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So weird… she’s this supernatural being capable of great power, dressed like a normal woman, and using words likejam. It left me even more confounded than when I arrived, and still in great pain over how callously Amell tossed me from his life.
I almost wished he’d tossed me over the bridge, I thought.
“Don’t ever think that,” Zora chided. “You have so much to live for.”
It didn’t feel like it, and my gaze lowered from her penetrating one. It didn’t even surprise me she could read my mind.
“This is what I can offer you,” she said, and I was curious enough to look up. She waved her hand, the mountain range before us faded, and I was staring into downtown Edenton. “A new life in this town. A great job. A home. Friends. And you’ll be able to see your brother. And you’ll never be asked to pay for your crimes against Vince.”
The scene changed and zoomed in on a redheaded boy walking down the street with friends. It was Sammy.
I gasped and leaned forward, peering harder.
“He has a great life,” Zora murmured. “You’d be able to watch him unobtrusively and see it for yourself.”
I reached out a hand, trying to touch him.
“Or,” Zora said cautiously, “you can go back to Amell.”
My hand dropped and my head whipped toward her, just as a fresh, lancing pain sliced through me upon hearing his name. My eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“Amell loves you. If you want, I’ll send you back to him. I’ll make Amell keep you there.”
I stumbled, the idea sounding for a split instant almost too good to be true. But realization crashed upon me that it was the worst thing she could offer. “He doesn’t love me,” I said, the words bitter on my tongue. “If he did, he never would’ve said what he said to me. He wouldn’t have sent me away.”
Zora didn’t argue. “Make your choice.”
Pushing aside any possibility that Amell loved me, and focusing on the pain, I gave her my answer.
So I have a lovely home, a great job, and I get to watch Nick thrive with a stable, loving family. It was more than I could’ve ever hoped for just to be able to see him once in a while and assure myself he was happy.
Grabbing my purse from a cabinet in the break room, I head out through the front of the shop and turn north. Edenton is an idyllic town of approximately three thousand residents, and the downtown area is filled with cute shops and small bungalows. I live a few blocks away and have yet to buy a car since I can walk wherever I need to go. Once winter comes, though, that might become a different priority.
Dale Idler is sweeping the sidewalk outside his hardware store. His son Roger is a year younger than Nick, and they’re close friends.
“Hi, Nyssa,” he says as I walk by. “Gorgeous day, isn’t it?”
“Sure is,” I say with a smile. “I’m assuming that new faucet handle hasn’t come in yet?”
He shakes his head. “I’ll call as soon as it does. Better yet, I’ll come over and install it for you.”
I shake my head, holding a hand out. “You don’t have to do that.”
Dale levels me with a stern look. “That’s what we do here in Edenton. I won’t hear any more about it.”
I flatten my hand over my heart in gratitude. “Thanks, Dale. That’s super nice.”
On the next block, I stop and talk to Karen Price outside the post office. She’s Tonya’s cousin and only a few years older than me. We’ve gone out for drinks a few times after work.
It’s a beautiful afternoon as I walk the last block to my house, the temperature hovering in the mid-seventies. The spring flowers are blooming, and I consider planting some myself. I’m only renting the small house I’m living in, but the landlord wouldn’t mind me sprucing up the front yard.
I check my mailbox, which is mostly junk mail, but I smile when I see a card from Will. I reached out to him when I arrived and we talk a few times a week by phone. He sends me quirky cards in the mail and it feels good to have a connection with someone that knows a little of what I’ve been through.
I wave to Jan next door sitting in her rocking chair. She’s a recent widow and spends her days watching the world go by.
“Good day at work?” she calls out.
“It’s always a good day when you’re surrounded by flowers,” I say.
