Love Lasts Forever

by Dominiqua Douglas

  Olivia’s watchful gaze remained on Willow until she sat and smoothed a napkin onto her lap. Soon after, the partition creaked close. Alone again, Willow tossed the napkin onto the plate. She dipped her pen into the vat of ink and concluded her letter to Thor. When Olivia returned to the secret room, the letter was sealed inside an envelope.

  “Please ask Miss Eva to put this one with the others.”

  “Of course.” Olivia slipped the envelope inside the pocket of her skirt. Her arms closed around Willow. “Never in all my years did I think you would have use of this hideaway. It pains me to leave you here alone.”

  “It isn’t so bad,” Willow said, ending the hug. “I’m fine.”

  “You’re worried as are we all. You must not fret. God’s plan will be followed.”

  “I wish I knew what it was.”

  Olivia gave her a faint smile. “So do I.”

  * * *

  The stack of open letters lay on the grass beside Thor. Whenever a gentle breeze blew, the pages rustled softly, and he reached down and pulled the century old stationery closer to him. The letter he held in his hand was the last one in the pile. His fingers trembled slightly as he moved to the second page. Inhaling a deep breath, he rubbed one hand over his face while the other one gripped Willow’s letter. His voice was hoarse and unsteady as he read the letter aloud.

  “Then I’ll remember the warmth of your smile and the gentleness in your eyes, and I’ll know that you were real. My greatest wish is that wherever or whenever this letter finds you, it will find you well and content.

  “We talked about the different roads a life can take. You called it destiny. Like so many things about you, I believe that to be true, too. Perhaps, my destiny has called me. I cannot permit Mr. Anders or Reverend Brown to suffer the consequences for my actions. I will surrender myself to Davis and accept my destiny.

  “I’d rather die for my own actions than sit back and do nothing while Miss Olivia and Miss Eva lose their husbands. I cannot imagine living my life knowing that I did nothing to try to correct this. Maybe Davis will accept my surrender and maybe he will not. If it means death, then so be it.

  “Miss Olivia has confused my ideals with those akin to a martyr. Nothing could be further from the truth. Guilt and despair gnaw at me. You mentioned that you might have saved my life, but what if I was not meant to live beyond that moment? Well, since then I have lived, and I have loved. Maybe now, I must settle my account for the precious days of life you spared for me. Forever yours, Willow Elkridge.”

  Anguish fell on him like a dead weight. No wonder his great-grandfather never mentioned her. Willow was lynched before the child was old enough to know her. Hot tears filled his eyes and guilt pierced his soul. The promise her life held was dashed away, and it was all because of him. If he could find a way to get back there, he would make things right.

  But how?

  He glanced around the woods he knew so well. The remnants of the creek where they first met lay not twenty feet away. The branches that shaded him as he listened to her hum hung high in the sky. The world she inhabited was his world, but it was a world one hundred and twenty-five years in the past.

  How in the hell am I supposed to help her?

  That damned movie made everything seem so simple! A little suggestion here and a punch in the mouth there, and bam, the future’s taken care of. The guy made out at the dance, kissed the girl, and everything turned out just damned peachy in the end.

  Where is Willow’s happy ending, dammit?

  Shit! Where is mine?

  He gathered, folded, and stuffed the letters inside their proper envelopes. His hands did the mindless tasks while his thoughts spun, seeking resolution. In the movie, the kid had a fancy car and a tank full of plutonium that sent him back in time. Maybe Thor had a time travel device, too. Maybe he triggered something. That had to be it!

  “But what?”

  “Thor?”

  He turned sharply. His father’s face frowned with concern. Thor waved at Bo and released the air he’d been holding. For a second there, he didn’t recognize his father’s voice. It sounded an awful lot like Anders.

  “You’ve had the letters for quite some time.” Bo sat on the grass beside him. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

  “Yes and no. It’s not what I expected.”

  “What’s not?” Bo pointed at the envelopes clutched in Thor’s hand. “Do you mind?”

  He handed all the letters except the last one he read to his father. “The pages are faded, but her handwriting is easy enough to read. Eva did a fine job of hiding them.”

  “They weren’t always there, you know,” Bo said slowly. “I searched that closet and banged on the walls like you wouldn’t believe. There was nothing there. Then today the board was loose. What do you make of that?”

  Thor didn’t know what to say, and then the voice of his older brother rumbled behind them. “Maybe it means that time is parallel. Check the date on those letters. I’ll bet she didn’t start writing them until after we started looking around the cabin.”

  “You mean it’s October nineteenth for Willow, too?” Thor opened the last letter and read the date. His heart raced with excitement. He jumped to his feet.

  Cal stepped back. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Just answer the question! Is the date the same for her, too?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I think it means.” Cal’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why?”

  Thor thrust the letter under his brother’s nose. “Look at the date. She wrote the letter today. The nineteenth!”

  Cal nodded. “Yeah, so?”

  “That means there’s still time to stop her.”

  “Stop her from what?”

  Thor’s excitement warred with exasperation at Cal’s slow ability to understand him. “She says here that she’s gonna turn herself over to that planter and his people. They’re holding Anders and the reverend for helping Big Nat escape. They’re determined to hang them and Willow’s just as determined that they don’t stand trial for the stuff we did. If she turns herself in, they’ll kill her, but if I can figure out how to get back there, I can talk some sense into her and stop it from happening!”

  As he folded the letter and put it inside the pocket of his jeans, his family stared at him in wonder.

  “How are you planning to do that?” his brother asked.

  “However I can. Look, I still don’t know how or why I went back in the first place, but I know Pop finding these letters today wasn’t just a coincidence. She and I talked about destiny. She thinks she knows what hers is, but she’s wrong.”

  “Now hold on there.” Cal blocked his path. “You can’t just go running back in time half cocked and thinking with the wrong head—”

  “This isn’t about sex.”

  “I was out of line. Sorry. You know what I mean, take some things into consideration. Maybe Willow’s destiny is for her to die for her beliefs. You must be careful, tampering with history, little brother. So far, we’re still here, but if you do the wrong thing, you could wipe out the entire family.”

  “I don’t plan to let Grandpa Anders swing from a noose.”

  “What are you planning to do?”

  “I haven’t thought it all through yet, but I’ll figure it out. The first thing I gotta do is get back there.”

  “Slow down.” Bo rose from the grass. “Listen to your brother. I read some of those letters. You made a big impression on her. Let’s suppose you save them all and Willow comes back with you. What happens then?”

  “That’s something she and I will decide.”

  “Family is important, Thor. Never forget that.” Bo moved to stand just inches from his son. “Like I told you before and I’m sure you know now from personal experience that Anders is a strong man whose family meant the world to him. He loved them and for him, love was stronger than pride. Your life changed a good deal when you couldn’t throw ball anymore. Everything you dreamed of and want
ed was gone.

  “Like you, Anders suffered a big setback when he didn’t find gold in the hills like he thought he would. The life he planned for Eva and their children wouldn’t be the one he dreamed of. He did not fulfill the promises he made to her when she agreed to leave New York and her family, and that pained him deeply. That old watch changed him and came to symbolize a different way of life for him, Eva, and their small family.

  “Don’t go meddling in the past and in Willow’s life if you can’t accept that dreams don’t always come true. You may get there in time to save her, and you may not. If you’re not willing to face the consequences and to be careful, stay here.”

  Bo’s words seeped deep inside Thor, right to his core. Everything his father said was true. Dreams hung on a whim sometimes, but like the engraving on the watch said—love lasts forever.

  “I’m willing, Pop,” he said, his expression solemn.

  “But do you know how to go back there?” Cal asked.

  The answer seemed to be on the tip of Thor’s tongue. He closed his eyes briefly. The key to unlock the past seemed to hang on the other side of a door inside Thor’s mind. If he could just push the door open, he would know what to do. He squeezed his eyes tight. Blood pounded his forehead. The answer was right there.

  “The watch!” he cried, opening his eyes. “Pop, it’s the timepiece! The gold watch you gave me the first night we were here. I stayed up all night, fixing it. The next morning, I took it with me when I went for a walk. Then I took a nap and woke up in the past! I gotta find that watch!”

  “Wait, Thor.” Bo dug inside his pocket and pulled out the antique timekeeper. He handed it to his son. “There was a letter inside that wall for me, too. It told me just how important this old watch is.”

  Thor threw his arms around his father and hugged him tight. “Thanks, Pop!” When he released his father, he looked at his brother. “Drop me off where the Browns’ place used to be. I’ll show you the way. That’s where Willow is, and that’s where I need to be.”

  “Pop, you drive,” Cal said. “I’m going with him.”

  Bo shook his head. “No, Thor has to do this alone. Besides, your destiny lies on a different path.”

  “Say what?”

  “Ask him later!” Thor started to jog toward the cabin and the truck that was parked in front of it. “Let’s go!”

  Cal’s Bronco covered the rough terrain from the Magnusen cabin to the old Brown spread at top speed. The beauty of the autumn day blurred in their haste to reach the former Underground Railroad depot. Thor’s heart raced as the familiar landscape of the old Brown homestead came into view.

  “This is it,” he murmured almost to himself. Willow was there, waiting for him.

  With minimal words and mostly gestures, he instructed Cal where to go. In his mind’s eye, he made out the two-story house with its white-rimmed chimney and the nearby barn where Brown housed his rousing Gospel Train meetings. Right upstairs, Willow hid in the tiny chamber where countless runaways had found sanctuary. His heart lurched. He had to get to her before she turned herself in. The truck slowed, and without waiting for Cal to shift the gear into park, Thor bounded from the passenger side and landed with both feet on the ground.

  “Shit!” Cal grumbled. The truck came to a halt with a loud screech. The engine died, and two doors opened and slammed shut. “Wait a minute!”

  “I don’t have time to wait!” Thor shouted over his shoulder. “You said time’s parallel. That means I have to get back there now!”

  “One second won’t hurt.”

  Thor whipped around. The three inches that made Thor shorter than his older brother barely registered as the two men stood nose to nose. The wild beat of anger thumped loudly in Thor’s chest. He was better equipped to handle this trip back in time. Why in hell was Cal meddling now? Willow needed him!

  “That’s enough,” Bo said, stepping between his sons. He pressed his hands against their chests. “Step back and stop this. You’re acting worse now than you ever did when you were kids. Thor, there was a time when you listened to your brother, and Cal, a little compassion never hurt.”

  “I’m compassionate,” he mumbled, his expression sullen. “I don’t get why the knucklehead won’t listen.”

  “Maybe because he’s in a hurry.” Bo gave Thor his full attention. “You know enough about the time period to know you can’t go in there half-cocked. You gotta have a plan, son.”

  “I know, Pop. My plan is to get back there and talk some sense into her!”

  “And after that?” Cal asked. “Preventing her from turning herself in could jeopardize the family line. We don’t descend from Anders and Eva’s first child. Their son is our great-grandfather. If Anders dies, the second kid won’t be born. That means all of us will cease to exist: Pop, Aunt Greta, me, and you, little brother. I know you want to save your girlfriend, but you must think about Anders. He cannot die!”

  The erratic beating of Thor’s heart slowed to normal. Cal’s warning made sense, and the anger he felt toward his brother faded. In the back of his mind, he knew he couldn’t let Anders or Brown take the rap for what happened, but thoughts of stopping Willow took precedence.

  This last minute wake-up call reminded him of the enormity of his task. The game that ended his career came to mind in a flash. The lineman sacked him because his eyes had been on the soaring football instead of on the opponent’s defensive players. He paid for that mistake by losing his ability to throw, and that error only affected Thor. If he didn’t pay close attention on his return trip to eighteen-sixty, his entire family would suffer the consequences.

  He exhaled a shallow breath. Maybe he wasn’t cut out to handle this after all. He looked from his brother to his father and back to Cal again. “Maybe I’m not the one who should go back. You’re the history professor. You’ll know what to do.”

  Cal’s hazel eyes widened. He glanced at their father. Bo shook his head, and said, “It’s not for Cal. You can do it, Thor. A little self-confidence never hurt a man either.”

  “Yeah, little brother, you helped free Big Nat from that planter. Rescuing Anders and Brown should be a piece of cake.”

  Thor rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.”

  “I know I’m right,” Cal quipped. “You can do it. If you can’t think of something off the bat, use one of the playbooks. God knows you got at least a thousand football plays memorized. Quarterbacks are the thinkers on the team. Don’t be such a knucklehead. Use your brain.”

  Cal pulled Thor into a hug and patted his back as he released him. “You can do it, Thor. Now go out there and play ball!”

  Thor’s lips curved into a half smile. Their encouragement went a long way. He didn’t make it to the pro level by being a half-ass quarterback. He could do it all. Paying attention would be the key. His mouth parted into a full-blown smile. He saluted his family, pulled the watch from his jeans, and ran into the woods toward the space that once held the Brown home.

  * * *

  The plate of fried chicken, biscuits, and apple pie sat cold on the table. Willow paced the floor, waiting for time to pass. She glanced at the food. The distance into town was long. Food provided strength. Her stomach rumbled from lack of sustenance, but the thought of taking a bite made her throat constrict. Her skirts swooshed across the floor as she turned her back to the food. She could not eat now. The food would have to wait.

  Willow paced the floor for several more turns along the length of the wall. The lack of windows made the time of day uncertain. She wished now she had asked Olivia just so she could have a point of reference. So far, no one had ventured to the Brown home while Olivia was away. Maybe Willow could slip out to see if it was dark enough for her to leave. She pondered the possibility of visiting the creek where she and Thor first met. If he found and read her letters, he might attempt to return to her. The thought of one glimpse of him lessened the weight of sorrow in her heart.

  The compartment slid opened easily enough as she pulled on th
e inside latch. Gathering her skirts in one hand, she stepped through the doorway and entered the Browns’ bedroom. Speckles of dust filtered the air where the waning beams of sunlight streamed through the curtains. She edged closer to the window and adjusted the spectacles on the bridge of her nose. The beauty of the woods was a welcomed sight. Remaining hidden away in a windowless room created a whole new appreciation of nature’s splendor.

  Everything was still and quiet. Even the birds ended their songs as if they too were grateful for the peacefulness of the woods.

  Willow inhaled a deep breath and wrapped her arms around her waist. This was the last time she would be able to take a moment to look through a window and watch as golden leaves fell to the ground.

  Sadness brought tears to her eyes, but determination forced her to blink them away. Her decision was made. This was the only way to repay the debt owed to the man who raised her. Cold despair settled in the darkest depths of her soul. Overburdened with guilt, Willow turned to retrieve the uneaten food from the secret room.

  Something heavy landed on the porch. Her nerve endings stood on end. Instinct told her to run to the hidden room, but her feet refused to obey. Holding her breath, she moved closer to the bedroom door and listened. She hoped it was a squirrel or another small animal in search of refuge or food.

  The front door creaked on its hinges, and Willow’s hope that it was a small animal was dashed. The movements of the intruder were slow and measured. Had it been Olivia, she would have moved quickly and with purpose. Whoever was out there was hesitant about trespassing. Still too afraid to move, Willow whispered the Lord’s Prayer under her breath.

  “Dammit!”

  The muttered curse traveled down the hallway, and Willow was sure she knew that voice. Should she dare hope? It couldn’t be him; not possibly.