I just reread this story and want to thank you for creating such a beautifully haunting piece. In the light of what happened in the canon DA, I appreciate even more the depth of your M/M characterizations and how you capture so vividly their iconic love. Thank you for sharing your obvious talents as a writer.

I enjoyed your story more than I have enjoyed any fanfiction in a long time. Mathews death broke my heart I even started crying I hah hoped he would survive in the story making it different from the series I cried when he died then and now when he died in your story. You write very well and I look forward to reading more of your stories.
Sincerely midnightstar

This was one of the first fanfics I read as a way to get over the hurt from CS 2012. Ooops. But there was something wonderful and cathartic about crying into my Kindle at 3am. So brilliantly done, and I set the bar high by coming across your fics first. Your characterizations are so spot on, and oh, what a story you can weave. At least the senseless loss here made more sense with it being the War. So beautifully paced and presented, and honestly, I cannot rave enough about your writing. THank you for letting me be able to be lost in M/M land again!

Devastatingly beautiful. I was inconsolable when I read this story. The loss of Matthew felt so very personal to me. Through their letters we came to know Matthew and Mary more deeply. All of your characters seemed so real, so vivid. What has continued to haunt me - since the day that I read the last chapter when you had posted it nearly 5 months ago - is the utter senselessness of war. The stomping out of precious lives. The moment-by-moment fear that soldiers have to somehow cope with. The chaos and the despair. The randomness of who gets to survive and who doesn't. This was one story that I'll truly never forget. You're such a gifted writer; I look forward to further riches from you. Thank you.

Nooooooooo! Not here. Can't take this anymore. My heart is breaking. I know, you've done a wonderful job in this story. It's just still so raw and fresh from canon and I don't think any of us will get over this, not completely.
Sorry. You writing amazingly well. I was riveted to the story, just didn't expect this ending.

I remember telling myself while reading your last chapters: “she’s so brave to write it, it’s a very interesting AU and it’s almost pleasant to feel angst when they are so happy in canon”. At least Matthew knew his son in canon but his/your last letter is much much better that what Fellowes gave him…

Oh How SAD! I'm crying my eyes out now! Thank you for the wonderful story!

I'm finally here, and I'm SO sorry it's taken me so long to review properly - but gah, it hurts! I just can't bear there to be no Matthew, it's so, so, fundamentally wrong... and I've hopped down before Mary's letter because I will be a mess after that, so let me consider the rest first while I still feel some sort of denial...

Agh, I'm in awe of how beautifully handled this chapter is. WILLIAM! And the dog, and... gah, though it was only alluded to, just to remember properly again what had happened to Matthew, that it really did (within this fic, THANK GOODNESS), oh it's painful :'( But I'm so glad he had the dog with him, and that Mary's gotten it back, and... I hope it will become a treasured posession of Charles Matthew's as well :) Of whom, omg, what a WONDERFUL way to bring that in! So subtle and so clever - and the image of Mary at Napier's wedding, in black and with Matthew's ring still - OH, it hurts to think that he's gone. No, I'm actually crying. Damn. But GAH. A testament to the power of your story, dear :')

OH GAH AND NOW I HAVE TO READ THE LETTER AGAIN...

(It's quite hard to read through streaming tears, you know! :S)

Ok. Phew. I'm afraid I just can't find the words, I wish I could, to express how absolutely and beautifully heartbreaking that letter as an end to this story is. That he broke a promise, that he'll never read it, that they should have been married that day - and that she'll never hold it against him :') It ended as it began, with a letter, and GAH I wish I could express how wonderful I think it is, but I can't, because if I let myself think about it too much I'm just beyond words!

*HUGS* Thank you for the most wonderful of stories, my dear - and I hope you'll take it as the compliment I mean that I am so, unutterably glad that a story is all it is!

What a touching end to the story! I liked the deconstruction of the timeline for this chapter. It worked amazingly well for the reveal of the baby! I'm so glad that Mary at the very least had the baby to remember Matthew by. Such a bittersweet ending. I loved it! I can't wait to see what you write next!

I've read this final chapter over and over and now I have to write a review and let it go. *sigh*
You have such a deft touch with the sadness and healing. The amount of detail you gave in each scene really worked for me, carrying me along and keeping me a little off balance. I liked the open-ended Robert conversation (although he did get Murray looking into inheritance) and how the women rallied 'round Mary. The loose ends of the story make it real, because life is a series of loose ends.
The letter was beautiful. William was beautiful. William's tale of the battlefield was the saddest thing ever, as short as it was.

i actually cried

Wow, well you did it, you made me cry again and now i can't stop! Yes i love she has a little of Matthew with her from now on. Something tells me Mary and little Charlie have their own angel looking out for them now. Anyway great-sad-happy- nerve-racking-crazy-lovely story. I could say a lot more, but it would help if i could see the KEYBOARD! -

I loved this story from the start and the end did not dissapoint.

That was an amazing ending to a terrific story. But am I going crazy or was there no mention before about that last twist?

When a writer can create an eddie of undulating emotions within a story, then the reader becomes engaged. Thank you for a vice gripping story, that made me smile and cry, and both at the same time. WHile I cannot fathom a Mary without Matthew, and his death broke my heart, the ending does it all justice! cheers, and please keep up the writing