Daize

She held Micah’s hand and stood beside the freshly covered grave as the priest finished his blessing. Nearly six months, and miles of red tape later, the exhumed bodies were laid to rest in the Spring Grove cemetery. As promised, the true reason for their sudden remodeling was kept a secret. No one wanted to see the spirits exploited. They had suffered enough, trapped in a building, unable to be heard.

“May these souls find a peace long denied them as they move on to the next life away from the pain and woes of this world. Amen.”

“Amen,” the Investigation Team chorused.

Surrounded by the rest of the Investigation Team, they closed the chapter of their life that originally brought them together. A weight lifted off her shoulders. She’d fulfilled her promise.

“You okay, baby?” Micah rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.

“I am. I know it won’t make any sense, but I feel like they’re at rest.”

“You’ve been close to them for this entire process. If anyone sensed that it’d be you.” Micah squeezed her hand.

“I feel the same way,” Carl added.

The others made sounds of agreement.

Over time, they had gone from being his friends, to their friends. Life was full here in Cincinnati. Between friends from work, the Davenports, and the man who turned out to be the love of her life.

“We’ll meet you guys at the diner?” Brendon asked.

“Yeah, we’ll be there. I think we want a few more minutes,” Micah answered as the team begin to drift away one by one. As usual with the end of a case, they planned to meet up and officially close it. With the scale of this particular haunting, it was a bigger deal than most. She bowed her head and said a silent good-bye. For months, she’d been closely connected to these lost souls. Today, she’d leave them behind, and move forward to the next chapter. Thank you for bringing me happiness. I pray you’ll be at rest here.

“I’m ready.”

He guided her away from the grave. “You know I’m not letting you move back into your newly renovated apartment, right?” Micah said.

“Let me?” She arched an eyebrow.

Gripping her hip, he pulled her close. “Yes. I’ve gotten used to having the woman I love under the same roof. You wouldn’t deny me that, would you?”

She laughed. “You’re lucky I love you, Micah Benjamin Davenport.”

“I know.” He kissed her forehead.

Appeased, she smiled. “I’m pretty lucky, too.” This life she’d been uncertain about nearly a year ago had become one she’d fallen in love with. Her job was going well, her co-workers made every day fun, even when the stressful moments hit, and together she and Micah were creating a life meant to last. With him, she was an aunt to his sister’s two-year-old bundle of energy, Acton, and Olive and Luka’s three-month-old son, Niklaus.

She had siblings for the first time ever who treated her like she’d always been around, and her parents actually approved of him post-Christmas visit. One decision had shaped her future in ways she’d never imagined. What had once tasted as bitter as dark chocolate had turned into an explosion of rich flavors over time, like a Death by chocolate dessert. Sweet with hints of varying undertones that gave way to a full-bodied, complex blend of flavors almost too intense to take in at one sitting.

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The End