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“But—”

“I will get us out of here!” she assured her. “But you must trust me!”

Amelia’s eyes went wide, only for her to see her rescuer’s composure and somehow calm down. A nod shared between them, and Hannah smiled.

Then, holding Amelia to her body with one arm, she reached beneath the surface and pulled on Amelia’s dress. Indeed, it was caught on something, likely a submerged tree. Another tug, still the dress refused to budge.

“Argh!” Hannah cried. “Amelia, I am going to let go of you?—”

“What? No! Please! Don’t!”

“Kick with your feet!” Hannah told her. “Use your arms to keep your head above the water. I will only be a second, I promise!”

“But… but… but I am scared!”

“You don’t have to be.” Again, Hannah made sure the little girl was looking at her. “I am here, Amelia, and I promise that nothing will happen to you. Alright?”

The little girl understood, and what was more, she accepted it. Her face hardened, and her brow furrowed. Slowly, Hannah let her go, making sure that Amelia was keeping her head afloat on her own. And then, she dove beneath the water a second time.

She could not see what she was doing, but she followed the dress with her hands, finding where it was snagged around a tree branch. Using both hands and all her might, Hannah tore the dress apart, ripping it down the seam, stretching it out and then wrenching it free from the branch. The moment she did so, Amelia’s feet kicked all the harder, and the little girl was off.

By then, Hannah was exhausted. She could not feel her arms. She could not feel her legs. Her lung burned. Her chest ached. With all her might, she managed to kick her way to the surface, pulling in a final lungful of air and seeing Amelia scramble toward the shore.

She was safe.

Hannah smiled to herself, knowing that she had rescued her. But then, all the energy she had used to save Amelia vanished in an instant, and despite knowing what it would mean, she could not fathom what it might take to swim back to shore. Impossible, it seemed.

A final look to ensure that Amelia was safe, and Hannah stopped kicking. Her body shut down. Her eyes fluttered shut. And then, slowly, she began to sink into the water, all the while smiling because at least she would die knowing that she had saved someone she truly loved…

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Frederick tried not to panic as he raced through the forest.

Everything was going to be alright. Hannah had been wrong. He would arrive at the pond to find it empty. Surely, this night would not turn into the worst night of his entire life…

He tried to tell himself these things as he ran, but he had trouble believing them. As soon as William had found him and told him what Hannah had theorized, he’d known the truth of it.

As unbelievable as it might seem, he had little doubt now that his daughter had indeed gone to the pond where they had first bonded all those weeks ago.

If it wasn’t for the fear that was crashing down on him with each breath that he took, he might have smiled at the notion. Had that day really meant so much to Amelia? It had felt so innocuous to Frederick, just one of many wonderful days the three had spent together, and yet to his daughter, its significance must have beenhuge. It was the first time she had begun to accept Hannah into their little family, the first time she had begun to consider Hannah as her mother, the first time she had realized that she and Frederick would no longer be alone.

The choice of escape spoke volumes to the effect that his and Hannah’s separation was having on his daughter, and it spoke volumes to something that Frederick should have seen days ago.

But he could not worry about that now. Not until he knew they were safe!

Through the forest he ran, eventually breaching the trees and stumbling into the clearing. He ran his eyes over the pond and then the shore just in time to see Amelia clambering onto dry land.

“Amelia!” he cried, his heart soaring as he raced toward her. “Amelia!” He reached her, fell to his knees, and pulled her into his chest. “You’re safe! God, you’re safe! I’m here!”

“H-Hannah!” Amelia stammered, pushing away from him.

“No, it’s your father.”

“She’s drowning!” Amelia spun back desperately, pointing to the placid pond.

“Hannah?” Frederick searched the pond, unable to see what his daughter was talking about. “What do you mean? Where is?—”

“Father, please! She is drowning! You have to hurry! You must!”