"Have I told you about my dreams?" Blythe asked, knowing she hadn't. "Because I think you need to hear about them. I'm not expecting you to analyze them, or do therapy. Just listen."
"Okay. Tell me about your dreams." Jessamine sipped her coffee through a straw, eyeing Blythe over the rim of the cup.
"It started the day after I had my accident. I kept having dreams of car accidents. I was injured, dying, and a tall, black haired man was there. He saved me. In fact, when I had my own accident, a tall, black haired man helped me. He moved the car, opened the car door, and told me everything would be all right. You said there was no one there, but there was."
"I promise, Blythe. There wasn't."
"You couldn't see him, but he was there. I could smell his cologne and feel the warmth of his hand when he touched me. And I told you about Elam."
"The hot orderly."
"Yes. We're dating. He helped me find my mystery man. It seems that a guy who was injured in a car accident, is a paramedic. He used to work around here. The night of his accident, Elam was on duty and helped rescue him. The guy's brother was dead at the scene, but the other man lived. Weird thing, though. He had a tree branch in his chest. They had to cut the limb, stabilize it and rush him to the hospital to have it removed. Unfortunately, he only briefly regained consciousness before lapsing into a coma."
"How—awful! And you were there—in your dream? You saw this?"
"Yes. I was in his body. I wasn't in pain, but I felt the tree pierce my chest. I saw my blood spray all over the car and watched my brother—his brother—die. I couldn't save him."
"What a horrible feeling."
"It was. Elam and I went to visit him on Monday. His name is Mal—"
"Malachi Garafolo," Jessamine said softly, her voice catching in her throat. "You know Mal? My Mal?"
Blythe smiled. "I've seen him in my dreams. I've talked to him. His mother let us come for a visit."
"She did? Total strangers?"
"Because Elam is one of the ones who rescued him. I don't think she'd have allowed it otherwise. We're going again Thursday. Is there anything you'd like me to tell him?"
"Oh, my God! Yes! Tell him I'm sorry, and I love him more than life. Tell him to come back to me. I need him."
"I will."
"Do you think she'd let me see him?"
"I don't know, Jessamine. You can ask."
"But what if she tells me no?"
"Even if she tells you no, are you any worse off than you were? But if she says yes, you've got a chance to make it right again."
"How? He's in a coma, Blythe! He can't hear me."
"But he can. I know he can. I held his hand, I spoke to him. I sensed that part of him heard me, and tried to respond. Would you like to come with us on Thursday?"
"I can't," Jessamine said, shaking her head. "She'll never let me near him."
"Okay. I thought it was worth taking a chance."
"I'll think about it, I'll let you know. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I hope you'll reconsider."
"I'll think about it." She smiled weakly, wiping her eyes. "Oh, God, is that the time? I need to get going. Let's do this again, okay? Next week?"
"Sure. I'd like that."
They hugged and Jessamine dashed to her car, coffee in hand. Blythe watched her with a sad smile. Another coincidence that wasn't a coincidence. What were the odds of her meeting the woman Malachi loved? That Malachi would be the one who helped her, Elam had saved him, and that Alec and Micah had died on the same day—exactly a year before.
It wasn't coincidence anymore, it was God. He left nothing to chance. He planned everything. She didn't understand why Micah and Alec had to die, but she sensed that she and Elam were meant to be together, now. Jessamine deserved her chance with Malachi. Blythe was determined to give her that chance.
Blythe spent another half hour at Panera before deciding to head home—her home. She needed time to think where she wouldn't have to ditch her parents, or hide from Jason and Lori. She needed a chance to organize her thoughts. The best place for that was her office.
Her apartment, actually a condo her parents had purchased in the late 1980s, was in one of two condos downtown, on the river. It sat at the end of Canal Street in New Smyrna, giving her an incredible view of the water.
When she and Alec announced their engagement, her parents deeded them the condo. After their long distance ceremony, she'd moved in. Her parents insisted that she stay after his death. Blythe wondered, as she walked in the door, if she'd have to move now, and let Jason and Lori have it. She couldn't bear that thought, shoving it out of her mind. This was her home now. She couldn't imagine leaving it.
©2022 Dellani Oakes
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