Page 340 of Nobody's Girl

I nod. “She isn’t taking it well, even though he suggested they get married. She’s just not feeling like he really loves her.”

“He loves you so much more,” Eden tells me.

I look at him like he’s crazy. “No, he doesn’t.”

“Yes, Alyssa, he does. This is making him feel awful. He isn’t ready for this. This dream life you two have has really messed him up. You know how everything feels real to you? Well, it does for him too. It’s too soon for him. He hasn’t gotten over the fact that your child will never be, and he doesn’t want any with anyone else’s yet,” he says.

“Well, I can see I have to talk to him. He has to get over it. He has a real child on the way now and he has to put whatever happens in our dreams into the proper perspective. He can’t live his life in dreams alone. His future is with Laura and their children. His real life is with them.”

“You know what I found out I can do now?” Eden tells me.

I shake my head. “What can you do now?’ I ask him as I pick up a tray and look at the lady across the glass from me. “Pancakes, please, with bacon.”

Eden leans down closer to me. “I tried something and it worked.”

I pick up the plate the lady is handing me, then walk over to get Laura an orange juice. “What did you try, Eden?”

“Kyle fell asleep on the sofa as soon as we walked in. He was exhausted. I went up and brought a blanket down for him. As I put the blanket down on him, my hand brushed his back and images started to appear in my head,” he says.

“You and your spying on people’s thoughts, Eden. Really, you have to stop that,” I whisper, because it has become obvious people are eavesdropping on us and our ridiculous conversation.

Alone in the elevator, I feel we can carry on our conversation. “So what did you see?” I ask.

“I see that he only sees you, Alyssa. We have to give them time alone, to bond. Your presence is stopping that from happening.”

“I can talk to him. We don’t have to leave. That’s not the answer, Eden. My best friend needs me right now. I’m not leaving her,” I tell him.

Eden opens the door to Laura’s hospital room. I take the tray of pancakes and set them down on the little table. “I found you some pancakes, Laura,” I say.

“Hey, Laura, you look a lot better. I’m really glad to see that,” he tells her.

“You are looking gorgeous as usual, Eden. Do you have any flaws?” Laura smiles as she asks him.

He smiles back at her. “Many of them. You know, Laura, I can see a glow about you,” he tells her as he sits down on the bed next to her. I hang back a little.

“He told you, huh?” she asks.

He nods and takes the back of his hand, running it over her pale cheek, then letting it rest on her shoulder. “You have nothing to fear. All is as it should be. I have seen the future, Laura, and it is good.”

He’s lying to her!

I can’t believe he’s making this up. I have to stop him. I move closer to him, reaching out to touch his shoulder to try to stop him from giving her any more false hope.

As I touch his shoulder, images begin to appear in my head. There’s a small boy with a head full of golden curls swinging in the backyard of the house we gave to them. Laura looks beautiful. She’s pregnant and smiling. Kyle pushes the swing and the little boy is laughing.

“Can you really see that?” she whispers.

“I can. Ask Alyssa. She saw it too. You’ll be a very happy family. There’s nothing to worry about,” Eden tells her as he pulls her hand up and kisses it gently.

A tear rolls down my cheek and I notice Laura has tears rolling down hers as well. “Eden, you have made me feel so much better. You have no idea.”

The door opens as the doctor comes in. “Hi guys,” he says as he enters. “Oh, tears. We can’t have any of those around here. How would you like to go home, Mrs. Stevens?”

Laura smiles at him. “I would love to go home.”

“Then get dressed. Eden, come with me, and bring your magic card so we can get her paid for and out of here,” the doctor says.

“Yes, sir,” Eden says as he follows him out of the room.