Page 109 of The Neighborhood Witch

“It’s tough,” the nurse said. “I know what it’s like sitting there—waiting, watching, feeling helpless. It’s tough.”

Hugo sat silently watching Elizabeth’s shallow breaths.

“But at least she has you by her side,” the nurse said. “I would like to think that matters more to her than anything in the world. I believe that.”

“Thank you,” Hugo said.

“Hopefully, it’s not too much longer.” The nurse left the room.

The rhythmic beeps of the heart monitor were once again the only sounds in the room. Hugo traced a heart on the back of her hand with his thumb. He traced the same heart pattern over and over. He looked away. He couldn’t watch her suffer any longer. His resolve failed him in that moment. Tears flowed down his face. He pressed down on his lips as he tried to hold them back.

“My knight in shining armor,” Elizabeth said in a low raspy voice. “Did you ride to me on Galahad?”

Hugo sat up in the chair. He leaned forward, grabbing her hand with both of his. He smiled and let out a chuckle to hide his tears. “Yeah. I rode him all over the world searching for a lady fairer than thou, but we found none,” Hugo replied.

She smiled. “Galahad is a good horse.”

“He was.”

She coughed a death rattle. Her breathing became more labored, and she closed her eyes. “I want you to live, Hugo. I want you to live on,” she barely managed in her raspy voice.

“I will,” Hugo said. “I will.”

“Promise me,” she demanded.

“I promise you.”

She gasped for air. Hugo leaned forward to rest his forehead on the bed rail. “I love you, Elizabeth.”

“She loves you too,” Elizabeth said. Hugo raised his head, confused by her answer. “Alice loves you.”

“How do you know about Alice?”

“She loves you more than you know. Keep living, Hugo. Keep living.”

“We had a fight. And I said things,” Hugo said through tears. “Horrible things. Things I want to take back. But I can’t. She got hurt. And I tried… I tried to save her. I don’t think I did. So, now I’ve had to watch two women I love die, while I sat there helpless.”

Hugo was a sobbing mess.

“Stop torturing yourself. You did all that you could. You couldn’t stop it.”

“I know. But it still hurts.”

“You’ll always have our memories. Live for her. Live for your futures. Please.”

“I will. I will,” he replied. “But how do I save her?”

“You already did. And she saved you.”

“How?” Hugo asked.

Elizabeth fell silent. She took one final gasp of air and was gone. Hugo buried his head into his arms. Crying out into the darkness, her handslipped from his.

A hand brushedagainst Hugo’s cheek. The soft touch of a woman’s hand. Her fingers traced along his beard and jawline. He raised his head. He was back in Alice’s house. The collection of macabre oddities surrounded him. He felt something stirring. He wiped the tears from his face and spun around to both knees.

Alice was awake.

“Alice!” Hugo shouted. “Can you hear me?”

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