“Willow! Stay with me, Willow!” Tony calls to me from somewhere in the dark fog.
If I go to him, I will feel the pain. If I stay where I’m at, I get the sweet relief that this darkness brings me.
“Turn the freaking thing off now!” he yells at the top of his lungs. It’s enough to make me want to open my eyes, but I don’t. The darkness feels so good, so I let it carry me away.
Epilogue
“Yes,” I breathe to Tony with a smile on my face. “I do.”
“Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Tony wastes no time wrapping his arms around me and kissing me with a passion unmatched by any other. I melt in his arms as the kiss prolongs more than it probably should.
He leaves me breathless when he pulls away and the crowd of guests bursts into applause. I blush as I look to my bridesmaids and then to the crowd. I catch my dad’s gaze as he wipes a tear away from his eyes and I almost cry again.
Today has been a day filled with happy, bittersweet tears. Tears that my dad has to let me go. Tears that my mom can’t be here today. Tears of joy that I can now call Tony my husband. Tears of relief that life is finally returning to normal. At least as normal as life will ever be.
It’s hard to believe that only a month ago Blake and his men were taken down. Alec got the pleasure of arresting him just like he wanted. I didn’t get to see everything since I was completely passed out. Marya tells me that it was awesome though. She was the one that ran and got Jon to turn the machine off for me. I woke up the following day in the medical wing of the camp, surrounded by all of my family and friends. After that fateful day, life was a blur of debriefings, testifying in court at Blake’s trial, capturing the rogue Reapers, helping to plan the release of the other shelters, and of course, planning our wedding. No wonder it all happened in the blink of an eye.
Tony envelopes his hand in mind, bringing me back to this amazing moment. I wrap my hand in his. We smile at each other as we walk back down the aisle. Cheerful clapping along with some hoots and hollers from our friends sound out as we reach the sanctuary doors.
We walk out and into a tiny room off to the side to gain some privacy before the reception. Tony closes the door behind him and his look sends shivers down my spine. He wastes no time placing his lips back on mine.
There’s no more reserve in his kiss, no more holding back. The thought that we don’t have to anymore… that this vow we have made to each other says he is mine and I am his… It makes my heart leap with joy. We’ve waited so long for this moment to break down the final walls between us; where two become one. My heartbeat quickens with his. His kisses move down to my neck and then to my collarbone.
A knock on the door makes me jump. Tony raises his head back up to meet mine.
“Later,” he tells me and it’s all I can do not to speed this reception up and get the heck out of here. He lets me go. He’s breathless as he answers the door. Thankfully, he doesn’t open it all the way, because I’m still pretty hot and bothered.
I can hear Connor’s voice on the other side. “Hey man, I know y’all are now married and all but…yeah…you’ve got a cake to cut.”
I bite my knuckle to keep from laughing as Tony slams the door in Connor’s face. He walks back over to me, cupping my face with his hands.
He sighs. “Well, we’ve waited this long. What’s a few more hours?”
I blush and laugh. He’s right. Let’s enjoy tonight. Enjoy the fact that all of our family and friends that can be with us are here. We’ll dance the night away and relish every detail… and then… when it’s all said and done, we’ll truly become husband and wife.
I nod and Tony grabs my hand once more.
“Good luck trying to figure this dress out,” I quip as we walk out the door. “It took three girls to get it on and buttoned.”
Tony gives me a heated stare. “I have scissors,” he says playfully.
***
Tony hands me off to my dad for the father/daughter dance. “You look so beautiful tonight,” he tells me.
I smile back. “Thanks, Dad. You clean up pretty well yourself.”
He gives me a small chuckle. “Well, Carrie had a lot to do with it. I wouldn’t have known how to assemble this monkey suit if it hadn’t been for her. I would have looked like a disfigured penguin.”
I can’t help but laugh at his banter. “I really like her, Dad,” I say simply.
He gets a twinkle in his eye when he talks of her. I can tell he really likes her. “I like her too,” my dad says. “I’m glad that you feel the same—it means a lot.”
He gives me a small twirl and then wraps his hand back around my waist. “I can’t believe this is it,” he says, while choking up.
“Dad,” I say quickly, trying to keep him from crying. Because if he cries, I will too and then we’ll both be a mess. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just getting married. I will always be your little girl.” I purse my lips to keep the tears at bay.
He embraces me in a hug as the song comes to an end. “I love you, Willow.”
I squeeze him back. “I love you too, Daddy.”
“I wuv you too,” Sabby says as he comes up and joins our dance by locking onto both of our legs.
“I love you, little brother, so much you don’t even know it.” I smile down at him.
“Oh, I’s knows it.” He grins widely.
***
“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Erik says to me when I’m making my way to the punch bowl.
He startled me; I hadn’t heard him approach. I turn to find an elderly woman with gnarled, aged hands.
“This is Virginia,” Erik says.
The older woman takes my hand in hers and places her other hand on top of mine. There’s something different about her but I can’t place it.
“Willow, it’s so lovely to meet you,” she says in a sweet voice.
I smile at her. “It’s lovely to meet you as well.” Her eyes are the color of sea foam. Both lovely and beautiful.
“I believe I have something that you want. Although I can’t physically give it to you, I can guide you in how to use it. I think a day like today is as special as any.”
My lips part in question. I try not to look confused but I am completely and utterly lost. She must sense this because she smiles in understanding.
“If you don’t mind, I would love to talk to you somewhere quiet. With Tony, of course.”
Tony walks up beside us and places his hand on the small of my back.
“Do you know about this?” I ask him.
“Of course. This is my gift to you. And of course, Erik is in on it too.” I look up at Tony with confusion. How is this lady a gift to me?
Virginia leads us out of the reception hall. I can’t help but shake the feeling that I know someone named Virginia… or heard of her.
On the way out, I spot Connor attempting the running man while Claire holds her shaking head in her hands from embarrassment. I bet she’s hoping he doesn’t pull that stunt on their wedding day. It’s only a few months away.
The night air is warm on my skin. Tony’s hand has since wrapped around mine as we slowly walk from the reception venue following Virginia and Erik. Erik has Virginia’s arm draped through his as he escorts her slowly to a sitting area surrounded by a small garden. There are two concrete benches outside. Erik and Virginia take one and Tony and I take the other.
Virginia leans forward and takes my hands in hers again. There’s a comforting presence about her. Maybe it comes from being her age or maybe it’s her sweet spirit. Either way, her grandmotherly presence puts me at ease.
She pats my hand. “Now that Project ELE is behind us and the world is moving forward, I felt like now would be a good time to give you this gift. Until now, I am the only person to possess it. It is quite possibly the most powerful gift of them all, but I trust that you will use it wisely.”
I nod my head in acknowledgement. “You can trust me,” I say simp
ly, even though I have no idea what she’s referring to.
Erik interjects, “Remember when you first came and saw me back at the camp?” I nod my head. “I told you about a power you had yet to possess, saying it wasn’t time for you to have it. That it was very powerful.” He pauses, giving me time to think. Then it dawns on me.
“Yes! Now I can place it. Virginia was the person you mentioned that had the gift of passing through time. A seer, Audrey, had a vision of what I would do with a gift like that and it wasn’t pretty,” I say, remembering the conversation.
“Exactly,” Erik says. “Now that the past is behind us and the future is looking bright, we asked Audrey to look again and see if now is the right time.” Virginia interjects, “Well, it’s a good thing that she gave the go ahead because I’m not getting any younger. I turned eighty-seven this spring. I am the only one known to have my gift and we didn’t want it to go completely extinct.” Virginia looks deep into my eyes. “I trust you, Willow. I know that you can handle this now.”
I smile thoughtfully as she says this. I am honored that they think highly enough of me to trust me with such an important responsibility. And obviously to trust Tony with it too.
Erik looks at Virginia, who nods her head. “I think it’s time,” Virginia whispers to Erik.
He agrees with her and turns to me. “Willow, Virginia would like to walk you through the first time to make sure you understand this gift. We have found that if you connect with someone through physical contact, you are able to travel with them mentally wherever you decide to go. Now there are two very important rules you must follow. One, you should not ever, under any circumstances, try to change the path of someone’s actions. You never know how it will affect the future. Two, you should always take someone with you when you utilize the gift in the instance your emotions overtake your decision making.”
Erik takes a deep breath and looks me dead in the eye. “I know how close you were to your mother…”
A lump forms in my throat as I realize what’s about to happen. Tears spill over my cheeks as I choke back sobs. Something I never thought would be possible. I will get a chance to see my mother. I can hear Tony trying to hold back his emotion beside me as he squeezes me tightly against him.
I hold my hand up to Erik, “Give me just a moment, please.”
He nods his head, giving me an understanding look. I let my emotions go and cry for a few moments, letting the new emotions I’m feeling calm me. I simply cannot fathom that I will get to see my mother again. I choke back the last few sobs and pull myself together. To hell with my makeup—I’m going to see my mother. The thought is still difficult for me to grasp. It feels like I lost her all over again and now I can find her.
I take a deep breath and look over at Tony. He gives me a bittersweet smile and then nods his head in approval.
“It will be the three of you making this journey, Willow: Virginia, Tony, and you.”
Virginia takes over the conversation. “I will be there with you the entire time. Now, you can talk to the person. Sometimes they will believe who you are and accept it and sometimes they get scared and run away. You can talk to them and carry on a conversation with them. However, you are able to manipulate a situation by warning them or telling them to do something against their own will. That is what has to be avoided and that is exactly what can change history as we know it. Once you have changed history, it can never be fixed. I’m sure you realize the importance of understanding that last part.”
I nod my head eagerly in anticipation.
“Your mother will most likely forget the encounter soon after we leave. Her soul will never forget it, but her mind will. Now, I want us to all link arms. From my experience, you can move about in the vision and it will not change the fact that our arms are linked. If for some reason someone lets go in the vision, they will be pulled from it as well, leaving the person on their own inside the vision.”
Again, I nod my head in understanding, trying to feel the weight in each of her words. To really understand everything she is saying.
Virginia leans back over to Erik, whispering something in his ear. He nods.
I glance over to Tony.
“It’s going to be fine,” he tells me.
I nod my head because words are completely lost on me for this moment.
“Are you ready?” Virginia asks me in her sweet voice.
I take a deep breath and regain my composure. “Yes,” I whisper nervously.
She smiles back at me. “Okay then.” She takes my hand and squeezes it. “It’s time.”
My stomach does butterflies in anticipation. I still can’t believe this is actually happening.
Erik gets up from the bench and Virginia pats the seat next to her. Both Tony and I move to sit on each side of her. She tells us to link arms, which we do.
“Now, take a deep breath, Willow, and try to remember a time when your mother would have been by herself. It’s often easier that way. If not, any good memory will do. I need you to focus on her. Clear your mind of anything else. Pretty soon, you’re going to see a white light out of the corner of your eye. You are going to mentally move towards it. Let me know when you see it,” Virginia says in a slow and calm voice, much like a hypnotists.
I concentrate on my mother. It’s not hard at all to remember her smile and loving heart. I focus on a memory that’s more recent since Tony will be with me. I want him to be able to interact with my mother as well. I focus on the time back when we came out of the shelter. I was put in a room to rest and my mother was with me, so was Tony and Mr. Leroy—I mean Lee.
My mother had yelled at Lee to leave the room and then it was just the three of us. I figured I had a better chance for my mother to communicate with me after I told her about my multiple abilities. We didn’t get a whole lot of alone time after that.
I focus on the way she held my hand as she listened to me talk about what was happening inside the shelter—and then I see it—the white light that lines the edge of my vision. I mentally move towards it. It takes me a moment to do so, but when I finally figure out how, it goes quickly.
“Okay, I’m there,” I tell Victoria. I feel her faintly squeeze my arm. “Good girl. Now just follow that through and then, well, it’s hard to explain, you’ll materialize into the scene and everything around you and your mother will disappear.”
I keep my focus on the light and follow it through. At the end of the light, I see the drab color of the hotel walls come into view. I then see my mother sitting on the bed, holding my hand in hers. It’s very weird to see yourself in third person. I also see Tony standing nearby, looking as handsome as ever and slightly younger. We reach the room in full view and everything but my mother disappears, the background becoming a hazy white. It takes a moment for my mother’s attention to deviate from the old me on the bed. Tears spring to my eyes as she turns her attention to me.
“Talk to her, but don’t startle her,” Virginia says.
I look to my left and find her sitting next to me in the vision. Tony sits to my right. I turn my attention back to my mother as she squints her eyes at me. I guess trying to see if what she’s seeing is real.
“Mom,” I say, my voice breaking, being so overcome with emotion. “Mom, it’s me, Willow.” I take a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “Mom, I know this is hard to understand but we’re from the future. One of the gifts I get much later on is the gift of traveling through time.”
I watch her face as she processes this information. “If you’re from the future, then why are you coming to see me? Why not just talk to the present me?” she asks curiously.
I think about this for a moment, not knowing if I can disclose the fact that she is no longer with us. “Mom, I can’t tell you that. But if you’re having a hard time with this, ask me a question. Ask me a question that no one else would know in a million years but me.”
She thinks about this for a moment and then a smile comes to her face. “Tell me about the first time yo
u lost a tooth.”
I return her smile as I retell the story. “I lost it while eating noodles. I was so surprised when it fell out onto my plate. At first, I screamed and then I was jumping up and down. You told me the story about the tooth fairy and mine was named Glenda. Then you asked me what I wanted Glenda to bring me for losing my very first tooth. I told you beef jerky and you laughed but said okay. I remember waking up the next morning with a paper bag of jerky and five dollars. I thought I had won the lottery.” I smile at her and she smiles back.
A moment passes before I ask her, “Mom, can I give you a hug now?”
She opens her arms to me and I waste no time wrapping my arms around her. I hold her tight, never wanting to let go. I’ve wished for a moment like this for so long. But now that it’s here, I wish for a million more just like it.
She rubs my hair as I cry onto her shoulder. “It’s okay, sweet girl. I’m right here.”
Eventually I let her go, but not without tremendous effort on my part. I look into her eyes. I had almost forgotten about Tony and Virginia being with me. I look to Tony and my mom follows my line of sight.
“Anthony, it’s nice to see you as well. You’re still as handsome and strong as ever I see.”
He gives her a soft laugh. “Yes ma’am.”
She pulls him in for a hug; I guess their formalities of before are thrown out the window.
After they’ve had their greeting, she says to me, “And this one, I’m not sure if I know…”
I turn to Virginia. “Mom, this is Virginia. She is here with me because this was my first time using this gift and she wanted to make sure everything went smoothly.”
My mother holds her hand out to Virginia and she envelopes it with both of her hands.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Virginia says sweetly. My mother smiles back at her.
Virginia says to me, “We should probably be getting back soon. We can’t stay in the past for very long.”
Ending ELE (ELE Series) Page 19
