Garda - Welcome to the Realm (31 page)

My head hung down. My brother had cancer and never told me.

“When Beth told him she was pregnant, he already knew he was dying. He made Beth promise not to tell you because there was no way he could ever be a father to the child, and that was his odd way of making up for what he had done. The tumor is what killed him.”

“No,” I turned back to her, “he died in an accident. They never said anything about a tumor.”

“They were wrong. The police saw a man killed in a car accident and never questioned it, but he was coming back from chemotherapy and had a problem. He crashed because of the tumor.”

I blinked and then blinked again. He had been sick, and I never knew.

“So you’re saying that because of the tumor he did what he did?”

“Yes, it changed his personality. I know that doesn’t excuse it, but that’s the truth. I’m sorry you had to hear that from me, I wish that he could have told you himself.” She paused for a moment. “Someday, you will need to speak with him, learn to forgive him and Beth.”

I thought about what she said, but I wasn’t sure how to forgive them. “How do I do that?” My arms fell to my side as I thought about it.

She walked to me and took my hands in hers, gently squeezing them, “You just let it go, you just believe in what you have, and you forgive them. Brock gave you a gift from God. Don’t turn your back on it.”

For the first time, Corey looked like a real angel as the sun shone down around her, and she just glowed. How had I been so lucky to have someone like this in my life?

“If I return, will you leave me?”

She picked up each of my hands and kissed the backs of them one at a time.

She shook her head and smiled, “No, I’m never going to go away. I’m your Garda, and I will always be with you in some way. You may not see me, but I’ll always be right here.” She placed her hand on my heart.

“You promise?” I placed my hand over hers on my chest.

“I promise. You will always have my love, Mitchell.”

“Okay, but can you tell me one more thing before I go?” My heart started to beat a bit faster thinking about never seeing her again, never holding her again.

“Sure, anything.” She took her hand from my chest and laced her fingers with mine.

“What’s going on with you and Brock?” I tried not to sound angry, but I wasn’t sure I succeeded.

She threw her head back and laughed, “Oh, that is so complicated, Mitch.”

“Does he love you?” I whispered when she stopped laughing and brought her attention back to my face.

She grew serious, “Yes, he does.”

I swallowed and forced myself to keep eye contact with her, “And do you love him?”

She paused, taking a moment to think before she answered, “I care for him deeply. Is it love? I don’t know. It’s not what you and I shared, but, I think in time, I will grow to love him.”

My head bowed at her words. I had hoped the answer would have been no, but who was I to tell her whom she should love and whom she shouldn’t.

“Mitch, he’s my destiny,” she whispered. “Are you ready to go back now? Beth is waiting for you; she’s really worried.”

“Can I hold you one last time?” I was torn. I didn’t really want to leave her, but if she said this wasn’t my time, then I had to believe her.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She pulled me into her embrace, and we stood there for a long time. The sun shone down on us, the breeze gently tossed the ends of her hair, and the birds sang softly in the trees. To me, until the day I died, this place would be my heaven.

When we finally pulled apart, she tipped her head up and kissed me one last time. The kiss was one of the softest we had shared, one of promise but also of goodbye.

“Take us back, Mitch, it’s time to go home,” she whispered.

I gazed at her, “I love you, Corey.”

“And I will always love you, Mitchell,” she murmured softly.

I closed my eyes and found myself alone in the dark once more. A moment of fear struck me, but I felt her presence calling to me, and I reached for it.

Very slowly, I felt myself coming back. The high-pitched beeping in the room reached my ears, and the cold air filtered in my nose. I fought to open my eyelids, and for the first time, they started to respond.

They fluttered softly, and I struggled to keep them open. I knew someone stood over me, but I could not see who. After a few more tries, I was able to get them to open, and I blinked to clear the fuzzy image.

Beside my bed, leaning slightly over me was Corey.

“Welcome back, Mitch,” she said with a smile.

~ Brock ~

The sight of my brother lying in the hospital bed tore at my heart. Corey buried her head into my chest. I understood why because that was exactly what I wanted to do: hide.

As Corey touched Mitch’s shoulder, I silently prayed that what we were about to do would work. The Maker had said to believe, and that was what I would do.

Even though Coralenna’s hand was in mine, I felt her slip away from me. I gasped for air as loneliness settled around me. I struggled to reach for her and searched for her energy pattern, finally finding it as it wove through Mitch’s mind.

Every part of his body was destroyed, and his mind was the worst. How hard he must have struck the pavement to cause that much damage. I struggled to stay strong and not turn away from what I was seeing. She had so much more courage than I did to face this.

When she reached him, I could hear her words, and when they moved to the stream, I could see it all through her internal sight. She loved him so much, but she fought to make him understand that his life was here and not above.

Tears ran down my face as she stood there and explained to him what had happened all those years ago. It should have been me explaining it, but she did it for me. She removed a burden from my past and took it upon herself to right it. My love for her grew with each word.

I even found myself snickering when she threw her head back and laughed at our connection. The seriousness of her tone gave little doubt to the fact that she did truly care for me, and that one day I would win her love. For now, I would be satisfied to have what I had with her.

The moment Mitch decided to come back, I knew that we had succeeded. I left her mind just before she went into his arms, giving them a last moment together to say goodbye. They both deserved that.

Joy passed through my entire being when Corey slipped back into her body. I squeezed her hand and thanked God for putting such an incredible woman in my existence.

“Brock, I need you to keep hold of him, I want to try something before he starts to come back.”

At a loss for words, I stared at her in awe of her radiant beauty. She focused again and squeezed my hand tightly. I felt her slipping back to Mitch, and panic teased my mind.

“Relax, Brock, I need to pull your energy to do this.”

Steeling myself for God knew what she was about to do, I felt her draw on my inner strength. I focused on her and finally realized what she was doing, she was repairing his brain.

When she shifted back into her body once more, I felt how weary she was. She had drained herself and pulled a lot of my energy out, too.

Her soft smile turned towards me, “We did it.”

Mitch tried to blink, and we all held our breath. David and Montgomery stood at the end of the bed, one with his arms crossed tightly chewing on his bottom lip while the other fisted his palms by his side.

Mitch finally opened his eyes and blinked slowly into Corey’s face. The barest of smiles touched his dry cracked lips.

“Welcome back, Mitch.”

I checked on Beth, she was sitting very still.
Beth
, I called out softly to her and her eyes sprang open.

She saw Mitch’s eyes open. Corey moved back as Beth took position next to his bed.

“Oh my God, thank you! Thank you! Mitch, honey, can you hear me?” She touched his face gently, and I glanced at Corey to see tears running down her cheeks. Beth was wiping the tears from her own face as quickly as she could, but more kept appearing.

Mitch moved his head slightly to acknowledge her.

“Oh, Mitch, I thought I’d lost you. Don’t you ever do that again. Promise me you won’t ever do that again! I need you too much.”

Mitch turned his head slightly to Corey, she winked at him. He turned his face to me, and we watched each other for a moment. A tear rolled down towards his ear. My vision immediately blurred with moisture.

His head tipped ever so slightly, and I reached out to touch his leg, gently squeezing above his knee. He closed his eyes as another salty drop slipped out.

Beth had turned away and was calling for the nurse, missing the silent exchange.

As the door burst open and multiple people entered the room to check on Mitch, Corey turned to me, “Let’s go home, I’m exhausted.”

I wrapped my arm around her and used my other hand to wipe the tears off her face. “Yeah, let’s go home.”

With one last look at Mitch, we phased back to the Realm.

~ Corey ~

This had to have been one of the most emotional and exhausting days I had ever had, alive or dead. When Brock and I returned, we both fell into each other’s arms and were sound asleep in moments.

When we woke, we were summoned to the Maker. He was happy with our abilities to bring Mitch back and for healing him. He told us that while we had the ability, we weren’t to use it lightly.

The only reason he had allowed us to use the power was because, first, he wanted us to test our strengths, but also because the accident that put Mitch where he was had ultimately been our fault and not part of his destiny.

Had Brock been paying more attention to his charge and not consumed in thoughts of me, he would have been able to stop the crash.

Just as if I hadn’t been so consumed by my desire to be with Mitch, I could have assisted Mitch in averting the danger that came around the corner.

We both understood that we had erred, and we stood closely together, my back and shoulder against his chest while his hand rested on my hip and we accepted responsibility.

The Maker had also told us that my decision to help Mitch return had secured my position in the Realm and that of a Gardaí. My faith, belief, and loyalty would never be tested that way again.

Once we left there, we spent all of our time side by side. My feelings grew for Brock each day, and I knew that I loved him. He was a strong man, a man made of principle. Even though he’d once made mistakes, I knew what kind of man he really was deep inside.

Brock took me with him to see his charges. We had learned that since it was painful to be apart, we would share the responsibility between us of the people we were to protect.

Some were to be protected to come join us, while others were watched over and guided so that they would eventually enter heaven.

Mitch was still my responsibility, well, our responsibility, actually. We stopped in to watch his progress and laughed when he smiled at the doctors that kept repeating what a miracle his survival was and how well he was recovering.

Beth seldom left his side and usually only because he forced her to go spend time with Chase and get some rest. He was released from the hospital a week after he woke up with a medical report stating he should fully recover.

Many times when Mitch was alone, he would talk to me, and once in a while say something meant for Brock. We didn’t answer him, but he still knew we were there.

Brock had moved into my quarters permanently right after we returned. Being together was just easier. I would now see the door knocker on the outside of our front door and smile. My yin and yang were finally back in tune with each other.

A month after Mitch was released from the hospital, Brock and I were watching a movie, snuggled on the couch in our home. I felt the stirrings from below and listened carefully.

“Do you feel it, too?” Brock said quietly in my ear as my head rested back on his shoulder. I nodded.

“Should we go? It’s been a little while since he called out to us.”

I tipped my head up so I could see his face, “I’d like that.”

“Yeah, me, too.” He tweaked my nose, and I sat up. We listened for the call and followed it. Brock and I were a little surprised when we landed at my gravesite.

Mitch stood balancing himself on crutches while Beth stood to his side, extremely nervous. Her hands gripped a bouquet of my favorite lilies.

“Corey, are you there?” he spoke towards the sky, and Brock and I smiled at each other. “Corey? Brock? Can you guys hear me? I need to talk to you, please.”

Hello, Mitch.
His shoulders relaxed slightly as he heard my internal response.

“You’re there. Can you come forward, I’d like to talk to you in person, please?” he twisted his neck left and right, searching for me.

Beth’s face seemed to pale more, and her hands strangled the flower bundle.

I peered over my shoulder at Brock. He shrugged.

I let go of Brock’s hand and took a step forward, allowing myself to only be seen by Mitch. The smile that lit his face warmed my heart.

“How are you?” We stood about six feet apart as I spoke.

“I’m good, no, I’m great now.” He glanced at Beth and I followed. Her forehead was wrinkled as her eyeballs darted around.

“Mitch, can you see her?” she whispered.

“You can’t see her, Beth?” She shook her head quickly and took a step closer to him.

When he turned his attention back to me, he asked, “Corey, can you show yourself to her?”

“Why?” I was not opposed to it, but I wanted to know why this was important to him.

“She has something she would like to say to you, please.” I contemplated the two of them for a moment. I sent Brock a reassuring smile over my shoulder when I felt him tense and took another step forward that would bring me to the living arena.

Beth gasped, and Mitch reached out to grab her arm when she stumbled back. She took a deep swallow and stepped forward to be even with Mitch.

“Hello, Beth.” The breeze tickled my skin. I forgot how different things were once I stepped into this level.