“Another text. Now she’s saying the vibrations seem to be coming from the second story corner apartment. Lily’s apartment.”
“Thank God.” Releasing an emotional cry, Hannah fell back against the seat. Her coloring changed drastically, and unexpectedly her breathing became labored and worrisome. When she gasped and clutched her heart, Rachel lost her calm and began screaming for help. “Someone call 911. I think this woman is having a heart attack.”
***
Afraid to snoop into Hannah’s consciousness, afraid of the condemnation she’d find, Lily’s spirit had chosen not to float around her mother like she knew Damon had with his people. During the first days, he’d share, whispering about many of the memories he’d invaded, and how their secret thoughts had made him feel so bad. And she’d tried to pacify him. “Baby, it’s okay. They’ll forgive you. They’ll remember the good times. People do. Rest now.”
Lily understood one thing. He was purposefully putting himself through hell, and it was too much. Along with suffering his body’s physical trauma of being crushed under fallen cement pilings, the poor man had cried out their names more than once. During that same time, she’d drifted in and out of consciousness, yet she’d force herself awake to listen and soothe him during his sorrowful mutterings.
When two days had passed, and they were still caught in the prison of the collapse, Lily’s spirit had begun drifting around the building, amusing herself while Damon left her alone. Careful to keep her distance from people, the same as she’d done in life, she saw Hannah hovering nearby. Considering what hell she’d put both her parents through in the past, Hannah appeared to be suffering more than Lily had expected her to… more than she ever deserved.
Terrified of what she might encounter, as the second day passed, she decided to go for it… to search her mother’s emotions… her thoughts, and an incredible insight broke through the defenses Lily had put up as a thirteen-year-old child. Her mother loved her… Lily… her broken child. Loved her desperately. Her ugly past didn’t matter at all. To Hannah she was a cherished angel.
Weakened by this tenderness she’d purposely blocked for years, Lily suddenly opened herself to the truth. From then on she stayed close, watchful, waiting… understanding. The past no longer mattered. Able to look into the future, Lily knew her mother would need her soon, and she knew what she had to do.
As she foresaw, it happened. Collapsing in pain, fear raging throughout the last parts of Hannah’s consciousness, Lily watched the poor woman fight to breathe… to live. In shock and terrified, Hannah had clung to the last words she’d heard. Someone in Lily’s apartment lived, and Lily sensed her mother’sdamaged heart calling, yearning for her daughter to be that person.
Sliding close, she let her spirit reassure Hannah. “Mom, I’m here. You’re not alone.” Sensing a lessening of the woman’s grief and agony, she stayed close, their souls melding. Once she sensed her daughter near, Hannah’s terror subsided, and she rested. Finally united, Lily could become the daughter she was always meant to be. Always wanted to be. Now, they could truly be together…
Wait! Oh, God, wait.
She slid back into her body.
Damon, I have to say goodbye.
From the distinct sounds, she knew that the rescuers were closing in on their area. It would be only a matter of time.
“Damon. Darling. You’re staying, aren’t you?” He didn’t answer, but she sensed he wasn’t coming with her. As weak as he’d become, he still fought to live. And she’d done everything she could to help them both survive. Only now, her mother needed her. And she was tired… so tired. Too tired to hold off death any longer. Instead, she sent him a last kiss. “You want to live. I get it. Stay, love. Be safe. I have to go. My mother needs me.” She put her small hand on his and squeezed.
Sounds of rescue broke into her last moments of life. Glancing around their small enclosure one last time, she settled herself closer to his body. Even with broken bones, she’d managed to creep, to reach out, inching her way to the water still remaining in the fallen tub they’d been sharing in the moment of impact. Feeding them both with the nourishment to keep them barely alive, using the soaking washcloth she’d held to his mouth and to hers, she’d kept from dying. While doing this, she’d fought through the same kind of broken-bone torturous agony she’d overcome many times before.
Although the truth of their circumstance had loomed in front of them, she hadn’t stopped struggling. She’d always known that if the emergency services didn’t reach them soon, neither would be coming out alive. Yet she’d fought because Damon had begged her to.
“I-I don’t want to die. Not yet. I-I n-need to live. I h-have to tell her…”
What he wanted to say and to whom had never been shown to her. But with her senses so activated, she understood that he wanted this desperately, and so she’d fought to keep them alive.
Now, with Hannah waiting, it was time for Lily to leave her poor battered, broken body. To finally get relief from the agony she’d endured both mentally and physically. And to be happy.
She whispered one last time. “I love you, Damon. You were my hero.”
Chapter Ten
Lance found Rachel in the hospital waiting room, her face pale from shock, her hands clutched together in prayer.
“Rachel. I’m so sorry. Is it Damon?”
Seeing him, she stood, her arms open for his comfort. And of course, he scooped her close, holding her with love pouring from his confused and sad heart.
Because she’d only texted him that she needed him to come to the hospital, she hadn’t realized what he would assume from those words. Of course, he’d think they’d found Damon.
Before she could organize her words, he asked again. “Is it Damon? Did they find his body?”
Pushing back to look into his face, Rachel tried to explain. “No. I don’t know. I got a message that they’d heard some activity in the area of Lily’s apartment, and that they might be coming across a person still living. But if Lily and Damon were together as they suspect, we don’t know which one it might be… or if both are alive.”
“But then why are you here? At the hospital. Are you okay?” Sudden fear shadowed his love-filled eyes, and it made her quickly correct him.
“No. I’m fine. It’s Hannah.”
