°~Two Weeks Later~°

(John POV)

"Daddy!!"

Frances skipped into my arms, hugging me tightly. I kissed her forehead before ruffling her hair, setting her down upon the ground. She grabbed my hand, tugging it away. "Come play!" she insisted.
"Perhaps later, I need to write a couple of letters befo-"
She pouted at me, cupping her hands together.
"...Fine."

She hopped around with excitement, leading towards the back garden. "Franny, put your coat on before you freeze!" I chuckled. She stormed away to the coat rack, handing me her coat. I helped her to put it on, doing up each individual button. She instantaneously raced off, standing on the tip of her toes to turn the doorknob. Martha didn't let her out often, for she was afraid of her contracting a cold. But I tried to prove to be the relaxed father, allowing her her free will.

The snow came up to her waist, drawing her down. Finding it difficult to move, she crossed her arms. I sneaked up behind her, swiftly hooking my hands beneath her armpits. I threw her onto my right shoulder, making her laugh wildly. "Daddy, look!" She pointed towards the shed. I followed her direction, landing upon a cocoon hanging from the roof.

"What is it?" Frances pondered.
"That's a cocoon." I confirmed.
"A cocoon?"
"It acts as a shield, keeping insects safe throughout the winter." I leaned in closer for her to get a better view of it. "I hear you like butterflies, do you not?"
"Mmhm!" She frantically nodded her head.
"Well, they have to use cocoons, too."
"How?"

"Well, before they can turn into a butterfly, caterpillars have to build their own cocoon."
"Capertillers?" Frances interrupted. "Are they baby butterflies?"
"Essentially, yes." I confirmed. "So when they're inside the cocoon, they can take a few days to a few weeks to transform into a beautiful butterfly, like you."

She giggled. "Like me?"
"I suppose so. You were like a caterpillar that found its way into mommy's tummy, and over a long 9 months, a beautiful butterfly was born." I nuzzled my head into hers. "It may have been a rough journey, but all three of us made it through." I peered to the house, finding Martha standing at the doorway, smiling sweetly.

"Daddy?"
"Mmhm?"
"How are babies made, anyway?"
"Uhmm- Martha! My love!" I used her as a distraction, clambering over the snow towards my wife. I pecked her on the lips, Frances turning away in disgust.

"Now you go along and play." I told Frances, setting her back into the snow. I latched my hand around Martha's waist, pulling her in as we strolled to the couch. Sitting down, Martha sighed, leaning her head onto my shoulder.
"Look at how happy she is." she contemplated, gazing out as Frances dived into the snow.
"All thanks to you, my love." I pulled her even closer, kissing her cheek affectionately.

I scattered kisses across her jawline. "John!" she giggled. I lingered upon the crook of her neck, quickening my pace. "John..." she said much more sternly. I continued on, keeping her as my own. "John-!" She abruptly pulled away. "I'm sorry, there's just... something I need to talk with you about."
"Anything, my love, what is it?"

She straightened up her dress, sighing reluctantly. "You... You really like Emily, don't you?" Emily and I had grown much closer over the weeks. It was almost as though Sophie and her were true sisters: they both had that same, ebullient personality. But Emily... She differed in a way that I couldn't describe. Her energy and liveliness surpassed all, and I certainly admired that. There was no doubting that I'd consider Sophie my sister, but Emily...

"Don't you?" I questioned with worry.
"Of course I do. She's great, she's elegant, bold, ambitious..." Martha smiled. "She's just like you."
"Then what are you...?"
"John, it's just... I know it wasn't your true intention to... marry me..."
"What? No!" -I took her hand- "From the moment I saw you, I knew that it was meant to be."
She nodded slightly. "Of course you did. But that's just what everyone wants you to think."

"I don't understand..."
"Don't think I didn't know about you and Alexander, John."

My breathing stopped.

She tightened her grip reassuringly. "I knew the first time you met, you clicked."
"No... N- No, there was nothing--"
"John, it's okay!" She turned to me, a tear rapidly slipping down her face. "It's okay. It's alright that you felt that way, and I won't criticise you on that. Because I love you."

Another tear fell, as she fiddled with her wedding ring. "But I saw the way you looked at Emily that night." she stated. "You were taken aback. A- And I've never seen you look like that before..."
"No." I grunted, taking her chin. "I've devoted my love to you. That day we married, I promised to always be by your side. We'd raise a family in a nation we've had the honourable service to build."
"That's what society wants you to think, John. They're corrupting you.

You want to marry and start a family, but it's not out of love, it's... It's to make others happy. And you've found your love, John." Martha slipped off her wedding ring slowly. "Besides, we can only ever see each other a mere once a year."
"Martha, what are you doing?" I became startled. She opened up the palm of my hand, closing it around the ring.
"Be with her, John. And you'll be the happiest couple in this world."

"I can't, Martha, I have chosen you. And what of poor Frances, she--"
"You could never be brought to love me, John. As much as I adore you, and wish we could be the happiest couple in this world... We cannot." She wiped another tear away. "I just... wished that... you'd look at me the same way you looked at her."

Martha pushed my closed hand to my chest. "So be with her. Grant the two of you the love that you've been dreaming of... because I'm afraid that I cannot give it to you." She kissed my lips a final time, resting her head back onto my shoulder.

We watched our child play in the snow a final time.

~~~~~~~~~~

I just spent 10 minutes purely staring at the publish button