What the Heart Wants

by Kelli McCracken

“I’m great,” he paused, turning to look at Heaven. “Mom, I want you to meet Heaven Lewis. Heaven, this is my mother.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Heaven said, watching as his mother extended her hand and gave her a warm, friendly handshake.

  “It’s a pleasure meeting you, too. You can call me Delia, sweetheart. I was about to come down and fix lunch. Are you kids hungry?” she asked as they followed her to the kitchen.

  “We ate before we came over,” Dylan answered, pulling out a chair for Heaven before taking a seat next to her.

  Delia grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down. “So, Heaven, tell me about yourself. Where are you from?”

  Now came the fun part. Interrogation. Though Delia’s questions were not discomforting. Yet.

  “I’m from a small town in northern Ohio, called Brightsville.”

  Delia’s brows shot to her hairline. “Is that near Cleveland?”

  “Yes, it is. Are you familiar with the area?”

  “Quite familiar. I grew up in Cleveland. It’s where Dylan’s dad and I met and where Dylan was born.”

  “Really? How did you end up in L.A.?”

  “Dylan’s dad received a promotion with his job, so we packed up and moved here.” Guess it really was a small world. “What brings you to California?” Delia continued, giving her full attention to Heaven.

  “I was in my best friend's wedding,” Heaven explained. She didn’t realize she was wringing her hands until Dylan reached under the table. His thumbs caressed them from her wrists to her knuckles. Long, soothing caresses.

  “She’s Chelsea’s best friend, Mom.”

  “Well, I didn’t know Chelsea was from Ohio.”

  “Chelsea didn’t move to California until our sophomore year of high school. She and her sister went to school with me and my sisters.”

  “How many sisters do you have?” Delia asked, tilting her coffee cup as she took a sip.

  Dylan’s phone vibrated, again.

  Heaven gazed at him, watching as he glanced down at it. His finger hovered over the screen for a second, like he was debating what to do. He tapped the screen once, then laid phone down.

  She waited to see if he’d look at her. He didn’t.

  Her eyes moved back to Delia, who was still waiting for her to answer. “I have two sisters. We’re triplets.”

  “Really? Are you identical?”

  “No, we’re fraternal. We favor each other, especially Faith and me. Hope is my other sister.”

  Delia set her cup back on the table and leaned on her elbows. Her heavy gaze made Heaven feel as if she were on an exam table inside an alien spaceship.

  “You three have beautiful names. How did your parents come up with them?”

  “It’s a crazy story.”

  “There isn’t much that surprises me,” Delia assured her. “I would like to hear the story, if you want to share it.”

  Heaven glanced at Dylan. His eyes had moved back to her. Warmth had entered them, again. She enjoyed the comfort his presence gave her. He pushed his chair closer to hers and gave her an encouraging smile. She knew he wanted to hear the story just as much as his mom did.

  “My mom went into labor a week before her scheduled C-section. Her doctor thought she was having twins. They didn’t know about the third baby.”

  “Oh, my,” Delia’s brows shot to her hairline. “I bet that was a surprise.”

  Heaven nodded. “The doctor delivered me first, but there were complications.”

  “Complications?” Delia’s face hardened. She grasped her coffee cup and picked it up. “What kind of complications?”

  “My umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck several times. The placenta was underneath my sisters. They had a hard time getting the cord cut because of it. When they finally got it loose, I wasn’t breathing.”

  Delia closed her eyes. Her lips moved, barely, as though she were mumbling something under her breath. “That’s every mother’s worst nightmare. Forgive me for getting emotional. Your story reminds me of a baby that was born the same time Dylan was. Please, finish.”

  “While one team was delivering my sisters, another team was working to resuscitate me. My mom said they worked on me for twenty minutes. She said she’d never forget the moment they pronounced me dead.”

  “They pronounced you dead?” Delia looked like she was on the edge of her seat, the way she leaned forward, coffee cup clasped between her hands and hovering just below her mouth.

  Heaven stole a glance at Dylan as she nodded. He, just like his mother, was engrossed in her every word. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before she turned back to face his mother.

  “While Mom watched me die, she heard another baby crying. The woman in the next room had just given birth. This is where the story gets crazy.”

  Heaven noticed Delia’s knuckles whiten as she swallowed hard. “Wh—what happened?” she stammered.

  “The cry from the other room intensified. Mom didn’t know why she was so aware of this other baby. Maybe because she’d just lost one of her own. But when she noticed its cry softening, she saw my body jerk.”

  “You came back to life?”

  “Yes. One of the nurses said she was about to cover me up with a blanket when my chest expanded and my skin started lightening. Next thing she knew, I was wailing.”

  Delia’s lips parted, like she was about to say something, then she shut them. She took a long sip from her cup and shifted her gaze to Dylan.

  “I can’t believe you died.” Dylan’s words tickled her ear as she turned to find him leaning closer. His eyes were watery with emotion.

  “I know. It’s crazy. And since my birth was so unique, Mom felt that I needed a unique name. What better name to give a child that had died and come back from—”

  “Heaven…” Delia whispered.

  Heaven flashed Delia a smile. “So that’s where my name came from. My parents decided that it was their hope and faith that got them through the whole ordeal, so that’s where my sisters’ names came from.”

  Delia’s eyes watered as they met with Heaven’s. If her cup weren’t covering her lips, Heaven would have sworn they were quivering. “That’s an amazing story, Heaven.”

  “I hope I didn’t bore you to tears.”

  “Never. I found your story…fascinating. May I ask something?”

  “Sure.”

  “When and where were you born?”

  “University Hospital, on Christmas Eve.”

  Delia cocked her head as her eyes darted to her son. “The same day as Dylan.”

  Heaven snapped her head in his direction. “We share the same birthday?”

  “Guess we do,” he whispered. His eyes rushed to his mother. “How strange is that?”

  Delia twitched her lips as the stare down between mother and son began. Through the awkward silence, Heaven tried to understand the hidden message, but couldn’t.

  Still, she was confident it had something to do with her.

  * * *

  Dylan could barely concentrate on the words coming out of his mother’s mouth. He was too preoccupied with missing Heaven. She was only twenty feet from him, beside the SUV, chatting with her mother on her phone. But it felt like she was halfway around the world.

  He wasn’t sure what had happened over the last couple of weeks, but something had changed. Their morning together at Jerry’s guesthouse had taken things to a different level.

  “Dylan, are you listening to me?”

  He tore his eyes from Heaven and glanced at his mother. “I’m sorry. I was…in deep thought.”

  “I noticed,” she snorted.

  “It’s hard not to be. I feel so…” he gave his mom a sideways glance as they walked up the edge of the deck, “connected to her.”

  “What do you mean, connected?”

  He tried to laugh off the awkwardness, but it came out more like a cough. “Um…whenever she’s around, hell, even when she isn’t around, I feel this pull to her. A gravitational
pull.”

  “Like physical attraction?”

  “Oh, it’s physical. It feels like we both have magnets inside us, and hers is constantly pulling on mine.”

  How could he explain this right? It was hard to put into words what he felt, and embarrassing enough already telling his mother. But she was the only one who would understand the weirdness of it all. The only one who wouldn’t look at him like he needed to be committed, like Layne did.

  “Kinda like the force between the Earth and moon?”

  “Yeah. And then there’s this vibration…it’s like a hum right here,” he said as he poked his stomach. “And it spreads all over my body. And I noticed that whatever mood she’s in, I’m in that mood, too. Like I can feel what she’s feeling.”

  “Like you’re sensing her emotions?”

  “Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” Of course, it did, but she wouldn’t think so. The woman could “see” with her gut.

  His mom paced the edge of the steps. “Remember how I once told you that the children of psychics often have their own psychic abilities?” He gave her a quick nod. “What you’re describing to me is an ability called empathy. Empaths are sensitive to other people’s emotions.”

  “But I only sense Heaven’s emotions. Why is that?”

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she stopped center of the steps and gazed out toward Heaven.

  So, now she was saying he was a psychic, just like her? This day kept getting stranger by the second.

  “The story…about Heaven’s death…” Even saying the dreaded d-word had his gut churning. He released a sigh and gripped the railing of the deck. “Now that she’s a part of my life, I can’t imagine her not being in it. She’s all I think about, Mom.”

  His mother opened her mouth, ready to say something, then lowered her gaze. “I know, honey. Hearing about Heaven’s birth…I never told you the story about your birth.”

  “Sure, you did, at least about the amount of pain I put you through,” he answered. Even that didn’t get a smile from her.

  What the hell?

  “When most babies are born, the doctors have to suction fluid from their mouths to get them to breathe. But not you. You came out wailing.”

  “Humph,” he grunted, balancing his weight on his arms as he continued to grip the rail. “And I’ve been using my voice to attract attention ever since.”

  She nodded. “The room I stayed in after you were born was right next to the nursery. I could hear the other babies’ cries off and on, and I’d get so tickled because I could pick your cry out amongst all of them. Maybe because you were the loudest. I don’t know.”

  “Imagine that.”

  Finally, she smiled at him. “One of the nurses brought you in while you were having one of your crying spells. She looked so frazzled. She told me that they couldn’t console you, so they brought you to me. But even I couldn’t calm you.”

  “Was something wrong with me?”

  “No, though we thought maybe you had colic. It wasn’t until later that night that the nurses made a discovery.” Why did that make his gut knot? “It seemed that every time this one baby was in the room beside you, you would stop crying. But when that baby was moved, even just across the room, you would throw a fit.”

  “That’s…odd.” He gazed over at Heaven, feeling the pull, again.

  “The nurse thought it was cute, how anytime this other baby was beside you, that you two would stare at each other and whimper, like you were trying to communicate.”

  Dylan felt a tingle across his skin. “Are you trying to tell me I’ve been an empath since birth?”

  She raised her hand to stop his questions. “Hear me out. See, two of the nurses wanted to test this theory they had, so they put you and this other baby in the same crib.”

  “What did we do?”

  “You both slept. Peacefully. But whenever they removed one of you, you’d both whimper, again. When they told me about it, I asked if there was something special about this baby.”

  “I’m assuming there was since you’re telling me about this.”

  She nodded and resumed her pacing. “It seems that the other baby was the talk of the maternity ward. She was known as the miracle baby because she’d died when she was born.”

  “Like Heaven did?”

  When his mom nodded, Dylan’s stomach flipped. The pull toward Heaven grew so physically challenging he had to stop himself from moving toward her. He released the rail and dug his hands into his back pockets.

  “I asked the nurse to check on something for me. What I discovered is…” She seemed to choke on her words. Her eyes watered as she met his eyes. “Dylan, that baby came back to life the same time you were born.”

  “Are you trying say this baby and I connected?”

  “More than that, Dylan. I think you saved that baby’s life.”

  His brows pinched as he gazed at her. “That’s impossible, Mom. How could I have saved that baby?”

  “How is it possible that you dreamed about Heaven before you met her?” she asked, stroking his arm. “Could it be that you’ve been connected to her since birth? That you breathed your breath into her when you were born?”

  Had time stopped? Or maybe his heart had? Hard to tell at that point because the only thing Dylan could think about was Heaven.

  “It has to be a coincidence…”

  “It can’t be coincidence, Dylan. You were born at University Hospital, the same day she was. And the baby that shared your crib…her name was Heaven.”

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER 19

  Dylan stole another glance at the reclined passenger seat…and at Heaven. Her eyes were closed, body curled on one side as spirals fell around her face. His eyes went to her chest, but not to admire the way her skin glistened in the sunlight. He focused on each rise and fall, noting how the rhythm matched the one expanding his chest. It was as if they shared the same breath.

  In a sense, they did. At least, that was his mom’s theory. And what an insane theory it was.

  You breathed life into Heaven’s dying body. That’s why you were crying when you were born. Your soul felt her loss. You were trying to save her…because she’s your soulmate.

  How was it possible? Then again, how were his dreams of Heaven possible? The little girl from his childhood dreams was no angel. She was Heaven.

  His vibrating phone drew his eyes downward. A text message box flashed across the screen with his mother’s message.

  I’ve started researching all of this. But you need to tell her the truth. Find out if she can sense your feelings, too…love you.

  Another one of his mother’s theories. That because he’d given part of himself to Heaven, she’d developed his empathy. Could that explain why she felt drawn to him, too? She’d already admitted that.

  But could she sense his emotions?

  Guess he’d find out soon enough, if he could find a way to tell her. How the hell was he supposed to explain this? He scoffed at the idea of the conversation.

  Hey, we’re connected. I saved your life when you were born. Gave you a part of myself. We’re soulmates. Oh, and I’ve been dreaming about you since I was kid…

  Yeah, right. He’d never hear from her, again.

  Unless she was feeling his emotions. And if she was, then she felt the emptiness he did when she wasn’t around.

  You’ve always been distant, Dylan. Even as a child. You once told me that you needed to see a doctor because you thought you had a hole in your heart…

  Christ…

  Shifting the SUV into Park, he killed the engine and stared into space. His mind was abuzz with the conversation between his mother and him.

  He knew he’d have to tell Heaven about their connection one day, but telling someone he felt a connection was one thing. Telling the person he was the reason they existed…

  “Are you okay?”

  The sweet sound of her voice stirred the fire in his heart. What once had been the ember of a forgotten f
lame had sparked into a full-blown blaze. His mom had said his shared emotions with Heaven would continue to heighten. Guess she’d been right.

  He met her gaze, offering her a smile so she wouldn’t be concerned. He knew she was concerned, had been since their weekend at Jerry’s. The constant hum of their connection vacillated when she worried.

  She shifted in her seat, reminding him that she’d asked a question. He stared into her eyes. “I’m fine, just a little tired from the drive. How are you feeling?”

  She shrugged. “You’d think I’d be used to the time difference by now. I couldn’t imagine traveling all the time.”

  “Try going on the road for a year. That’ll take it out of ya.”

  God, her smile was like sweet summer sunshine.

  He pulled his eyes away and removed the keys from the ignition. But before he could step out of the SUV, a surge of fire and ice shot across his skin. Her fingers were doing their magic. They did anytime she touched him.

  He met her eyes, again.

  This new awareness of who they really were to each other was going to make things difficult. As if wanting her hadn’t been a strong enough urge before. Hopefully, she’d understand once he had told her.

  If she didn’t, he’d go crazy.

  * * *

  Heaven brushed a strand of hair from her face as she tilted her head back and gazed upward. It wasn’t the perfect blue sky that held her spellbound. Nor was it the faint image of the moon warning the sun of its arrival. It was the majestic piece of nature standing underneath both sky and moon. A piece of nature that spoke to her soul.

  Its dangling branches swayed in the breeze, teasing the tips of grass blades. She wanted to run underneath those branches. But not to swing on them as she had as a child. She wanted to get lost in the feeling she had whenever this tree turned up in her dreams.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, still in awe of the great weeping willow. “How did you know I would like it?”

  He didn’t answer.

  She lowered her head until her eyes fell on him. When she connected with those dark eyes, her heart sighed. Why was it every time she looked at him, she wanted to breathe him in? It was more than that. Gazing at him, near this tree, stuck a familiar chord in her heart.