was her fault.
And their loss, their sacrifice, was going to give her the one thing she wanted the most.
They watched Jack and Lucy take the pills together, one at a time. The doctor had prescribed more than enough, after Lucy’s reaction at the hospital. One whole bottle, split between them. They fed them to each other, like lovers, washing them down with vodka. It was the sweetest, saddest thing Muriel had ever seen.
“I love you, Jack.” Lucy slipped into sleep with a smile still on her face.
“I love you, Lucy,” he whispered. He stayed awake longer, watching her breaths coming fewer and further between. He watched as long as he could. Muriel saw him fighting sleep, but eventually, his eyelids drooped and finally closed.
By then, Lucy was gone. And Jack wasn’t far behind.
“How?” Muriel asked as Char sat on the edge of the mattress, pulling her down beside him.
“Come here, my love.” He folded her into his arms, his wings. She loved how it made her feel. More than she ever had in her whole existence. His dark eyes were full of emotion. “I’m mad for you. Muriel. I’ve done things… you have made me crazy. If this isn’t love, it can only be insanity.”
“Maybe it’s both.” It felt like it. Whatever this was between them, it couldn’t be denied. She was ready to do anything she could, just to hang onto him a little longer.
“We’ll only have a day,” he reminded her. “Will it be enough?”
“An eternity wouldn’t be long enough,” she admitted, turning her face up to him “But love knows no time, remember?”
“We’re going to pay a price for this.” He cupped her face in his hands. “But I can’t say no to you. I can’t stop. I want this. I want you. I can’t help it.”
“I want you too,” she confessed. “I don’t care what it costs. Please.”
He gathered her to him and kissed her.
In an instant, everything changed. The press of his mouth against hers, the tender touch of his lips, transported her to another world. A sweet taste flooded her mouth, pure nectar, something so delicious it shocked her. She felt everything, Char’s hands on her shoulders, drawing her closer, his torso against hers, an ache so deep at her core, it shook her whole being.
She’d witnessed hundreds, thousands, millions of kisses throughout the ages, but she never thought it would be like this.
His kiss was the last thing she remembered.
Until she woke in Jack’s arms.
“How…?” Her voice wasn’t her own. She touched her throat. It was raw and painful, her voice hoarse.
“It’s me.” It was Jack’s voice, but she saw the amber circle around his dark eyes and knew it wasn’t. Not really. “Muriel, it’s me.”
“Char…”
And then she remembered.
“Am I?” She sat up, staring at her hands, at the dress she’d last seen Lucy wearing. Then she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the bureau. It was Lucy’s tear-streaked face staring back at her. “Who am I?”
He sat up too, looking down at his limbs in wonder, then turning to look at her. The wonder on his face matched her own. They were human, both of them. Flesh and blood, at last.
“Where is she?” Muriel touched her face, her arms. Just her own fingertips brushing her skin made her feel more alive, aware, than she had ever been before. “Is she still here?”
“Yes,” he said, looking at himself in the mirror, shifting his gaze to meet her eyes. “He’s here too, but… they’re…”
“Sleeping?” She frowned at Lucy, trying to sense her, but she couldn’t. Whatever the woman had been feeling, she had taken with her. The pain of losing Henry, the grief that had driven her to take her own life, was gone.
“Something like that.” Char nodded.
And their loss, their sacrifice, was going to give her the one thing she wanted the most.
They watched Jack and Lucy take the pills together, one at a time. The doctor had prescribed more than enough, after Lucy’s reaction at the hospital. One whole bottle, split between them. They fed them to each other, like lovers, washing them down with vodka. It was the sweetest, saddest thing Muriel had ever seen.
“I love you, Jack.” Lucy slipped into sleep with a smile still on her face.
“I love you, Lucy,” he whispered. He stayed awake longer, watching her breaths coming fewer and further between. He watched as long as he could. Muriel saw him fighting sleep, but eventually, his eyelids drooped and finally closed.
By then, Lucy was gone. And Jack wasn’t far behind.
“How?” Muriel asked as Char sat on the edge of the mattress, pulling her down beside him.
“Come here, my love.” He folded her into his arms, his wings. She loved how it made her feel. More than she ever had in her whole existence. His dark eyes were full of emotion. “I’m mad for you. Muriel. I’ve done things… you have made me crazy. If this isn’t love, it can only be insanity.”
“Maybe it’s both.” It felt like it. Whatever this was between them, it couldn’t be denied. She was ready to do anything she could, just to hang onto him a little longer.
“We’ll only have a day,” he reminded her. “Will it be enough?”
“An eternity wouldn’t be long enough,” she admitted, turning her face up to him “But love knows no time, remember?”
“We’re going to pay a price for this.” He cupped her face in his hands. “But I can’t say no to you. I can’t stop. I want this. I want you. I can’t help it.”
“I want you too,” she confessed. “I don’t care what it costs. Please.”
He gathered her to him and kissed her.
In an instant, everything changed. The press of his mouth against hers, the tender touch of his lips, transported her to another world. A sweet taste flooded her mouth, pure nectar, something so delicious it shocked her. She felt everything, Char’s hands on her shoulders, drawing her closer, his torso against hers, an ache so deep at her core, it shook her whole being.
She’d witnessed hundreds, thousands, millions of kisses throughout the ages, but she never thought it would be like this.
His kiss was the last thing she remembered.
Until she woke in Jack’s arms.
“How…?” Her voice wasn’t her own. She touched her throat. It was raw and painful, her voice hoarse.
“It’s me.” It was Jack’s voice, but she saw the amber circle around his dark eyes and knew it wasn’t. Not really. “Muriel, it’s me.”
“Char…”
And then she remembered.
“Am I?” She sat up, staring at her hands, at the dress she’d last seen Lucy wearing. Then she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the bureau. It was Lucy’s tear-streaked face staring back at her. “Who am I?”
He sat up too, looking down at his limbs in wonder, then turning to look at her. The wonder on his face matched her own. They were human, both of them. Flesh and blood, at last.
“Where is she?” Muriel touched her face, her arms. Just her own fingertips brushing her skin made her feel more alive, aware, than she had ever been before. “Is she still here?”
“Yes,” he said, looking at himself in the mirror, shifting his gaze to meet her eyes. “He’s here too, but… they’re…”
“Sleeping?” She frowned at Lucy, trying to sense her, but she couldn’t. Whatever the woman had been feeling, she had taken with her. The pain of losing Henry, the grief that had driven her to take her own life, was gone.
“Something like that.” Char nodded.
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