Requested by: Anonymous

Eliza had never felt more broken before in her entire life. The world had crashed down and brought death in its wake, taking away her first born child from his life.

Wailing and shrieking, she recalled the moment his heart stopped beating and those glorious eyes of his blinked no more. In all those fourteen hours of his pain, she hadn't left his side for one second.

After sobbing to herself, into the early hours of the morning, Eliza faced the consequences and future. The funeral happened only a few days later, leaving her more helpless than ever before. She stayed by his grave, until even the church cleared out and the moon raised up high in the night sky.

Things only became worse. Eliza found out in the most devastating state that her daughter had been mentally affected by the death of her brother, causing for her to fear for the seventeen year old's life.

Please don't leave me too, she thought, rocking her daughter back and forth one evening.

On a particular afternoon, Alexander found his wife sobbing and shaking by the fireplace. He tried to calm her, but she shrieked, "I'm not letting another child be taken away! You need to do something for her. If you truly want to redeem yourself then-" She didn't even finish, as another series of cries came from her lips.

He didn't leave her stranded without an answer. Each day he'd make sure to check up on his daughter in the morning, playing piano with her, and reminding her that the brother she once loved dearly was gone.

Eliza would watch it unfold from the corner of the doorway, but never thanked him. To forgive him in any way or form would be the last thing she wanted to do.

A change in setting seemed to what came next for the family. Packing up their belongings and saying goodbye to a house filled with memories, the family headed to another section of the city for a blank slate.

But that slate still had many scratches and dents, which brought all they wanted to leave behind, to the new house.

The children settled in rather well to the new home. Still dazed by their brother's death, each of them tried to move on. Even their mentally unstable sister seemed to be slightly better with the change of scenery.

But while the children may have forgiven their father, Eliza hadn't. She couldn't even look in his eyes, much less be in the same room. He had been the one to send her son to a duel. He didn't warn her. He had lied to her. He doesn't deserve to be forgiven, she thought to herself.

Alexander knew how his wife felt. Keeping himself closed off from the prying children, he stayed true to what she asked of him. There had been boundaries he crossed and he wasn't daring to cross them again.

Several nights he found himself asking why he ever thought it had been an idea to send his son to a duel. Grasping his pillow for comfort, sobbing into the night, Alexander prayed and prayed. He'd occasionally see his wife shift in her sleep at his cries.

How badly he wanted to reach out and hold her close and forget the past.

Where did I ever go wrong? Alexander felt completely lost every time his wife shoved past him in the house. She despised his presence, so it seemed. Eliza was unforgiving, that was for sure. He knew that of her even when they got married all those years ago.

But the quest to change a wife's state of mind was going to be the most difficult one a husband would face. Alexander paced in his study for hours on end, trying to think of what to say or what to do in order to make her realize he was still the man she married all those years ago.

It seemed like how ever many years ago they stood across from each other, both beaming and dressed in their best, the memory was only a distant reminder of something they once shared. But that felt gone, since Eliza couldn't even face her beloved husband.

"Eliza," he whispered to her one afternoon, noticing how silent she had become. His wife glanced over her shoulder and then turned back to a window. Alexander stepped forward, gulping down both air and pride. "Eliza," he called her name again.

I need your forgiveness, he begged through gritted teeth and a wandering mind. "Won't you even look at me? I'm in the wrong, yes-"

"You've been in the wrong since you didn't come upstate that summer. I should have suspected your lies with every infrequent letter we received." Eliza bit the inside of her cheek, still avoiding his gaze. All of her heart was broken, there was no sympathy left to give.

"So that's why you won't look me in the eye? I have told you several times of the affair and-"

"That's what it's always been about! You lied to me and covered yourself up for so long. And you managed to drag some girl into our bed, please her, and ruin something we had!"

It felt all too good to say that. Eliza breathed a sigh of relief, once the words left her system.

Alexander scoffed. Despite the tears he shed only hours before, he couldn't believe how cold his wife had become. Too damaged by his own doings, she fell down a drain and came back out with so many marks. She had changed.

Before he could even utter an apology, Eliza snapped, "And now you send our son to his own death. You tell him to duel that boy for the better. What were you thinking?!" Gazing into his eyes, she couldn't even see the man she had fallen in love with.

All of a sudden she noticed a sparkle in his eye, clear and moist, leaving the socket. Tears collapsed out of the corners of Alexander's eyes, leaving him to only stutter how sorry he was for everything.

Eliza tried backing away from his shaking figure. She panicked as he stumbled forward to her, dreading for the worst. But what came next surprised both of them.

A loud snap filled the room, as Alexander fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist. Similar to what the children did to keep their mother by their side, the gesture startled Eliza. She sucked in a breath when he clutched her skirts tighter, bunching them up in his hands, and sobbing.

Running one of her hands over the top of his head carelessly, Eliza blinked a few times, afraid tears of her own would start spilling. She didn't know how to forgive him or where to start. But maybe this was the beginning.

"Hush, you're alright," she finally whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair. Feeling her acceptance, Alexander pressed closer to her knees and let out a thankful sound. His eyes welled up with even more tears.

Forgiveness and hope covered the both of them in a warm gesture. Eliza stared up at the ceiling, knowing that the children above were probably hearing the moment themselves. She also knew that her other child was up there somewhere too, giving a smile of thanks.

You've forgiven father, she could almost hear his boyish voice whisper. Overcome with sadness and the feeling of her husband gripping her skirts, never to let go, Eliza breathed a sigh of relief.

And she prayed for only the best to become of such forgiveness, for both herself and the future of her little dears.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
A/N: Thank you to the Anonymous person for the request! I loved writing this for you, so hope you enjoyed how it turned out! Here's to the 100th one shot of this book, I wouldn't be writing these without all the wonderful support and love I've gotten from you guys. Thanks!