Soul and Shadow Read Online Free PDF

Right now, Kent is taking up all of my time. He is so special, Mom. I really want you to meet him. "
    " It ' s hard to believe that there ' s anyone as special as Stephen. He wouldn ' t be here unless he still had feelings for you. At least talk to him, Lily. "
    I had had enough of this conversation. " I ' m sorry Mom, I ' ve got to go. My cereal is getting soggy. I ' ll call you later, okay? "
    I hung up feeling disgruntled. My mother had always been fond of Stephen, and had never recovered from losing the chance of having a doctor as a son-in-law. He hadn ' t exactly broken up with me, to be fair. More just sort of moved on. I hadn ' t been willing to leave the university, or go to Arizona and sit alone while he worked endless intern ' s hours. Still, I had loved him, and his loss had been very painful for me.
    How strange that he should be coming back.
    It nagged at me as I ran errands and cleaned the rooms, but as the afternoon passed, any stray thought of Stephen was banished from my mind. Kent had agreed to pick me up at three o ' clock, and I couldn ' t wait to see him.
    Our destination that afternoon was Sunny Hill, a lavish Victorian estate now open to the public. The mansion was preserved in keeping with the period, and it was surrounded by twenty-seven acres of magnificent gardens. Each one had its own theme, and I felt a glow of pride when Kent was impressed. " It ' s as beautiful as any I ' ve seen at home, " he declared.
    We made our way leisurely through them all. I had visited the place many times, but it came alive for me in a new way as I showed it off to Kent. The flowers seemed to have more color, the follies were more picturesque, the miniature temples and hidden grottos more impossibly romantic. We ate dinner in the outdoor café, and then went to the last attraction. It was my favorite, the Japanese Garden.
    We strolled along the stone path, over the little humpbacked bridge, and up to the red teahouse. Together, we sat down on a large flat boulder in front of it. Dragonflies went shimmering by, catching the late sun on their wings. Carp swam lazily in the ponds surrounding us. I was imagining all this being mine, when Kent said, " It would be brilliant, wouldn ' t it? "
    We were so much in sync that I wasn ' t even surprised at this apparent reading of my thoughts. " I ' d change a few things, " I remarked. " The Italian garden is too formal for me. I ' d plant lilacs and rhododendrons instead. "
    " I ' d have fewer statues. You don ' t want them looking at you all the time. "
    " The one of Diana in the little Greek temple can stay, though. I like that. "
    " Fine. I grant you Diana. But that chap wrestling with the fish goes. "
    I laughed. " That ' s Hercules slaying the Hydra, " I informed him.
    " It ' s ghastly is what it is. I don ' t care for the Four Seasons in the Sub Rosa either. You can tell that Winter is just waiting for you to turn your back. "
    " Were you afraid of the nightingale in the Moonlight Garden? " I inquired.
    " Ah, well, they ' re a rough lot, nightingales. They charm you with their singing, and as soon as your guard ' s down, they fly straight for your jugular. "
    " I had no idea. They seem so harmless. We ' d better not have any statues, to be on the safe side. " How naturally this daydream had turned into ' ours. ' That ' s how it was with Kent. If I had believed in reincarnation, I would have thought I ' d known him in a previous life. The connection between us was so warm and real.
    " No statues, " he agreed. " But we want lots of roses. And a gazebo in the middle for whiling away the summer evenings. "
    Dusk would be falling soon on this summer evening. Reluctantly, I knew we would have to be going. " That sounds lovely, " I replied. " But for now, they can still kick us out of here. We ' d better head back. "
    Kent stood up and pulled me to my feet. Hand-in-hand, we made our way down a long avenue lined with bay trees. At the end, a huge pair of wrought-iron gates led into