Fateful Hindrance

19. Dear Heart, Why Do You Have To Get Involved In Everything?

Chapter 19

Dear Heart, Why Do You Have To Get Involved In Everything?

 

 

Sterling took Kate’s hand just as his bottom lip started to tremble, tears welling up in his eyes.  “But Mummy…”

Kate knelt down in front of him, holding out her other hand for Aiden, who had slowly walked up when he saw Sterling start to cry.  I’d never seen either of them upset before.  They were always happy and smiling and laughing…so the tears streaming down Sterling’s face then made my heart ache.

“Darlings, I need you to go downstairs to the kitchen.  Everyone is already there having lunch and want you there, too.”

“Mummy, please, I wants to talk to my brother.”

Kate smiled, reaching up then to wipe away his tears.  “You will, my love.  But I need to talk to him first, all right?  You can come and visit again later.”

As she hugged and kissed them both, I turned to John, preparing for…I don’t know. 

I didn’t know how he was going to react to seeing his mother again, especially when she’d been dead to him for five years.  Maybe he would freak out like he did when he saw me, thinking he was just hallucinating.  Or maybe, now that she was there, he thought everything that had happened was a hallucination…including me.

By the look of complete shock and uncertainty on his face…I was guessing the latter was the correct guess.

“Hey,” I said, walking toward the bed before sitting in front of him and taking his face in my hands.  His eyes wouldn’t meet mine.  “John, look at me.”

“None of this is real, is it?” he whispered, a slight tremble in his voice.  “I died in Florence, right?  And now I’m here in some afterlife with you.  Because that’s the only way this makes sense, Emmy love.  I’m dead, aren’t I?”

I shook my head, but his eyes were still on Kate, who was silent then.  She must have gotten Aiden and Sterling to go downstairs finally. 

“You’re not dead, John.  I promise.”

“But you would be telling me that I wasn’t.”

“Do you need a good punch?  You can ask Ryan just how good I’ve gotten.  He’s taken quite a few.”

“It won’t work, Emmy.  I won’t feel anything.  Because this isn’t…”

Before he could finish his sentence, I leaned forward, pulling his face toward me before pressing my lips against his.  I could feel his hesitation, but a moment later, he returned the kiss.  It was the first one we shared after the one in the hospital and it was just as special.  But I had a feeling every one of them would be special from then on. 

“You said you wouldn’t be able to feel anything…and I’m pretty sure that would include a kiss,” I whispered when I pulled back, pressing my forehead against his.  “Did you feel that?”

  He nodded, slowly opening his eyes to meet mine.  “Yeah,” he said huskily. 

“Good,” I said, before a grin stretched across my face.  “And it looks like I can kiss you to make you shut up now, huh?”

He nodded again, reaching up to thread his fingers through my hair. 

I stayed there for a few moments, letting it sink in for him, before he was the one to pull away.  His eyes went to Kate, who had yet to say a word, before looking back at me.