thought we were miles past that.
“I can look at her and tell you she’s on something,” Mom hissed.
I thrust open the door. Mom and Dad stood facing each other at the foot of their four-poster bed. Mom’s arms were crossed tight over her chest; Dad’s hands set immobile on his hips. Albert lay in the middle of their bed propped on his side, as if watching a sick reality show on TV. A grin split his lips upward. Every frustrated, confused thought I had about my parents’
perception of me flew out of my system at the sight of him.
The instant I entered the room, his grin widened. “What? No Abria?”
My speeding heart caught on my breath. I ignored him.
“Zoe!” Dad’s body tensed. “Your mother and I are in the middle of—”
“I know, I’m sorry.” I dug deep for the calm I’d felt seconds ago in Matthias’ presence. “I heard you guys arguing. I wanted to help.”
“You don’t barge into a private conversation, I don’t care how much you want to help. You knock first,” Dad boiled.
“Okay, you’re right. Sorry.”
Their taut faces stirred with wariness, unasked questions and frustration.
“I know I’ve been acting weird lately,” I said, stepping forward. “I need to tell you something.”
Albert shifted on the bed.
Fear flashed on Mom and Dad’s faces. As if their minds raced with the worst news, a truth they hoped had only been yet another nightmare neither wanted to experience over again their bodies seemed to brace.
The mood in the room had a definitive shift from high burn to rolling boil. “I’m not drinking.”
Mom folded her arms over her chest. “You were listening to us?”
“I couldn’t help it, you guys were yelling.”
“Since when is it okay for you to listen at our—”
“Let her say what she wants to say, Debbie.”
Mom’s eyes blazed. She stiffened, arms tightening across her chest.
I took a deep breath. Noticed that Albert’s brows now drew in a line across his face. The day had been long, rough and it seemed as though conflicts would never end.
“I’m not sure why you think I’m drinking again, but—”
“How about the fact that you randomly talk to yourself,” Mom said.
“Like you have countless times lately. You think we aren’t going to notice?”
“Debbie,” Dad broke in.
“What? You told me she was in the living room talking to the couch just a few minutes ago.”
I scrubbed my hands down my face. “Okay, okay, I have been doing that, yes. But I haven’t been drinking or using or anything like that.”
“Then what is it?” Mom cocked a hip. Her arms remained folded.
Would they believe me? I had to tell them something. They waited, their stares cutting into me.
Albert sat upright, his face paling.
“I…”
Weston had believed me. Luke, too. But he’d also seen Matthias. How would they take news of their daughter telling them that she saw spirits? Not only saw them, but interacted with them?
Was in love with one?
I didn’t need to share that little piece of information.
“Okay. This is… hard for me to express, so hang on. I… something happened to me before the accident. I… saw…” They’ll never believe me. They’ll think I’m a freak. I can’t do this to them. Yes you can. You can do this.
I sucked in a long breath. “I saw a heavenly being in the car with me before the accident.”
Mom’s eyes widened. Her arms gradually loosened from the tense grip they had around her body since I’d burst through the door. Dad blinked, but his expression remained steady and I knew Dad was close to understanding and believing what I was telling him.
“He was there to comfort me.” Speaking of Matthias shifted my nervous tone to awe and respect. “He was real. As real as you and me. He’s… I know it sounds outrageous, but… he’s a guardian angel.”
Silence.
Thinking of Matthias sent an extra measure of strength into my being, a palpable comfort I felt from head to toe. I closed my eyes,
“I can look at her and tell you she’s on something,” Mom hissed.
I thrust open the door. Mom and Dad stood facing each other at the foot of their four-poster bed. Mom’s arms were crossed tight over her chest; Dad’s hands set immobile on his hips. Albert lay in the middle of their bed propped on his side, as if watching a sick reality show on TV. A grin split his lips upward. Every frustrated, confused thought I had about my parents’
perception of me flew out of my system at the sight of him.
The instant I entered the room, his grin widened. “What? No Abria?”
My speeding heart caught on my breath. I ignored him.
“Zoe!” Dad’s body tensed. “Your mother and I are in the middle of—”
“I know, I’m sorry.” I dug deep for the calm I’d felt seconds ago in Matthias’ presence. “I heard you guys arguing. I wanted to help.”
“You don’t barge into a private conversation, I don’t care how much you want to help. You knock first,” Dad boiled.
“Okay, you’re right. Sorry.”
Their taut faces stirred with wariness, unasked questions and frustration.
“I know I’ve been acting weird lately,” I said, stepping forward. “I need to tell you something.”
Albert shifted on the bed.
Fear flashed on Mom and Dad’s faces. As if their minds raced with the worst news, a truth they hoped had only been yet another nightmare neither wanted to experience over again their bodies seemed to brace.
The mood in the room had a definitive shift from high burn to rolling boil. “I’m not drinking.”
Mom folded her arms over her chest. “You were listening to us?”
“I couldn’t help it, you guys were yelling.”
“Since when is it okay for you to listen at our—”
“Let her say what she wants to say, Debbie.”
Mom’s eyes blazed. She stiffened, arms tightening across her chest.
I took a deep breath. Noticed that Albert’s brows now drew in a line across his face. The day had been long, rough and it seemed as though conflicts would never end.
“I’m not sure why you think I’m drinking again, but—”
“How about the fact that you randomly talk to yourself,” Mom said.
“Like you have countless times lately. You think we aren’t going to notice?”
“Debbie,” Dad broke in.
“What? You told me she was in the living room talking to the couch just a few minutes ago.”
I scrubbed my hands down my face. “Okay, okay, I have been doing that, yes. But I haven’t been drinking or using or anything like that.”
“Then what is it?” Mom cocked a hip. Her arms remained folded.
Would they believe me? I had to tell them something. They waited, their stares cutting into me.
Albert sat upright, his face paling.
“I…”
Weston had believed me. Luke, too. But he’d also seen Matthias. How would they take news of their daughter telling them that she saw spirits? Not only saw them, but interacted with them?
Was in love with one?
I didn’t need to share that little piece of information.
“Okay. This is… hard for me to express, so hang on. I… something happened to me before the accident. I… saw…” They’ll never believe me. They’ll think I’m a freak. I can’t do this to them. Yes you can. You can do this.
I sucked in a long breath. “I saw a heavenly being in the car with me before the accident.”
Mom’s eyes widened. Her arms gradually loosened from the tense grip they had around her body since I’d burst through the door. Dad blinked, but his expression remained steady and I knew Dad was close to understanding and believing what I was telling him.
“He was there to comfort me.” Speaking of Matthias shifted my nervous tone to awe and respect. “He was real. As real as you and me. He’s… I know it sounds outrageous, but… he’s a guardian angel.”
Silence.
Thinking of Matthias sent an extra measure of strength into my being, a palpable comfort I felt from head to toe. I closed my eyes,
Similar Books
Punk and Zen
JD Glass
Executive Suite
Cameron Hawley
Young Bess
Margaret Irwin
Big City Wolf
Cynthia Sax
The Prey
Andrew Fukuda
Under Your Skin
Sabine Durrant
The Pulse between Dimensions and the Desert
Rios de la Luz
â¦A Dangerous Thing
Bill Crider
The Lost and Found
E. L. Irwin
I Shall Wear Midnight
Terry Pratchett