7.
Alex got much worse before he got better. The wound was much deeper than first imagined and he was weak for several months. He struggled to come to terms with his circumstances and begged Andrea to let him return home, but she could not. If Alex left, then what would happen to Alexhander?
She had no way of knowing and without Geraldine felt lost and out of her depth.
The winter passed and spring slowly started to raise its head on the Island. The last few months had been hard and Andrea had struggled. Alex was almost better but he was bitter and resentful of her keeping him captive in the past and had become withdrawn and moody. At least now the weather was getting better and he had started to go outside to walk and to take in the air. Nothing had felt right since they had travelled back in Time and she wondered if Geraldine had been right after all. Maybe they should all just return back to the present; surely nothing could be as bad as their current circumstances.
Only Elizabeth had carried on regardless. The effect of a one year old baby travelling back into a child's body had been different. The young 9 year old Elizabeth had woken as if nothing had happened and had no knowledge of the future. She supposed it would be the same going back into the future, the babe would remember nothing of the child.
As she passed across the window a ray of sun flitted across the room and she shifted towards the light. The rare warmth of the sun was strangely comforting on her face and she placed her hands on her cheek as if to capture the illusive light. Overnight there had been a shift in nature and the early season had finally arrived. It was the spring equinox and there was to be a Pagan Spring Festival in celebration. A great fire was to be lit on the dunes overlooking the Bay at the Back of the Ocean.
Andrea missed the old cottage by the ocean. Perhaps it was time to go back home after all? She could see Alex returning from his walk, slowly trudging up the track towards the house, and her heart ached for him. They hardly talked these days and that made the long days unbearable. How could she make him understand when she didn't even understand herself?
At least Elizabeth was happy. She had a new dress and cloak for the festival and was looking forward to the event. The child was innocent of the future and knew only of the present time. Her father was aloof, but most of her young life he had been away in war and battle and she did not seem to notice his moods. She was tutored at the small nunnery during the day and in the evening she sang and played. Elizabeth had adopted a sleek, black cat that roamed the Island and was now her constant companion and shadow. She was a loving and intelligent child but lived in a world of her own. When she wasn't in her classes she could be seen walking the shoreline, picking up shells, strange twisted roots and sea carved pebbles. These were her treasures and she stored them all in a large wooden chest in her chamber. On clear nights she loved to gaze at the stars and could recognize all of the constellations, ‘The Great Bear’, ‘The Archer’, and ‘The Plough’ amongst many. A young boy from one of the local crofts, Tom, had become her sometimes tutor and Andrea was pleased that her daughter had found at least one friend. Although raised on the island she did not fit in with the other young girls. She thought them silly and they thought her aloof.
The evening was cloudy and yet the atmosphere was bright and full of energy. The locals gathered on the beach to welcome in the spring and the great fire blazed away into the cold night air. Andrea and Elizabeth had gone out alone. Alex had not been in the mood for celebration and was sulking at home.
The fire warmed them and the blaze lit up their features like a red mask. The auburn and gold weave of the young girl’s hair glinted in the fiery light and her cheeks glowed with the heat. She looked so happy and so pretty; what would happen to the young Elizabeth if they returned home? Would this young girl still have a full life in front of her?
Trying to hold back the tears she looked around at Elizabeth. She had found Tom and the two were feeding the fire with driftwood. Despite the heat, a shiver ran through Andrea and she pulled the cloak tightly around her arms to keep out the cold. A dry twig crackled and sent a spark shooting high up into the heavens. She followed it with her eyes, the amber fragment lifting in the breeze and out of sight. As she looked up, the clouds parted for a second to reveal the moon hanging full and heavy in its orbit. Her heart beat at the sight, as if seeing it for the first time; the old and timeless moon that had waxed and waned across the centuries.
A soft hand clasped her shoulder. The touch and feel of a man she had missed for so long. It was Alex.
"Andrea."
She turned to face him, her heart beating fast.
Burying her head into his chest she let the tears fall freely for the first time in months.
He held her close for a long while as they both stood and watched the fire burn into the dark firmament.
For a moment he was silent, it was difficult to find the words.
"I've seen Geraldine."
At first she thought she had misheard and that he had been referring to the girl.
"You mean Elizabeth?"
He shook his head "No, I saw Geraldine, my Grandmother."