Page 88 of Connected By Souls

“I can’t believe you’re both here.” I look at my parents. My mom still looks beautiful, just the way I remember her. Her beautiful green eyes mirror mine, with her brunette hair in loose curls around her shoulders. My dad is still just as handsome as I remember him. Skye used to tease me about it all the time. His dark hair has a little grey mixed in, only making him look more handsome. His warm brown eyes shine with love as he looks at me now. “I never thought I would be able to see you again. This feels so real.” I cry all over again. “I can’t tell you how much I miss you every day,” I choke out.

“We know, love. Dad and I miss you too, but it’s different for us. We understand the bigger picture, and time doesn’t exist for us. It’s like we just saw you yesterday.” My mom smiles at me.

“Why did you have to die? It happened all of a sudden. I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” I cry softly.

“We all have free will and choices we make before being born. We chose each other as a family before we even existed in human form. Your dad and I chose to leave together after we learned the lessons we needed to experience. You’ve found your strength through us leaving, and by doing so, you found Noah again. I know it’s hard to understand now, but it’ll all make sense one day.” My mom squeezes my hand.

“You sent me to Noah, didn’t you?” I ask, smiling through my tears at my mom.

“I may have guided you a bit,” she says, grinning, “but you’re twin flames and would have made your way back to each other eventually.”

“I love him so much,” I admit, smiling at her.

“I know, honey, and he loves you. A twin flame is the most powerful kind of love. The last life you both had together wasn’t an easy one. You both were taken from each other way too soon. He was left with half a heart for many years, and when he finally passed at an old age, he vowed to always have you with him no matter what.”

“He got to keep his memories,” I whisper.

“He did. He never wanted to be without you again, even for a second.” She smiles at me.

“That’s why a big part of you was so frightened when you met. Your subconscious remembered the pain of losing him last time, and you were scared it would happen again.”

“You fought through it, though, and grew in strength.” My dad wipes my tears away.

Looking out at the ocean, I spot a dolphin and start laughing. Even in a coma, he sends me a sign.

“His little sign to you that he’s with you and that everything is going to be okay.” My mom grins as we watch the dolphin play in the waves.

We spend hours talking and laughing. We share memories of our life and the time we got to spend together. Even though they’ve been with me and know everything, I still tell them about Noah and our life together that we have now. We laugh about how I ended up as his neighbor and how Nala would always end up bringing Noah to me at my house. I tell them I’m finally writing and want to start teaching yoga. They sit and listen with big smiles on their faces as I soak up every little detail about them, never wanting to forget this moment.

ChapterThirty-One

Noah

Holding her hand,I will her to open her eyes. It’s been four days, and I haven’t left her side except for when my family forces me to get some fresh air and eat something. I’ve only been able to get a couple of bites in me before my body rejects it. I’ve replayed the crash in my head over and over again, wondering if there was something I could have done to prevent it. The other person driving had suffered a heart attack and had been slumped over the wheel unconscious when they sped through the red light hitting us. The paramedics tried to revive him on the scene, but he was pronounced dead before he made it into the ambulance. The police on the scene assured me I could have done nothing to prevent it, but it will forever haunt me.

I walked away with a couple of stitches on my forehead, and Emma had suffered a head injury. The doctors are hopeful the swelling on her brain will go down and she’ll wake up, but the more time that passes, the more worried I get. I look up when I hear the door open. Mav walks in and sits down next to me.

“Any change?” He asks quietly.

“No.” My voice is hoarse and dry. My throat feels raw from the tears I can’t stop shedding during the long nights I lay with her. “I can’t lose her, Mav. I’ve done it before and might as well have died with her. I can’t go through that again. This can’t be how our story ends.” I break down again.

Putting his hand on my shoulder, he sits quietly while I get it all out. Wiping my eyes, I try and be strong for her.

“She’s going to wake up Noah. I know it. This isn’t how your story ends. It’s just the beginning. I brought you something.” He holds up my favorite book of ours. “I thought you could read it to her. I’ve heard stories of people in comas say they could hear and feel their loved ones.” He hands me the book “Read to her Noah, bring her back home to you.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, taking the book. Mav pats me on the back and leaves me alone with Emma. Opening the book, I start to read, pouring out my love to her through the words I have written.

I wake up with a start when the door opens. I must have fallen asleep reading to her. I look at Emma and still see her peacefully sleeping. I take her hand as Skye comes to sit next to me. “Have you eaten anything today?” Skye asks me softly. Skye and Cole canceled their flights and refuse to leave until Emma wakes up. The school found a substitute teacher for her, and Cole is on emergency leave.

I glance at the clock and notice it’s dinner time already. Tomorrow will be five days. Sighing, I shake my head. “No, I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat, Noah. You have to take care of yourself for her. She’s going to pull through this, and she will need you when she wakes up. Please eat for her.”

I nod my head, unable to speak.

“After Emma’s parents died, I watched her slowly die too. She became a shadow of who she was, but she pulled herself out of it and chose to live. You have to choose to live, Noah. Emma wouldn’t want you doing this to yourself. Please promise me you’ll eat something.”

“I’ll eat something tonight, I promise.”

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