Afternoon, December 6th, 1894 — Crowdy Memorial Library of Writing & Witchcraft
Two weeks. It had been two weeks now. Her lungs expanded in her chest, remembering their purpose, but the result still left her hollow. Themis rarely bothered with her free weekends; the castle was her second home and had nearly everything she needed. Now, it held all the cheer of a tomb. The students were squirrely, the Christmas holidays destroying what focus the children had. This was the time of year for her lectures on focus and finishing what you started, a reminder that her standards were still as high as the ceiling of her classroom. She had no lectures for them now. She missed Samuel terribly.
When he woke her to say his goodbyes, she was temporarily stunned by the light in her room and her dark angel blocking the sun above her. She didn't remember falling asleep. At some point, exhaustion had claimed her. The last thing she remembered was Samuel curled against her, her body pressed against him, tucked beneath his chin. It was domestic, euphoric, perfect. And it was over. He kissed her, reaffirming his promise to return. Then he was gone. The castle continued around her, the effort to keep her grief hidden somehow making days stretch longer, the nights suddenly colder than the stars ever were for her. She had never minded being alone, until she did.
She had promised her son she would join him in London for dinner; the promise of seeing Justin gave some solace to her. Despite the confusion in her heart, there was no question what man came first in her life. Justin would always come first, and it gave her peace. Her boy might be the best of her. She'd settled into the library, books had always been a sacred place for her. How she ended up in the public records, she wasn't sure, but she followed her feet deeper into the stacks, the silence welcome. Turning a corner, she almost jumped to see another person this deep in the stacks, nearly turned around to leave them be, until she recognized him.
Heart slamming at her ribs, as if it could reach for him. She swallowed around her suddenly dry mouth. "Professor Griffith, what a surprise." What a painful, unfair surprise.
When he woke her to say his goodbyes, she was temporarily stunned by the light in her room and her dark angel blocking the sun above her. She didn't remember falling asleep. At some point, exhaustion had claimed her. The last thing she remembered was Samuel curled against her, her body pressed against him, tucked beneath his chin. It was domestic, euphoric, perfect. And it was over. He kissed her, reaffirming his promise to return. Then he was gone. The castle continued around her, the effort to keep her grief hidden somehow making days stretch longer, the nights suddenly colder than the stars ever were for her. She had never minded being alone, until she did.
She had promised her son she would join him in London for dinner; the promise of seeing Justin gave some solace to her. Despite the confusion in her heart, there was no question what man came first in her life. Justin would always come first, and it gave her peace. Her boy might be the best of her. She'd settled into the library, books had always been a sacred place for her. How she ended up in the public records, she wasn't sure, but she followed her feet deeper into the stacks, the silence welcome. Turning a corner, she almost jumped to see another person this deep in the stacks, nearly turned around to leave them be, until she recognized him.
Heart slamming at her ribs, as if it could reach for him. She swallowed around her suddenly dry mouth. "Professor Griffith, what a surprise." What a painful, unfair surprise.
![[Image: Bka0H0x.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/Bka0H0x.jpeg)