She beamed back at me. “It’s good to see you with color in your cheeks and a smile on your lips. I was worried for a while.”
There was a moment when we just smiled at each other and then I whispered. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” As soon as she said it, she ran the next distance and pressed herself against another big tree.
We managed not to get detected by the border drones, but even though we checked for Tyton’s reply four times that day, there was nothing.
When there still wasn’t a bottle the next day, I wrote another letter.
Dear Tyton,
I understand that you’re angry with me for leaving, but please, I need to talk to you.
Won’t you answer me?
Devina
For two more days there was nothing but silence and Tina kept pushing me to tell him I was pregnant.
I resisted because I feared it would only upset him to find out that I hadn’t told him about the pregnancy.
To Tina this was like another entertaining chapter inForbidden Letters from the North, but for me there was nothing fun or exciting about Tyton’s hating me. I longed for him and I physically hurt on the inside from worry that I might never see him again. Memories of our night together kept me above water and every time I walked to the border it was with hope in my chest.
When three days had passed without a sign of life from him, I sent him another letter.
Dear Tyton,
Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. I’m giving over the house at noon and then I have to leave. You don’t know how much I wish I could stay and wait for your anger to cool down, so we could talk.
Please forgive me for causing you the pain that would make you hold a grudge so deep that you continue to ignore me and refuse to write me back.
For what it’s worth, I think of you constantly, and I meant it when I said that I love you.
Devina
Tina stood by my shoulder when I sent off the letter.
“Did you tell him about the baby this time?”
“No.”
“Why not? I’m sure it would make him write you back.”
“I have to tell him in person.”
“How? He won’t even respond to your letters. I hate to say it, Devina, but maybe he doesn’t love you the way Mark loved Deidra.”
My throat felt like someone was pouring down boiling hot tea and it hurt.
“I’m not saying it to upset you,” she continued. “But tomorrow is our last day here.”
“I’m not going to a place of reflection.”
“What choice do you have?”
I closed my teary eyes and leaned my head back, sucking in a breath of fresh air. “I could go there and demand that he speak to me.”
“How? You’d die from hypothermia if you swam. It’s December and freezing.”
