Page 35 of Wild Card

“I—I—”

I love you.

The words hovered, thick and demanding, in the very essence of her breath. Just say it!

She couldn’t. The words bore all of her heart, and she needed some of it inside to keep living after he’d gone. Somehow…

He understood. The new shadows in Sam’s eyes, velvet as winter twilight, told her so. But he didn’t stop there. He leaned in, gently sucking that air from her, as if drawing her truth into his being. As he exhaled, his face warmed with a look of wonder and joy. He’d heard the words, anyway—in the place they mattered most. She knew it with certainty as solid as her heartbeat, as irrevocable as her breath.

“I know,” he finally whispered. “And Jenny? I—”

“I know.”

And she did.

Only then did the tears stop. No. She chose to make them stop. Acceptance bred stability, if not complete peace. What good would it do to hurl more sadness at it all? Nothing could be changed. The truth…simply was. She had to accept it like a moor accepted the rain.

And eventually, rain brought the spring.

She closed the thoughts off. Spring was not on the mental menu tonight. She refused to ponder fluffy bunnies and daffodils when she could savor her last hours encased in steely strength, wrapped in complete warmth.

Surrounded by Sam.

She nestled against his chest, pressing a hand next to her cheek to listen to his heartbeat.

Remember this sound. Save it, savor it, commit it into the deepest parts of yourself.

But her senses betrayed her, succumbing to the perfect heat and protection of his embrace. With the thrum of his life in her ears, she gazed up into the stars, and followed their hypnotic peace into sleep.

---