#lydia maria child
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out of the woods: theo raeken.
1989 (Heartbreak Grillâs Version)
looking at it now it all seems to simple. we were lying on your couch. i remember.
âi have to go.â
theo groaned as the words left my lips. his arms, wrapped securely around my waist, tightened their grip as he inhaled a hopeless breath.
âno,â he nudged my neck with his nose, eliciting a soft giggle from me. âno, stay, please.â
âtheo,â i wriggled away from his ticklish touches, âi have to go.â
i tried to remove myself from his grasps, but he was strong. his large, warm hands, slid over my bare stomach, gripping onto my hips. he pressed my back into the mattress, as my wrestling arms came to rest on his shoulders. he had been growing out his hair and now it hung low enough to ghost over my collarbones. i shivered as the strands drug across my skin, theoâs lips attached to my neck.
âtheo,â i persisted, âscott gets off at 8. heâs going to come into my room and check if iâm there. when iâm not, heâs going to notify every single supernatural within a thirty mile radius, and every policeman within the county. they will be on your doorstep by 8:15, and i will be dead.â
as i spoke, i continued to try to fight theoâs strong hold, lifting my body from the mattress, and pushing back at his shoulders. my words seemed like a good enough threat to get him moving.
âi donât want you to go,â he moved to the edge of the bed, feet flat upon the floor.
i stood and gathered my clothes, occasionally tossing him pointed glances, âas much as i enjoy this- i would prefer to not die tonight. i have a chemistry exam tomorrow. here-â
theo rolled his eyes as i tossed his boxers to him. it landed on top of his head. i stifled a laugh and tugged on my jeans.
theo ripped the boxers off and mocked my laughter, âhaha, very funny.â
i shrugged and stuck my head through my t-shirt. âlisten,â i made my way towards the front door of theoâs tiny, studio apartment. it wasnât much, but it beat sleeping in his truck every night, like he had been doing. i laced up my shoes, âi should be able to see you tomorrow night. iâll text you, though, let you know whatâs happening.â
theo noticed i was reaching for the door handle and quickly shimmied into his boxers. he slapped a hand against the door, âwait!â
it slammed shut. i looked up at him, an expectant expression on my face. âyeah?â
theo caught my chin in his hands, and planted a sweet kiss on my lips. i melted into the moment, leaning my weight into his hold, allowing my fingers to gently ghost his chest. however, as soon as theo moved to deepen the exchange, my phone started ringing.
my eyes flew open, a wide, worried look taking over my dazed face. i held out a finger towards theo, as if to shush him, as i answered the call.
âhello? oh, hi, scott,â i shot theo a glance. he crossed his arms, figure shrunk in a guilty demeanor. âno, yeah- iâm on my way home now. oh, chinese sounds good. yep- no, yeah. just gotta shower first. just- with gina. yep. studying. chem exam tomorrow! yep. yeah. k. love you! bye.â
i stared at my phone for a second, as though scott were going to climb out of it and kill theo for even being in the same room as me. when that didnât happen, i let out a deep breath.
âokay,â i looked to the boy, âi have got to get going. iâll see you tomorrow, yeah?â
âyeah,â theo couldnât help but grin down at me, âtomorrow.â
i noticed his body tilt towards mine, his chest lean towards me, and i held up a finger, cocked a brow. âdonât even think about it or i will never get out of here.â
i could hear him groaning as i shut the door behind me.
â
you took a polaroid of us, then discovered the rest of the world was black and white, but we were in screaming color.
âwhat are you doing for your birthday?â
i balanced the popcorn bowl on my lap as i twisted around on the couch. theo glanced over at me from the fridge, flashing that bright, wide grin.
i couldnât help but smile, though nothing special really was happening. ânot sure yet. why do you ask?â
âjust wondering.â
i stared at the back of his stooped, trying to read between the lines of his very few words. theo could feel my gaze, could hear my curious heartbeat, and looked up against. âwhat?â
i slowly brought a piece of popcorn to my lips, brows furrowed, âwhy are you asking?â
ânothing,â he reached into the fridge and grabbed a can of coke. the door shut softly behind him. he neared the couch and cracked open the drink. i continued to stare him. âwhy do you keep staring at me like that?â
âbecause i know itâs not nothing,â i set the bowl down on the coffee table and came up onto my knees. theo tilted his head and peered down at me. âyouâve got stuff on your mind. say it. let it out into the open. this is a judgement free zone.â
he chuckled softly as i gestured to the tiny apartment. ânot exactly a zone as is.â
i reached up and smacked his forearm. âjust tell me! please?â
theo took another sip of his coke, thinking intensely. âthereâs really not much to say. i was just thinking how your birthday is coming up and i wanted to maybe do something special for you.â
âwait, really?â i perked up, elbows pressed into the back of the couch and chin planted upon my palms. âaw, wait really?â
theo rolled his eyes, âyes, really. but, i know you guys probably have stuff planned. so, i was just trying to get a feel for when we could fit something in.â
âno oneâs said anything to me about any plans. though,â my mind wandered a bit, and the stupid hope theoâs healing heart always gave me filled my lungs, âif they do figure something out, i donât see why you couldnât just come to that..?â
theoâs soft face hardened slightly, a gut wrenching frown painting his pink lips. âyeahâŠi donât know about that. liam still wants me dead. scott and stiles hate me- not to mention malia and lydia probably would be happy to kick me in the balls.â
i thought over the words, imagining each scenario play out. he was right. âyeahâŠâ i trailed off, âyeah, i donât think that would happen. i just-â
i struggled to find my words, gaze distant, hope shattered. âi donât know-â
âi know,â theo touched my cheek, fingers cold from the can of coke now in his other hand. âi know.â
âiâm tired of hiding, theo,â my voice came out quiet and timid, expressive to how i was truly feeling. it was exhausting, constantly sneaking around, always being on the lookout for scott.
âi know, baby,â he squatted down to my level, holding my face with both hands, now. his thumbs brushed over the apples of my cheeks, eyes catching my distant ones. âlistenâŠi know itâs hard, butâŠthey just donât understand it, okay? they wouldnât get it. you- you put your faith in me when i didnât deserve it. if it wasnât for you, if it wasnât for your hope, i donât think i would be the man i am today. you saw a lost, broken boy and you helped me get back on my feet. you helped me make up for every wrong iâve done. iâŠâ
he didnât continue any sentence. he just pressed his lips together. my heart fluttered at the anticipation of what it couldâve been he wanted to say.
âi just wishâŠâ i gathered some thoughts, âi wish theyâd give you a chance.â
âone day,â theo kissed me shortly, âi thinkâŠone day, itâll happen.â
we curled up on the tiny couch, fit for his small apartment, and watched a movie. i lay in the crevice of his side, clutching to his body like it would be taken from me. often, i worried that that would happen. scott would catch us, committing no crimes, and juror theo to a fate worse than death. it seemed so silly- scott was the sworn protector of this town. he always ensured everyoneâs happiness, health, prosperity. yet, when it came to me, those guarantees fell short. heâd rather i be holed up in my room, or holed up at school, my nose in a book, than i live, than i date or work or go out with friends.
it made everything so complicated. it made my life complicated- i had rules to follow, i had curfews, i had to answer the phone every time he called or the entire world would fall apart. i understood my brother just wanted me to be safe, to stay alive- but he was ruining my life while trying to save it.
i looked up towards theo, worry swimming through my eyes. he turned his head at my own shuffling and smiled, though it faded at the sight of my worried face.
âhey, hey,â he shifted his body towards mine, âbabyâŠitâs okay. heyâŠeverythingâs gonna be okay, yeah? i wonât let anything ruin this, okay?â
âiâm just worried heâs gonna take you away from meâŠâ
âi know,â theo brushed the hair from my face, âi know, but i wonât let him. iâŠâ
that unfinished thought again.
i set my hands upon theoâs shoulder, worry being coaxed down by the affection i felt for him. âi love you,â i admitted.
theoâs face softened, the gold flecks in his eyes on fire from my confession. he pulled my face closer towards his, rushing out a response before crashing our lips together.
âi love you.â
â
and i remember thinking: are we out of the woods yet? are we in the clear yet good?
âi saw theo today.â
i looked up from my plate, eyes widened in curiosity. i flicked my gaze between lydia, scott, stiles, malia, and liam. everyone paused from eating their food. they focused on lydiaâs words.
scott straightened his stooped neck. his thick brows were furrowed with inquiry, âreally? where?â
âthe store,â lydia spoke pointedly. âhe was buying a dozen roses from the supermarket.â
âwell, at least we know heâs a cheap date,â stiles was quick to nip.
i felt my face grow warm, both from worry and frustration. i shoveled some noodles into my mouth.
malia poked at her straw, âwhatâs he doing here? i thought he left?â
âi think we all did,â scott sighed. he wiped a napkin across his face. âdid he have any other groceries?â
lydia rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, as if to recite the items she saw in his cart. âeggs, milk, icing, chicken nuggets, a loaf of bread, and, i think, penne noodles. couldâve been elbow macaroni, though. couldnât really tell.â
a smile creeped onto my face as i pieced together the groceries. i was supposed to see theo tonight, though iâd told mom and scott i was going to ginaâs for a sleepover. i guess i had a birthday cake and flowers to look forward to.
everyone thought for a moment. then, stiles cracked another lame joke, âhey, maybe heâs going to make up for nearly killing y/n by baking her a cake!â
i choked on my water. scott reached a concerned hand over to pat my back. i pressed a napkin to my face and coughed erratically. âyou okay?â scott brushed hair form my cheek.
i nodded wildly, âyep- yeah. yep! great. good. sorry.â
scott patted my back again before returning to the conversation. âfor his sake, i hope he isnât planning on doing that. i hope he isnât planning on contacting any of us. if he does, you all need to tell me- immediately, okay? stiles, let your dad know heâs lingering around. y/n-â
i sniffled from my coughing fit. âyeah?â
scottâs face was lined with a deepened worry, brown eyes swimming with concern for me. âi donât think i want you going to ginaâs tonight. or anywhere but school for the time being. not until we know what theoâs doing here.â
my brows furrowed tightly, âwhat? no! what- why- how is that fair? no- scott. i canât-â
âmom will agree,â scott cut me off. âiâm not risking anything.â
âbutâŠâ i went to continue to argue my case, but scott continued rattling off instructional orders to the rest of the group.
and, so, my birthday dinner turned into driving to the sheriffâs station with the entire pack. sitting in stilinkiâs office until we figured out where theo was living. we drove to the street and patrolled his apartment until 1am. then, stiles dropped scott and i off at home.
nobody even sang me happy birthday.
looking at it now, last december, we were built to fall apart. then fall back together.
âitâs not much, but itâs better than nothing.â
âtheo,â i grinned as i took a box from him. a big red bow adorned the glittery wrapping paper. it wasnât heavy, and the size of the box was quite small. but my heart lit on fire from the lovely gesture. âyou really shouldnât have.â
âno, i wanted to,â he waved me off. âyou deserveâŠso much. the world.â
i met his eyes and recognized that familiar, glistening adoration iâd gotten so used to. âi justâŠfeel bad. you donât have much money, and-â
âit doesnât matter,â theo pressed a hand to my knee.
we were criss-cross on the couch, sparse christmas decorations scattered through his tiny apartment. iâd insisted on lining tinsel across the door, lights around the tv console, putting the fake tree in the already crowded corner. i hadnât been able to come over much and wanted theo to be able to feel some semblance of joyous occasion when i wasnât there. this was the first time weâd seen each other since thanksgiving.
i only managed to escape the house because i convinced scott that gina and i had to spend christmas together.
âopen it!â theo squeezed my knee again.
i giggled at his excited stature and quickly unraveled the bow. inside, amidst the folds of a velvet box, was a necklace with the letter t hanging off of a gold chain. i grinned at the sight, âoh, my gosh! here- put it on me!â
i held my hair from my shoulders as theo clipped the necklace at the nape of my spine. his cold fingers ghosted across my skin until his palms were around my shoulders. he tugged my back into his chest, laying us down upon the couch.
your necklace hanging from my neck, the night we couldn't quite forget when we decided to move the furniture so we could dance.
silence enveloped our presence, a comforting feeling of peace that we rarely had. âi love you, theo,â i let myself whisper. i tried to say it more often than not, worried that one day i wouldnât be able to remind him of it.
âwe should tell scott.â
i pulled myself up, out of theoâs hold, turning to face him on the couch. i was bewildered. my face surely showed it, âwhat?â
theo ran a hand through his hair, âi think we should tell scott, y/n.â
i shook my head slightly, âno, no. no- we canât do that. theo- no.â
his tone became increasingly critical, disagreeing with my own disapproval. âwhy not? im tired of hiding-â
âheâll kill you, theo,â i rushed out. my breathing was anticipatory in itâs quick speed. âscott will kill you, theo.â
âi donât know. heâsâŠmerciful. i think if we tell him, we can-â
âtheo, no!â i jumped from the couch. âplease, just stop. i donât want to fight about this with you. itâs not happening. end of stor-â
âwhy does that get to just be your decision? why donât i get to have a say in this relationship? itâs all up to you!â theo followed me from our seats. he spoke wildly, his hands moving with his words.
i crossed my arms, âi risk everything every single day that i text you. i put myself on the line just to see you. iâm lying to my brother, my best friend- my mom! theo- i thought you understood-â
âiâm just tired of being your little secret. i want to be able to- to see you. i want to come to your birthday dinners and spend christmas morning with you. i want to be in your life. i feel like iâm just on the sidelines!â
âmaybe you shouldnât have tried to kill all of us!â
the words blurted from my lips before i could stop them. the stale silence that followed my heartless thoughts was bitter and cold. theo turned his shoulder from me, dropping his head into his hands.
âoh, my god,â i stepped forward, bracing my hands for impact. âiâm so sorry. theo- i-â
âi thought youâd forgiven me,â he murmured into his palm. âyou told me you forgave me for that.â
âi did- i did, i just- iâm sorry! i donât know why i said tha-â
âmaybe scottâs right,â theo met my eyes finally, tears blurring his green ones.
âwhat-?â
âmaybe i never will change. maybe iâm just a bad guy. maybe itâs not a good idea for you to be around me.â
âno, theo, no-â he kept interrupting me.
âyou should leave.â
i couldnât find the words to stay, but i needed to.
i stepped forward, again, touching theoâs shoulder. he whipped his head back to face me, beautiful eyes darkened by the yellow hue, fangs protruding from his teeth, claws digging into his palms that were beginning to bleed.
âget out!â he roared.
i flinched, throwing myself back a few feet. my hands were shaking. i quickly gathered my things, never turning my back from the monstrous boy standing before me. his chest heaved with anger. he glared.
for the first time in a long time, i was scared of theo.
so, i ran.
baby, like we stood a chance; two paper airplanes flying. and i remember thinkingâŠ
âare you awake?â
scott knocked upon my bedroom door.
i rolled over in my bed, away from the sound of his voice, away from his incessant worry.
i knew he could hear my heartbeat. i knew he could smell my pheromones.
i ignored him. he had his answers. i wanted to be left alone.
scott sighed. âplease talk to me.â
i didnât want to.
âwell,â he tried to sound cheery, but it failed, âiâll be out here when youâre ready.â
weeks had passed.
silence had followed.
scott was always wondering why i didnât go to study group with gina. mom worried why i didnât want to eat my favorite dinner on thursday nights. stiles was confused when i would voluntarily tag along on patrols with him and scott. when weâd pass theoâs house, iâd press my headphones into my ears and drown the two teenage boys out.
lydia drug me to the mall the following week. scott had told everyone he was worried i was depressed. but he didnât know why.
i knew why.
i didnât text theo. and he didnât try to reach me.
i let the necklace pool in my makeup drawer. my fingers ghosted over it every morning, and iâd flinch as though it burned me. it just made me brain flicker with unwanted memories.
i had nightmares about him.
heâd come into my room and tear me apart.
heâd kill scott right in front of me.
heâd rip my momâs throat out during dinner.
i dreamed of him, too.
of his arms, the contradictory peace i felt from his fingers. i knew, deep down inside, that his threatening demeanor wasnât real. it was a projection of his innermost insecurities, his frustration because he could only ever have parts of me.
but i was still terrified. it took me back to a time in my life when theo really was the villain. back to the night when the dread doctors nearly killed me. it reminded me of things iâd worked hard to get over.
it felt like last year, only this time, my heart was broken, too.
i donât know why i thought it would work. bad people never changed. theyâd maybe give you a hurricane eye, false hope that things would be clearing up, the storm would pass. and, then, their true, dark colors would appear like the rain. thundering down on you.
i thought back to months ago, when i first let him in. iâd run into him at the grocery store, like lydia. he was buying tuna fish and a potted plant. he had a certain soil type in his cart. i didnât recognize him at first, mostly because iâd blocked his face from my memory, and his hair had grown out. he was hiding beneath his hoodie, too.
are we out of the woods yet? are we in the clear yet? good.
âthat soils gonna kill that plant.â
i peered over at the strangerâs cart, my own basket swinging from my arm.
âoh!â he looked up from the cereal box in his hands, surprised by my voice.
his brows furrowed, friendly smile faltering slightly. âoh. uhâŠâ he wasnât quite sure what to say.
i chuckled shortly, âsorry to startle you? i justâŠdonât want to watch this poor guy be carted off to his death.â
theo looked at the plant as i pointed to it. he set the cereal down in his car, shook his head once, and met my eyes again, âoh. thatâs okay. umâŠwould you mind telling me what soil i need?â
âyeah, of course. cmon.â
i marched us off to the plant aisle. as we walked across the entire supermarket, i told him all about my plant collection at home. i shared personal details of my life, remarked as he brought up his own stories.
then, i found the small bag easily, and dumped it into his cart, shoveling the other one back onto the shelf.
he thanked me with this sweet grin. âwow, uh, thank you, so much. any other tips?â
his smile twisted into a smirk, something friendly, nothing too extreme. but, itâs what clicked my memories together. i recognized him then.
i frowned and took a slow step back, âum. sorryâŠâ
i quickly turned on my heel and raced away from the aisle. theo was hot on my heels. he chased me with his cart, stumbling over apologies that i was sure didnât mean anything. âwait- no! y/n! iâm sorry! please! please let me-! iâm so sorry!â
i tried to pull my phone from my pocket to call scott, but it clattered to the floor. i skidded to a stop, dropping to my knees to grab it. the basket in my arm tipped and everything sprawled across the floor.
i reached for my phone and cursed at the mess. his hand came down over mine. he shot his grip back, apologizing. âi didnât mea-â
âleave me alone.â
i donât know how he convinced me to go to dinner with him.
remember when you hit the brakes too soon? 20 stitches in the hospital room. when you started crying, baby, i did, too. but, when the sun came up i was looking at you.
âi think we should talk.â
i glanced over at lydia, thumbs pressing into my thighs anxiously. i sucked in a breath, cold air drowning in my lungs. the wipers rubbed over the window wildly, rain pouring down outside. the radio played softly.
i watched a raindrop race down the window, then glanced over at lydia. âabout what?â
she met my eye for a second. she looked like she knew something i didnât want her to. i gulped.
âyou know iâŠâ she trailed off. she licked her teeth in an attempt to find her words, carefully. âi can see things, y/n.â
i sucked in another breath. i couldnât get enough. i shouldâve known this would happen. lydia didnât just get premonitions of death. if she was connected to somebody enough, like me, she could see flashes of secrets.
âyeahâŠâ i whispered.
âi donâtâŠâ lydia struggled to speak, âi donât know what to say, necessarily. i only know bits and pieces. likeâŠchristmas. he- he wanted to hurt you. but, then- at the grocery store. he was gonna bake you a cake. wha- please tell me what happened, y/n.â
i explained the situation with a shaky voice, fingers rubbing one another in a ruminating anxiety. lydia just listened intently. i was worried she was going to turn the car around, drive us back home to tell scott. iâd get holed up in my room while the pack went on a man and wolf hunt.
but, when i was finished, lydia just stared off at the road.
âwell?â i pressed.
she glanced at me, again, âwow. i donâtâŠi donât know what to say. i justâŠiâve loved some bad people, y/n. one of them- died. the other moved to london, butâŠbut they did change. i changed them, iâd like to think. they became good people. but, i think thatâs because they were good people, in their core. they were just scaredâŠi know you probably know theo better than i do, butâŠi donât know. he killed his sister. if he were a real wolf, his eyes would be blue, y/n. he came to this town to kill your brother. to take our pack. and he nearly killed you. so many of our classmatesâ lives ended because of theo. i just- heâsâŠâ
as she spoke, images flashed through my mind.
two months ago, theo and i had drove three hours outside of town to go to the movie theater. as we walked inside, we saw a little girl sitting upon the curb. she was leaned over, sobbing into her hands. i didnât know what to do. i was never really good with kids.
theo dropped my hand, ignoring the end of our conversation. he marched over to her, squatted down to speak to her. i couldnât quite hear what he said, but she looked up at him with these huge, sad eyes. tears stained her face.
theo stood. he offered her his hand. she took it gladly.
he talked to her, quietly, as they walked inside. i followed closely. we stood with the movie theater attendants while they found the girlâs mom.
later, theo showed me a photo of his sister that he kept tucked within a book in his bedroom. it was the only thing he had left of her. that, and the awful memory of what heâd done to her.
she looked to be the age of that little girl, the one who squeezed theo like an old friend before running off to her mommy. she kissed his cheek. she thanked him.
âevery night, i have nightmares aboutâŠâ
i remember holding him through these terrifying dreamsâŠ
âabout what i did to her. i regret it- i regret it, y/n. if i could give my life to get her back i- i would do it in a heartbeat. iâŠiâm so sorry of who i am. of where iâve been and what iâve done. iâm sorry. iâm so fucking sorry. i wish..i wish we could start over. i wish i could meet you in another lifetime, one where none of this ever happened.â
i held his face in my hands, gently, âtheoâŠitâs okay. we allâŠweâve all done things that we wish we could take back. we can only deal with the consequences, and make the best of it. i love you- i love you so much. i forgive you.â
remember when we couldnât take the heat? i walked out. i said, âiâm setting you free.â but the monsters turned out to be just trees. when the sun came up- you were looking at me.
âtheo isâŠâ
lydia didnât quite finish her sentence, but my i did with my own sad realizations. âscared. heâs scared. heâsâŠheâs been fighting his whole life. he was just aâŠjust a boy when the dread doctors found him. they manipulated him and- and, god. i-i was helping him and thenâŠgod, iâm so mean. i let your guysâ threats against theo ruin my own beliefs. and i let it ruin usâŠlydia- i-â
âiâm sorry,â she said. it was sincere. âi didnâtâŠi didnât know. iâm so sorry, y/n. donât blame yourself for how it ended. youâŠyou had every right to say what you did. it was his choice as to how he reacted to it. and he pushed you away.â
âbut, but- i could have stayed. i could have helped him. we could have worked it out- i need to go see him. lydia, please- take me home-â
lydia screamed.
my eardrums burst.
blood dripped down my jaw, staining the collar of my jean jacket. the tired squealed against the slick pavement. the car went over the side of the road, flying through an empty field, and crashing down on itâs head. broken glass scraped across my face. the seatbelt nearly choked me as our bodies twisted upside down with the car.
i was awake for a mere moments after the car stilled. the radio continued to play soft, haunting melodies. the rain pattered, splashing my face.
the only thing i could picture was theoâs face.
it was almost as if he was right there before me.
when i woke, i was in a hospital bed. i couldnât quite open my eyes. my head was pounding and the florescent lighting stung my vision. the cuts in my skin thumped with my heartbeat. the iv in my arm felt thick, heavy, cold fluids running in my veins.
above the annoying beeping of the machines attached to my body were two voices. angry voices. arguing voices.
theo and scott.
âno, i donât think you understand, theo! get out! i donât want you anywhere near my sister! you- i donât trust you! this probably happened because of you!â
my eyes shot open.
theo stepped back as scott yelled in his face. his tone was more calm than my brotherâs, hands raised defensively, yet in a surrendering offer with his palms facing the ceiling. âscott, please, just-â
âno! get out! leave! before i make you!â scottâs hands were shaking with anger. he seethed, chest rising up and down wildly.
i tried to move, but my body paralyzed. words wouldnât come, either, because a breathing mask was over my mouth.
âscott-!â theo tried, once more.
scott growled, eyes turning red, ears pointing up towards the moon in the window. he was completely transformed. i knew how dangerous that was. i knew how angry he was.
my eyes shot towards the doorway as mom quickly entered. she stopped before scott, placing her hands on his shoulders gently, âscottâŠhoney, cmon, youâve gotta breathe, okay? iâve got a hospital full of patients and the last thing i need is to have the night janitor clean up after two werewolves.â
âthen tell him to leave!â scott pointed a claw at theo.
mom looked towards the boy, brows furrowing in anger. she composed herself better. âtheoâŠâ mom spoke warily, âyou need to leave. now.â
âno, you donât understand! i didnât do this! i-i brought her here! if i wanted to kill her, why would i bring her here!â
âto save your ass!â scott roared.
i examined theoâs face as it tilted towards the light. tears shone on his cheeks. mom pushed scott back an inch, âno, scott! hey, honey, cmon! heâs- heâs telling the truth. he brought her here- he didnât try to kill her, scott!â
âthen what did?â
âa deer,â mom spoke blankly. she pursed her lips. the confession was awkward, humanized compared to what we were all used to.
scott straightened his posture, transforming back into a human. his breathing evened out. âoh. iâmâŠ.â
theo sighed, ran a hand over his face. âlookâŠi know you hate me. and you have every right to. butâŠi justâŠiâm not leaving. iâm staying.â
he took a step towards my bed. scott moved in front of him, blocking me. âstay away from her.â
âscott,â mom examined theoâs face as he met my eyes. he breathed out a sigh of relief and quickly grabbed my hand.
theo dropped to the chair beside my bed, clutching my fingers in his. he pressed his forehead to my touch, mumbling gratitude beneath his breath.
âi thought i lost you,â theo whispered.
mom and scott watched. mom crossed her arms over her chest, a wondrously pleased expression in her eyes. she glanced at scott. he gasped at our interaction.
i blinked away a tear. theo kissed the back of my hand. âi really thought i lost you. god- iâmâŠiâm never letting you leave me again. iâm sorry. iâm so fucking sorry for scaring you. i promise, i promise itâll never happen again. iâm never gonna let go of you, iâm never gonna push you away again, okay? i love you.â
i nodded gently, unable to do much else. my fingers wriggled in his hands. he squeezed mine.
scott stepped forward, âtheoâŠâ
theo met scottâs eyes. he huffed, âplease. please just five minutes. iâll leave if you want me to, butâŠplease, scott just give me five minutes, okay? you can chase me out of beacon hills, to the ends of the earth, but please let me have five minutes with my girl.â
scott went to say something else, but mom grabbed his bicep. âfive minutes.â
she began leading then to the hall, scott following begrudgingly. she looked over her shoulder to tell theo, âfive minutes and then we have a lot to talk about, okay? starting with youâre gonna start going to therapy and i have a 24 pack of condoms in my office.â
my face turned beat red.
theo laughed, a relieved, gentle sound i had missed for far too long. he met my eyes again.
âi love you.â
you were looking at me. i remember. are we out of the woods yet? are we in the clear yet? good.
#theo raeken#theo raken imagine#theo raekan imagine#theo raekan x reader#theo raeken x liam dunbar#theo raeken x reader#theo raeken x you#teen wolf x reader#teen wolf stiles#teen wolf#teen wolf x you#teen wolf x y/n#theo raeken x your name#stiles stilinski#lydia martin#lydia maria child#derek x stiles#stiles stilinksi fanfiction#stiles stilinksi imagine#stiles stilinksi x reader#stiles x lydia#stiles x reader
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Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words.
-- Lydia M. Child
#flowers#language of flowers#lydia maria child#nature photography#quote#switzerland#montbretia#valentine flower
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Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of the character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning. ~ Lydia Maria Child
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"The government ought not to be invested with power to control the affections, any more than the consciences of citizens."
Lydia Maria Child, activist, novelist, and journalist (11th February 1802-1880)
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Lydia Maria Child (nĂ©e Francis; February 11, 1802 â October 20, 1880) was an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, Native American rights activist, novelist, journalist, and opponent of American expansionism.
Her journals, both fiction and domestic manuals, reached wide audiences from the 1820s through the 1850s. At times she shocked her audience as she tried to take on issues of both male dominance and white supremacy in some of her stories.
Despite these challenges, Child may be most remembered for her poem "Over the River and Through the Wood." Her grandparents' house, which she wrote about visiting, was restored by Tufts University in 1976 and stands near the Mystic River on South Street, in Medford, Massachusetts.
#Lydia Maria Child#Lydia Maria Francis#women in history#women for women#women rights#american abolitionist#native american rights#xix century#photo#photography#black and white
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COLONEL ROBERT G. SHAW BY ELIZA B. SEDGWICK | Poem #history
If you would like to read the full book, you can find many versions in your library or online. This book is in the public domain. You can find it on many sites. Ex. Project Gutenberg and Google Play Books. Disclaimer: The book is available in the public domain and may contain some historical inaccuracy. I summarize the book to the best of my ability or highlight excerpts of interesting facts. If you would like to add information, advise a current article/book, and/or critically analyze the book, it is welcome. Thank you.
#youtube#The Freedom's Book#Lydia Maria Child#COLONEL ROBERT G. SHAW#ELIZA B. SEDGWICK#1865#TheFreedomsBook#LydiaMariaChild#ColonelRobertGShaw#ElizaBSedwick#history#book#OldBook#books#PublicDomain#HistoryInEverything
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Misfortune is never mournful to the soul that accepts it; for such do always see that every cloud is an angel's face. Every man deems that he has precisely the trials and temptations which are the hardest of all others for him to bear; but they are so, simply because they are the very ones he most needs.
Lydia Maria Child, Letters from New York
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I love books like these. Thank you for sharing this.
sorry i was researching the author of a victorian book about raising children and now i'm fascinated by her. clear my schedule we're talking about lydia maria child.
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Knowledge, Freedom and Faith
Of all monopolies, a monopoly of knowledge is the worst. Let it be as active as the ocean â as free as the wind â as universal as the sun-beams! The great abolitionist Lydia Maria Child wrote these powerful words in 1833 in her groundbreaking work, An Appeal in Favor of the Class of Americans Called Africans. Although the theme is on the unjust suppression of knowledge about slavery, her callâŠ
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#acceptance#Blogging community#comfort#connection#embrace#Embrace Life#Encouragement#explore#Faith#faithful#familiarity#free flow#Full life#Grace#grateful#grief#heart#hope#ideas#inner strength#learn#Letting Go#liberation#life#loss#Love#Lydia Maria Child#moments of time#powerful#prayers
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Lydia Maria Child: Government and power
âThe government ought not to be invested with power to control the affections, any more than the consciences of citizens.â âLydia Maria Child.
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balancing evils judiciously
#mhac.txt#mhac does edits#<- ONLY because i fixed the rotation/size and highlighted#lydia maria child#balancing evils judiciously
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âHousewives cannot be feminists and yada yadaâ. Meet the formidable Lydia Maria Child (nĂ©e Francis), who fiercely fought with no more weapons than her sharp quill and her even sharper wit for the rights of the Native American during the peak of the Expansionism Movement, as well as fought against slavery. She was a renowned suffragist as well as a remarkable poet, being her most famous poem âOver the River and Through the Woodâ. Aside from many poems and works with a heavy political emphasis, she also wrote âThe Frugal Housewife. Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of Economyâ for those readers who needed to get through economical hardships.
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Greetings! My today's question is: how scandalous is it to elope and marry in Gretna Green? What consequences does the couple face? Edmund's reaction to Julia's elopement seems to indicate that it's pretty bad, though definitely not as bad as Maria's folly: "At any other time this would have been felt dreadfully. Now it seems nothing; yet it is an heavy aggravation."
Remember that the Bertrams are on the conservative side of moral beliefs, so they aren't the best meter for judging how scandalous something really is to the wider public.
Here are my thoughts:
Obeying your parents was a big part of the moral system of the Regency and elopement is a defiance of your parents. You are acting without their permission or approbation. Given that "honour your mother and father" is the 5th commandment in the Bible and the first one that applies to how we treat other people, it's a big deal (yes, it's before "don't murder")
It's stupid, so society makes it taboo. As a woman, it's a huge risk. If you elope and never marry, you are ruined (the fear with Lydia). If you are an heiress, you marry without a proper legal agreement (marriage articles) and your husband can steal and squander your wealth (the fear with Georgiana). Marriage articles protected women. Lydia's eventual one gives her ÂŁ1000 that Wickham cannot touch. That is so important for her! Things like a jointure (basically survivor's benefit) were also put in the marriage articles. For Robert Ferrars and Julia Bertram, the risk of elopement was that they may not be accepted back into their families. Given their financial situations, this wasn't a huge risk, but it would be something that would make life difficult for them going forward. Connections are everything!
Both of these things matter so much because marriage is basically permanent. It's not a mistake you can just undo and make up with your parents. I believe there were post-marriage articles that were possible, but if your husband wouldn't sign, you were screwed. Divorce was prohibitively expensive and the criteria were very strict. So marriage shouldn't be a decision of passion without forethought. It's a big deal!
As Mary Crawford points out, if you give good dinners a lot of people will accept you no matter what, but respectable families may shun you.
So to sum up, it's taboo and frowned upon because it's dangerous. To me, it kind of seems like the way we view smoking today. And I think different families would have varied reactions to it, some may cut their children off forever, some may reconcile after a few years, or they may decide to accept the marriage for social reasons (not losing another child like Sir Thomas or to save their reputation like the Bennets)
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