Page 75 of His Forever

“Why are you sorry?”

“She was your wife at one time and I know you loved her,” she responded.

“Si, this is true, but we’ve been over for years. I never wished her ill will and seeing how she died, howtheydied, I can only pray it was a quick death.”

They sat there quietly while they waited for the professionals to do their job. She winced when she saw the coroner take out five body bags for two people. That told her that they weren’t in one piece and she sent up a silent prayer that their deaths were quick. Once the coroner was finished, Zeus got the mangled vehicle up on the tow truck and they made their way to the wrecker yard.

***

“Marleigh, we won’t get another call-out, we were next on the list and that was it. How about we go home?”

“Yeah. Let’s go home,” she said quietly, still lost in her thoughts. He stopped at the diner and got a couple of sandwiches to go and they headed home, both thinking about two people whose lives were cut short.

Once home, she led him out to the swing and then curled up in his lap. “Zeus?”

“Hmm?”

“The coroner…I noticed he had multiple body bags. Can I ask something?”

“Mi siempre hermosa, you can ask me anything, but I think you know the answer to this one,” he told her.

“Okay then, he had so many body bags because neither of them were in one piece, correct?”

He shuddered at the memories before saying, “Si. The engine came into the passenger compartment and cut Suri in three pieces and the log that came through did the same to Colton.”

“Oh dear God. Now I’m really praying they died instantly,” she told him.

“Me too, Marleigh. Me too.”

***

The accident was the talk of the salon the next day as she dragged herself to work. They hadn’t slept the night before, despite her giving him a massage and them soaking in the hot tub. Feeling the need to verify that they were both alive, he had finally taken her to bed where they made love for what seemed like hours.

“Hey girl, heard Zeus caught that accident last night,” Chandra said as she walked into the breakroom.

“Yeah. I was with him since it was his late night.”

“Damn, that sucks. Anyone we know?”

“Chan, it was Colton and Suri.”

“Oh my God! That’s…that’s awful,” the other woman finally said.

“It was awful. Zeus wouldn’t let me go near the car but he had to identify Suri and it made him sick! I mean, I know what they did to me was awful and sick, and I’m still angry about it, but there’s no way in hell I would wish that onanyone.”

“Bless his heart. I think that’s the one thing he hates about his job – never knowing what he’ll roll up on when he’s called out. Sounds like last night was a doozy.”

“Yeah it was. We didn’t really sleep much so I’m wiped out today.”

“How’s your schedule?”

“Slammed, so I have no choice but to suck it up.”

“You know I’m here if you need to talk.”

“Thanks, I may take you up on that,” she said as she made her way back to her massage room.

***

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