Sixteen

 

CARA

 

“Who are you?” I whisper as I take in the stranger in front of me.

“Will get to that in a minute,” he says. I continue to stare at him and a calmness I’ve never felt before washes over me.

I know him, but I just can’t figure out how. My head turns and glances around the cemetery, spotting nobody.

“You should know I’m not here alone,” I tell him when my eyes land back on his face. “My husband, brother and friends aren’t too far. I just needed a bit of time to myself, so I took a walk.”

“First, I’m of no danger to you,” he chuckles out. “And second, time means nothing to us here. What seems like hours is actually only a matter of minutes. Let’s sit.”

He sits down next to the tree that’s to our right. When he pats the area next to him, I can’t help but walk slowly over and take a seat. We both sit in silence as we look around the cemetery. This area is what we call the vampire section of it. The headstones are from the early thirteen hundreds and give the whole area the feeling as if vampires are real and this is where they sleep during the days.

“You can’t keep hiding inside yourself,” the man from beside me finally states from my right.

“How—” I start, but he cuts me off.

“I don’t have much time. I promise to answer your question in a moment,” he smiles softly at me. “You, holding inside yourself, is destroying those of us that love you. You're taking what keeps us alive . . . your love.”

“You said us,” I search his eyes as it finally hits me who he is.

“Yes,” he whispers out. "I did.”

“How are you grown up? I don’t understand?”

“That’s what it’s like here. Everyone is the age they were in their prime of their life. No matter how old they are when they die. Our souls thrive on the love from our loved ones that we leave behind. It is also why I said what I did about time. It’s just the way it is.”

“I don’t understand.” My tears start to flow, and I watch as his hand grasp mine. “You’re my son, aren’t you? You’re my Zachary.”

“Yes, and because of that, I’m just one of the two who needs your love the most right now.”

“He’s so young.” My eyes snap toward my dad’s voice.

“Mom? Dad? How? I mean, what?” I start bawling as their arms go around me.

“You're dreaming, my sweet girl,” Mom softly tells me. “But that doesn’t mean this isn’t any less real, Zac is right. He needs you more now than he will when he’s an older soul.”

“Why?”

“I’m protecting two things that’ll bring so much joy into our lives. Having your love will allow me to be a much stronger protector,” Zac says and squeezes my hand again. “If you close your eyes and open your heart, I’ll give you a small taste of two futures. These are gifts from God. He’s allowing you to see what will happen if you do or don’t open yourself up again.”

Images flash into my mind the moment my eyes close and I hold my breath as two futures play before my eyes.

“As you can see, not only does Dad, Uncle Mad, your friends, and the three of us need you. Two more souls need you as well. We need your love, Mom. Please, it’s time to live for the love that means more to us.”

“Us?” I ask as I slowly pull myself together.

Another son and daughter.

“Yes, us. Now that you know just what keeps the people that love you the most alive, it should mean more to not only you but to all of us. You hold our lives in your hands in a way.”

“We’ve got to go, munchkin,” my mom announces sadly. “This won't be the last time we visit you, so no tears.”

“I miss you both so much,” I cry anyway, holding them closer to me, not wanting to let go just yet. “I love you.”

“We love you too. We’re proud of the woman you’re becoming and will become. Tell Mad Max we’re proud of him too. And that he better pull his head together or he will lose his heart,” my dad murmurs then kisses my forehead. “See you again, baby girl.”

They begin to fade, and I turn my head toward Zac.

“I love you,” I whisper. “If I’d known . . . you would’ve heard those words before now. You would’ve had the world at your fingertips. You were wanted even after you were gone.”

“I know. Tell Dad thank you for what he did today. It gave me the chance to talk to you,” his lips touch my forehead and he hugs me close. “Thank you for loving me even when you didn’t know about me. I love you, Mom. Now, go and give more to us.”

My eyes slowly open as I come to and the tears continue to fall.

It seemed so real, like they were really here with me. Every emotion I had in the dream is still flooding over my body.

“Lucas,” I whisper and then sit up and glance around quickly realizing I was in bed and that it’s now night time.

Sliding out from between the sheets, I set off to find him and I remember the evening we just had.

I’d fallen asleep in Lucas's arms in the middle of the service. My emotions where shot and I couldn’t stop picturing my parents smiling at me holding a baby. The teddy bear that Lucas had made was the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. But it also broke me because it became final.

I lost my baby.

I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready to give Lucas another baby after that. And if I couldn’t then I should let him go so he could have the chance. That’s what has been plaguing me for the past two months.

That I would have to give Lucas up. It’s would be selfish to hold him back from being a dad. But every time I was going to tell him, I’d chicken out. I couldn’t do it. Just the thought of him being with someone else was too much for me to bare.

And the cycle continued to run in my head.

Until now, Mom.

My heart squeezes as I hear my son’s voice in my head. I thank God for giving me that knowledge of what he would have sounded like. And he’s right.

Until now.

Opening the office door, I poke my head inside and spot Lucas sitting on the couch, hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. His body shakes and my heart clenches when I realize he’s crying.

“God, please. I can’t live without her. But how do I fix this?” his prayer reaches my ears and has me silently stepping into the room.

“You did.”

At the sound of my voice, his head snaps up and his brown eyes, full of sadness, land on mine.

“Cara.”

I begin to make my way toward him.

“You fixed me. What you did tonight, it means more to us than you’ll ever truly understand.”

With a gently push, I cuddle into his lap after he leans back on the couch and tell him all about my dream.

“He looked like you but with my eyes and my nose,” I whisper out.

“Thank you,” Lucas says before he kisses my lips. “Next time, fate tries to fuck with me, I’ll remember that. More to us. To remind me that love will beat fate.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works but, it’s still worth a shot,” I giggle out.

“I love you, mia.” His words begin to warm me from the inside out.

“I love you too.”

“What do you want to do now?” he asks and immediately my mind takes a turn it hasn’t taken in a few months now. I glance up at Lucas and give him my smirk letting him know that my mouth is going to get away from me again.

“I think you should do the LLS in my dance floor.”