Page 57 of Having the Time of My Midlife

“Not quite,” It replied, pulling Itself back together. “While some of your verbal lashing was right on the money, some was not.”

“You wanna be more specific?” I asked.

Its eyes went to Alana Catherine. The expression Its face was a combination of fury and confusion. I didn’t like it.

“The old woman was wrong.”

“About?” Alana Catherine asked.

“About Daisy coming with backup. I planned it this way,” It answered with a tight smile.

That wasn’t welcome news, but while It seemed to be doling out information, I was going to press for more. “So, there’s no rip in the Light?”

“There is no rip in the Light,” It confirmed, Its eyes still glued to Alana Catherine. “What say you we make a deal, Angel of Mercy?”

“We’re on the wrong set for that game,” I retorted flatly.

It glanced around and then snapped Its fingers. We were now on the set ofLet’s Make A Deal. It was no longer Fake Bob Barker. It was now Fake Monty Hall. For a brief and unhinged moment, I wondered what the real façade of the Higher Power looked like, then laughed. That wasn’t important to anything going on. It seemed to have no real identity. From what I’d learned, It took on many different visages. It must suck to have no sense of self and be dependent on the imagination of others.

Not my problem.

“Is this backdrop better?” It asked.

“No, but state your terms,” I told It.

“I’m willing to make a trade,” It said. “You can have the ghost. I will trade him for Alana Catherine.”

“Are you fucking out of your mind?” I shouted at the same time Steve uttered the identical words.

The Higher Power whipped around and glared at Steve. Steve glared right back. It was clear that he believed he had nothing to lose and was going to defend me and my daughter until the end. But he had a lot to lose. The Higher Power could reduce him to dust. It would mean he would be nothing. No more. Just… gone. That was wrong and it wasn’t happening on my watch.

The Higher Power would come back if I ended It. I would come back if It ended me. I let my rage back in. The only person who had no chance of coming back was Steve. That was beyond the pale and not on my agenda. Running on emotions could be detrimental, but this time I’d use it to my benefit.

“I don’t like you,” It snarled at Steve.

“Back at you,” Steve said.

The Higher Power let out a growl that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. When It raised Its hands over Its head, I took my opening. It was going down.

But someone beat me to the punch… kind of.

Alana Catherine let out a piercing scream. It shattered every light on the sound stage. It also blew the roof off the building. Sunlight spilled and illuminated the set. The warmth and beauty of the light was in stark juxtaposition to what was happening.

My daughter raised her hands high them slashed them down to her sides with another scream. Everything went still. Everything except my daughter, Gram, Steve and me. Fake Monty Hall aka the Higher Power was frozen as well. How powerful was my daughter?

“What in tarnation did you just do, Alana Catherine?” Gram asked in a whisper. “Right near lost my hearin’.”

“Umm… I froze time,” she whispered back. “Not sure how long it will last. We need to save Steve. Now.”

She sprinted up onto the stage with Gram and me on her heels.

“Wait,” Steve said as Alana Catherine went to touch him. He smiled at her and studied her face. “I want to meet you properly.”

“She’s my daughter,” I told him.

His smile grew wider, and tears filled his eyes. “She’s so beautiful,” he said with reverence. “Just like her mom and dad.”

“Thank you,” I told him. “She’s my everything.”

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