Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~~~

1926

~~~

Sarah had decided to try growing something other than peas which led to Pat being the one to clear out the garden. He had wanted to wait until spring but she had insisted on the fall and as neither one of them actually knew anything about gardening, they went with her decision. Pat didn't feel like arguing anyway. They had been eating so many pea-based dishes every summer that he was ready for a change. As he dug through the dirt, pulling out dead weeds and plants, he noticed a glint of light. He picked up the small object and looked at it closely. It was a ring with a single diamond on it. He glanced back at the house and wondered if it had belonged to Sarah. He tried to recall what her engagement ring from John looked like, but he drew a blank. She hadn't worn it since he moved in.

He brought it inside to where Sarah was sitting on the sofa, two month old Eileen asleep on her lap. “Found yer ring," he informed her, holding it out.

Sarah looked at it and shook her head. “That’s not mine.”

“It was in yer garden.”

“Still not mine,” she replied. A thoughtful expression came over her face. “I think that might be your sister’s.”

“Why would Katie’s ring be in yer garden?” Pat asked. “And since when did she have a diamond ring?”

“Since Tommy’s father proposed to her, I imagine,” Sarah said. “As for the garden, that I don’t know. You’ll need to ask her.”

~~~

He found Kate sitting on her porch with Henry on her lap. A book lay open in front of them. She looked up at his arrival.

“Hugh here?” Pat asked, looking around.

She shook her head. “He’s off playin’ cards or somethin’ with his friends. He won’t be returnin’ until late, I reckon.”

“Good.” Pat took a seat next to her.

Kate gave him a questioning look. “Pat?”

He had meant to return the ring straight away but something made him hold back. “Ye’ve never told me a thing about yer husband.”

“Ye know me husband.”

“I meant yer first one.”

“Daniel.” There was a long pause as Kate looked away from him. “It’s a pain to even be rememberin’ him, let alone speakin’ of him.”

“Could ye just tell me one thing about him?” Pat asked.

She drew her attention to Henry and didn’t respond.

“How did ye meet him?” Pat pressed. “Surely, ye could tell me that bit.”

Kate sighed. “I had only been here about a year at the time. Sarah was drivin’ me right up the wall, bless her heart.” She looked at him. “Do ye recall what she was like when ye returned?”

“All too well,” he replied. Sarah still had her moments of struggle.

“It was a whole lot worse right after she had John. She wouldn’t set foot outside the house. She hardly stirred from her own bed.”

“Oh, Sarah,” Pat murmured. He thought of how she had acted after losing their child and his heart broke for her.

But Kate continued on. “By some miracle, I managed to coax her into comin’ with me to the Interstate Fair. I thought a bit of fresh air and distraction might do her some good. It still baffles me how I pulled that off.” She smiled. “Anyway, there we were, with little John in his pram, battlin’ our way through the crowds on the very last day of the fair."

~~~

1914

~~~

They fought their way through rows of parked cars, grateful that they had taken the trolley. It had rained earlier in the day leaving the ground thick with mud and the pram’s wheels kept catching in the ruts. Kate could see the frustration building in Sarah’s demeanor even though her lips remained sealed.

After the parking lot, the rows between booths weren’t much better. All filled with people, many pushing their own prams, making it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of them. Sarah let out a frustrated sigh. “No, this isn’t working. I’m not...I’m not doing this.”

“Sure the mud’s not pleasant but I’m willin’ to wager the crowd will ease up a bit once we’ve ventured a bit deeper.”

Sarah shook her head. “You can go in farther if you wish,” she replied. “But I’ll stay right here and wait for you.”

“Sarah.”

“You wanted me out of the house. I’m out of the house.”

Kate looked at her in uncertainty. She didn’t want to leave her friend standing there but she also didn’t want to just turn around and head home. No matter what Sarah said, she needed to be around people again. “Well, then I suppose I’ll just take a brief stroll meself. It’d be a shame to let the trolley fare go to waste. If yer truly set on not wantin’--”

“Just go.” Sarah’s voice was sharp and final.

Feeling thoroughly irritated, Kate left her there. Her plan had backfired. And while she really didn’t want to be at the fair, she had made such a big deal about going that she felt she couldn’t back out.

The crowds did seem to lessen the deeper she went but not enough for comfort. She could see that the booths were filled with a colorful array of fruits and vegetables and handcrafted treasures. But with so many people, she struggled to get a good look at any of them. A distant bleat of sheep carried through the air.

Kate pushed her way through a gap in the crowd and found herself at a booth adorned with intricately carved wooden figurines. She picked up a miniature fox and looked at it closely before her gaze was drawn to a small ship. Curiously, she picked it up and traced her fingertips along its four funnels and the tiny windows that adorned its sides. It was strange to hold a tiny ship that was so similar to the Titanic and she felt a lump in her throat as she studied it. Without thinking, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a few bills.

With the ship in hand, she left the booth and made her way toward the sound of bleating. She hadn’t realized that there would be animals at the fair and soon found herself face to face with a pen filled with miniature goats. She stuck her hand into the pen in an attempt to pet one of them but it stood just out of reach and stared at her with its strange eyes.

With a sigh, Kate moved on. She hadn’t taken more than a couple steps when there was a sudden shout and at once everyone was pushing each other. She craned her neck to find the source of all the commotion but before she could sort it out, someone hit her hard from behind, knocking her down into the mud.

“Sorry.” Her assailant grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet.

“Sorry, are ye?'' Kate looked down at her dress. She tried to wipe the mud off but her hands were equally muddy. “Look at what ye’ve done. Did it never occur to ye to keep an eye on where ye were goin’?”

“I was a bit more concerned with the sheep who had broken free of their pen,” the man replied. “Unless you’d rather be trampled by them.” He reached into a pocket and pulled out a handkerchief which he promptly offered.

Kate ignored it. “I rather not be trampled at all, thank ye very much.” She turned and stormed away.

She was nearly back to where she had left Sarah when she realized she no longer had the tiny ship. Panic surged within her as she frantically searched her pockets and bag, fully aware that she had been holding it in her hand. With a resigned sigh, she rushed back into the crowd, retracing her steps with her eyes glued to the ground.

Then, abruptly, the ship was thrust before her. She raised her gaze to find the young man who had collided with her earlier, knocking her into the mud. She snatched the ship back from him and held it protectively. “What’s the idea then? Where you robbin’ me?” She asked, her eyes flashing. “Is that why ye pushed me into the mud?” She looked at him closely, taking in his muddy clothing—nearly as muddy as her own—along with his glasses and the lock of brown hair that had fallen across his forehead. Truthfully, he didn’t look much like a robber.

“I found it on the ground,” he explained. “And you know, I could’ve just kept it and maybe I should have. But I saw the way you were looking at it. It seemed to mean a great deal to you.”

“So ye’ve been followin’ me then?”

“Hardly.” He pushed the errant hair back from his forehead. “You bought it from my booth.”

“Yer booth?” Kate was caught off guard.

“I made that,” he said, pointing to the ship.

“Ye made a toy Titanic ?”

“I wouldn’t call it a toy.”

“Well, that’s good on ye then,” she replied bitterly. “A regular virtuoso of woodworking, aren't ye? Taking such a terrible tragedy and usin’ it for yer own amusement. And profitin’ off it, no less. It's nearly a wonder to behold. Did you bother to count the lives as you carved? Or did you conveniently ignore the fact that it wasn't just a whimsical game? People perished in that icy water, and here ye stand, reveling in yer tasteless creation. If there's a shred of justice left in this world, someone would see fit to set ye sailin' on a ship of yer own makin' and watch it sink."

The young man listened patiently until she had finished. “Well, ma’am,” he said once her tirade had subsided. “You’re the one who purchased it. Good day.” He turned and began to walk away, pausing to look back at her. “And, by the way, it could be any ship. Maybe it’s the Olympic .”

Kate watched him walk away, the ship still clutched tightly in her hand, and fought the urge to run after him and apologize.

~~~

1926

~~~

Pat laughed. “He must’ve been fair terrified for his life.”

“He actually held his own rather decently,” Kate replied, smiling at the memory. “Better than ye do when I’m angry at ye.”

“Well now, that’s a bit unfair,” he said. “Since I’ve known ye longer, I’ve seen what yer capable of. If that poor man knew what he was gettin’ himself into, he’d have run for cover before ye got the chance to unleash the full force of yer temper."

Kate lightly smacked him. “Stop that. Me temper isn't as terrifyin' as all that."

Pat thought of Sarah again and imagined her standing in the mud, baby John in his pram, waiting for Kate to return. “What was Sarah’s reaction when she laid eyes on ye all covered in mud?”

“She laughed,” Kate replied. “First time I’d heard her laugh in a good long while.”

He smiled. “Alright, so I imagine this man was Daniel. How’d he end up winnin’ ye over?”

"Well, the very next day, I found meself headin' into the town to fetch some groceries. Sarah never liked goin’ herself. People were far from kind to her right after she lost John."

"And they still aren't," he remarked, his thoughts drifting to the woman who had confronted Sarah in Natatorium Park. A surge of irritation coursed through him. He wished he could compel a bit more compassion from them, especially towards her. But he knew that the little they thought of her, they thought even less of him.

“Aye. Well, I remember it bein’ a nice day, warm in the sun and cool in the shade. Ye know the sort, a foot planted in two different seasons at once. And so I chose to take the longer path, through a park, as Sarah had her rich friend over and he used to make me feel so out of place.”

“By rich friend, ye mean Cal, of course?”

Kate laughed. “Aye, that’d be Cal. But we're not dwellin' on him right now. We’re talkin’ about Daniel.”

~~~

1914

~~~

Kate’s thoughts were on Sarah when she spotted the man from the fair sitting on a bench, a book open on his lap. She stopped in her tracks and stared. He, detecting her gaze, glanced up and met her eye. With a firm decision, Kate approached him. “I was on it,” she said without an introduction.

“Pardon?”

“The Titanic ,” she clarified. “I was on it.”

He slowly closed his book. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I didn’t want ye to think I was crazy.”

“I didn’t think that,” he replied. “Complicated? Sure. A bit strange? Oh, absolutely. But not crazy.” He smiled. “Are you hungry?”

Kate blinked. “What?”

“I’ve been staring at the Wilson Cafe all morning,” he said, gesturing to the building across from the park. “And I feel compelled to venture inside.” He stood and stretched. “Come on. I’ll even pay.”

Feeling a compulsion of her own, Kate followed him into the cafe and took a seat across from him at a small laminate top table. Immediately a waitress set a menu before him and he glanced at it as she filled their glasses with water.

“Roast beef sandwich and tea,” he told the waitress as he held the menu out to Kate.

“Same,” she replied, waving the menu away. She wasn’t all that hungry in the first place. The moment the waitress left them alone, she looked across the table. “I am sorry for yellin’ at ye.”

“I’m sorry for knocking you in the mud,” he replied with a shrug. “I say those two cancel each other out and make us even. I’m Daniel, by the way.”

“Kate,” she said in return. "Did ye truly craft that wee ship?"

“I did.”

"It's quite the fine piece of work."

He smiled. “I like making things.”

"So yer a carpenter by trade, then?"

“I’m actually a bookkeeper at the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company.”

"That sounds like it might be a dreadful bore.”

Daniel laughed. “It’s not so bad...no, actually, you’re right. It is boring but it’s steady work and it pays well.” He paused as the waitress returned with their food. “Thank you,” he said, before turning back to Kate. “It could always be much worse.”

“It could also be much better.”

“Indeed,” he replied. He picked up his sandwich and took a bite. “I think I’d like to build things. For a living, I mean. Someday.”

Kate picked up her own. “Like houses?”

“Houses, furniture, anything made out of wood,” he said. “I know that probably sounds ridiculous.”

“Why would that sound ridiculous?”

“It’s only an idle dream.” He shrugged. “Why did you buy the ship?”

She paused with her sandwich halfway to her mouth. “What do ye mean?”

“It just seems like the sort of thing you’d like to avoid.”

“Oh.” She considered it for a moment. "I'm not rightly sure. I just...I had to have it. I saw it and it felt as though it already belonged to me. I know that doesn’t make that much sense.”

“What was it like?” Daniel asked suddenly.

Kate stared at her sandwich. She had tried so hard for so long to avoid even thinking about that terrible night but, at that moment as she sat across from the young man with the glasses and the quick smile, an unexpected urge welled up within her and she suddenly found herself wanting to speak of it. Needing to speak of it.

“Well, it was wonderful up until the end,” she began softly, taking a deep breath before continuing on. “They were tellin’ us that nothin’ was amiss. Which was absurd. I felt the shudder and me brother saw the berg, itself. But still, they kept us sittin' in that General Room, reasons beyond me grasp. If there weren't a real problem, as they were insistin', why then force us to bide there? They ought to have sent us back to our beds.” She paused to take a drink of water. “We waited there for so long. Tommy, me friend, he didn’t believe them so he pulled me on the deck where there were so many people waitin’.” She remembered how they had tried to take the stairs but couldn’t, instead having to resort to climbing up the cranes to get to the upper deck. “Most of the boats were already gone by that time. But there was one left. They...they wouldn’t let Tommy on.” Her voice broke. “Only me and then…” She thought of the two little boys who were tossed in after her and the terrible cries and the suffocating dark, and the all-encompassing terror. She found herself unable to continue, the weight of the memories too much to bear.

“You don’t need to tell me more,” Daniel said quietly. “I shouldn’t have asked in the first place.”

“It’s alright,” Kate replied, sniffling. “I could have gone into more detail but I didn’t think ye'd be all that keen to hear the...the worse.” Her voice was still shaky and she tried to disguise it with a tiny laugh.

Daniel looked at her for a moment and then smiled. “It looks like that gentleman over there is eating a lovely piece of apple pie. I don’t know about you, but I think I’m going to get me a piece.”

Kate looked at where he was pointing. “I think that’s peach.”

“Even better,” he replied, flagging down the waitress.

~~~

1926

~~~

“I can’t fathom how ye managed to say sorry to him,” Pat remarked with a grin. “Yer not one to be tossin’ apologies around.”

“What are ye sayin’? I’ve no qualms about apologizin’ when I’m in the wrong,” Kate retorted. "The plain truth is, I'm just not often in the wrong."

He laughed. “Ye can say that all ye like, but it won’t magically transform it into the truth.” As Henry reached out his little arms, Pat scooped the child onto his lap. "I'm also findin' it near impossible to believe that ye told him what happened.” It had been fourteen years and he still couldn’t speak of it to anyone.

Kate shrugged. “I couldn’t believe I did either, at the time. The words just slipped out and I felt better for havin’ said it. Like I was sharin’ the burden. And since I was pourin' it out to someone who had no inklin' of who I was, it almost made it easier. Felt like he couldn't judge me nor offer up pity, seein' as we were near as good as strangers."

“I know the feelin’,” Pat replied, thinking back to the day on the Carpathia when he had told Sarah everything. “So, go on then. He built yer house, right?”

“I’ll get there,” Kate said. “So we started seein’ each other quite a bit after that. Mind ye, I wasn't makin' any concerted effort to court anythin' from it. But it just so happened that every time I stepped out of the house, there he was. And he'd always play it off like it was the most unexpected encounter—“

“I’m sure he did.”

"Don't go interruptin'," she responded, a firm gaze sent his way. "Anyway, in the beginnin', it rankled me nerves, but then, almost unbeknownst to me, I found meself lookin’ forward to seein’ him.”

~~~

1915

~~~

“Alright, but you’re not really picturing it right,” Daniel was saying as they walked together through Liberty Park. The air held a lingering chill, but the promise of warmer days was evident in the gentle breeze and the early spring flowers poking up from the dirt. “Imagine it, Katie. A winter morning, still cloaked in darkness, with frost coating the windows like lace and ice snapping branches into wakefulness. How could you possibly resist a cup of hot, strong coffee?”

“Oh, I can be resistin’ just fine,” she countered, making a face. “I can’t be seein’ any way to ruin such a mornin’ more than havin’ to force down bitter brown water.”

He laughed. “Bitter brown water, huh? You’re referring to tea, I presume?”

“I thought ye liked tea?”

“I do,” Daniel admitted with a nod. “But coffee’s for the morning.” He smiled at her. “Once you’ve been in this country a bit longer, you’ll understand.”

“If being American entails appreciatin’ that, I reckon I’ll happily remain Irish.”

As their conversation continued, a soft rain began to fall, fat droplets landing on leaves and petals, creating a symphony of tiny patters.

Daniel took her hand in tight grip and led her through the pergola-covered promenade to a stone shelter at its end. He looked at her and laughed.

“And what’s so amusin’ then?” Kate asked, feeling self-conscious.

In response, he stepped closer and plucked a leaf from her hair, allowing it to flutter to the ground.

A sudden awareness tightened her chest as she realized he was standing too close. Her mother would’ve called it improper. “Daniel, I—“

He cut her off with a quick, gentle kiss. “I’m sorry, I should have asked first.” Regret threaded his voice as he spoke.

Flustered and caught off guard, Kate’s thoughts wandered to another time, another kiss—a memory against the backdrop of the Titanic’s boat deck and the memory of Tommy, the last time she saw him. A bittersweet weight nestled in her chest, a silent reminder of all that she had lost. “That’s alright,” she reassured him, her voice filled with vulnerability. “Ye can ask me now, if ye like.”

Daniel didn’t hesitate. “May I kiss you?”

Her heartbeat seemed to pause. “Ye better.”

Without further words, he closed the distance between them. His lips found hers once again, and this time, it was different—it was a kiss that went beyond curiosity, a deeper, longer connection that held the promise of something more, a shared understanding that felt like coming home.

As they finally drew apart, the world seemed to come back into focus around them. Kate’s face lit up with a smile, her cheeks flushed from the moment.

And, still, the gentle rain continued to fall. Daniel removed his coat and gently draped it around her shoulders. “Do you want to wait out the rain?” He asked. “Or we could make a run for it. There’s a café nearby and I know how much you’d love a cup of coffee.”

Kate’s laughter filled the air. “I don’t mind waitin’ it out if yer with me.”

~~~

1926

~~~

A wistful expression came over Kate’s face. “I considered how Sarah had mentioned that her husband did somethin’ similar with his coat and then she went ahead and did the same with yerself. Maybe I’m reachin’ but in that moment, it seemed like fate,” she mused. “The wee ship, the coat—it had seemed like there was a thread tyin’ the two of us together.”

“Ye truly believe in fate?”

She shrugged. “I reckon I might. The way I met Daniel, that had the hand of somethin’ higher guidin’ us.”

“And bein’ on the Titanic ?” Pat asked. “Marryin’ Hugh? Were those fate as well” His voice came out sharper than he had intended.

Kate met his gaze with a steady look. “Mind ye, if it weren’t for the Titanic , ye wouldn’t have crossed paths with Sarah,” she countered. “Without it sinkin’, in fact.”

“No, she would have had a long, happy life with her husband.” While Sarah had voiced similar sentiments before about their chance meeting, he grappled with the unease of finding silver linings in the midst of such a tragedy. To derive happiness from another’s sorrow felt deeply unsettling, as though he had taken Sarah away from a life that was rightfully hers.

Kate sighed. “Ye can’t be certain that her life would’ve been any happier with John than with yerself bein’ a part of it.” Her attention was momentarily drawn to Henry, who had started to fuss. She reached over and reclaimed the infant. “I’m goin’ to put him down but I’ll be back in just a moment. Don’t be wanderin’ off,” she spoke as she headed inside.

“I won’t move,” Pat replied. With her gone, his thoughts drifted to the ring in his pocket—Kate’s ring that had somehow ended up buried in the garden. His sister had woven an entire lifetime through the years of his absence, and he couldn't fault her for the resentment that had greeted his return. He should’ve been there for her when she had met Daniel and, more importantly, when she had to face the pain of losing him. Poor Daniel, he thought as he waited for her to return, eager to hear the rest of the story.

Chapter Text

~~~

1926

~~~

Pat watched as a sleek gray cat sauntered past the house. The cat flicked its ears in his direction but never bothered to turn its head, its gaze focused entirely on the road before it. Pat had never seen any cats around their neighborhood before and briefly wondered if it was a lost pet. But before he could wonder further and decide whether he should chase after it or not, the door opened and Kate appeared with a plate of cookies in her hands.

She returned to her seat and held out the plate. “Cookie?”

Pat took one. “Is this what took ye so long?”

She let out a sigh. “No. A fussy baby who was apparently too tired to stay awake but too awake to fall asleep is what took me so long,” she said, setting the plate down beside them. "These here are me way of sayin' sorry."

He took a bite. As it was with everything she made, it was delicious. “Apology accepted. These are good.”

“Of course they are,” Kate agreed. “I made them, didn’t I?”

“Do ye have cats around here?” He asked, changing the subject.

“I don’t believe so..”

“Well, I just saw one.”

“Then I reckon yer imaginin’ things because I’ve sat on this porch all the time and I’ve never seen one.” She took a moment to smooth out her skirt over her legs. “Now, I don’t remember precisely where I left off.”

Pat fought the urge to argue more about the cat. Her story was more important. “It was rainin’ and he kissed ye.”

“Oh, right.” Kate’s cheeks turned pink with the memory. “That summer was nothin’ short of a dream. We went for a lot of walks and he took me to so many wonderful places to eat. And the movies!” She smiled wistfully. “I saw me very first movie with Daniel. It was the Dawn of a Tomorrow . It had Mary Pickford in it.” She turned on the seat so faced him better. “It’s about a poor girl—that’d be Mary Pickford—who ends up giving a suffering millionaire a reason to live by way of her kindness. It was so wonderful. We ended up seein’ it twice. Well, we didn’t end up seein’ too much of it the second time.” The blush returned to her cheeks.

"That sounds right dull, if I'm bein' truly honest," Pat replied.

“What do ye know about films anyway?” Kate retorted. "I bet ye only fancy the ones with a good bit of adventure."

He shrugged. “I’ve never seen one so I wouldn’t know what I like.” He finished the rest of the cookie in his hand. “But, go on with yer story already. I’d like to be in me own home before yer husband returns.”

“Hugh’s not—“

“Katie.”

“Alright,” she said, holding up her hands. "We were all gatherin' at Sarah's that Christmas Eve. I mean, I was livin’ there already but Daniel was there and her rich friend.”

“Ye mean Cal.”

“Yes, I mean Cal,” Kate said. “Stop interruptin’ me.”

~~~

1915

~~~

Sarah wasn’t one for Christmas decorations. She claimed they were a waste of time as they were put up only to be taken down again a few weeks later. Oftentimes, Kate wondered if she had always had that thought or it was something new brought about by John’s death. Regardless, it wasn’t a question she could ask.

Usually, Kate would take it upon herself to decorate the best she could–always without the tree as she wasn’t strong enough to bring one into the house. But this year, she had Daniel’s help and together they had transformed Sarah’s house into a festive wonderland with garlands and silvery tinsel and a massive tree that she had picked out herself. 

And then after dinner–one of her best thus far–they all gathered in the living room around a warm fire with glasses of wine. The only disappointment she had was the presence of Sarah’s rich friend. Hadn’t he his own home? One much larger and better? She didn’t understand why he was always around. The part she found most irritating was that Daniel seemed to like him and the two were always deep in conversation.

That Christmas Eve they were discussing the likelihood of war in Europe and for a time, she tried to follow along as she nursed her glass of wine. With the two men talking and Sarah busy reading to two year old John, a rarity that Kate was loath to interrupt, she felt entirely forgotten and let her attention drift.

“That’s precisely why I love coming here,” she heard Cal say suddenly. “It’s charming.”

Admittedly, Kate had missed most of the conversation and hadn't entirely known what he was referring to but her irritation over feeling left out caused her to snap. “Charming?” She said accusingly. "Are ye quite certain ye don't mean quaint or fascinatin'? Do ye say the same thing when yer at the zoo, gazin’ at the animals? I  imagine ye don’t see too many folk like us in all yer grand mansions and fancy parties.”

“Kate!” Sarah shot her a reproachful look.

Cal looked taken aback and mildly alarmed. “I didn’t mean anything of the sort.”

Daniel laughed. “She didn’t mean anything either.” He rose from his seat and approached Kate. “Come on,” he said, pulling her to her feet. “I want to show you something and now’s as good a time as any. Where’s your coat?”

They stepped out of the house and into a world transformed. It had only just begun to snow, the tiny dusting that looked closer to glitter than anything substantial. The streetlights captured the swirling snowflakes in their glow. And Kate, leaning into Daniel for warmth, looked at the houses as they passed by. Most had candles flickering in their windows but every so often there was a house with a strand of the new electric lights hanging across their windows. 

“Where are we goin’ then?” She asked after they had been walking for several minutes.

Daniel smiled at her. “You’ll see soon.”

A few moments later he stopped in front of a house. Most of a house. Kate looked at it and frowned. The structure was still in the process of being built and the snow-covered lumber gave the entire project an otherworldly appearance. “Why are we lookin’ at this?”

“It’s yours,” he replied, gently kissing her cheek. “Or at least I hope it will be. Well, ours anyway.”

Kate was taken aback and turned to look at him. 

Daniel knelt in the snow, a ring in his hand and a hopeful look on his face. “Will you be my wife?”

She drew a deep breath and her heart seemed to momentarily stop beating. There was no hesitation; no doubt. The answer came to her in an instant. “There’s nothin’ I’d like more,” she said, a smile spreading across her face.

With a joyful shout, Daniel leaped to his feet, kissing her and lifting her off the ground.

Kate laughed.

Then they looked back at the house. “It probably won’t be finished until spring,” Daniel said. “Thankfully, I got the foundation dug before the ground froze. Probably should’ve started it much earlier but I sort of realized at the last possible moment that I couldn’t ask you to marry me without a place for us to live and I know you wouldn’t like to squeeze into where I’m currently staying. You deserve a home with a garden and a porch and a–”

She interrupted him with a kiss.

~~~

1926

~~~

Pat laughed. “Ye really do tear into everyone ye meet, don’t ye?”

Kate’s eyes narrowed and she gave him a sharp look. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Well, ye yelled at Daniel and Cal and Sarah—“

“I never yelled at Sarah,” she pointed out defensively. “And I was never anythin’ but kind to Tommy. Ye remember him?”

“Of course, I remember him,” he replied softly. “He’s the reason yer alive.” Memories of Tommy had always weighed heavy on his heart, with a mixture of guilt and gratitude intertwined. He had stayed with Kate throughout the entire sinking and made certain that she ended up in a lifeboat. Their debt to him was immeasurable.

“And I didn’t yell at Cal when I first met him,” she continued. “I knew him for like two years by that point. I just didn't take much of a likin' to him back then."

Pat wondered when exactly that sentiment had taken a turn but knew it wasn’t something he could ask. Instead, he looked up at the house they sat in front of, and tried to picture it in its early stages, half-built and blanketed in snow. “I knew Daniel had built yer house but I didn’t realize he had built it specifically for yerself.”

"Who else would he have built it for?"

He gave a casual shrug. "Perhaps for himself?  Or maybe he just had a fondness for craftin' things."

Kate smiled warmly. “He did like buildin’ things but this house? This was all for me.”

~~~

1916

~~~

They were married on an April morning, a day that dawned gray and rainy. But the colorful tulips and pink primroses that filled flower beds chased away any hint of dreariness. Kate and Daniel hadn’t wanted a lot of people in attendance, particularly as Kate had no family in Spokane. Only Sarah and three year old John, Daniel’s parents and his younger brother—who would later be killed in the Great War, and Mrs. Pozorski, the elderly woman who lived across the street.

After the ceremony came a luncheon at Sarah’s home where glasses of wine were raised and heartfelt wishes filled the air. Even Sarah, for a brief moment, seemed to forget her melancholy, as she laughed and smiled with the rest of them. Kate knew how difficult that must have been for her. Sarah was surely haunted by memories of her own wedding and the marriage that only lasted five days before her husband’s death.

Long after they had run out of wine and the sun was beginning to set, Kate and Daniel slowly walked to their new home, ignoring the gentle rain that pitter-pattered down around them and breathing in the earthy petrichor. Inside, the walls were still unfinished and the scent of sawdust hung in the air. But it was warm and dry while raindrops tapped softly on the windows. The electricity had yet to be connected, but the room was aglow by candlelight. Daniel had borrowed a gramophone—a surprise for Kate—and the soulful voice of Al Jolson filled the air. He swept her into his arms and they swayed to the music in the soft, flickering glow of the candles. She nestled her head on his shoulder and he held her close. It felt to her as though their hearts seemed to beat in perfect harmony. Everything had unfolded better than she could have ever imagined and she wished the night would never end.

~~~

1926

~~~

“I believe it might’ve been the happiest moment in me life,” Kate said. She wore a dreamy expression on her face that he hadn’t seen before.

“I wish I had been there.” Pat remembered receiving a letter from Sarah that mentioned the wedding but the thought of returning hadn’t been an option. He had been too preoccupied with escaping from her and the haunting memories that had tormented him for years.

“I wish ye had as well,” she replied.

But there was no turning back time. He had missed the most important moments in her life and there was nothing he could do to change it. “What happened to Mrs. Pozorski?” He asked. As long as he had been there, he had never known anyone by that name.

“She passed on many years ago,” Kate explained. “She was 82 when she came to our wedding. One couldn’t rightly expect her to linger much longer, but she was a dear soul. Spoke almost no English but made wonderful...I don’t rightly know what they’re called but they were little dumplings and she filled them with mushrooms and I can’t recall what else. They were good though.”

Pat thought of her husband and a nagging thought crossed his mind. “Did ye ever mention me to Daniel?”

“Did I ever tell Daniel about me good-for-nothin’ brother who abandoned me? Aye, I certainly did.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Katie, I really—“

But Kate silenced him with a gentle hand on his arm, her eyes softening. “Just let me finish me story.”

~~~

1916

~~~

Daniel spun her around, and in the dimly lit room, he sang along softly. “I’m fond of your eyes. I love your kisses. But my heart...uh…” His voice trailed off as he searched for the next word.

“Cries,” Kate supplied.

“Cries,” he repeated with a laugh. “Stop, look, and listen? Listen.” He shook his head. “I think I only know a few words.”

“It’s the thought that counts.” She lightly kissed him.

“I should probably just leave the singing to Mr. Jolson.”

As they danced, Kate felt a sudden sadness wash over her. “I wish Pat could’ve been here,” she quietly mused.

“We could’ve invited him.”

She shook her head. “He wouldn’t have come.” Her brother had given up on her long ago and she doubted there’d be any reason good enough to get him on a ship again.

“How about this?” Daniel looked at her kindly. “Once we get this house finished, we hop on a ship and go find him ourselves.”

The memory of the hours spent freezing in an overloaded lifeboat flashed through her mind and she swallowed hard. “I don’t think…”

“Or, you stay right here and I’ll hop on a ship by myself and drag him back with me,” he quickly corrected. “I think I’d prefer to keep you on dry land.”

Kate kissed him, feeling a warmth in her heart. “I’d like that.”

That night, they spread blankets across the floor as they didn’t yet have a bed. The music had gone silent, the steady drumming of rain on the roof was the only sound. Daniel took her hand in the warm glow of candlelight and—

~~~

1926

~~~

Kate halted suddenly, her cheeks flushed pink. “I reckon I probably shouldn’t be sharin’ any of that with ye,” she admitted.

Pat laughed. “As yer brother, I strongly wish ye wouldn’t.”

“But it was a wonderful night.”

“I’ve no doubt about it.”

“Far better than me weddin’ night with Hugh.”

“Katie, I really don’t need to be privy to the particulars of yer weddin’ night,” Pat said, a hint of discomfort in his voice. “Especially if yer about to bring Hugh into this.”

“I was just sayin’, Daniel was very gentle.”

Pat sighed and stood up. “I’m goin’ to walk away, that’s what I’m goin’ to do.”

Kate reached out, grabbing his arm, and pulled him back down. “Alright, I’ll move on to the next part then.” She paused as she collected her thoughts and her expression grew serious. “We’d been wed for a full year and then war was declared. Four days after our first anniversary, in fact.”

~~~

1917

~~~

Nearly every man had been required to register for the draft, but the seriousness of the situation had been brushed aside by most. The idea of Daniel being one of those selected, of being thrust into the horrors of war, had seemed like a distant and unbelievable nightmare. Why should their perfect life be rent asunder so soon after starting? He had assured her time and again that he wouldn’t be called. After all, it was only the single men who would be drafted and he was married. Their life would continue unimpeded. But then the call came on July 18 th .

As Daniel packed his bag, an undeniable tension filled the room.

“Ye told me they wouldn’t call ye,” Kate protested.

“I didn’t think they would.”

She began to pull things out of the bag he was filling. “Well, ye can’t go. Yer married.”

“Married with no dependent children.” Daniel let out a sigh as he tried to repack his bag.

“Can’t ye just tell them no?”

“And get arrested? How would that be any better.”

Their disagreement momentarily escalated as they tussled over the same shirt.

Abruptly, Kate let go. “At least ye won’t die in prison,” she said, her voice trembling.

“Kate. You have to...I’m sorry, but I don’t have a choice in this.” Daniel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“Please don’t go.”

“Maybe I could fit you inside my bag,” he suggested with a faint smile, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Bring you with me.”

Kate laughed.

Daniel brushed his lips against hers and then tenderly kissed her forehead. “I’ll write to you every chance I get,” he promised.

“Ye better.”

Reluctantly, he released her from his embrace and returned to his partially filled bag. He quickly finished filling it and then hoisted it onto his shoulder.

Kate took a step back, her eyes filled with tears, and offered a weak smile.

Returning the smile, Daniel turned and left the room, leaving her standing alone in the room that suddenly felt emptier than it ever had before.

~~~

Not long after Daniel’s departure, Kate discovered she was pregnant. She had always wanted children but the deep fear of losing her husband and the possibility of having to face everything alone overwhelmed any happiness she might feel. As she sat in Sarah’s kitchen and considered the worst case scenarios, her loneliness bore down on her like a suffocating blanket and she began to cry.

Cal chose that moment to enter the room and she hastily wiped away her tears.

“Ye’ve come to gawk at me, have ye?” She remarked, her voice tinged with bitterness as she struggled to hold back her emotions. “I suppose yer rich friends never shed a tear.”

Cal, clearly uncomfortable, took a seat next to her and offered her a handkerchief. “They do,” he admitted. “They just cry internally, usually while heavily drinking.”

Kate accepted the handkerchief, her opinion of the man momentarily softening. Even in her distressed state, she had to admit he was a gentleman. “So how did ye get out of it?” She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“I’m too old,” he explained.

She gave him a skeptical look.

“I’m 35,” he clarified. “The draft was for 18 to 30.”

Kate shrugged. “I thought ye might’ve purchased yer way out of it.”

There was a moment of silence. “You don’t think much of me, do you?”

“I don’t know ye.”

“Well, if you did know me, you’d know I’d much rather buy my way into it, than out of it.”

She stared at him.

“You haven’t met my wife,” he added.

“Oh, is that the reason yer always lingerin’ about, then?” The idea of an unhappy marriage suddenly made sense. For a moment, she wondered if there was something more between him and Sarah. “Are ye and Sarah...um…” She hesitated, searching for a delicate way to phrase her question. “Well, ye know…”

Cal cut her off, sounding somewhat offended. “No.”

“It’s just, yer here an awful lot,” Kate said. “I can’t imagine yer wife is all too pleased with ye sharin’ so much time with another woman, even if there wasn’t anythin’ untoward happenin’ between the two of ye.”

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business but if you must know, John’s family is suing Sarah and I’ve been paying for her lawyer.”

“Why would they—“

“Because they’re unpleasant people,” he replied. “At the moment, they want his memorial stone moved to a location of their choosing. Before that, they wanted this house. And before that, they contested his will. Tried to claim that Sarah wrote it herself.” He sighed. “I’ve been taking care of everything for her. And as far as my wife goes, I really don’t care what she thinks.”

There was a pause as Kate considered everything. “Well, Sarah’s a fortunate soul to have ye by her side. I believe I’d find myself truly alone if anythin’ were to befall Daniel.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to him,” Cal said, confidently.

“Ye don’t know that.”

“I do know that,” he replied. “Everyone knows there’s more waiting around than actual fighting in a war. The only threat he needs to worry about is dying from boredom.”

“And how would ye know any of that?”

“I know people and hear things,” he explained. “No, he’ll be back before you know it and in a few years, you won’t even remember the time he was gone.”

Kate sighed. “It’d be better if I could stop thinkin’ about it. The image of him, lyin’ dead in the mud somewhere…” She felt her tears welling up again.

“Do you like movies?” Cal asked suddenly.

“What?” She looked at him in surprise.

“I’ll take you to one. To take your mind off things.”

“Oh, I don’t know...ye wouldn’t be afraid to be seen with me?”

“With you?” No,” he replied. “Now, come on. At least you’ll have an hour with no thoughts of war.”

~~~

1926

~~~

“He hadn’t done any research beforehand and he ended up takin’ me to see a war picture,” Kate reminisced with a fond smile. “He was utterly horrified that his plan had gone so far astray. But it was still a kind gesture.”

Pat looked at her curiously, his thoughts drifting to the possibility of something unspoken between Kate and Cal even back then. But he kept his thoughts to himself. Kate would only deny it.

“The rest of the time Daniel was away, I threw meself into lookin’ after Sarah and lendin’ a hand with John. It seemed we were both tryin’ to keep ourselves busy and distracted,” she continued. “And then Cal kept turnin’ up, which was, I must admit, quite vexin’.”

“I’m sure it was.”

She playfully smacked his arm. “I didn’t quite fathom it at first, why he kept visitn’. I mean, it’s a fair bit of travel by train. But as I got to know more about Dinah, I reckon he was simply searchin’ for a sense of bein’ wanted. It’s an understandable feelin’.”

“Aye, it is.” Pat silently did the math in his head. “Yer child now...that wasn’t Tommy?” He asked tentatively, the fear of the answer evident in his voice.

Kate shook her head. “No, I lost that one shortly after Daniel left. I never breathed a word of it to him. I didn’t want to make him sad.”

“I am so sorry,” he replied. “I never knew.”

“There’s a great deal ye never knew about.”

“Katie…” The guilt rose up again.

“It’s alright,” Kate reassured him, her smile unwavering. “I forgave ye years ago. ”

Chapter Text

~~~

1926

~~~

Pat picked up another cookie from the plate. “So Daniel’s away at war and ye and Cal were gettin’ to know each other,” he said. “What happened next?”

Kate snatched the cookie from his hand. “Patrick Murphy, if ye bring me and Cal up one more time, I’m not goin’ to tell ye the rest of the story.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I won’t say one more word about it, promise. Now can I have that back?”

“See that ye don’t,” she replied, returning the cookie. “So, we were lucky in that Daniel was only gone for a little over a year and a half. Most of the men who were called up were away much longer.”

“How’d he manage to be so lucky?”

“He got injured,” Kate explained. “Not badly, mind ye, but badly enough.” She smiled to herself. “Of course, he never bothered to tell me about his injury when it had happened. No, I only found that out much later.”

~~~

1918

~~~

Usually Kate folded her laundry as each item came off the clothesline. But as the weather was cold and she didn’t have much else to do, she had brought everything inside to fold next to the warm fire. She took her time with it, making sure each and every crease was perfectly lined up, trying her hardest to avoid looking at the clock on the wall. Without Daniel beside her, she never had much to do and time moved so slowly. On any other day, she’d pay Sarah a visit, but the sky threatened snow. Unsure if it would be a light dusting or a deadly blizzard, she was afraid of being caught out in it. Kate glanced at the clock and sighed. Time was surely moving backwards. She bent down to pick up a towel and straightened to see Daniel watching her.

Her heart immediately leapt to her throat and the towel fell from her hands. Had she fallen asleep? There had been no word, no letter saying that was coming home but there he was. Daniel, looking thin and tired but unmistakably happy and unmistakably Daniel.

Kate rose from her seat. “How are ye…are ye really home?” She asked, longing to touch him but certain he would crumble into dust if she did.

Daniel grinned. “I am and, what’s more…” He stepped forward and took her in his arms. “I’m here to stay.”

She leaned into his warmth. “Did the war end and I’ve missed it?”

“No.” The smile on his face flickered. “I was discharged. Your husband’s been wounded.”

Kate blinked in surprise. She immediately ran her hands over his chest and turned him around, looking for injuries.

“Kate, stop.” He took her hands and laughed. “I was shot in the leg,” he explained. “Just bad enough to get me discharged but not so bad that I lost my leg.”

“Should you be standing then? Sit down at once.” She guided him to the sofa and they both sat down.

“I’m fine,” he reassured her. “I just won’t be winning any foot races which is fine because I never cared for them in the first place.”

Kate couldn’t decide if she was more irritated or more relieved. He never told her that he had been injured any more than he had told her about coming home. “Why didn’t ye tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to worry.” He looked so sheepish that the relief won out.

She kissed him. “Ye do know that I never stopped worryin’ from the moment ye left until this very moment now?”

“I didn’t want you to worry any more ,” he clarified. “It was hardly life threatening.”

“Ye still should’ve told me.”

“Kate, my love. I’ve been wounded but I’ve healed and now I’m coming home.”

Kate laughed. “It’s a bit too late for that now,” she said. “Ye know, if I had known, I could’ve thrown ye a party. A small party…would’ve probably just been Sarah and John. But I could’ve made a cake.” In her head, she was already picking out a recipe. It might’ve been too late for a party but he was still going to get something.

Daniel brought her hand to his lips. “Tomorrow you can do as you like,” he replied softly. “Right now I’m just happy to have you all to myself.”

~~~

1926

~~~

“He had been changed by the war,” Kate said quietly. “I know everyone says that but it doesn’t make it any less true. Ye didn’t fight in it?”

“No,” Pat replied. “I was in Ireland at the time. There was no draft there.” He knew plenty of Irishmen who had volunteered but he never felt the need. He had already survived one traumatic experience; he didn’t believe he could survive a second one.

“Aren’t ye lucky then.”

“Kate.” He took a deep breath, prepared to defend himself.

“No, I genuinely meant it.” She picked up the final cookie and broke it in two. “I’ve thought before what it might’ve been like if I had lost ye durin’ the war, before we had a chance to reconcile, I mean.” She held out half. “I’m glad it didn’t happen.”

Pat looked at the cookie. “Ye said he was changed?”

“Aye.” Kate sighed. “He was still Daniel. Still the man I loved more than anythin’ in the world. But he was…less cheerful. Not to say that he never laughed or anythin’ of that sort. He was just…I don’t know, subdued.” She shook her head. “He was tryin’ his best to return to himself and that’s what mattered.”

“I didn’t…” He hesitated. His own experiences hardly compared to what her husband had gone through and he didn’t feel he had the right to bring them up. “I didn’t fight in the war but I know what it’s like to lose yerself.”

Kate placed a hand on his arm. “Every year, we used to watch the fireworks together,” she said. “The first time we tried after he returned…” She went silent at the memory, her hand briefly tightening on his arm. "Let’s just say it was the last time we laid eyes on them."

“The sound of them,” Pat said quietly. The previous year when they had gone to watch the fireworks together was still fresh in his mind and he recalled the sound that had so vividly brought back images of the ship breaking in two. It took weeks for his nightmares to lose their edge, to shift from the ship breaking to some other moment that still haunted him each night.

“Aye.” Kate looked surprised. “The sound. It reminded him of war.”

~~~

1918

~~~

Kate had considered several different ways to break the news to Daniel, everything ranging from the straightforward to the outlandish. Sarah, of course, advocated for being blunt. There was no point in drawing it out any longer. But Kate wanted the moment to be special. After everything they had gone through, the war and losing their first child, he was finally home and everything was set to go perfectly. Their life was about to begin.

Finally, she stepped into a toy store and purchased a small plush bear. She tied a blue ribbon around its neck—she felt so certain it was going to be a boy—and placed it in Daniel’s seat at the dinner table. She called him to come eat and waited.

Daniel looked at the bear, confusion written on his face. “Why is there a bear in my seat?”

Kate fought to keep the smile from her face. “Why’d ye think?”

He picked up the animal and turned it around in his hands. “You want to go hunting?”

“For bears? Absolutely not. Try again.”

“For other animals?”

Kate laughed. “I have no interest in huntin’,” she replied, stepping closer to him. “Ye’ve noticed the ribbon, right?”

Daniel fingered the blue ribbon around the bear’s neck. “Is this your way of suggesting I wear more blue?”

“Ye do wear blue very well, but that’s not it.”

“ You wish to wear more blue?”

“I wear plenty of blue,” Kate said. “And now I’m startin’ to think yer just havin’ me on.”

“I’m really not.”

She took his hands and looked him in the eyes. "Can ye truly not think of any reason why I might’ve placed a child ’s toy on yer seat?"

Understanding dawned on his face and a smile broke out. “You’re not.”

Kate nodded, her own smile breaking out.

“Oh, Kate.” Daniel gathered her into a tight hug and spun her around. “Wait.” He abruptly set her on her feet. “How long do we have?”

“I don’t know. Maybe another seven or eight months.”

“Only seven months?” He looked around the room before returning his gaze to her. “That’s hardly any time at all.” He gave her a quick kiss and hurried from the room.

“Where are ye goin’?” Kate called out as she followed him. “Yer dinner’s goin’ to get cold.”

“I’ll eat it later,” he replied. “I just need to get started right away.”

“Daniel.” She caught his arm. “What do ye need to get started?”

“I need to build his crib.” Daniel furrowed his brow. “What else do babies need? A table? Do babies need tables?”

“A high chair, perhaps?” Kate smiled at his enthusiasm. His reaction had been better than she ever hoped it could be. “But maybe ye can finish the chairs to go with our own table, if yer in the buildin’ mood.”

“Nah.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I can take care of those after he’s born. This little guy,” he began, gently touching her stomach. “Is so much more important. Now, a crib, a high chair…I used to know a gentleman who made little wooden toys that made noise when you moved them. I’m sure I could make something similar. Do you think he’d like something like that?”

“I’m not sure he’s likin’ much of anythin’ just yet,” Kate responded with a laugh. She wrapped her arms around him. “Yer goin’ to spoil him rotten.”

“And be happy doing it,” Daniel replied, giving her a kiss.

~~~

1926

~~~

“This isn’t by any chance the same bear I’ve been seein’ Henry with, is it?” Pat asked.

Kate smiled. “The one and same,” she replied. “But the bow was lost long ago and it’s a bit worse for wear.”

“And the crib?”

“That’s the same as well.”

She sighed and took a moment to brush invisible crumbs from her lap. “I think those months were the best in me life. The happiest, in any case.” The smile suddenly slipped from her face. “God, it’s so unfair.”

“Ye don’t need to tell me more, if ye don’t wish to.” He was already surprised by how much she had shared and the last thing he wanted was to force her to relive some of her worst moments.

But Kate shook her head. “No, it’s alright. I’ll have to tell Tommy the whole story someday so I might as well practice on yerself.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “At the last moment, I had decided I wanted to paint the baby’s room. I don’t know why it hadn’t crossed me mind until then but it was as though I woke up with a thought I just couldn’t be rid of.” She looked at him. “I couldn’t let me baby grow up with white walls. I know it’s absurd but it seemed so important to me at the time.”

~~~

1918

~~~

“I’m just saying.” Daniel said, prying the lid off a can of paint, revealing a deep golden yellow inside. “We could’ve done this months ago.”

“I didn’t think of it months ago, now did I?” Kate replied. “Now, if ye don’t want to help, I can finish it meself.”

“What sort of husband would that make me if I didn’t want to help?” He dipped his brush into the paint. “I was thinking…what about Bridget if it’s a girl?”

“That’s a pretty name but I keep tellin’ ye that it’s a boy. I’ve never been more sure of anythin’ in me life.”

“Robert then.”

“Robert’s nice.” Kate hesitated. “But what do ye think of Thomas?” She usually managed to keep her thoughts from drifting to Tommy and their final moment together—the brief kiss on the slanted deck—but lately, he had been taking the forefront of her mind. She loved Daniel immeasurably but there was always a ‘what if’ lingering beneath her love. What if Tommy had survived? And what if they had made a life together? One ‘what if’ always led to another and she’d quickly find herself buried beneath unlimited possibilities that could never exist.

“Thomas?” Daniel paused in his painting.

“We don’t have to,” she quickly replied. Of course, he wouldn’t want his child named after his wife’s previous love.

“That’s a wonderful idea.”

Kate blinked in surprise. “Are ye sure?” Maybe she had misheard. “I thought ye might not like it.”

“How could I not like naming my child after the man who saved my wife’s life?” He smiled. “It seems like the least I could do.”

“I thought ye might find it strange.”

“No, I find it wonderful. I only wish I had thought of it first.”

They returned to their painting and Kate smiled. She tried to picture the room as it would soon be, the crib and the rocking chair, their tiny child and the sunlight shining through the window, illuminating the yellow walls. She couldn’t think of a better place to raise a child. She looked at Daniel, intending to ask if he thought their baby would like the yellow, but stopped herself.

He stood in place, the paintbrush in his hand dripping paint onto the floor and a frown on his face. He rubbed his forehead.

“What is it?” Kate asked.

Daniel shook his head, the smile returning to his face. “It’s only a bit of a headache.”

“Might be the paint fumes.” She opened the window, letting in the cold air. “Maybe this will help a bit.”

“I’m sure that’s it.”

They started to paint once again but Kate’s mind was only half on her work. She could tell that Daniel’s headache was growing worse. After a moment, she set her brush down and placed a hand on his cheek. “Yer a bit warm,” she said, taking his brush from him. “Maybe ye should lie down for a bit. We can always finish this later.”

“Maybe I will.” He gave her a kiss before leaving the room. “Just for a few minutes.”

~~~

Kate went to check on him an hour later. Daniel immediately tried to get out of bed but she gently pushed him back. She could feel the heat radiating off of him.

“I’m fine,” he said. “My head is…is gone and we can…I mean I need to…”

“Daniel,” she softly cut him off. “Yer headache may be gone but yer burnin’ up. I need ye to lie down.”

“The baby’s room?”

“I can finish on me own. Here.” She removed his glasses and set them on the bedside table. “Now, I’m goin’ to fetch ye a glass of water,” she said as she brushed his hair back from his face. “Don’t ye be movin’ from this bed. Do ye hear me?”

“I won’t move.”

“Good,” she murmured, kissing his forehead.

When Kate returned a few minutes later, a glass of water in hand, Daniel tried to sit up. “I’ve only just realized that we don’t have a pram yet.”

She pushed him back down. “We’ll get one,” she said. She adjusted the blankets around him. “There’s still plenty of time.”

“Hardly.” He sighed. “I don’t think I could make one. I’ll try it tomorrow.”

~~~

Kate remained by his side as he drifted in and out of sleep, always uncomfortable. Always burning despite her best efforts to keep him cool.

“Kate?” Sarah’s voice came up the stairs.

“I’ll be back,” she murmured, gently kissing his forehead, careful not to wake him as he had finally fallen asleep.

Kate left the room and found Sarah standing at the bottom of the stairs, little John at her side, looking bored. “What are ye doin’ here?” She asked, coming down the stairs to join them.

“I thought you were coming over for dinner and when you didn’t show, I was worried,” Sarah replied, with concern on her face. “Is everything alright?”

“It’s fine.” Kate managed a smile. “Daniel isn’t feelin’ well so I’m keepin’ an eye on him.”

“It’s not that terrible flu that’s going around, is it?”

“Oh, no. I’m sure it’s nothin’ of that sort,” Kate quickly replied. “He’s fine. Everythin’s fine.”

Sarah placed a hand over Kate’s forehead. “When have you last eaten?”

“Breakfast, I think.”

“You must be starving then.”

“No, I’m not…well, I am a bit hungry I suppose.” The thought of eating had never crossed her mind. “But I can’t leave him. Not right now.” She glanced up the stairs.

“Alright, go on,” Sarah said softly. “I’ll bring you something.”

Kate hurried back to the bedroom. Daniel was awake and he smiled at the sight of her.

“Yer supposed to be sleepin’.” She sat down beside him. “How’re ye feelin’?”

“Wonderful.” He pushed himself into a sitting position, his back against the headboard.

“Are ye really?”

“No, but I’m not dying,” he replied. “You need to stop worrying about me. It can’t possibly be good for Thomas.”

“I’ll worry as much as I want to worry.” Kate rested her head on his shoulder and tried to ignore how warm he felt. She found his hand and held onto it tightly.

Sarah came into the room, carrying a sandwich on a plate, and stopped abruptly. “Kate, you need to move away from him.”

“What?”

“Come over here.”

“Yer bein’ absurd,” Kate replied. “I’m not leavin’ me husband’s side.”

“You’re carrying a child. You can’t risk falling ill,” Sarah insisted. “I can look over him for you.”

“I’m not goin’ to fall ill.”

Daniel squeezed her hand. “No, I think she’s right.”

“If ye think for one minute that I’m goin’ to abandon ye—“

“You’re not abandoning me,” he said gently. “You know I’ll never be able to forgive myself if you catch this.”

“But I’m not goin’ to catch it,” Kate argued. “I’ve never been one to fall ill. I’ll be fine.”

“Kate.” He spoke more firmly. “It’ll only be for a few days.” He squeezed her hand a second time. “We were apart for over a year, I think we can handle a few more days apart. You need to stay healthy for Thomas.”

Sarah set the sandwich on the nightstand. “Thomas?”

“That’s what we’re callin’ the baby,” Kate replied.

“It’s a good name.”

“That’s what I said,” Daniel added. “Now, would you let me rest a bit. You don’t need to go far,” he added, before she could argue some more. “Just not right next to me.”

Kate reluctantly rose from the bed. “Fine. But I want ye to yell if ye need me,” she said. “Even if it’s just to remember what I look like.”

~~~

Sarah moved into the house, along with little John, and took over Daniel’s care while Kate was moved to a spare bedroom. Kate once went to fetch a doctor but was told that there was nothing to be done. They simply had to let the flu run its course. She found little comfort in that advice as Daniel didn’t seem to be getting any better. Slightly more comfort was that he also wasn’t getting any worse.

A few days passed and Kate was abruptly jolted awake, her heart racing, suffocating by an inexplicable sense of terror. She slipped on a robe over her nightgown and quietly crept to Daniel's room.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of his labored breathing. She switched on the bedside lamp and took his hand. His face was pale and his damp hair clung to his forehead. He was still too warm. “Daniel,” she said softly, holding his hand close to her.

“Can you...I can’t see…” he managed between breaths.

Kate gently placed his glasses on him and brushed the hair from his face. “Is that better?”

It took a moment for his eyes to focus on her. “My Kate.” He smiled weakly.

“I’m here.” She looked about the room but they were alone. “I won’t be leavin’ ye again.” With one final glance to ensure that Sarah was nowhere in sight, Kate climbed into bed beside him. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Daniel brought his arm around her, his fingers entangled in her hair. It was a moment she wished would last forever.

“Kate?” It was Sarah’s soft voice that woke her up.

Blinking against the morning sunlight, Kate sat up, her hand still tightly gripping Daniel's. “I didn’t mean to sleep,” she said. “What is—“ The room was filled with a heavy silence and she looked at her husband, lying still, his eyes closed.

“I’m so sorry.” Sarah’s hands were on her, trying to pull her away.

“He’s only sleepin’,'' Kate insisted. “We were both sleepin’ and—“

“Kate, he’s not sleeping.” Sarah’s voice broke.

“No.” Kate shook her head. “Daniel, me love, ye need to wake up now.” She gently shook him. “Please wake up. Daniel, ye have to…” Her voice faltered. “Ye have to wake up. Why won’t ye wake..wake up?” A sharp pain in her chest grew until it threatened to overwhelm her, and before she could stop it, she fell into sobs.

Sarah put an arm around her. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated through her own tears. “I’m so sorry.”

~~~

1926

~~~

“He never woke up.” Kate’s voice was thick with emotion.

“Jasus, Katie.”

“It was so strange,” she continued. “After that first moment when I couldn’t wake him, it was like all of my grief seemed to go away. Maybe I was too stunned or I didn’t truly believe it despite seein’ it happen. All I knew was that the love of me life died and I felt nothing.”

“Katie…” Pat wanted to say something comforting but nothing came to him. He was seven years too late for comfort.

“It was three days later that we…we buried him. Afterward, there was a bit of a gatherin’ at Sarah’s except it started to rain and it drove everyone indoors. There were so many people, too many people…I couldn’t breathe. I went out back and I stood in the rain and…I can’t explain it but something in those cold drops broke me open.” She shook her head. “I had never felt grief like that. And anger. I was so angry. I wanted to tear the world into pieces. It was all so unfair.” She gripped the fabric of her dress until her knuckles turned white. “I was even angry at Daniel. How dare he come into me life only to leave it so soon? A part of me, an irrational part of me, felt like he should’ve known.”

“Of course, he couldn’t have known.”

“I know.” She shot him a look but then her expression softened. “I said it was irrational. But I was so angry I wasn’t seein’ reason. Only anger and only pain. I even threw away me ring as though that would return everythin’ to how it was before. But of course, it didn’t.” Kate looked at her hand where Hugh’s ring now resided. “I regret it now.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Sarah was so patient with me. I owe her everythin’.”

Pat thought of Sarah putting aside her own grief to help Kate and smiled. She had done something similar with him the first moment they met on the Carpathia . He had never known anyone so selfless and so kind.

“That’s one of the reasons I was so angry when ye decided to show up again,” Kate continued. “I had just lost Daniel and then suddenly there ye were, ready to take Sarah away from me.”

“I was never takin’ Sarah away from ye.”

“I know it now, but it certainly didn’t feel that way then.”

He reached into his pocket, his fingers landing on her ring. He pulled it out, keeping it hidden in his hand. “Did ye ever try to find yer ring again?” Pat asked.

Kate shook her head. “I spent hours searchin’ for it the next day and the day after that. Sarah even looked for a time and I know at one point, she had John digging around. We never found it though.” Her gaze fell to the ground and she sighed.

“Katie cat,” Pat said softly.

“Patrick.”

He smiled and held out the ring.

“How did ye…?” Her voice faltered as she took it in her hand.

“I was clearin’ out the dead plants and stumbled upon it,” Pat replied. “Sarah told me it belonged to yerself.”

“And ye couldn’t just give it to me. Ye had to make me tell the whole story first.” A smile spread across her face as she ran a finger over the stone.

“I would’ve given it to ye eventually,” Pat explained. “I just wanted to know what I missed while I was away.”

The sound of a baby crying came from inside the house and Kate looked up. “It seems someone’s up from his nap,” she said, rising from her seat. “Are stayin’ around or headin’ back?”

Pat looked up at the sun and tried to judge how long they had been talking. He still needed to finish the garden before it grew too late and the last thing he wanted was to be around when Hugh came home. “I should probably be goin’,” he said. “Need to finish in the garden yet.”

“Alright.”

“Stop by later?”

“Ye know where I live.” Kate slipped the ring into her pocket. “And Pat? Thank ye for findin’ this, I mean it.”

“Yer welcome and if there’s anythin’ else of yers hidin’ in me garden, let me know.” Pat hesitated for a moment. “And I’m sorry about Daniel.”

“Me too,” she replied. “I truly think ye would’ve liked him a great deal.”

“I know I would’ve.”