(A week and a half later)
Louis and Tawny walked to Louis's house after school, their hands held. It was Friday, and they were doing a sleepover at Louis's that night, just the two of them. Louis felt this was the final step he needed in his healing process. Being with Tawny at school and after school had helped so much, but there were still moments as he lay in bed at night or woke up in the morning when the numbness and heartache returned. He felt he needed to be with her at these moments too, if only just for one night and one morning. He relished the familiar feeling of holding Tawny's hand as if for the first time and glanced at her full of wonder and gratitude at what she was doing for him.
Tawny glanced fondly back at Louis as they walked. She thought again about all the pain and sorrow that she had felt that night two weeks ago, the pain and sorrow that they had felt together. Yet being there for Louis during this time had helped her, too. It comforted her that the two of them were in this together, as they always were, hand in hand. And every time she saw signs of Louis healing, slowly but surely, her heart swelled, little by little, with joy. She thought about the old proverb and how true it all was: Joy shared is twice the joy, sorrow shared is half the sorrow.
Louis could feel his eyelids getting heavy as he lay on Tawny's lap. The movie they had been watching was coming to an end. He looked up at Tawny one more time before shutting his eyes. He recalled the first time he was lying on her lap like this, that time he fell on the gym floor after doing his mascot stunt in seventh grade. He had seldom felt so much pain in his body as he did then, yet it was swept away by Tawny's gentle touch as she helped him turn over onto his back and by the feeling of his head on her lap. Now, just two weeks ago, he had felt more pain in his heart than ever before, but all those hours with Tawny, the feeling of her embrace, the radiance of her smile, the affection in her voice, had, little by little, swept it away. Now, for the first time in a long time, he could feel nothing but pure bliss as he fell asleep, soaking up Tawny's loving presence around him. No, of course he hadn't forgotten about his mother. And he somehow knew that somewhere high above, his mother would be smiling with joy at seeing him find comfort and happiness in a kindred spirit.
Tawny looked lovingly at Louis as he fell asleep like a baby. She recalled the first time he was lying on her lap like this, how he made her smile after telling her about the beauty of her two eyebrows. This time, he didn't need to say a word to bring happiness to her heart. Just seeing Louis, such a blissful expression on his face, filled her heart with delight and turned her lips into a joyful smile. She gently placed her hand on Louis's heart and could feel how his heart beat and her pulse raced in unison. A magical link formed as her touch infused life into Louis's heart and the feeling of his heart infused life back into her hand, her veins, and eventually her own heart. Tawny just sat there in that position, taking in the magical feeling. Then she closed her eyes and prayed for Louis, as she had done every night for the last six months and two weeks.
Louis found himself on an open field, an endless green sea of tall, wild grass. A gentle wind brushed pleasantly against his face. He saw Tawny standing there in front of him, about ten feet away. She was dressed in an immaculate white robe and had a pair of wings protruding from her shoulders. Louis had never seen a living, breathing angel before, even in his dreams, and figured that this had to be it. There was something irresistibly real about what he was seeing, free of kitsch or caricature. The beautiful face that he knew so well, the flowing raven hair, the sparkling blue eyes, all fit seamlessly into Tawny's angelic figure. He approached her, slowly and carefully, full of awe. As he stopped in front of her, she reached out and took both of his hands in hers. Louis could immediately feel the so magical yet so familiar feeling, the feeling of Tawny's touch infusing life into him. She gave him a loving smile, that smile that warmed his heart so much every single time. Louis understood as he looked deeply into her unmistakable blue eyes. This was Tawny just as he knew and loved her in real life. Tawny was an angel of life to him, and she had now appeared to him in her true form.
Then something magical happened, so magical yet so real. Tawny took Louis in her arms, enveloping him with the feeling of her warm embrace, her heart pressing gently against his. Louis could feel his disheveled clothes turning into an immaculate white robe and a pair of wings growing out of his shoulders. Tawny gently released him from her embrace and gave him a meaningful smile. Before he knew it, the two of them were flying up into the sky, their hands held. Louis marveled as they went up over the clouds, losing sight of earth. They were met by a blinding light, yet Tawny's firm grip guided them onward and upward. They then suddenly found themselves in an ethereal realm, indescribable in its majesty, something that could be experienced only in abeyance from bodily existence.
They stood still for a few moments. Louis then heard a voice, a voice that he immediately recognized as his mother's. "Louis," the voice called out, full of affection. "Louis, your mom loves you so very much." Louis just stood still, transfixed. "You may not know this, Louis," the voice continued, "but your mom's love is always with you, wherever you are." Nothing else came. Tawny smiled at Louis once more, a smile that seemed to be telling him so many things. Again, he understood. He understood the sanctity of Tawny's love for him, how it came straight out of heaven and carried his mother's everlasting love with it. He fell into Tawny's arms and could feel his heart connecting with hers once more. He let himself dissolve slowly into her loving embrace until he could feel nothing more.
Louis opened his eyes at the sight of Tawny lying on her side facing him, still asleep, a blissful expression on her face. His delight at the sight of her merged with the memory of where he had just been and the joy he had felt as he fell asleep that night. It took him a moment to realize that they were still holding hands. That's how he must have landed safely back on earth, he thought with a smile. Perhaps Tawny was still in the middle of her journey, judging by the look on her face. For he knew that she had been with him that night, not just physically, but also in the deepest depths of the spirit.