A Little Girl's Wish
Prompt: After her death, Melinda finds herself unready to move on but when she goes into another woman's body she wakes up with no memories. Three years later, her memories are back and she's determined to get back to her life with Jim and nothing will get in her way. But a second wife and twins certainly complicate things.
TW: emotional abuse/gaslighting, physical abuse
Setting:
Grandview, Virginia, USA
Original Characters:
Aubrey Ruth Donovan
Appearance: 30s, long red hair, blue eyes, freckles, 5'6", slender build
Melinda jumped into Aubrey's body after her death
Victoria Marie Flanderson, "Vicky"
Appearance: 30s, blonde hair, green eyes, 5'9, slight curvy build
Mother to Lilly and Carter, Jim's second wife
Lilith Jade Clancy, "Lilly"
Appearance: Dark brown hair/shoulder length (often in braids), green eyes
Daughter to Vicky and Jim, twin to Carter
Carter William Clancy
Appearance: Short dark brown hair, green eyes
Son to Vicky and Jim, twin to Lilly
Jack Everett
Appearance: Short dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, 6'2"
Ex-Fiance of Aubrey
Preview:
It is completely illogical that he feels he is cheating on Melinda by simply being around Aubrey. He knows that. After all, as much as it pains him still all these years later, Melinda is dead. He's remarried, albeit unhappily, yet doesn't feel like he's cheating on Vicky. Nothing has happened, he reminded himself, I'm not cheating on anyone. Yet he feels something when he is around Aubrey that he hasn't felt since Melinda; in love. He knows he barely knows her but he finds he is falling for her and hard. Maybe it's simply because she reminds him of his late wife. When he's with her he feels like he's with Mel and he knows that's crazy to say but it's true. He knows he shouldn't be thinking these thoughts as much as he hates it he is married to Vicky now and more importantly he has the twins to think about.
He watched as Aubrey came back from the bathroom. She has her long red hair up in a high ponytail with natural-looking makeup on that doesn't hide the freckles on her nose and cheeks and a blue knee-length dress and black high heels. She smiled when she met his eyes in a way that painfully reminded him of Mel.
"Hey," she said rejoining him at their table at the little diner where he and Mel used to get brunch on Sundays, they were even in the booth they typically sat in.
"Hey," he said.
"What time do you have to get Lilly and Carter?" Aubrey asked taking a sip from her coffee as she looked out the window to the busy street with lunchtime traffic.
"3:00 pm, I was gonna go get them early but Lilly sweetly told me today that she wants to spend more time with her friends, not her dad," he said laughing a bit. "Coming in second to friends shouldn't start at 3"
"Aww, what about Carter?"
"He cries when I drop him off but when I come to get him he whines because he wants to play with the toys for longer, mind you he practically has every toy ever made at home," Jim said laughing.
"They sound like well-adjusted kids," Aubrey said. "I mean they have a great dad so…" she trailed off the rest unspoken.
"Thank you, I try my best, I mean Vicky may not always be around or emotionally available and I know that hurts them but I try to make up for it," he said taking a sip of his coffee and leaning back against the red booth.
"They are lucky to have you as their dad," She said looking out the window at the light blue sky with fluffy white clouds moving slowly across the sky.
"Nah, I'm the lucky one, they've been my everything, I was so lost after…" he trailed off but she knew what he was referring to. 'After my first wife died, after I lost the love of my life at that stupid memorial service'.
"Do you think she crossed over?" Aubrey asked intrigued. She is still trying to get up the courage to tell him the truth.
"I hope so, I don't know for sure, but that was her thing, you know. Well, I guess both of your things" he said still surprised at the coincidence that Aubrey has the same gift as Melinda.
Aubrey hummed in thought.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing, I just… did you sense her like after…?" she asked taking a bite of the blueberry muffins and enjoying the buttery mapley sweetness that filled her mouth.
She wasn't sure if he would answer, he tends to be pretty closed off about her death so she is worried this will make him shut down a bit but feeling like she can push him a bit right now.
"Yeah for the first few months, but I'm not sure if she actually was or if I was just inventing it to make myself feel better," he admitted and she could tell the topic made him a little uneasy. "I mean, I didn't necessarily want her stuck back here when she should be in the light, I just…"
"Missed her," Aubrey said taking a sip of her coffee.
"Oh so much it would physically hurt" he admitted and that broke her heart to hear.
"I didn't want that," she said before catching her slip.
"What do you mean?" he asked confused. He met Aubrey for the first time after he resuscitated her following a horrible car accident over 3 years ago only 2 months after losing Melinda. They had one interaction in the hospital after the accident when she had no memory of who she was still. Then he ran into her again about a month ago and they have been spending a lot of time together ever since. Aubrey didn't know him when Melinda died so the comment didn't make sense.
Aubrey sighed and leaned back, "That day when you saved Aubrey, she died…"
"Yes you were coded for a bit, why are you talking in the third person?" he asked.
"Because I'm not Aubrey, she died and crossed over, I watched her," she said and Jim looked at her confused searching her blue eyes for any sign of dishonesty and didn't find any.
"What are you saying? If you aren't Aubrey, who are you?" he asked.
"It's me, Melinda," she said shocking Jim who looked at her in shock.
To be continued? Let me know if you're interested