Authors: Tamela Miles
“Thank God. And, thank you, Seth.” Laurie gave him a bright smile.
“Yes, thank you,” Nicola murmured, smiling but still deeply lost in her thoughts.
Laurie was picking up the strangest tension between Seth
and Chloe. She caught Chloe’s gaze and nodded. “Excuse me and Nicola. We need to speak in private.” Laurie ushered Nicola back out onto the balcony, sliding the door closed behind them. Seth cleared his throat. “In a few minutes, the sun will rise here and you’ll wake up in the real world.”
“Not much to go back to without you, Seth,” Chloe said quietly.
“I’m afraid that I’m a smitten kitten when it comes to you.”
“No, you have a whole full life to return to, with friends and good times. You have so much beauty and strength. You’ll be
blessed with a good man who can love you as you deserve. You’ll be rich in love. You’ll have everything but…you won’t be mine.” Seth stopped speaking, closed his eyes, and kissed her forehead. “Let’s go out to the balcony.”
Seth held Chloe’s hand as she stepped outside to be
with her friends. The sky was beginning to lighten, shades of pink showing on the horizon. He stood at the balcony for a moment watching the three of them staring at the sky. As quietly as he had come into their lives, Seth disappeared. When Chloe turned around, he was gone with the Book of Secrets.
******
As she awakened on Nicola’s sofa, the last thing Chloe remembered from their time in the dream realm was standing on the balcony in the peaceful silence of dawn. She looked around to find Laurie and Nicola also waking up. The Trifecta looked at each other and laughed aloud together.
“We are home!” Laurie exclaimed excitedly from her position on the floor.
“And glad to be here and alive,” Nicola said, sitting up.
Chloe felt a pang of separation sadness as she realize
d her whole day would be about missing Seth. He would be working in secret in her life but that brought little comfort.
“Today is a spa day,” Nicola declared.
The doorbell rang loudly and Nicola got up from the sofa. “I’m not ready for visitors,” she said. She looked through the colored window pane on her door before opening it and frowned in confusion. She slowly opened the door, not quite trusting what she saw.
Byron stood there with a teenage boy who looked very much like h
im but with Laurie’s eyes. It was an older Byron, but definitely him. “Hey, Nicola,” he said cheerfully. “Looking for my wife.” He nudged the teen boy who cleared his throat and gave her an awkward smile.
“Good morning, Ms. Nicola. We’re just looking for my mom.”
Nicola noticed Laurie standing right behind her, shocked to her soul. She stepped aside and let Laurie move to stand in the doorway. “How…I mean…hi.” She embraced Byron and a thousand memories that she had never truly experienced flooded her mind. She remembered birthing her son with Byron by her side and naming him Brent. She remembered their wedding day two decades ago. She remembered that she no longer lived alone in her beautiful house. She had a family. God had granted her a second chance. On impulse, she pulled her son into her arms, smiling as he squirmed.
“Mom,” Brent complained, moving out of her arms. He l
ooked over her shoulder. “Good morning, Ms. Chloe.”
Chloe and Nicola looked at each other, completely baffl
ed. They helped Laurie get her things together and they all hugged at the doorway. Byron and Brent had returned to the big, black pick-up truck that they had arrived in.
“God does answer prayers. This was unexpected but
exactly what I wanted.” Laurie remarked happily. “Keep the faith. Wonder what else could happen today.” She looked at Chloe meaningfully. “I’ll call you both later.” With a wave, she set off down the path to the truck.
Chloe and Nicola watched as they drove off before closin
g the door and heading back to the living room. Chloe’s heart was doing somersaults in her chest thinking of the remote possibility of seeing Seth again. He had had a hand in Laurie’s wishes coming true, she was sure. What she wasn’t sure of was her own happy ending.
Chloe and Nicola talked for awhile before they decided to h
ave a spa day for the three of them later that week. Chloe gathered her things, kissed Nicola’s cheek, and walked into the sunshine down the path through the rose garden to her blue Honda parked across the street. As she opened the car door, she jumped when she saw Seth sitting in the passenger side.
“Seth? I thought you would be long gone to the heavens by
now,” Chloe said in disbelief. “Wait, am I about to die or something? That’s it, right?” She got in the driver’s seat.
Seth grinned. “Nothing so gloomy. I’m here for you. I had a conversation with God th
is morning when I returned the Book of Secrets to the angels. Contrary to popular belief, did you know that He wants everyone to be happy?” His face and tone of voice sobered. “I couldn’t be happy without you, Chloe. So, here I am, if you’ll have me for the rest of our lives.”
It took Chloe all of three seconds to decide that she wa
s hopelessly in love with this angel. “I love you so much,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. He leaned over, took her beautiful face in his hands and kissed her. Nothing was sweeter or more perfect.
He stared at her for a few long moments. “Do you know how many years I have loved you?” He paused, smiling. “I remember you in your prom dress.”
She took his hand in both of hers, kissing the upturned palm. “So, I’m marrying an older man...” She sighed with joy. “I think my heart knew that I was in love with you before I did.” A thought occurred to her.
“Seth, can we…you know, make babies together?”
“A whole passel if you want. Chloe, I can function sexually in the real world
. And, you’re marrying a simple landscaper, in case you’re wondering.”
“I had wondered,” she mused. Their lips met again in a steamy kiss
that left her head spinning.
Chloe started the car and with a look at Seth, her heart’s desire, drove away. Her bedroom in her elegant home was waiting for them. She couldn’t
wait to find out just how much more making love with him in the real world surpassed her dreams. But, more than that, she couldn’t wait to open the gift of a life with Seth that God had given her nicely gift-wrapped.
******
Nicola couldn’t stop smiling as she watched Chloe drive off with Seth from her window. She was truly happy that everything had worked out so beautifully for her best friends and felt hopeful for herself as well. Being in Alexander’s dream realm had reminded her of a time when she had been more trusting and eager to love a man for more than just sex. The dream king had challenged her to take another look at herself with his pointed commentary on her life. It was time for a change.
Nicola reached for her cell phone on the kitchen counter
and dialed a number. Ian was a handsome podiatrist who had been chasing her for months. She had been casually dating him but kept him at arm’s length. He was a genuinely nice guy. Nice had been the kiss of death for Nicola. He picked up on the second ring. “ Ian,” she said. “Lunch today, maybe?...”
******
Some people wish others to the deepest part of hell for their transgressions. Alexander knew all too well that such a place really did exist as he looked around at a place that he had hoped to never see again. One day, he vowed, he would be free to roam his dream realm again, hunting for new victims.
He was contained for a time but never defeated. He decided that with his last bit of energy he would exact revenge and give the angels something to worry about, especially the bastard angel, Seth. He closed his eyes and conjured up the nightclub in his mind, focusing his power.
In Alexander’s dream realm, Carlos and Charlie’s was closing for the night, even though it was dawn. The dj was long gone, but the bartenders and janitorial staff were busy preparing for another night of business. They never
knewwhat hit them until it was far too late. The staff of the nightclub exploded in flames, all of them screaming. After a few long, extremely painful moments, they were all piles of dust on the floor of the club.
Alexander’s energy was spent and he felt incredibly weak. He would need time to build up his strength again and he was confident that Satan and his demons would help him with that. If he was going to be confined to hell for decades, he wouldn’t be alone. He had just taken ten souls and tormenting them would relieve his boredom. No, he thought, I won’t be alone. He smiled and it was an awful thing.
The End