There was a knock at the door and Sondra poked her head in and smiled. "Sorry, Detective Scanlon, there's a call for you. Convenience-store robbery in progress, I think."
Lee nodded and turned back to Allison after Sondra left. "Looks like I'm going to miss lunch. I'll be home in time to go to Jacob's birthday party, OK? And then tomorrow we'll get to the doctor."
"Lee, I don't even know who Jacob is," Allison said.
"Lorraine's son?" he said. "His third birthday?"
She shook her head. "My sister?" Allison put her hand to her mouth. Wherever she was, Lee's sister was alive and there was a birthday party for her son. She started to shake.
Lee grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "OK, I'm staying right here. You're scaring me."
Allison hugged him back as tightly. It was insane; it was too real now to be a dream. His arms, his cologne, his kiss. His mouth was on hers, pulling her into him. One of his hands was on the back of her head and the other was on her waist, now moving slowly up and down her back. She clutched his suit jacket and pulled him as close to her as she could because she feared it would be over soon.
There was another knock at the door and Sondra poked her head in again. 'I'm so sorry," she said, embarrassed, "but they say the call can't wait, Detective."
She left and Lee turned back to Allison. "I have to go, but we will fix this, OK?" He stared at her intently. "I hate to leave you like this."
Allison nodded, not knowing what else to do. She felt shell-shocked. His mouth on hers left it burning. Her heart felt sore in her chest. This--whatever this was--was the worst thing that had ever happened to her because she knew now that when this dream or vision or whatever it was ended she was not going to be able to ever forget it. And it was happening too fast.
He kissed her again before he left, pushing her up against the conference-room table. Allison was overwhelmed. She touched his face as he slowly pulled away. "Tell me you love me," he said, eyes on hers.
"Of course I love you," she said. Then he was gone.
Devalos walked into the conference room to chat with Allison about a case she was apparently both representing and helping to solve with her medium abilities. A ray of sunshine coming through the conference-room blinds caught Allison's attention as they were talking. She stared at the window.
A shape appeared. It was herself.
She had transformed from a sunbeam to a fully formed figure and was sitting in a chair at the end of the conference table. She stared at her.
Devalos didn't appear to see the other her. Allison wasn't too surprised; no one usually saw what she saw. "Could I have a few moments to make a call?" she asked him.
"Sure, of course," he said, patting her on the arm absently on his way out of the room.
Allison stared at the other her sitting at the end of the table. "What is this?" she asked her, trying not to betray any emotion but hearing her voice crack as she spoke.
The Allison at the end of the table began to cry. Then she was gone.