A shower of light pours from the ceiling, and then one by one I see them—my welcoming party, my escorts toeternity.
Dudley steps in first. He looks softer, kinder, his eyes bear into mine with love. “Master Oliver.” He gives a slight bow, and for once I feel nothing but gratefulness and admiration for him. “I requested this assignment. It is my great honor and privilege to transport you. I say this with a heavy heart—precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” He offers a soft smile, but his words speared me nevertheless. “Welcome toeternity.”
A supernatural peace, a calm fills me, the feeling of absolute pure love takes over as I accept my fate. It is not a defeat, not a weakness to understand the fact you have crossed the great divide, and that the body you once occupied, that you cared for, that cared for you, that your children knew, that your wife knew intimately would be of use no more. In the end, it was nothing more than a vessel—a glove that was destined to lie abandoned from thebeginning.
“Thank you.” My voice fills the stillness of this chasm, of this dimension that’s resided right next to ours all along. Our eyes lock, and I thank him with something deeper than words could ever do. But mostly, I charge him to look after Skyla—after my precious boys all the days of their lives. Dudley gives a somber nod as if he understands thiscompletely.
I look to his left, and I see the shadow man, no longer hidden by darkness, but exposed in the light as a great and glorious angel of God. The angel of death himself. He is tall and stately, and glows with light as much as he doescharm.
He holds a hand toward me. “Gage Oliver, eternal son of God, the kingdom welcomes youhome.”
Then the rest of them step into the light—Logan first—and my spirit soars at the sight ofhim.
He grips me by the shoulders and offers a pained smile. “Welcome home, my brother. I love you somuch.”
My arms lock around him, and I can’t help but marvel how solid he feels, despite the fact we’re both missing a body. My chest bucks as all of the grief, the sorrow, the joy presses over me at once. A soft humming, the very embodiment of love vibrates through our beings, and I relax over it, letting that feeling permeate me as if it had owned me allalong.
Logan’s mother and father, my grandparents lunge at me with a joyousembrace.
“Sweet child,” my grandmother whispers into my ear. “It’s so good to finally have youhome.”
“Daddy!” Little Sage jumps into my arms, and I laugh as I spin her, my heart so full of joy, and yet the sorrow sinks in nevertheless. “Don’t be sad.” Her tiny hand slaps the side of my face, forcing my attention to her and not to the horror that lies at my feet—to the horror brewing beyond these walls. The sorrow is great, and it begs to overpower me. “You’ll live with me now,” she sings. “I’ll teach you everything that Your Grace has taught me. I’m going to be a mighty ruler. She’s already taught me all I need to know. That’s because I’myourdaughter, Daddy. You are a ruler, and so am I.” She stabs herself with her tiny finger and laughs. But I can’t stop looking at that long dark hair, those eyes, twins to mine. Sage is the balm I’ll need to get through this. Without Sage, it would have been impossible. It still very well mightbe.
“You are so beautiful, and I love you.” I land a trembling kiss to the tip of her nose. My eyes beg for tears to come, anything to match this lead coat of grief. I can’t bring myself to open my eyes, to face this new realm and all that it means for me, for Skyla and theboys.
“Look!” She beams as she points behind me, and I turn to find Skyla’s father, Nathan, and Candace standing side by side. They each take me in their arms and welcome me home with a strong embrace. Nathan bucks with tears, and I join him, marveling at the fact I can feel such emotion at all. Here I was every bit the same, the pain all that real, despite the fact I had no body to pour it outwith.
Nathan slaps me over the back. “You did good, kid.” He winks in that warm way only he can, but his lips dance with grief as he tries his best to deflect the pain. His tears and mine, they are all for Skyla and theboys.
“And I second that. You did well.” Candace laughs, and yet her sentiment feels genuine. “I never had anything against you.” She frowns at the body lying on the floor in a puddle of sanguine liquid, a marinade of grief. “This action will not gounheeded.”
Dudley steps in and gives a sober nod. “It istime.”
I blow out a quiet breath and hike Sage up on my hip as I give one last look around at this weary world. How could I leave it? How could I stay? Envy rots me from the inside out at those still dwelling in the living world. I’ve sensed as a child I wouldn’t be part of it for long, but I wanted it. I wanted to walk all those golden miles with Skyla by my side. It was my greatest desire to grow blissfully old with her, to die happy in her arms, in our bed, somewhere in our tenth decade of life. Oh, how blessed the soul that lives it. But to abandon Skyla in my youth. How selfish of me to bring this disease upon her. I knew that life wouldn’t last for me. At the end of the day, I was selfish because I truly didknow.
“I guess it is time.” My voice breaks, and I marvel atthat.
Dudley ushers me forward, and we move through a tunnel of light, our feet never hit the ground as we glide outside of time, far outside the bounds of this wearyworld.
We step out into a better place, onto the holy mountain of the living God, and I follow Dudley through the wide gates, through the citadels of the holy place, to the royal blue throne of theAlmighty.
We walk past a bevy of golden thrones, each with a beautiful spirit seated firmly over its base, and Sage bucks for me to put her down. She walks steadily alongside of me, her tiny hand still safe inmine.
We walk past the thrones of the twelve kings of Israel, past the twelve apostles, until we come upon three thrones each with an emerald rainbow spanning over the girth of them. Beneath their feet lies an expanse of sparkling ice. Seated in the center is the mighty light of the living God, His glory and fire inextinguishable, and my spirit stills in the presence of His radiant beauty. His love washes over me like a river, and I am freer and far more joyous than I have ever been. All of love stems from Him, all things that are good and holy and right stem from this one and only living God before me. The throne to His left is seemingly empty, but instinctually, I know this belongs to the Holy Spirit who is here, and there, and everywhere. The throne to His right belongs to the Son, His Son, Jesus, and He rises from His seat, His spirit already perfectly fitted to His newbody.
Marshall clears his throat. “It is my great honor to present to you, Your Royal Highness, Gage BarronOliver.”
The Son himself comes in close. His eyes are a kaleidoscope of gold flecks, as green and bright as a fresh mown lawn. He is strong and peaceful and a love exudes from him that no human could possibly comprehend in its totality. He is humble and wisdom radiates from His verybeing.
“I can’t be dead.” My voice cracks. “I have so much to live for, so many goals anddreams.”
“You were born forthis.”
“For mydeath?”
He offers a peaceable smile. “I was born formine.”
The universe stills around us as this truth sinksin.
