Chapter 33
Luis collapsed onto the wooden bench, tired and deliciously worn-out from his latest workout. Fatigue was a blessing. Training long hours, day after day, kept his focus off of.other things. During the day at least. More than three months without her, and he still dreamed of her beautiful face. Thought of their time together. The first time he kissed her. The first time they.It was too much. His memories too real. Sometimes, in the mornings, during those fuzzy early hours where dreams and reality blurred into one, he imagined her with him. Lying beside him where she belonged. Those sparkling blue eyes warming his heart, and those sweet lips kissing him into wakefulness. Greeting him good morning.
She was so real then. He could almost feel her breath against his skin. Hear her voice whisper in his ear. He could FEEL the importance behind her words, but he couldn't recognize them. Dreams haunted him. They stayed with him like shadows. Except when his mind and his body were occupied to their fullest capacity. He mopped the sweat back from his forehead, looking up when he heard Sam's voice. "Good job, Luis. You're going to make an excellent addition to the force." Sam's praise earned a small smile of thanks, and Luis waved as the older man left him alone. He glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. If he didn't hit the showers soon, he'd be late.
The air was brisk. Cold as he walked the sidewalks of Harmony. He nodded politely at some vaguely familiar figures, careful to keep up the appearance of someone who was moving on with life. He pulled back the sleeve of his heavy jacket, making note of the time. The diner was still a few minutes away. If he hurried, he'd be no more than ten minutes late. She'd promised to always give him ten minutes at least, but he knew from experience that she'd wait even longer. These meetings.as much as Mama urged him to break off all ties to his still-fresh past with Sheridan, telling him he was only making it more difficult for himself to lead a normal life.these meetings were, in some small part, all that remained of his connection to her.
How could he take her advice when she failed to follow it herself? He loved his mama dearly, but she couldn't have it both ways. And, much to her chagrin, he called her on that. Of course, she couldn't give him an answer. The workings of the human heart were virtually inexplicable. Why else would Mama cling so desperately to the hope that Papa would someday return despite the hurt? Still she held on.praying that a miracle would happen and bring Papa back to her. As he did Sheridan. It sounded impossible, but he couldn't give up. His dreams wouldn't let him give up.
He dodged outgoing customers as he walked to the back of the diner. Spotting her gold-tinted head above one booth. And a darker blond head lowered next to hers. Warm brown eyes smiled up at him when he cleared his throat. "You're late," she smirked at him. "Like always." "And you're still here. Like always," he smiled back affably as he slid into the seat opposite her. "Ethan." Ethan's blue eyes shied away from Luis's darker ones uncomfortably. "Gwen?" Luis turned to the young blond for answers. "Oh him," she cut her eyes at Ethan's lanky frame next to her. "He keeps looking over his shoulder like he's expecting his grandfather to pop up behind him. Wuss," she muttered under her breath. Luis's lips quirked upward in amusement as Ethan's cheeks flooded with unwanted color. "Gwen," he nearly growled, glaring at his girlfriend. "Okay," she sighed heavily. "Luis," she began, her voice dropping to a quiet whisper. "Ethan has something to give you. Something he.um.found." Luis's dark eyes narrowed in confusion as Ethan pushed a rectangular black velvet box across the tabletop to him, his blue eyes darting around the crowded diner nervously. "Don't," he held a hand out to stop Luis when he covered the box with his hand and started to open it. "Don't open it here."
"Why not?" Luis waved the young waitress away when she glanced in their direction. "It's just.it's her mother's necklace. Grandfather doesn't know I took it." "I can't accept this," Luis shook his head immediately. His mind's eye picturing the vision she made the night she came back to him, the diamonds lying against her slender throat. "No," Ethan refused to take the necklace back. "It belonged to her mother. And to her. Grandfather.she would want." "God, Ethan," Gwen groaned. "Would you just spit it out? Look, Luis.there's a weird story attached to this necklace. It wasn't Ethan's idea to give you the necklace. It was his father's. Something about knowing where to find the truth.I don't know. I'm sorry I can't remember it any better than that. He just really wanted you to have that necklace. Though I can't see why beside the sentimental value."
"Me, either," Luis said quietly, his mind feverishly working to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "Wait.where are you two going?" "Luis," Gwen teased him with humor-filled brown eyes. "I can't believe you forgot. Formal wear, something about candles.16's a wonderful number, don't you think.cake, celebration, galas.ringing any bells?" "I remember now.have a happy birthday, Gwen. You know she would want that, don't you?" he whispered as he squeezed her hand fondly in goodbye. "Me, too," he smiled at her, sympathy for her welling inside when her eyes sparkled bright with the sheen of unshed tears. "Make sure she has a happy birthday, Ethan," he told the teen. "I will. Bye, Luis," he said somberly as he led Gwen out of the diner. Luis watched their figures disappear along the snow-covered sidewalks of Harmony. And then he returned his attention to the velvet box at his fingertips. It didn't make sense. WHY would Julian want him to have the necklace. ".where to find the truth. What truth?" A whisper of a memory from his dreams flashed before his eyes, and a smile formed unconsciously on his lips as he saw her. Smiling at him. Beckoning to him. He still couldn't recognize the words, but the import behind them was growing stronger with each passing moment in time. Somehow he just knew.
Luis collapsed onto the wooden bench, tired and deliciously worn-out from his latest workout. Fatigue was a blessing. Training long hours, day after day, kept his focus off of.other things. During the day at least. More than three months without her, and he still dreamed of her beautiful face. Thought of their time together. The first time he kissed her. The first time they.It was too much. His memories too real. Sometimes, in the mornings, during those fuzzy early hours where dreams and reality blurred into one, he imagined her with him. Lying beside him where she belonged. Those sparkling blue eyes warming his heart, and those sweet lips kissing him into wakefulness. Greeting him good morning.
She was so real then. He could almost feel her breath against his skin. Hear her voice whisper in his ear. He could FEEL the importance behind her words, but he couldn't recognize them. Dreams haunted him. They stayed with him like shadows. Except when his mind and his body were occupied to their fullest capacity. He mopped the sweat back from his forehead, looking up when he heard Sam's voice. "Good job, Luis. You're going to make an excellent addition to the force." Sam's praise earned a small smile of thanks, and Luis waved as the older man left him alone. He glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. If he didn't hit the showers soon, he'd be late.
The air was brisk. Cold as he walked the sidewalks of Harmony. He nodded politely at some vaguely familiar figures, careful to keep up the appearance of someone who was moving on with life. He pulled back the sleeve of his heavy jacket, making note of the time. The diner was still a few minutes away. If he hurried, he'd be no more than ten minutes late. She'd promised to always give him ten minutes at least, but he knew from experience that she'd wait even longer. These meetings.as much as Mama urged him to break off all ties to his still-fresh past with Sheridan, telling him he was only making it more difficult for himself to lead a normal life.these meetings were, in some small part, all that remained of his connection to her.
How could he take her advice when she failed to follow it herself? He loved his mama dearly, but she couldn't have it both ways. And, much to her chagrin, he called her on that. Of course, she couldn't give him an answer. The workings of the human heart were virtually inexplicable. Why else would Mama cling so desperately to the hope that Papa would someday return despite the hurt? Still she held on.praying that a miracle would happen and bring Papa back to her. As he did Sheridan. It sounded impossible, but he couldn't give up. His dreams wouldn't let him give up.
He dodged outgoing customers as he walked to the back of the diner. Spotting her gold-tinted head above one booth. And a darker blond head lowered next to hers. Warm brown eyes smiled up at him when he cleared his throat. "You're late," she smirked at him. "Like always." "And you're still here. Like always," he smiled back affably as he slid into the seat opposite her. "Ethan." Ethan's blue eyes shied away from Luis's darker ones uncomfortably. "Gwen?" Luis turned to the young blond for answers. "Oh him," she cut her eyes at Ethan's lanky frame next to her. "He keeps looking over his shoulder like he's expecting his grandfather to pop up behind him. Wuss," she muttered under her breath. Luis's lips quirked upward in amusement as Ethan's cheeks flooded with unwanted color. "Gwen," he nearly growled, glaring at his girlfriend. "Okay," she sighed heavily. "Luis," she began, her voice dropping to a quiet whisper. "Ethan has something to give you. Something he.um.found." Luis's dark eyes narrowed in confusion as Ethan pushed a rectangular black velvet box across the tabletop to him, his blue eyes darting around the crowded diner nervously. "Don't," he held a hand out to stop Luis when he covered the box with his hand and started to open it. "Don't open it here."
"Why not?" Luis waved the young waitress away when she glanced in their direction. "It's just.it's her mother's necklace. Grandfather doesn't know I took it." "I can't accept this," Luis shook his head immediately. His mind's eye picturing the vision she made the night she came back to him, the diamonds lying against her slender throat. "No," Ethan refused to take the necklace back. "It belonged to her mother. And to her. Grandfather.she would want." "God, Ethan," Gwen groaned. "Would you just spit it out? Look, Luis.there's a weird story attached to this necklace. It wasn't Ethan's idea to give you the necklace. It was his father's. Something about knowing where to find the truth.I don't know. I'm sorry I can't remember it any better than that. He just really wanted you to have that necklace. Though I can't see why beside the sentimental value."
"Me, either," Luis said quietly, his mind feverishly working to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "Wait.where are you two going?" "Luis," Gwen teased him with humor-filled brown eyes. "I can't believe you forgot. Formal wear, something about candles.16's a wonderful number, don't you think.cake, celebration, galas.ringing any bells?" "I remember now.have a happy birthday, Gwen. You know she would want that, don't you?" he whispered as he squeezed her hand fondly in goodbye. "Me, too," he smiled at her, sympathy for her welling inside when her eyes sparkled bright with the sheen of unshed tears. "Make sure she has a happy birthday, Ethan," he told the teen. "I will. Bye, Luis," he said somberly as he led Gwen out of the diner. Luis watched their figures disappear along the snow-covered sidewalks of Harmony. And then he returned his attention to the velvet box at his fingertips. It didn't make sense. WHY would Julian want him to have the necklace. ".where to find the truth. What truth?" A whisper of a memory from his dreams flashed before his eyes, and a smile formed unconsciously on his lips as he saw her. Smiling at him. Beckoning to him. He still couldn't recognize the words, but the import behind them was growing stronger with each passing moment in time. Somehow he just knew.