smile on his face. Her bed, her sweet face lying
there connected to wires and tubes. Her parents quietly crying in the corner
while her siblings tried to get her to color with them or play a game of cards. A future that only showed her parents rallying fundraising to
provide a better cancer facility for children in the area - and succeeding.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she said, bringing
him back. He smiled even though his heart was breaking. He hated this part. The
part where someone’s passing – especially a child – would bring about a change
in the world that would help more people than she could imagine. And the worst part?
She leaned in to whisper to him.
“You’re like an angel. I can see it in your
eyes. It will be okay, you know. I’m
ready for heaven. Just take care of my mommy and daddy and baby brothers,
please.”
She pulled back, and looked right into his
eyes with a vast smile. He squeezed her hand a little tighter. The worst part
was the children whose innocence allowed them to see Healers differently than
the rest of the world did, as special people there to change lives. These
children never told anyone for the same reason wishes are kept secret when
tossing coins into a wishing well - children believe in the importance of
magic.
She let go of his shaking hand and fluttered to
the back of the room, surrounded by her friends and dancing. He rose up slowly,
hands tucked into his pockets. When their eyes met again, little Isabelle
mouthed, “I’m okay.”
“I see you met Isabelle,” Addie’s voice said
from next to him. “She’s a real sweet kid. Her parents say they think the
doctors can cure her. I bet they will. She’s too sweet a kid to go to heaven
this soon.”
The words pierced AJ’s heart. It was a burden
to have to know someone’s future and not be able to share it – especially when
he possessed the ability to change it physically even when the laws of the
world said he shouldn’t.
“That she is,” he whispered, looking towards
the door. He wanted to make a break for it, get back to the B&B and try and
forget about what had just happened. He wasn’t prepared to heal again. He was
even less prepared to not be able to.
“I think I’m going to head out.”
“Okay. I’ll drive you home,” she said,
starting towards the door in front of him.
“Actually Addie, I think I’m going to walk
back myself.”
“Listen, I’m sorry it was a depressing
party.” She could see his face was sullen and felt bad that she had brought him
to this party as his introduction to town. She’d just wanted to get him out of
the house. “It’s just I thought you could meet some people-”
“ It’s okay, Addie,
thank you for bringing me. It really was nice to meet folks. But I just feel
like walking.”
He hurried outside before she could find her
belongings and daughter. He could get a head start and maybe she’d leave him
be.
“AJ, wait up!” he heard from behind him.
“I’ll walk with you!”
He turned to see Addie jogging towards him.
“Addie, I said-”
“I don’t care. I’m walking with you. Fresh
air would do me some good, too, and Gram already said she’d take Rose.”
He sighed and resigned himself to the fact
that she was coming with and there was nothing he could do short of being
extremely rude to stop her – something he was not going to do, considering he
wanted to make this place a home.
“Fine,” he muttered to her.
“Is it the little girl that has you so upset?
Did you have a sister or something that died?” The words sounded crasser
escaping her lips than they had in her mind.
He shook his head, never looking at her.
“Then what is it? I mean, I know it’s
depressing. The doctors are going to fix her, though.”
He wanted to yell that they weren’t going to
fix her and he knew it for a fact. He knew better. She’d
there connected to wires and tubes. Her parents quietly crying in the corner
while her siblings tried to get her to color with them or play a game of cards. A future that only showed her parents rallying fundraising to
provide a better cancer facility for children in the area - and succeeding.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she said, bringing
him back. He smiled even though his heart was breaking. He hated this part. The
part where someone’s passing – especially a child – would bring about a change
in the world that would help more people than she could imagine. And the worst part?
She leaned in to whisper to him.
“You’re like an angel. I can see it in your
eyes. It will be okay, you know. I’m
ready for heaven. Just take care of my mommy and daddy and baby brothers,
please.”
She pulled back, and looked right into his
eyes with a vast smile. He squeezed her hand a little tighter. The worst part
was the children whose innocence allowed them to see Healers differently than
the rest of the world did, as special people there to change lives. These
children never told anyone for the same reason wishes are kept secret when
tossing coins into a wishing well - children believe in the importance of
magic.
She let go of his shaking hand and fluttered to
the back of the room, surrounded by her friends and dancing. He rose up slowly,
hands tucked into his pockets. When their eyes met again, little Isabelle
mouthed, “I’m okay.”
“I see you met Isabelle,” Addie’s voice said
from next to him. “She’s a real sweet kid. Her parents say they think the
doctors can cure her. I bet they will. She’s too sweet a kid to go to heaven
this soon.”
The words pierced AJ’s heart. It was a burden
to have to know someone’s future and not be able to share it – especially when
he possessed the ability to change it physically even when the laws of the
world said he shouldn’t.
“That she is,” he whispered, looking towards
the door. He wanted to make a break for it, get back to the B&B and try and
forget about what had just happened. He wasn’t prepared to heal again. He was
even less prepared to not be able to.
“I think I’m going to head out.”
“Okay. I’ll drive you home,” she said,
starting towards the door in front of him.
“Actually Addie, I think I’m going to walk
back myself.”
“Listen, I’m sorry it was a depressing
party.” She could see his face was sullen and felt bad that she had brought him
to this party as his introduction to town. She’d just wanted to get him out of
the house. “It’s just I thought you could meet some people-”
“ It’s okay, Addie,
thank you for bringing me. It really was nice to meet folks. But I just feel
like walking.”
He hurried outside before she could find her
belongings and daughter. He could get a head start and maybe she’d leave him
be.
“AJ, wait up!” he heard from behind him.
“I’ll walk with you!”
He turned to see Addie jogging towards him.
“Addie, I said-”
“I don’t care. I’m walking with you. Fresh
air would do me some good, too, and Gram already said she’d take Rose.”
He sighed and resigned himself to the fact
that she was coming with and there was nothing he could do short of being
extremely rude to stop her – something he was not going to do, considering he
wanted to make this place a home.
“Fine,” he muttered to her.
“Is it the little girl that has you so upset?
Did you have a sister or something that died?” The words sounded crasser
escaping her lips than they had in her mind.
He shook his head, never looking at her.
“Then what is it? I mean, I know it’s
depressing. The doctors are going to fix her, though.”
He wanted to yell that they weren’t going to
fix her and he knew it for a fact. He knew better. She’d
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