My eyes fluttered open, only to be met with the darkness thriving within my room. Oddly enough, I had woken before Mellie could awaken me herself. I pushed myself into an upright position, forgetting the ankle that I had sprained was even there, making me wince as bullets of pain darted up to my leg. Eventually, Millie had to knock on the door, come in, open the curtains, and prepare me for the day ahead. As Millie inspected my ankle, I remembered that I had written Edward a letter, now awaiting his response. "Millie, has the letter addressed to Edward been taken?" Asked I, curiosity and hopefulness running throughout my veins. "Yes, young miss. Albeit he has not returned the favour yet." Replied Millie, concentrating as she wrapped my ankle once again.
I let loose a sigh of ineffable impatience as I so wanted to receive any sort of reply from Edward, informing me of his situation and emotions towards what I had told him; inscribed on anything; I did not care if he sent me a rock and left me for a week, I wished him only to be safe and sound during my absence.
"Do not let your feathers become so ruffled, young miss; I'm sure he is sheltered and fed." Millie assured me, although no assurance did it bring to my mess of a mind.
"You have no understanding of what he must go through!" Yelled I, clutching the sheet that sheltered my legs from the cold. "Whilst I lay in my bed, he is being tortured and ridiculed by many within his home…" Concluding my outburst, Millie stared at me with an expression of bewilderment. Replaying what I had said in my mind, I realised that I had acted rash and harshly towards the one who deserved none of my saturnine words. When I had begun to apologise for my actions, Millie ran over to me and enveloped me into a loving embrace. I was astonished, dare I say frightened as well, for Millie had never shown such emotion around me or anyone else for that matter.
"I do understand!" Millie cried, although muffled as she exclaimed so within the cloth of my undergarments.
"Before I came here, I was punished and hurt by the ones that claimed to love and cherish me! It pains me so to see the same happen to you and him. Young miss," Grabbing onto my hands with her cold ones, she gazed into my blank eyes. "you care endlessly for him, don't you?"
"Of course, Millie!" Wrapping my hands around hers, I squeezed them tight enough to cut off circulation. "Father has thought me an irregularity, a burden because of my eyes. Not only is Edwards skin as white as snow, but his hair, his features, everything about him is considered not normal. He is no irregularity; he is a human being with a beating heart as I." Exclaimed I, not realising how much I have attached myself to this boy that once hid behind the trees outside of my window. When Millie finally slid her hands off mine, she sent a smile that rivalled that of the sun's light.
"Young miss, I shall go and check if there has been any mail delivered addressed to you." She announced, hastily vacating the room, and slamming the door behind her. I was shocked, for I thought this moment was quite portentous towards our companionship.
After she had left, tears of joy and uncertainty pooled in my eyes and slid down my cheeks like the waters of an overflowing dam. I felt relieved, satisfied that Millie and I could share some kind of mutual connection; yet I was still awfully worried about dear Edward, I could not help but shed tears for him as well. Nervousness and thoughts overcame my mind, the butterflies within my stomach were fluttering as if they were trying to break free from their imprisonment. As I placed my quivering hand over my thumping heart, I closed my eyes and focused on the song that was being played.
Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum
The melody it produced was simple, yet intriguing as it rung throughout my ears rhythmically; bounced and pumped as another beat came and passed, making me forget what I was thinking about in the first place. It soothed my soul, as I lay and listen within this halcyon moment.
"Young miss!" Millie ran through the door, bellowing throughout the silence. "Your letter has arrived!"