and then head out. Maybe I’d finally see him in my dreams tonight.
Chapter Fifteen
I knew I was dreaming when I looked up to see Alun sitting cross-legged on top of his bed. No longer dressed in a backless hospital gown, he wore jeans and a faded T-shirt, sneakers on his feet.
“Hey.” He quirked one eyebrow. “I thought you’d never go to sleep.”
“ Alun .” Raw delight filled me, and I stared at him, hungry for every detail. “Babe, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Come on, then.” He held out a hand, and wiggled his fingers. “Shall we go?”
I’d go anywhere with him. I clasped his hand, and blinked. We appeared on a rocky outcrop in the middle of a winter storm. Snow fell steadily, creating a thick carpet for our feet. I never felt the cold, even though I should have been freezing. The sun was completely obscured by clouds, but it had the feeling of early morning.
“Where are we?” I asked.
Smiling, he led me a few steps to a gentle slope, covered entirely in pure, untouched snow. It could have been a blanket, freshly laid for us. I’d never seen so much pristine snow before. “If you look over yonder”—he pointed in the distance—“you’ll see Tanygrisiau at the foot of the hill.”
“Beautiful.” I twirled round and admired the view from every angle, then realized Alun was watching me.
“Yes,” he murmured, intensity burning in his eyes. “But it’s time for the angels.”
“What?” An icy hand clutched at my heart. Was this Alun’s way of saying goodbye? Bringing me to his home one last time? “ No .” I stumbled into his arms. “No, baby. Please, don’t go. I don’t want to be without you. I only just found you again.”
He held me close, and stroked my hair, kissed my eyebrows and cheeks, and then chucked me under the chin. “I heard you singing about Christmas.” That was right; the choir had been singing carols. “And yeah, it made me think about angels.” I burrowed into his arms. I wasn’t letting him go. Not again.
“Come on,” he whispered into my hair. “It’s time.” He moved back, creating a tiny gap between us. I clung to his hand so tightly, our fingers would have to be pried apart with a crowbar. “Are you ready, Cariad ?”
Fear rushed in. If I died in my dream, would I die in real life too?
Alun cocked his head to one side. “On three.” Huh? He led me forward, to the start of the brilliant white slopes. “One, two, three .”
He leapt, pulling me with him to land on our butts in the snow. All the air rushed out of my lungs, but I heard Alun whoop in delight.
“Snow angels,” he shouted. Lying on his back, he flapped his arms, and scissored his legs in the snow. “Let’s do a double.” He squeezed my hand, where it lay on the snow. “Perfect snow, perfect angels.”
I laughed so much, so hard, my stomach hurt. Perfect Alun.
****
I lurked in the not-quite-asleep fog of pre-waking, and smiled at the crazy dream I’d just had. We’d made snow angels and played together like children, as the flakes fell around us, creating fresh fields of white at every turn. Magical, silly, and fun. I’d also been aware that Alun had drawn me into a dream. Was it a sign he was getting better?
A squeeze on my hand dragged me awake. Had the nurse come in? I opened sleep-filled eyes, and lifted my head, only to find the room empty.
I glanced at Alun. I didn’t dare to hope.
Our hands rested on the bed, fingers linked. I lifted them to my mouth, and pressed a kiss onto his knuckles. This time, I didn’t imagine the squeeze. His fingers moved in my hand.
“Alun?” I leaned over the bed, and stroked his hair. Please wake up . He squeezed my hand again, harder, and his eyelids fluttered. “Alun, baby? It’s me, Olivia.” I could barely speak over the crashing of my heart. I held tightly to his hand, and forced myself to take a deep breath. To speak more clearly. “Are you going to wake up now?”
His nose twitched, and then his
Chapter Fifteen
I knew I was dreaming when I looked up to see Alun sitting cross-legged on top of his bed. No longer dressed in a backless hospital gown, he wore jeans and a faded T-shirt, sneakers on his feet.
“Hey.” He quirked one eyebrow. “I thought you’d never go to sleep.”
“ Alun .” Raw delight filled me, and I stared at him, hungry for every detail. “Babe, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Come on, then.” He held out a hand, and wiggled his fingers. “Shall we go?”
I’d go anywhere with him. I clasped his hand, and blinked. We appeared on a rocky outcrop in the middle of a winter storm. Snow fell steadily, creating a thick carpet for our feet. I never felt the cold, even though I should have been freezing. The sun was completely obscured by clouds, but it had the feeling of early morning.
“Where are we?” I asked.
Smiling, he led me a few steps to a gentle slope, covered entirely in pure, untouched snow. It could have been a blanket, freshly laid for us. I’d never seen so much pristine snow before. “If you look over yonder”—he pointed in the distance—“you’ll see Tanygrisiau at the foot of the hill.”
“Beautiful.” I twirled round and admired the view from every angle, then realized Alun was watching me.
“Yes,” he murmured, intensity burning in his eyes. “But it’s time for the angels.”
“What?” An icy hand clutched at my heart. Was this Alun’s way of saying goodbye? Bringing me to his home one last time? “ No .” I stumbled into his arms. “No, baby. Please, don’t go. I don’t want to be without you. I only just found you again.”
He held me close, and stroked my hair, kissed my eyebrows and cheeks, and then chucked me under the chin. “I heard you singing about Christmas.” That was right; the choir had been singing carols. “And yeah, it made me think about angels.” I burrowed into his arms. I wasn’t letting him go. Not again.
“Come on,” he whispered into my hair. “It’s time.” He moved back, creating a tiny gap between us. I clung to his hand so tightly, our fingers would have to be pried apart with a crowbar. “Are you ready, Cariad ?”
Fear rushed in. If I died in my dream, would I die in real life too?
Alun cocked his head to one side. “On three.” Huh? He led me forward, to the start of the brilliant white slopes. “One, two, three .”
He leapt, pulling me with him to land on our butts in the snow. All the air rushed out of my lungs, but I heard Alun whoop in delight.
“Snow angels,” he shouted. Lying on his back, he flapped his arms, and scissored his legs in the snow. “Let’s do a double.” He squeezed my hand, where it lay on the snow. “Perfect snow, perfect angels.”
I laughed so much, so hard, my stomach hurt. Perfect Alun.
****
I lurked in the not-quite-asleep fog of pre-waking, and smiled at the crazy dream I’d just had. We’d made snow angels and played together like children, as the flakes fell around us, creating fresh fields of white at every turn. Magical, silly, and fun. I’d also been aware that Alun had drawn me into a dream. Was it a sign he was getting better?
A squeeze on my hand dragged me awake. Had the nurse come in? I opened sleep-filled eyes, and lifted my head, only to find the room empty.
I glanced at Alun. I didn’t dare to hope.
Our hands rested on the bed, fingers linked. I lifted them to my mouth, and pressed a kiss onto his knuckles. This time, I didn’t imagine the squeeze. His fingers moved in my hand.
“Alun?” I leaned over the bed, and stroked his hair. Please wake up . He squeezed my hand again, harder, and his eyelids fluttered. “Alun, baby? It’s me, Olivia.” I could barely speak over the crashing of my heart. I held tightly to his hand, and forced myself to take a deep breath. To speak more clearly. “Are you going to wake up now?”
His nose twitched, and then his
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