"And who are you?" he griped as the walked back in the room.
"This is the doctor who wanted to see Mal. This is the young man who helped him when he was hurt. And his lovely girlfriend, who sees him in her dreams. I told you all this, Abraham."
Her husband nodded tersely, shuffling away from them. He wouldn't look at Jessamine and the baby.
"May I hold him?" Mrs. Garafolo asked.
"Of course." Jessamine handed over her son.
Mickey grabbed at the string of pearls. Jessamine disentangled the tiny fingers, but he grabbed it again.
"Not to worry," his grandmother said. "It's triple strung. Your daddy liked to grab it too," she told little Malachi. "One day, he pulled so hard, it broke, and he swallowed one of the pearls."
"She was a wreck that day," Abraham grumbled. "So sure it would kill him. I was more worried about the pearl." He chuckled. "All perfectly matched. It was a wedding present from me."
"It's beautiful," Jessamine said. "I'm so sorry, Poppy," she sobbed. "I was foolish and didn't know what I wanted. I was afraid I'd lose something important. And I did." She rushed to him.
Abraham put his arms around her, holding her close. "But you're back. And maybe now my son will come back to us. Talk to him, Jessi."
The rest of them withdrew to the far corner. Dr. Waverly stood closer, to observe Malachi's reactions. Jessamine took the baby, holding him in her arms. She sat next to Malachi on the bed, smoothing his hair from his face.
"Hey, it's Jessi. Honey, I know you're in there somewhere, wanting to come out. I'm so sorry, all that I said. I was so stupid and wrong. I was scared, because I thought I might already be pregnant. Turns out, I was right. This is your son. I named him after you and Micah. I'm so sorry about your brother. He was such a great guy. And so are you."
She sniffled, her tears falling as she laid the baby in the crook of Malachi's arm. "I love you so much and I want Mickey, our son, to have his father around. You'll be such a great dad, just like Poppy and my dad. The two greatest fathers in the world." She swallowed, sobbing. "Come back, Mal. I need you to come back. I can't raise our son by myself."
Jessamine rested her head on Malachi's chest, sobbing. Mickey had fallen asleep in his father's embrace, sucking one tiny fist.
Blythe couldn't pull her gaze away. She had so hoped that Malachi would wake up when he heard Jessamine's voice. She had a strange sensation on her neck, as if someone stood behind her, blowing on her skin. The hairs ruffled, standing erect. No one else seemed to feel anything, they were too focused on the bed. She shivered, moving closer to Elam. Someone tapped on her shoulder. She felt it very distinctly. Glancing at Malachi, she couldn't see any change in him, but she knew he was trying to communicate with them. She could feel it. Rushing to the side of the bed, she took his other hand. She sat on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes. He stood in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. They looked like they were in a little glass room, hovering over his head.
"Took you long enough," he said. This was the first time he'd spoken directly to her. "Do you know how long I've been looking for someone to help me out?"
"I'm sorry. This is all new to me."
"It's not exactly common for me either," he said, gazing at Jessamine. "Why didn't she come sooner? I've been trying to talk to her for months."
"Your parents were angry."
"So, I've got a kid, huh? He's a cute little fucker."
Blythe laughed. It was something so like Alec would say. "Yes, he's named after you and your brother. I'm really sorry about him."
Pain crossed his face. "I couldn't save him."
"He died before help arrived. Elam, my boyfriend, was one of the ones who saved you."
"Oh, yeah? This is weird, Blythe. I don't know how to come back. I've been trying, but I can't. I feel like I should just open my eyes and wake up. But every time I try, it's like someone is sitting on them. I can't move."
"Where is your brother?"
"Micah? He's dead. Why?"
"Did he cross over?"
"Don't give me that spiritual mumbo-jumbo, Blythe."
"I'm serious, Malachi! Look at us. We're in a glass room hovering over the head of a man in a coma, talking like this is common. Have you ever done this before?"
"Shit, no."
"How did you find me?"
"I sometimes follow Jessi around, especially when she's driving long distances. I don't know how I do it, I just find myself with her. When you wrecked and she stopped, I was there. When you could see me, I knew I had to find a way to get help."
"Did you send the other dreams?"
"I don't know. I've spent a lot of time remembering accidents. I'm sure there's something really Freudian about that...."
"But the accident with Brian and Rose. You weren't there."
"Nope, but homeboy was. Didn't he tell you he responded to that one?"
©2022 Dellani Oakes
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