Thom gathered me up after a few long moments and carried me all the way to our bed. I didn\u2019t bother to struggle, to tell him to put me down. Shock does strange things to people, I guess.<\/p>\n
Maybe not so strange. Maybe my reaction was normal. I couldn\u2019t be sure.<\/p>\n
Nothing was normal anymore, really, was it?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be okay,\u201d Thom said as he set me on my feet next to our bed and turned away so he could close the door. \u201cI promise you that, Marin. It\u2019s going to be okay\u2014we\u2019re going to find him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you be sure?\u201d I whispered as I slowly peeled out of my jacket, mopping my face with the heel of my hand. Everything was wet from sitting out in that misty rain with Phelan, and I was cold, too cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve seen him in our futures, haven\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
My breath hitched. He was right, I had, though not nearly as much as I\u2019d hoped to see him\u2014and my visions had been wrong before. \u201cI\u2019ve seen you dying, too,\u201d I said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to happen. It doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom turned back, pain in his eyes. I sank down onto the edge of the bed, staring back at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen him, too,\u201d Thom said. \u201cMar, I\u2019ve seen him, too, and I\u2019m going to tell you right now that now is not the time to lose faith in yourself and what you\u2019ve seen.\u201d His voice hitched. \u201cEven if some things are unpleasant, you can\u2019t discount everything. We will find your brother and everything\u2019s going to be fine. We<\/em> are going to be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n He took my face in his hands and kissed me hard, so hard it took my breath away. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held on, feeling like I was suddenly drowning\u2014drowning in fear, in desperation, in need, in hopelessness. I was sinking, and he was my port in the storm as much as my little brother always had been.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t lose him,\u201d I said against his lips. \u201cAnd I can\u2019t lose you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere,\u201d Thom promised, stroking my hair as he rested his forehead against mine. \u201cI am staying right here with you\u2014now and forever. You will never<\/em> be alone. I promise you that.\u201d<\/p>\n I shivered at the weight of the words, of the quiet vow he\u2019d made to me.<\/p>\n Now and forever.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSome things are meant to be,\u201d he continued, his voice soft, gentle but firm. \u201cMatt\u2019s going to be fine. He\u2019s going to come home and he\u2019ll be here\u2014he\u2019ll be here for you, for us, and for our son. I promise you that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can you be so sure?\u201d The words stuck in my throat, scraping as they escaped. It all hurt\u2014it hurt so much I could barely breathe. I felt a flutter inside, almost as if our baby\u2014our beautiful, precious boy\u2014had felt my distress, was feeling my distress, and felt powerless to comfort me.<\/p>\n I swallowed hard and clutched at his father, my fingers digging hard into the flesh of his shoulders and back. If I\u2019d held on any tighter, I\u2019d have left bruises in the wake of my fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to believe you, Thom,\u201d I said. \u201cI want to believe you so badly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen do it,\u201d he said, thumbs brushing my cheeks, wiping away my tears. \u201cBelieve it, Marin, because it\u2019s the truth. That\u2019s the way it\u2019s going to be. I swear it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll try.\u201d I couldn\u2019t promise that I would. I guess he knew that.<\/p>\n Thom kissed me again, more gently this time.<\/p>\n \u201cTake off your shoes, Mar,\u201d he said as he slowly let go. \u201cI\u2019ll stay until you fall asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to,\u201d I told him as I reached down to start unlacing my boots.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to.\u201d<\/p>\n I swallowed hard and nodded.<\/p>\n Somehow, he always seemed to know what I needed, regardless of what I said.<\/p>\n Maybe that was why I loved him so much, why I knew I couldn\u2019t live without him.<\/p>\n Two halves of a whole that should not ever be sundered again.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thom gathered me up after a few long moments and carried me all the way to our bed. I didn\u2019t bother to struggle, to tell him to put me down. Shock does strange things to people, I guess. Maybe not … Continue reading