Radiant

by Christina Daley

  - 35 -

  A Better Human

  The next day, Mary called the university's Astronomy department and asked to talk to Drew. When she told him her name, he asked, "Mary who?" He didn't remember her.

  "Sorry," she said. "I was trying to reach a different Drew." And she hung up.

  Ben got back from Dubai a couple days later. He came to visit Mary and Mom.

  "I'm so sorry," he said. "When Hannah told me what happened, I just felt sick. I almost didn't finish the installation so that I could come straight back."

  "I glad you didn't," Mary said. "Things worked out, and it gave Mom and me some time to figure out how to tell you something important. About what happened to Anna."

  He looked at them curiously. "What do you mean?"

  For the next few hours, they told him about Mary's father and how he had robbed the bank the day Anna was killed. Mom cried a lot and Ben listened. He hardly said anything the whole time.

  At last, he said, "Thank you. For telling me."

  Mom wiped her eyes with tissue. "I'm so sorry."

  Ben was quiet when he got up to leave. But at the door, he stopped. "I don't hold anything against you, though. Or him. Not anymore."

  Mom nodded. "Thank you."

  He looked at Mary. "All your stuff for your mobile is still at the shop. It's waiting for you to come finish it."

  "I will," she said. "I may need some help. Maybe you can work on it with me if you're not busy?"

  Ben smiled. "It will be my pleasure."

  Not much time separated the Sci-Tech incident and the prom. In between school, physical therapy, visits to Ba, and another visit to Martin, Phos and Mary jammed in as much time together as they could. They didn't travel as much as they used to. Instead, they went to some of David's hockey games, and they even attended one of the choir concerts at the church near Mary's home. Father Cohen recognized Mary and asked them to sit with him near the front.

  During one of the songs, the priest leaned over to Mary and whispered, "I'm pretty sure now that your friend isn't possessed by a demon."

  "What makes you say that?" Mary asked.

  "Because," he said, "demons don't take well to worshiping God."

  Mary looked over at Phos. His eyes were wide with wonder as he watched and listened to the concert. Mary smiled and turned her attention back to the performance as well.

  But the majority of their dates were spent at the hospital, playing games and doing crafts with the kids there. It really helped the parents of kids who were from out of town have an hour or two to leave the hospital to run errands or rest. Sometimes, Sienna, David, Kristina, Raj, Gita, and other people from their schools came as well.

  Since so many kids had been healed, other hospitals around the world started sending their most serious patients. The news did a special about the hospital and its amazing results, and donations started flooding in. More nurses and doctors were hired, and Mom got a promotion. It seemed that every person who came got better, not just the kids. And there were often rumors of a mysterious singing janitor who visited patients in their dreams.

  And unlike some girls, Mary didn't want to waste time looking for a prom dress, spending all of ten seconds pulling Ba's pink áo dài out of the back of her closet. On the night of the prom, Mom was finishing the final touches on Mary's make-up when the buzzer rang.

  "That's him!" Mary cried.

  "Hold on!" Mom said. "Unless you don't mind going to the prom with one eye." She finished up, and then Mary shoved on her shoes and raced down the stairs. She opened the door and found James Bond in a sharp tux.

  Phos' eyes lit up. "You're dazzling."

  Mary blushed. "Thanks. And you're amazing."

  He took out a corsage made of white roses from a plastic box. "I believe this is a customary offering that human males bring on a night like this." He took her left hand and gently slipped it onto her wrist.

  Mary smiled. "And, as customary of human females…" She took a red rose boutonniere and carefully pinned it on his jacket.

  Phos offered his arm. "Shall we?"

  "Wait!" Mom called as she ran down the stairs with a digital camera.

  "Ay!" Bruce shouted from upstairs. "No running!"

  "Sorry!" Mom called back. "I have to get a picture of both of you. Oh, Mary, don't make that face. You both look great! Now stand over there. Perfect! All right, 1...2...smile!"

  Click!

  Mom turned the camera around so that they could see the image. Mary liked the picture. It captured the spark in Phos' eyes.

  Mom snapped a few more photos before herding them outside. "Have a great time! Love-you-buh-bye!"

  "Love-you-buh-bye, Mom!" Mary called back.

  They walked down the street and away from the bus stop.

  "Did your parents let you borrow the Aston again?" Mary asked.

  "They offered it," he said. "But I thought I'd get something special for tonight."

  When they rounded the corner, Mary saw a turquoise Vespa with two helmets hanging from the handlebars.

  "It's not the same model as the one in the movie," Phos said. "But it is close."

  Mary laughed. "It's awesome!"

  They put on the helmets and Mary climbed onto the back of the seat and hugged Phos' waist. The scooter's tiny motor buzzed as they zipped through traffic, passing a couple of limos along the way. Mary couldn't stop smiling.

  When they arrived at the hotel where the prom was being held, a valet came to give them a ticket and take the Vespa's keys. Hand in hand, Mary and Phos walked inside.

  "Carter! Mary!" Sienna and David met them near the entrance.

  "Wow, you look great, Mary!" Sienna said as she examined her áo dài. "It has pants? That's so neat! You look like you're floating when you walk."

  "Thanks. And I love this color on you," Mary said, taking a bit of Sienna's silky green dress and feeling the soft fabric between her fingers.

  David turned to Phos. "Quick, they're beating us at compliments. Say something about my tux."

  Phos chuckled. "It's very flattering for your figure."

  "Thanks," David said. "Yours doesn't make your butt look big either."

  When they went into the ballroom, the DJ already had music going, and the dance floor was packed. A few wallflowers hung about the sides.

  "Shall we be generous and ask some of them to dance?" Phos asked.

  Mary hung her arms around his neck. "Not tonight. You're all mine."

  He smiled and pulled her closer to him. Mary and Phos moved with the music and kept their eyes on each other. She lost count of how many songs played. She didn't even know what kinds of songs they were. All Mary cared about was Phos in that moment.

  Too soon, it came time to announce the prom king and queen. Everyone gathered at the foot of the stage, eager to hear the results. But Phos took Mary's hand. "Let's go for a walk," he said.

  They left the hotel. Neither of them said anything as they passed by closed shops and nice restaurants. They eventually came to a park with paved paths and a large water feature in the center.

  Under a lamppost, Phos stopped and turned to her. "I had a good time, Mary."

  His words were simple, not unlike something a normal human would say at the end of prom night. But they were also heavy words coming from him now.

  Mary clung to him and began to cry. "I'll never forget you, Phos."

  He held her tightly. "I won't forget you either."

  They had no more words. There wasn't a human language that could carry what they wanted to say. For that one wonderful, horrible minute, all they did was hold one another one last time.

  They heard a noise. Nearby, Josh emptied out one of the park trashcans. He sprayed down the lid with cleaner and wiped it with a rag until it shined. When he finished, he placed his supplies on his cleaning cart and said, "It's time." He began humming and pushed his cart down the paved path.

  Every muscle in Mary's body froze. Her arms were tight around Phos in a desperate attempt t
o keep him. Phos was the one who had to let her go. He took her face gently in his scalding hands and ran his fingers along her brow, her nose, and her lips. He kissed her. It hurt but not because it burned.

  "Goodbye," he said. He slipped his hands into his pockets and turned.

  Mary watched him walk away. She wanted to run after him. She wanted to beg Josh to let him stay. She wanted so much that she knew was not possible. So, she didn't run. And she didn't beg. She did nothing. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

  Phos walked beside his Master. They came to a curve where the path disappeared into some trees. And just like that, they were gone.

  Mary stood still as a statue. Seconds passed. Minutes. Hours or even years could've gone, too. She didn't know. At last, she turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

  Then, she heard footsteps behind her. Mary's heart leapt into her throat as she spun around.

  She saw a boy. He had a familiar face and he wore a familiar black tuxedo. But his eyes weren't the same. They were still green, but they were missing something—a spark that had gone out.

  "Phos?" she asked.

  He stopped beneath the lamppost. "No," the boy said. "He's gone."

  Mary's heart sank into the Earth's core. It was just Carter. "Oh," she said. "Do you…remember everything?"

  "Mostly," he said. "It's all kinda fuzzy. But yeah. I remember."

  "Oh," she said again. She didn't know what else to say. So, she turned and began walking again.

  "Wait," Carter said.

  She stopped.

  He hesitated. "I…I'm sorry. He was really a good guy. Or…thing. Or…whatever. He was a better human. I'm sorry that…you know…" He trailed off.

  Mary didn't speak right away. At last, she managed, "It's all right." She went back to him, took his hand, and shook it. "Take care of yourself, Carter."

  "You, too," he said. "Mary."

  They let go. Then, without another word, Mary turned and headed for home.

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  - 36 -

  A Visit

  Mary spent most of her summer evenings on the roof of the apartment. No one understood why, because it was stupid hot. Seriously, it was the kind of hot that made some of your IQ points melt out your ears. The blistering sun beat down on the city all day and the heat lingered even in the dead of night. But it didn't bother Mary at all.

  Mom complained about Mary not seeing Carter anymore. He had gone to summer school and then to Europe with his family. The Maxwells invited Mary to go with them, but she declined. They weren't going anywhere she hadn't already been, anyway.

  "Ever since prom, it's like you two don't know each other," Mom said once. She just didn't know how right she was.

  One night, it finally took an unseasonable rain to drive Mary off the roof and back into the apartment. It was annoying. The kids upstairs were now allowed to stay up insanely late playing their video games, and there was no one for Mary to talk to in person or on the phone. Mom was at work, Ba had gone to bed, Sienna was in Brazil visiting family, and Martin had very regulated phone calls. Mary had started hanging out some with Chavy, Bruce's fourteen-year-old daughter. Chavy and her mother's immigration papers had finally gone through, right around the same time Bruce received a mysterious donation that was enough to fly both of them and some of their belongings to the States. Chavy was a sweet girl, but she didn't speak English very well, so she and Mary usually just sat around and watched Bruce Lee movies together. But Chavy was having dinner with her family tonight, and Mary wanted them to enjoy their time together.

  Mary sat at her desk and started reading through some of Martin's letters. He had terrible handwriting and didn't know how to spell very well. But she liked to read them. They were the only things, it seemed, that she enjoyed reading. As she reached for the next letter, Mary's hand found her sketchbook. She opened it and found a ton of drawings she had made when she was in other countries. She had sketched a few landmarks, like the Clock Tower in England and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. But most of her drawings were of people of many ages, skin tones, and cultures. Phos had been right. People were masterpieces.

  Of course, the person Mary had drawn the most was Phos himself. To anyone else, it looked like Carter's face. But there were subtleties—the shape of his smile, how he sat or held his shoulders—that were undeniably Phos. She also had printed copies of the pictures Mom had taken before they left for the prom paper clipped to her book. Those had captured the spark in his eyes.

  Mary turned the page. The last sketch she did was of him standing on the roof of Carter's house with the glowing city in the distance. Along the side, she had tried her hand at some lettering. The words she had drawn were, "Love never fails."

  The rain pounded against the window. But then Mary heard something different. A soft tap on the glass. Someone was out on the fire escape.

  Mary got up from her desk and opened the window. A beautiful watery face looked back at her.

  "Mayim!" Mary said.

  "Hello, Mary," she greeted. "It has been a while."

  Mary smiled. "How are you?"

  "I am well," she answered.

  "And Phos?" she asked.

  Mayim grinned. "Perhaps you should ask him."

  Mary gasped. "He's here?"

  She nodded. "Come to the roof."

  Mary's feet hardly touched the floor as she flew through the apartment and up the stairs. Blankets of rain soaked her instantly on the roof.

  Mayim stood at the center. "He wants to come in his real form. I have a good rain here to protect you from his energy, but you must close your eyes. If you do not, you may lose your sight."

  Mary nodded and closed her eyes. The rain came down more, bathing her in its coolness.

  Then, she felt him. It was like standing in front of a furnace.

  "Hello, Mary," he said.

  She didn't realize how much she had missed hearing his voice. His real voice. Mary wanted to open her eyes, wanted to see him as he really was. But she fought to keep them closed.

  Fiery hands caressed her soaked cheek and traced the lines of her brow, nose, and lips. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close to him. Then scalding lips kissed hers. The rain sizzled everywhere he touched her.

  Mary didn't count how many seconds the kiss lasted. Whether one or one million, it was over too quickly.

  "I've missed you," she said.

  "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that," he said.

  She smiled. "Where have you been?"

  "Around," he answered. "Working as usual."

  Mary smirked. "When can you take a vacation?"

  "I don't think it works like that," he chuckled. Mary was about to say something else, but his lips were on hers again.

  After two or two million seconds, Mayim cleared her throat gently. "The meteor shower?"

  Phos sighed. "Right. Back to work then."

  "There's a meteor shower tonight?" Mary asked.

  "Yes," he said. "Wait for me to leave. Then look up. Mayim will clear the clouds so that you can see it."

  He was gone before her eyes opened. In the distance, Mary saw two figures racing skyward, leaving ribbons of rain trailing behind them. One was Mayim and the other was like a shooting star, only flying up instead of falling down.

  A few minutes later, the clouds parted like stage curtains and the rain disappeared. The brilliant diamond littered sky opened above. A small light raced across the darkness. Then another. And another. And another until the night was ablaze with burning meteoroids. Mary sank onto the patio chair, never once taking her eyes off the sky.

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  About the Author

  Christina Daley's parents and grandparents fled Saigon in April of 1975, when American military forces abandoned the South Vietnamese capital city to the communist North army, effectively ending the Vietnam War. They were among the waves of refugees who arrived on US shores with no country to
return to. Amidst many struggles, and with the generous sponsorship of a Christian church in Houston, Texas, they made this foreign land their new home.

  Christina is among the first generation of her family that was born and raised in the United States. She makes her own home in Dallas, Texas, where she lives, writes, and eats lots of Vietnamese food.

  Feel free to leave a comment about the book at Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, or wherever you purchased it. And connect with her online on Facebook, her blog, and on Twitter.

  More Books by Christina Daley:

  Seranfyll

  (Ages 10+) For the first time in her life, Rain has a choice to make.

  The thirteen-year-old slave girl lives in the country of Yoan, where slaves aren't allowed proper names, let alone anything else. After being sold by a gambler and "bought" by a thief, she ends up purchased by an eccentric young nobleman named Lord Domrey Seranfyll...while he's drunk. He's so smashed that he actually buys nine other slaves with Rain and takes them to his massive manor in the countryside, which is rumored to be haunted. In fact, loads of rumors surround Lord Domrey. Like that his horse can fly. Or that he's a devil.

  But after getting even more intoxicated, Lord Domrey does something rather peculiar: He sets all ten slaves free that same day. And then he passes out. Many of the newly freed slaves leave, but Rain chooses to stay and look after the odd young lord. He freed them, so he can't be as bad as people say, right?

  But Rain's going to learn quickly that choices have consequences, and that being "free" means much more than what she thought before.

  Amazon | B&N | Smashwords | iBookstore (iTunes) | Diesel | Kobo

  Eligere (Seranfyll 2)

  (Ages 10+) Rain. Is. Bored.

  With Coal at university and Domrey away on a constant string of assignments from the Royal City, she and her sister Snow are stuck at Seranfyll Manor with their tutor Professor Digory, who has to be the dullest teacher on the face of the earth. She craves a break from the monotony or, even better, an adventure like the ones she only gets to read about in books.