love. Understanding, healing love.
"The curse," she whispered. "The curse
is why you're a ghost." Then two lines creased her brow. "But, that
means you have to cease existing for someone you love, in order to
find peace."
He nodded. He'd had two hundred years
to think about finding a loophole. There wasn't one.
"Oh, Jared," she began, but he stopped
her with an upraised hand.
"No pity. I won't have it."
"But it was an accident! It's not fair
- "
"It wasn't fair that
Katherine died when she was twenty years old. Or that the baby she
wanted so desperately never grew to even swell her belly." He
draped one arm behind her on the sofa and traced her face with his
other hand. "It hasn't been such a bad existence.” Until now, the words
burned in his mind. Now, when I've found
you, and all I can think about is touching you, holding you, what
it would be like if things were different.
But he said none of these things,
knowing they would leave her as raw and wounded as he.
She leaned her head back on the sofa,
back into his arm. He closed his eyes and imagined he could feel
her nestled against him.
"But to be so alone, " she went
on.
"Alane, I spent a hundred and
seventy-five years roaming all four corners of the earth. I watched
the Civil War, from both sides. I was in Washington when Lincoln
was shot and I watched as the doctors worked to save him. I was in
England at Queen Elizabeth's coronation. I witnessed both World
Wars from every country involved. I've wandered in and out of the
Oval office during top secret discussions. I've seen the telephone,
light bulb, radio and television born. I've seen the Wright
brothers fly and watched a man walk on the moon." He stopped, took
a breath, then gave her his best mischievous grin. "And I've
contributed my share to all the ghost stories floating around this
country."
Alane smiled a sad, unconvinced smile,
but she didn't pursue the conversation. Her eyes drooped heavily,
and for the first time he realized she looked exhausted.
"Whatever you say, Jared." She yawned
an enormous yawn, then relaxed into the couch and closed her eyes.
"I'm so tired."
Jared had forgotten how easily mortals
tire, and she'd been awake most of the night before, worrying at
his side. He watched her face relax into sleep; watched as shadows
from the moon passed over her precious features. Then his breath
caught in his throat and his heart lurched when she shifted,
leaning into him so that he surrounded her. If he tried, he could
imagine he was holding her.
He sat there, unmoving, savoring her
presence, weaving a dream in his mind while she slept. And in the
dream he was whole, and Alane came to him, loved him, touched
him.
But no matter how hard he tried, he
couldn't remember how it felt to be touched.
*******
Alane snuggled deeper into the
heavenly, melting warmth and tried to hold on to the misty dream of
Jared kissing her, but brilliant sunlight prodded her awake. She
felt for the covers to pull over her head.
She didn't remember climbing the stairs
to go to bed last night. And where were the covers?
She pried one reluctant eye open and
peered at the living room through a blur. The fire had burned down
to nothing more than a few glowing red coals, and she was lying on
the couch without so much as a blanket to cover her.
Then why was she so warm?
Blinding sunlight bounced off the snow
and burst through the eastern windows, bathing everything in a
white light. It turned the lake into a giant, silvery reflecting
pool.
She opened her other eye, then massaged
them with the heels of her hands. Everything was still a
blur.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
The voice seemed to come from within
her.
No. It came from around her.
Alane elbowed her way to a sitting
position, feeling the chill of the room as she rose. Her vision
cleared and she looked around.
Jared leaned into the very corner of
the couch she'd just vacated. His grin was all little boy, but his
eyes held the pain of a man who
"The curse," she whispered. "The curse
is why you're a ghost." Then two lines creased her brow. "But, that
means you have to cease existing for someone you love, in order to
find peace."
He nodded. He'd had two hundred years
to think about finding a loophole. There wasn't one.
"Oh, Jared," she began, but he stopped
her with an upraised hand.
"No pity. I won't have it."
"But it was an accident! It's not fair
- "
"It wasn't fair that
Katherine died when she was twenty years old. Or that the baby she
wanted so desperately never grew to even swell her belly." He
draped one arm behind her on the sofa and traced her face with his
other hand. "It hasn't been such a bad existence.” Until now, the words
burned in his mind. Now, when I've found
you, and all I can think about is touching you, holding you, what
it would be like if things were different.
But he said none of these things,
knowing they would leave her as raw and wounded as he.
She leaned her head back on the sofa,
back into his arm. He closed his eyes and imagined he could feel
her nestled against him.
"But to be so alone, " she went
on.
"Alane, I spent a hundred and
seventy-five years roaming all four corners of the earth. I watched
the Civil War, from both sides. I was in Washington when Lincoln
was shot and I watched as the doctors worked to save him. I was in
England at Queen Elizabeth's coronation. I witnessed both World
Wars from every country involved. I've wandered in and out of the
Oval office during top secret discussions. I've seen the telephone,
light bulb, radio and television born. I've seen the Wright
brothers fly and watched a man walk on the moon." He stopped, took
a breath, then gave her his best mischievous grin. "And I've
contributed my share to all the ghost stories floating around this
country."
Alane smiled a sad, unconvinced smile,
but she didn't pursue the conversation. Her eyes drooped heavily,
and for the first time he realized she looked exhausted.
"Whatever you say, Jared." She yawned
an enormous yawn, then relaxed into the couch and closed her eyes.
"I'm so tired."
Jared had forgotten how easily mortals
tire, and she'd been awake most of the night before, worrying at
his side. He watched her face relax into sleep; watched as shadows
from the moon passed over her precious features. Then his breath
caught in his throat and his heart lurched when she shifted,
leaning into him so that he surrounded her. If he tried, he could
imagine he was holding her.
He sat there, unmoving, savoring her
presence, weaving a dream in his mind while she slept. And in the
dream he was whole, and Alane came to him, loved him, touched
him.
But no matter how hard he tried, he
couldn't remember how it felt to be touched.
*******
Alane snuggled deeper into the
heavenly, melting warmth and tried to hold on to the misty dream of
Jared kissing her, but brilliant sunlight prodded her awake. She
felt for the covers to pull over her head.
She didn't remember climbing the stairs
to go to bed last night. And where were the covers?
She pried one reluctant eye open and
peered at the living room through a blur. The fire had burned down
to nothing more than a few glowing red coals, and she was lying on
the couch without so much as a blanket to cover her.
Then why was she so warm?
Blinding sunlight bounced off the snow
and burst through the eastern windows, bathing everything in a
white light. It turned the lake into a giant, silvery reflecting
pool.
She opened her other eye, then massaged
them with the heels of her hands. Everything was still a
blur.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
The voice seemed to come from within
her.
No. It came from around her.
Alane elbowed her way to a sitting
position, feeling the chill of the room as she rose. Her vision
cleared and she looked around.
Jared leaned into the very corner of
the couch she'd just vacated. His grin was all little boy, but his
eyes held the pain of a man who
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