Page 58 of Having the Time of My Midlife

“As she should be,” he replied, still staring with true delight at Alana Catherine. “I don’t think you should save me. It might enrage that thing.”

“You ain’t suggestin’ we make the trade?” Gram asked, confused.

“Never in a million years,” Steve told her. “I think you three should just leave if you can. Get out of this place and leave me here. Maybe, that thing will be satisfied with destroying me and leave you alone.”

“It won’t,” Alana Catherine said. “For some reason It wants me. This entire situation was to get me here.”

“It can’t have you,” I ground out.

“Correct,” she replied. “But we need to know why It wants me. If we don’t we’ll be in danger for a very long time, considering how long we live.”

“It gives me a nasty butt rash to agree with the little gal, but I do,” Gram admitted. “I mean, I’m talkin’ a red, raw, in need of medication kind of butt rash.”

I blew out a wildly frustrated audible breath. “We get the picture, Gram. And while I don’t completely disagree, I don’t think three of us are enough to fight It.”

“With all due respect, mom… I disagree with you. Three is the magic number. We’re the past the present and the future.” She then recited what she’d told Pandora. “The game is a riddle. Three must play to win and break the evil spells. The show will go on, and the wheels will turn. The answers are questions. The price must be right, or the innocent will pay. In the end, the choice will be on the strongest. The strongest shall emerge the victor. Anything is possible. You just have to believe. Time is running out.”

We listened to the words. We’d already successfully worked our way through most of what was turning out to be a prophecy.None of us could have done it alone. Three was indeed the magic number.

“We are the strongest,” Alana Catherine said. “Together, we’re the strongest and will emerge as the victor if we believe.” She let her gaze meet each of ours. “I believe.”

Gram dropped three F-bombs much to Steve’s surprise, then took Alana Catherine’s hand. “I believe.”

They both looked at me. My motherly instincts were warring with my instincts for what was right and what was wrong. I knew in my mind my daughter was right. I just had to get my heart on the same page. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Anything was possible. Anything. I just had to believe. I believed in right over wrong. I believed in justice. I believed in Gideon, Candy Vargo, Heather, Tim, Charlie and the others. I believed in Gram. And what didn’t come as a surprise to me at all… I believed in Alana Catherine.

Opening my eyes, I smiled at the two women who were the most important females in my life. “I believe.”

“Yes!” Steve yelled. “I believe in all of you! Kick that thing’s ass!”

Alana Catherine laughed and extended her arms to Steve. “I want to thank you,” she told him.

“For what?” he asked, perplexed.

“For loving my mom. For being her best friend and husband when she was alone. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you and your journey with my mom. You’re such a beautiful soul, Steve. It would be my honor to give you a safe haven inside me until we can bring you back to the Light where you belong.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

“Come to me,” Alana Catherine urged. “Let me take care of you like you took care of my mom.”

Steve was overcome with emotion and nodded jerkily. With a quick and sweet kiss to both Gram and me, he went into my daughter’s open arms and disappeared.

“It’s time,” she stated. “The spell is about to wear off.”

“New catchphrase,” Gram said. “It’s kinda long, but it works… In the end the choice will be on the strongest. The strongest shall emerge the victor. Anything is possible. You just have to believe.”

I grinned. It was long past time to end the game.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

When Alana Catherine’sfreeze spell wore off, the Higher Power flew into a rage. It destroyed the entire soundstage with a flick of Its finger, then shrieked so loudly the rest of the building fell around us. I covered my daughter and Gram to protect them from a large beam crashing toward us, but in a poof, it disappeared. The wreckage of the game show set began to morph and transform until it turned into a stunningly gorgeous field in a valley of wildflowers. It was surreal.

The beauty of the surroundings clashed with the fury of the being who resided on this plane.

“You shall pay,” It snarled. “None of you will leave this place. Ever. You fucked around and you’re about to find out.”

“No,” Alana Catherine said. “You’re wrong.”

The Higher Power was taken aback at her words. It was crazy, but I thought I saw fear for a brief moment in Its eyes. That had to be wrong. Why would It be afraid of us?

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