomer.” Edna harrumphed.
“There are more important things than being good-looking, such as being respectful and treating a lady well. Isn’t that right, honey?”
“I don’t want any part of this,” Gamling muttered. Edna scowled at him and he cleared his throat. "I mean... yes, dear."
“You agree with me, don’t you, Háma? Someone has to take my side!” Your father heaved a sigh.
“Hanna is going to Dol Amroth to develop her photography skills and to have new experiences, not to find a boyfriend.” He then turned his gaze to you. “And if you happen to meet someone while you’re there, just remember that he has to earn my approval before he can ask you to marry him.” You let out a snort and sat up.
“That’s so old-fashioned, Dad. Nobody does that anymore.”
“Well, they ought to. That’s a trend that should be brought back. I mean, look at what happened to Idis.”
“If she’s happy and in love, then don’t you think that’s more important than having to marry someone that the family had to approve of?” Your father fidgeted and took a few gulps of juice.
“I only meant that she’s estranged from her family because of it. Now, I don’t like to speak ill of our employers. It’s unprofessional and their personal lives are none of our business. I just don’t want you to get involved with someone only because they’re good-looking. That’s why I think you should stop pining for Éomer and open yourself up to other opportunities. Éomer has qualities that benefit him, but he wouldn’t make a good husband. He’s irresponsible and is too self-absorbed to care about other people’s feelings.”
“What was that you were just saying about how you don’t like to speak ill of our employers?” He pursed his lips before glancing away. You pushed away from the table and went to his side to kiss him on the forehead. “I’m going to finish packing. I’ll see you in the morning.”
You started to pull away when your father grasped your wrist. He looked up at you, and his eyes were glistening and his bottom lip began to tremble.
“I only want what’s best for you. You’re all I have left in this world, and I just want to know that you’ll be happy and taken care of after I’m gone.” You hugged him from behind and pressed your cheek against his.
“You’re not going anywhere anytime soon, Dad, so don’t worry about me.” You stood and lifted a hand in parting. “Goodnight, everybody. I’ll see you when I get back. I’ll be sure to call when I can.”
“We’ll give you a proper send-off in the morning,” Edna said with a warm smile. Gamling looked up from the sink and waved. Mattie and Magnus were setting the last of the dessert trays on a cart and could only yell a quick “Bye!” before disappearing through the kitchen door.
You managed to keep the smile in place until you were standing outside and the door had shut behind you. You didn’t go up to your room to pack like you said you would—you turned and went towards the garden, instead.
The party had gotten livelier, and though a decent size, the guests were packed into the garden like sardines, with barely an inch of space separating them. You found Éomer within the crowd instantly and watched him dance with his partner for the night from beneath the shade of the tree.
As to be expected, the woman who had caught his eye was gorgeous, slender with long legs, a beautiful dress and perfect hair. She looked like a model or famous actress; maybe she was, but you never paid much attention to celebrities outside of the Eorl family. You frowned and tugged at the ends of your hair, which was crusty with dried sweat and soap from washing the cars earlier. You’d never had your hair done at a salon before; Edna always cut it when she thought it was getting too long, and you let her so she’d stop making such a fuss about it, though you refused to budge on allowing her to give you bangs. Poor Mattie didn’t have much of a choice in that regard, although the bangs actually suited her.
You crossed your arms over your stomach and glared at the ground when the woman slid a hand up Éomer’s chest and then rested her cheek on his shoulder. Your gaze followed his hand as it traveled down the length of her back, and before he could reach the curve of her ass, she looked up at him with a smirk. He returned the look with a mischievous smile of his own, and then he tilted his head down to whisper something in her ear. You knew what that meant—he just asked what her favorite drink was, and he was about to invite her to the indoor swimming pool.
Sure enough, the pair paused their dance and Éomer led her from the dance floor to some place that was out of your line of sight. You let out a huff and kicked at an acorn.
A few seconds later, you hid behind the tree as the woman’s footsteps reached your ears, and she passed through the archway and headed towards the pool. You peeked around the trunk and scowled at her retreating back. It wasn’t fair. What was so great about her, anyway? Sure, she was pretty and probably rich, but still…
You stepped out from your hiding place and tried to give your hair a bit more fluff, and while keeping your eye on the archway, you leaned against the tree and tried different poses that would draw Éomer’s attention while still appearing aloof. Of course, none of them were attractive when you attempted them, and as soon as Éomer left the garden, he walked right past you without even looking in your direction. You pushed off the tree and stumbled forward, making quite a bit of noise on the grass, and Éomer’s steps faltered and he turned around, and your heart felt as though it would beat out of your chest.
“Oh, it’s you, Hanna. I thought I heard a noise, and here you are.”
“Here I am,” you answered, clearing your throat to hide the tremor in your voice. You glanced at the glasses in his hand and the bottle of dark red wine tucked under his arm. You didn’t really know much about wines except their colors, so you weren’t sure what kind it was.
“Well, see you around,” he said and started to turn away.
“Éomer!” He paused again, and when he looked at you, the upward curve of his mouth seemed to subtly level out.
“Yeah?”
“I’m leaving tomorrow… for Dol Amroth. I’ll be away for two years.”
“I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment to get to.”
As you watched him go, his shrinking figure became fuzzy. A sob tore from your throat and you wiped at your burning eyes. He didn’t even know you were leaving, nor did he care. He’ll probably forget about you while you’re away, not that it would be all that surprising, since he hardly knows you exist as it is. And he’ll dance with many women and have drinks with them and invite them to have a tryst in the pool, and he won’t have time to think about you. Your father was right, and Edna, and everyone else who said that you should forget about your silly crush. But you couldn’t help how you felt, and it was hard to give something up that had been your constant companion for years.
Your legs shuffled forward on their own, bringing you closer to the swimming pools. Éomer’s suit jacket was already on the floor and his shirt was completely unbuttoned, but this time, the woman approached him early and slipped the white shirt over his shoulders. He drew her close and kissed her, and one of his hands reached around to slowly lower the zipper of her dress. He then stepped away from her, moving towards the wall and pressing the buttons on the panel. His gaze never left her, and she was watching the shades come down, and she lowered her dress inch-by-inch, revealing more of her skin to his hungry eyes. And then the windows were completely dark.
You felt like you were going to vomit, though there was nothing in your stomach. Everything seemed to hurt all at once.
The tears sprang forth anew and rolled down your temples into your hair as you tilted your head back. You lifted a hand towards the sky, and the Moon vanished behind your palm. And then you closed your hand into a fist, and it was still empty. And when your arm fell to your side, the Moon was still there, and it was still shining brightly and beautifully, unbothered by you and the sound of your heart breaking. Éomer was like the Moon; you could only admire him from afar, but he was always out of your reach.
The Moon swirled as your eyes filled once more with tears, and then you lowered your gaze to the outdoor swimming pool, and the Moon’s reflection shimmered welcomingly in the shifting water as a gust of wind stirred it. You took a few slow steps forward, until you were standing at the edge of the pool. You stared into the water, as if the Moon had cast an enchantment over you, and you paid no heed to your wet shoes or the water soaking into your clothes. Your eyelids fluttered shut and you sucked in a deep breath, and you opened your arms and tipped forward, allowing the water to draw you into its embrace.
~*~
“I don’t care if there are protesters blocking the highway because they want to save an extinct salamander… endangered, whatever. Look, I’m paying you to cater this event, and if you want to see a single cent, then you had better find a way to get here before the horses start running.”
Théodred glanced over his shoulder and left the garden to take the conversation elsewhere; it wouldn’t do to let half of the party guests—at least the ones who were still relatively sober—overhear that the caterer for the race was running behind schedule. He took off his glasses and rubbed a hand over his face. The more excuses this person kept spewing, the worse his headache became. He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes.
“You signed a contract, and had you actually read the fine print, you would know that in the instance there is a breach of contract, I can take you to court. If you don’t want me to sue you and put your company out of business, then I suggest you figure something out. Airdrop it, I don’t care… no, no, don’t actually airdrop the food. That was sarcasm.” He put his glasses back on and walked a little further. As he came around a bend, he stopped short and stared at the figure who was standing at the edge of the pool. He could tell from the back that it was the chauffeur’s daughter. “What is she doing? No, not you.” When she entered the pool and disappeared beneath the surface, Théodred nearly dropped his phone.
“Hey! Shit—I need to call you back.” He shed his suit jacket and dropped it and the phone on the grass. The girl’s body jerked as he trudged into the water, and when he grabbed her arm and pulled her up, she coughed and spit out some water. Once they were both on dry land, he spun her around and glared down at her. “What the hell were you doing?!”
“I-I was, um…” She blinked as water dripped into her eyes. “I was checking the… chlorine levels.” Théodred’s brow tensed and he blinked hard.
“Do you think I’m stupid?”
“No.”
“There’s a much more efficient way to check the chlorine levels in the pools that doesn’t involve getting in the water,” he said, playing along, but it was short-lived. She wouldn’t meet his gaze, but he could see that her eyes were bloodshot, a telltale sign that she had been crying. He let out a huff and tightened his grip on her arm and started to pull her in the direction of the garage. “Let’s go. Is your father still awake?”
“No please! Don’t tell my dad!” She struggled against his hold until he could no longer keep a solid grip on her wet skin. Even though she had slipped from his grasp, he towered over her and wouldn’t let her leave that easily.
“So, what, you were just going to let him find out after someone came across your corpse floating in the pool in the morning? Do you have any idea what the headlines would say? We’d have to cancel the race because of you!” She shrunk under his scrutiny and harsh words and looked at the ground shamefully. Her shoulders began to shake, and he heard a quiet whimper as she tried to muffle her sobs. “Why did you try to kill yourself?”
“Because…” She fell silent for a while, and slowly she turned her head in the direction of the pool again, but that was not what she was looking at. “It doesn’t matter.”
Théodred’s eyes flickered to the darkened indoor swimming pool, and he was able to put all of the pieces together. It had required little effort, since he had already known about her obsession with his cousin. In a cruel twist of irony, only the object of her affections was oblivious to her feelings.
Oh yes, Théodred had known about it for years, having seen her following Éomer around the mansion like a shadow when they were children. And there had been a few occasions where she had come to him when he was home from school for the summer to ask him what things Éomer liked. She had even tried to learn how to play polo in order to impress Éomer, but she quickly discovered that she was greatly lacking in athleticism and soon gave up, choosing instead to watch him practice from a hidden spot around the stands. Perhaps if he had nipped this in the bud years ago, all of this could have been avoided. But at the time, he hadn’t cared enough, since she hadn’t done anything to bring public attention to herself or to jeopardize the Eorl family image.
From the phone call he would inevitably have to continue once he’d changed clothes to stopping her from doing something foolish, Théodred’s patience had diminished to almost nothing. He wanted to tell her that she was a fool to waste her time on someone like Éomer, because he would never reciprocate her feelings, no matter what lengths she went to in order to gain his attention. But he held back out of a desire to put this all behind him so he could get back to yelling at the caterer and return to the party before anyone noticed his absence. He sighed again and grabbed his phone and jacket before taking her arm again.
“Come on.”
“I can make it home by myself,” she argued, though she didn’t struggle, this time.
“If you want me to keep all of this a secret from your father then you’ll let me escort you to the garage and ensure that you make it up to your room without complaining.” She didn’t speak again until they were standing outside the garage and he let go of her arm. “Go on.”
“I’m sorry I ruined your clothes,” she mumbled as she paused at the bottom of the stairs. He looked down at his soaked pants and half-soaked shirt, as if just now realizing that they were wet.
“It’s just water, they’re hardly ruined.” Well, that was true of the shirt and pants, which he would send to the dry cleaners tomorrow. The shoes were probably unsalvageable, but he had plenty of pairs just like them, and though expensive, their loss wouldn’t plunge him into debt anytime soon.
“Oh…”
Théodred watched her trudge up the stairs, leaving a trail of water behind. The window of Háma’s room was dark, so he must have already been asleep. When she disappeared into her room and the door shut behind her, Théodred turned on his heel and made his way to a side entrance of the mansion in order to avoid being seen by the guests. He loosened his tie and redialed the caterer’s number, and after two rings, someone answered.
“I do hope that you were able to come up with a solution during that time. But if you are in need of more incentive, I should tell you that I have my lawyer on speed dial.”
~*~
You barely slept a wink. After you entered your room, you collapsed onto your bed and cried into your pillow. When your wet clothes became uncomfortable, you peeled them off and changed into your pajamas, but you tossed and turned for most of the night, still flushing from shame and embarrassment at having been caught by Théodred and for what your actions would have done to your father. And your thoughts often drifted back to Éomer. You wondered if he was still with that woman or if he had found someone else to entertain him.
Every couple of hours, you got up and packed some more of your clothes, and by the time your alarm went off at six, all that was left to do was zip the suitcases shut. Your eyes were burning from tears and exhaustion, and you felt as if a weight was pushing you towards the ground.
After you got dressed and brushed your hair and teeth, you let your father in so he could help you bring your bags downstairs. As you waited for the taxi to arrive, you felt sick to your stomach every time he would say something to you or your gaze would stray in his direction. If Théodred hadn’t pulled you out of the pool, your father’s tears would have been borne out of grief rather than simply being apart for a while. At least you had the reassurance that Théodred had kept his word, because your father didn’t appear to know anything about what had happened last night. A few minutes before the taxi came, Edna and Gamling and their very tired and cranky grandchildren joined you and your father outside.
“I made you some snacks to enjoy while you’re on the train. I hear the meals are expensive,” said Edna, who shoved a container into your arms.
“Thanks.” You shoved it into your backpack. You hoped it wasn’t anything that would spoil, because just thinking about food made you nauseous, but you couldn’t tell because Edna had lined the container with paper towels. If you had to guess, it was filled with her homemade cookies, judging by the small grease spots. “What souvenirs would you like me to bring back?”
“I’d like one of those big seashells that you hold up to your ear and can hear the ocean,” Edna answered without hesitation. Apparently, she had thought about this beforehand. You were fairly certain that the sound wasn’t actually the ocean, but you decided not to say anything.
“Maybe one of those ships in a bottle,” Gamling said when you looked at him.
“A Lego aircraft carrier set,” said Magnus. Your brows rose and you nodded slowly. He must have put quite a bit of thought into it, too.
“Okay, then…”
“I want a tiara made of seashells, just like the ones worn by mermaids!” Mattie squealed. You tilted your head.
“Mermaids aren’t real. What are you, five?” her brother asked.
“They are, too! Just because you haven’t seen one doesn’t mean they’re not real. And why would there be any in Rohan, anyway?” You pinched the bridge of your nose.
“If I can’t find one of those, are you okay with a shell necklace?” Mattie hummed in thought.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“And what would you like me to bring back, Dad?” you asked and turned to your father, hoping to mask your irritation. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the taxi appear around the corner and approach up the driveway. Your father gave you a watery smile and took your hands in his large, rough hands that were always warm and comforting.
“I just want you to learn new things and make lots of friends and do things that bring you joy.” You returned his smile with one of your own, one of the first genuine ones that you had managed in a while.
“I’ll get you some new ties and maybe a pair of socks.”
“Sounds like a deal,” he said with a chuckle, and then he pulled you into his arms. You returned his embrace and patted him on the back, drawing a sigh out of him.
The taxi was put in park and the driver stepped out to grab your bags. Your father still hadn’t let go of you.
“I don’t know if I’ll get a good signal on the train, but I’ll call you as soon as I get to the cottage.” You felt your father nod against the side of your head, and then he loosened his arms around you.
“Yeah. I’ll keep the phone within reach.” He sniffled and blinked back a few tears, though some managed to escape. “You ought to get going so you don’t miss the train.”
You turned away and approached the car. The driver shut the trunk and then opened the back door for you. You allowed your hand to rest on the door and didn’t get in right away, and then you looked back just in time to see your father pull out his handkerchief and dab at his eyes.
“I love you, Dad,” you said before slipping into the back seat. And I’m sorry for what I almost did to you.
The driver waited until you had buckled your seatbelt before shutting the door, and after entering the address into his GPS, he did a loop and pulled away from the garage. You turned around as best as you could and watched as all five figures waved goodbye to you, and when the taxi went around a curve and you could no longer see them, you faced forward again and rested your head against the window. Your sore and heavy eyelids eventually drifted closed, and you allowed yourself to get a little bit of rest, hoping that any dreams you had would be of a fantasy world where Éomer had told you that he would miss you while you were gone.
