Chapter 196

#Chapter 196 A call home

“Doris, wake up.”

Doris flinched right out of her sleep when William touched her shoulder. He stood above her with a golden letter clasped in his grasp. Something about his eyes shot a new wave of worry right through her.

“What is it?” Doris sat up quickly. William raked his fingers through his hair as if he didn’t know what to do or say. A hole started to form in her chest at what might come out of his mouth.

“My father called home for me. He wants me to return by nightfall.” William said as he seated himself on the side of the bed. Doris moved up and wrapped her arms around him. Slowly, she released the breath that tried to strangle her.

“Are you alright?” Doris whispered. “Did it say anything else?”

“When I got the letter… I thought it was going to tell me that he was dead.” William glanced back at her. A glaze of sadness in his eyes that she wasn’t used to seeing. It pulled at her hollow chest. “I didn’t think it would be from him.”