Raven couldn’t look away from her.
The color of her skin.
The color of her eyes.
The brightness and life within her eyes.
The way her hair fell over her shoulder as she reached for her cup of broth.
Her scent.
The combination of her lemon cream pie scent and the medicinal tang of the hospital soap/shampoo.
Her bare arms.
Her exposed neck.
She uncovered the cup.
“Missy? Can I?
She looked up at him.
“Can I feed you?”
She smiled a wide, happy smile. “Absolutely!”
***
LM watched Raven feed Missy the beef broth one spoonful at a time.
He frowned.
I don’t understand this.
He sat in the nearby chair and leaned his head back.
Why would he feed her when she can clearly feed herself?
LM closed his eyes and tried his best to see the sense in it. But the lines were all the wrong colors and shapes. There was no way to make them connect.
He sighed.
Humans and vampires are all the same. They don’t make sense. They will never make sense. They lack the ability or something. They clearly lack something inside their brains. Maybe their brains are just wrong altogether. Maybe they just…they just can’t be right.
He sighed again.
Capernaum had his inexplicable, nonsensical moments, but never anything like this. He was better than this.
No wonder I miss him.
“Capernaum, my dear friend.”
***
Capernaum stood off to the side. He stayed invisible. No one saw him. No one sensed him. He was no one.
He was nothing but a silent specter.
He focused on the half-fey. He watched him fidget into a more comfortable position. At least, as comfortable as his stiff wings would allow.
If only I were still alive, I wouldn’t feel this tug of war. Wanting to stay with him. Wanting to go back there.
I wish I could just go back there.
LM sighed again and relaxed.
But I can’t leave him.
Not yet.
I must stay until he’s ready to let me go.
And I’m ready to let him go.
***
Jeff hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He had meant to stay awake and celebrate Missy’s awakening.
But he had made the mistake of sitting in one of the arm chairs. He was a goner as soon as he did that.
He closed his eyes.
He leaned his head back.
He listened to Raven and Missy talking.
Their voices.
Their happiness.
All of his fear and anxieties drained away, leaving him with relief and exhaustion. He fell asleep and he dreamed.
Laura was there at his side. Crystals glinted all over her simple white gown. Silver and gold tinsel shined in her dark hair. She knelt by his chair and stroked the side of his face. “My love.”
He opened his eyes and saw her there. “Laura. Is this real? Am I dreaming?”
She smiled. “Maybe a bit of both.”
He covered her hand with his hand. It felt warm and solid and real. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, my love, but it isn’t a hurting kind of feeling. It is the feeling of hope that one day we will be together again.”
“Couldn’t we…?”
Her expression turned serious. “No. Not yet. There are people down here who need you. People who will need you when the time comes.”
“Then, kiss me. Kiss me, Laura, and that will be enough for now.”
She leaned forward.
His breath caught as her lips touched his lips.
Laura…
***
“Missy.”
She took one more spoonful of broth and looked up at Raven.
His mind was so full of thoughts and love all tangled together he couldn’t fit any of it into a sensible sentence.
So, he simply said her name again.
And she smiled.
ambroseandelsie 