Page 137 of Other Side Of Never
“Did He say you could help?”
She answered slowly, carefully.“He did.”
I huffed out a laugh.“You know, Aunt Christine, there’s a helluva lot of downtime.”
She frowned.“The word hell is frowned upon in these parts.”
“Heck?”
She pressed her lips together tightly.“Probably best not to make the inference at all.”
Standing up, she offered me her hand.“Ready?”
I drew in a shaky breath and admitted, “I’m not sure.”
Her face softened.“You’ll be okay.I’m going with you this time.”
“Who are we going to see?”
She smiled; her eyes lit with joy.“Noelle.”
We landed at the old carousel just as Noelle made it across the bridge.“Hey, old buddy,” I whispered.Cocking an eyebrow, I asked Christine, “Have you seen Old Man Gillie?”
My aunt smiled.“Oh, yeah.He’s still the same.He’s looking forward to seeing you.”
“Huh,” I murmured.“Why do you think I haven’t seen him yet?”
She shrugged.“I’ve got a feeling you might see him after all this.”
Noelle circled the carousel.
“She’s looking for our horse,” I murmured then called to her.“It’s here, Noelle.”I turned to my aunt.“This one was always my favorite pony, the one I rode whenever my mom brought me here.”
Noelle reached us and traced the letters we carved into it a million years ago, then huffed out a laugh.
“Oh,” my aunt breathed, her face full of wonder.“She’s so beautiful.”Then her face lit up.“She’s pregnant, Hunter!”
“I’m going to be an uncle,” I breathed, then laughed.“And you’re going to be a grandmother!”
“Oh, no,” she breathed, wrapping herself around Noelle who bent her head to the pony.“She’s crying.”
“Hunter, I miss you,” she whispered.
“I’m here, Noelle,” I promised, my knees hitting the ground.“I’m not so far away.”
Aunt Christine held her while she cried.
“You’re always here, though.”she stroked the pony’s side.She patted the pony’s chest and came in contact with a metal plate.
I bent to read it.
For Hunter.Ride on, little buddy.
I turned away.
I had to.
Dying was easy.It was the staying that hurt.
