Page 241 of The Seven Rings
When they went in, the dogs followed them up the stairs. Pye ribboned her way through them.
“It may be easier on Owen and me to go through where it happened, each time. Johanna came up these steps so… this is the place.”
Nerves threatened again; Sonya fought them down.
“All right. I wish I could see her again, Johanna, on her wedding day, when she ran up these steps to change her shoes. We need to go there, Owen and I, to take her wedding ring so we can return it to her. We—”
The mirror was there, as if waiting.
“God, okay. Owen.”
“Yeah, I see it. Not really movement, but shapes. I hear music.”
Quickly, Sonya turned to Trey. “Look out for each other, and the dogs, Pye.”
“Count on it.”
“Cleo—”
“You don’t worry about us.” She shifted her gaze from Sonya to Owen. “You don’t worry.”
“Ten seconds until midnight.” Trey gripped Owen’s hand as he kissed Sonya.
Then he let go.
“Time.”
They went through. Trey clicked the stopwatch he held. Cleo touched a hand to the sheer glass, then dropped it.
“They’re going to do this. They’re meant to do this. And still.”
“Right there with you.”
On the other side, Sonya and Owen stood on the same spot in air scented with flowers.
The door burst open, and Johanna, radiant, ran in and started up the stairs. On a laugh, she stopped, and pulled off high, sparkling heels.
“She doesn’t see us,” Sonya murmured. “I’d half hoped she would.”
Laying a hand on her belly where the hope of a new life slept, she hurried up the rest of the stairs. She spun in a circle, her happiness like a wave that swept everything in its path.
“She’ll go to the main bedroom, put her wedding shoes away.”
“You have to move in.”
“In the bedroom, I will. When she’s there.”
They followed as Johanna all but danced down the hallway and through the doors of the bedroom.
She put her shoes away, stood smiling, glowing as she scanned her choices.
“Well, the hell with shoes,” she began.
And everything froze.
“Oh. That’s how it’ll be then.” Struck with sorrow, filled with purpose, Sonya stepped to her. “I’m sorry, so sorry I can’t do more. I’ll get it back to you. I swear.”
“Cleo said to put it on.”
