Half-Past Dawn

CHAPTER 45

Ryan McCourt raced from his home to find his friends in the emergency room. He looked at Mia’s X-rays, the CAT scans and MRIs side-by-side, two versions, the ones from ten days ago when he had told them of her diagnosis and the ones moments old. He compared them, up close, side-by-side. Dumbstruck, he quickly pulled them down. No one would believe it, for there could be no explanation.

Hope Keeler’s six-year-old eyes drifted open; she could hear the sound of the crashing waves on the sandy beach as she lay in the oversized bed at her grandmother’s house. And as the first light of morning washed through the slatted window shades, she saw her father standing there in the early-morning light.

“Hey, baby,” Jack whispered, the sound of his voice painting a broad smile on Hope’s face.

And with the sound of his voice, Sara stirred and rolled over. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Daddy’s going away for a bit.” Jack smiled.

“Where?” Hope asked.

“Not far, but always remember I’m with you,” he said as he reached out and touched their hearts.

“Where’s Mommy?”

“Mommy’s fine. She’s sleeping. You do me a favor and tell her I love her.”

Hope and Sara nodded in unison.

“Give me your hands,” Jack said as he took their small hands in his. Unfurling their fingers, he gently kissed their palms.

“A kissing hand, Daddy?” Hope giggled.

“A kissing hand, baby. When you miss me or need me, you just place that against your cheek, and you’ll feel me right beside you.”

Hope placed her palm against her cheek and smiled. “It’s warm.”

Sara mimicked her sister.

Jack smiled. “It always will be.”

Jack sat on the edge of Mia’s hospital bed and ran his fingers through her hair.

Her eyes slowly drifted open. “Hi.”

“Hi back,” Jack said.

“You’re alive.”

Jack smiled.

“Ryan said…” Mia choked back her tears. “How’s it possible? What did you do?”

Jack touched the blue stone necklace around her neck. The words from Marijha Toulouse’s note echoed in his head, peace and love, healing and long life…

Jack stared at her a moment, memorizing her face. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips, all of his emotions pouring forth. He kissed her cheek, ran his hand through her hair.

“You know I can’t stay,” Jack whispered as the early rays of sunlight washed over his warm face.

“No, please, don’t leave me…” Mia could barely breathe through her quiet sobs.

“Mia,” Jack said softly as he took her face in his hands. “It’s OK.”

“Don’t you do it,” Mia pleaded with tear-filled eyes. “Don’t you leave me, Jack. I can’t survive without-Please.”

“Mia,” Jack said, his abbreviated smile creasing his cheeks, “you’re going to live. You’re going to be fine for a very long time. You need to love our girls, teach them the lessons that I would have. Teach them of me and my heart. But most of all, tell them of how I loved you so they may understand and find that most precious of things someday.” Jack looked into her eyes. Lowering his voice, he whispered, “Give me your hand.”

She laid her hand in his, her palm open, facing up, and he kissed it with love, gently, forever, as if he was pouring his soul into her. And as forever came to an end, he grasped her fingers, curling them around the warmth he left within her palm. He enclosed her hand in his, holding tightly, and smiled.

Mia watched, crushed with grief, as he began slowly to slip away. Their eyes locked, his warm smile fading… and he was gone.