Where Love Collides

Chapter 3

As the night closes the door on the day I am riding as fast as Twlight can take me towards home. I already know what awaits me when I arrive. I should of been there hours ago helping prepare supper but instead I was with Ares. Yet there was no way I explain all that had happened to my mother. Especially not about him. I hated to lie but she was already under so much stress I couldn't possibly add to it by spending time with a man I rescued from the forest. I shook my head telling myself , Amara you do have a way of finding trouble.

As we came into view of my house I saw a carriage I did not recognize. So I hurriedly took my horse into the barn and entered the front door calmly. I was hoping that if we perhaps did have company my mother wouldn't make a big deal about me being late in front of them.

"Amara, there you are." My mother came to greet me. But I could hear the clipped tone and knew she was upset with me.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I was helping out at the Bray's and lost track of time."

"Is everything all right?" She asked suddenly concerned. Arlin and his dad had lost his mother six months before my father died so she knew things were hard for them as well.

I nodded suddenly noticing a small older gentleman sitting on our couch. Dear god please tell me this man isnt here for my hand in marriage. It couldnt be this bad could it. I tenatively smiled at him.

"Amara this is Arthwell Holland. He works for Mr. Graves."

"Hello." I went to sit next to my mother on the chaise.

He nodded at me and stood. " So Mrs. Kasmira I hope you will think over what we discussed and let me know soon."

"Certainly and Thank Mr. Graves for me." She got up to walk him to the door leaving me to ponder what on earth that was about. But I was guessing I wasnt going to like it becasuse I was certain it was a request for my hand in marriage.

When my mother returned her eyes were softer and the anger from before had seemed to disappear. She came back to sit by me.

"Well it appears Mr. Graves would like your hand in marriage. After your eighteenth birthday of course."

"Oh. And what is he offering?"

"Enough to pay off our debts and get us a new house. A much smaller house but still we wouldnt be homeless."

"I see."

"Amara," she began but before she could finish I had jumped up and was running up the stairs to my room.

I barely made it inside before the tears began to fall. This was happening all too fast. I didnt want this. None of it. I throw myself down on my bed. How is this fair? I know nothing I do or say can stop this from happening and acting this way is only making everything twice as hard. How could I go from being so happy to feeling like my whole world was ending? All in the span of a day. Life certainly didnt make much sense to me since my dad died. He was the one I could go to. The one that made sense of things that seemed impossible. And with him gone I have just felt so lost. But I know it has been even harder on my mom. I can tell by the way her shoulders are always hunched, as if she has the weight of the world on them. Which thinking of that now only makes me feel guilty for the way Im behaving. I promiused father I would help mother and I know what I must do. I sit up on my bed and dry my tears. Slowly I make my way back downstairs to find her in the kitchen.

"You must be hungry. Your sisters saved you some soup."

She sat down a bowl of soup and a piece of buttered bread. And I gratefully began to eat. I was starving. I hadnt ate since before noon.

"Im sorry mother."

"I know you are. And I know this is very hard for you. But we can get through it together, okay?"

I smiled at her. I loved my mother and sisters very much. It was time I grew up and stopped being selfish. And if that meant marrying a man I didnt know or love so be it. I just wished I was as brave as I made myself sound in my mind. As I finished my supper and cleaned up my thoughts drifted back to Ares. I wondered how he was feeling. If he was settled in okay at the Bray's. If I knew Arlin he would go out of his way to make him feel welcomed. He was kind that way as well as very talkative. I couldnt help but wonder if in their conversation I had come up. And what had been said about me by Ares.