by Mary Abshire
She crossed her arms and paced on the pavement. Maybe a car would come by and she could catch a ride to the nearest town. After several minutes of walking around, her patience ended. She needed to find Andrew and she was on her own.
Arms at her sides, she strode in the direction the taxis had gone. She moved closer to the edge of the rode in case, by some chance, a car would show up. She’d never hitchhiked before, but since she was in heaven, she didn’t fear a murderer or rapist offering her a ride.
The sun warmed her face and arms. She couldn’t allow this little hiccup to ruin her mood. Andrew had to be nearby. As soon as she found him, they could spend eternity in each other’s arms. Now that sounded like heaven.
Minutes later she heard a faint voice. She slowed her pace. When she heard the voice again, she spun around. Heat waves rolled on the pavement. In the distance in the middle of the road she saw something drawing near. It had to be a person and he or she wasn’t on a bike. They were moving too slow.
“Emily!” the person called out.
Excitement flooded her. She thought she’d heard Andrew’s voice. She put her hand above her eyes and peered closer. She couldn’t make out who the person was riding the bicycle.
“Emily!”
Recognizing Andrew’s voice, she started running.
Tears began to build in her eyes as she could see him clearer on the bike. Clean-shaven, muscular, and with short, dark locks, he looked exactly as she remembered him. The large damp spot around the collar and center of his gray shirt led her to believe he’d been sweating for a while. She’d waited so long to see him again, too long to touch and kiss him. Now that she could do all that and more, she’d take full advantage every day.
Breathing fast, she slowed her pace as he approached at a quicker speed. She found herself at a loss for words. So much love filled her. So much joy. She had him. In heaven. Happily ever after did exist.
She brought her hands up to her face and couldn’t hold back from crying. He braked and the tires skidded. He jumped off the bike and let it fall to the ground. He rushed toward her with his arms open.
She leaped into his embrace and locked her arms around his neck.
“It’s you. It’s really you,” he said, squeezing the life out of her.
She gasped, trying to breathe. Everything seemed so unreal. “Tell me I’m not dreaming. Please tell me I’m here.”
He set her on the ground and took her face into his hands. Tears had built in his eyes. “It’s not a dream. You’re with me in heaven and I’m never letting you go. Never.”
When he pressed his lips to hers, she liquefied. For the longest time, she’d doubted she’d see him. Now she had him in her grasp. Forever. Her prayers had been answered.
Her days of sorrow and misery were history. The future called for endless love and happiness from the man her heart and soul yearned for. She was more than ready to start now.
Epilogue
“Daddy,” said the precious gift from the adjoining room.
Matt stood in front of the stove, stirring the boiling noodles. He never tired of hearing Sara’s voice. It had been five years since Emily’s death. He thanked God every day for allowing such a sweet girl to live. The doctor who had delivered her had told him Sara would’ve died had they waited for the fire department to cut Emily out of the car. Matt would never forget that chaotic day.
“Yes, angel. I’m coming.” He lowered the heat on the burner before he darted across the kitchen, heading for the living room.
He found her kneeling on the floor at the end of the coffee table. Dressed in pink striped tights and a white t-shirt, she colored on a piece of paper. She had long, blondish-brown hair with a barrette clipped on the side to hold her locks back from her face. He kneeled beside her, put his hand on her head, and then kissed it.
“Stacy said Ms. Stewart teaches first grade,” Sara said.
“Stacy from bible school?”
She nodded.
“That’s good. You like Ms. Stewart.”
She set the crayon down and then took another from the box nearby.
Matt glanced at the picture she’d created. She’d drawn a large stick figure on one side. The lines were thick and black hair circled the head. He presumed she’d drawn her version of him. A smaller stick figure with yellow hair held a flower in one hand and the big stick figure’s hand in her other. A third stick figure with brown hair stood in front of a building with several windows. Matt guessed the person was a woman since Sara had drawn a rectangle over the line and shaded it in, giving the appearance the person wore a dress. But what captured his attention the most was the white coloring around the large stick figure and the one in front of the building.
“She’s nice. She helps Toby color and play with the others,” Sara said.
Toby had vision trouble and required a little more attention than most her age. Sara had told him other kids made fun of him often. She’d also said she’d stood up for him. While he believed her intentions were pure of heart, he had to instruct her not to start trouble with the adolescents picking on Toby. But then he’d given her the okay to defend herself if anyone attempted to cause harm.
“Honey, who’s in the picture?” he asked.
“That’s you and me.” She pointed near the smaller stick figure with the flower. “And that’s Ms. Stewart.” She took a green crayon from the box and then shaded the lower portion of the page.
“Sara, honey, why is there a white cloud around me and Ms. Stewart? Why isn’t there one around you?” he asked.
“I can’t see mine. I’ve looked and looked in every mirror, and I can’t see it.”
“See what?”
She lifted her gaze to him. Tiny freckles around her nose reminded him of Emily. She looked so much like her except in the eyes. They belonged to Andrew.
“The glow,” she said.
“What glow?”
She tilted her head and furrowed her brows. “Do I have one, Daddy?”
“A glow?”
She nodded. “What color is it?”
He stared at her as he remembered Andrew had the ability to see auras. Was it possible the trait had passed to her through Andrew’s DNA?
He swallowed hard. “Do you see a white glow surrounding me now?”
She nodded. “What color is mine, Daddy?”
He lifted her locks off her shoulder before he rubbed it. “I can’t see things the way you can. And I’m confident in saying others can’t either.”
“Why, Daddy?”
“Sweetheart, you’re a special girl and I mean that in the most positive way. Everybody has a gift. Your mother was a good fighter and very strong willed.”
She put her hand on his forearm and pinched gently. “You have muscle.”
He chuckled. “Yes, I do. And you have a talent of seeing the goodness in people. White is good. Anything with color is not so good. Red and black are bad. Black is the worst and you want to stay away from anyone who has a black glow.”
Her eyes widened with fright. “But most have color.”
“It’s okay to talk to them, but you need to be cautious. And from now on, I want you to tell me when you see someone with a red or black glow.”
“Are you going to hurt them?”
“No, but we need to stay away from them.”
“All the kids have white glows, even the ones who pick on Toby. How come they don’t have a colorful glow?”
Matt scrubbed a hand over his mouth. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell her. Although she was smart for her age, her naivety could cause issues.
“Right now, I’d like for you to keep quiet about your gift. I’ll do some research and see what I can find out, but if you say anything to others, it could cause them to look at you differently,” he said.
“Why, Daddy?”
“Because people don’t understand. And what they don’t understand can scare them sometimes.”
She resumed coloring the bottom of the page. “I’m not
scared.”
“No, honey. There’s nothing to be scared about. But let’s keep this between you and me. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said in a chipper tone.
Matt looked at the picture again. It seemed Ms. Stewart had a white glow, too, based on the cloud Sara had made around the stick figure. The news relieved him. He’d enjoyed talking to her after bible class for the kids. He enjoyed bumping into her at the store too. She had a cute smile and sexy figure. Moreover, she had a kind and generous personality. She intrigued him. Now that he knew she had a good heart and soul, he wanted to learn more about her.
“Is dinner ready yet, Daddy?” Sara asked.
“Should be. I’ll go check.” He gave her a kiss on the side of her head. “Love you, baby.”
“Love you.”
He left her coloring as he headed back to the kitchen. He’d always believed God had a plan for everyone. Emily’s death had been a huge shock to him, but he’d quickly realized his purpose and had accepted it. He had no idea what Sara’s future would be like, but he’d do his best to mold her into an honest, compassionate, and respectable member of society. One day he’d tell her truth and the message her real father had delivered on her first day. For now, Matt aimed to keep her happy and safe so she could enjoy her childhood with as little worries as possible. Trying to achieve said goal seemed difficult at times, but with love, some rules, and maybe help from Ms. Stewart, he believed he could accomplish his mission.
The End
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Other Books by Mary Abshire:
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