Page 148 of Before You Can Blink
Chapter 37
Jett
The Afterlife
MyvisionswamasI blinked my eyes open. Eventually, my world came into focus, but I remained disoriented.
Everywhere I looked, there were people looking as confused as I felt. And they all had one thing in common: they were all young. If I had to guess, most were in their twenties, but there were a handful of children and teenagers thrown into the mix.
Where the hell am I?
Before I had a chance to ask anyone if they had a clue as to what was going on, a familiar female voice called out, “Jett!”
It couldn’t be her, could it?
My heart rate kicked up, and frantically, my eyes searched the crowd.
Then my jaw hit the damn floor when Daisy came into view.
Because this was not the same Daisy from when I’d closed my eyes in bed. No, it was the twenty-four-year-old version of the woman I loved, almost like I was conjuring up a memory from the day we met.
Stunned, my feet remained frozen to the spot as she rushed toward me.
She leapt into my arms, and with an ease that hadn’t been present in decades, I lifted her off the ground.
I clung to her, tightening my hold, afraid that if I let go, she might disappear.
My wife buried her face in my neck, whispering, “I missed you so much.”
Confused out of my goddamn mind, I said, “I don’t understand. How is this even possible?”
Daisy pulled back enough that I could see her face, which featured a shy smile. “We made it to Heaven, baby.”
“What?” I dropped her to her feet and began to pace. “But how? I just got here.”
Then a thought struck me, and my stomach lurched, my hands flying to my head where the hair there was surprisingly thick.
“Oh God. Please tell me we didn’t pass at the same time. The kids . . .”
She approached where I stood, shaking her head. “No, honey. I went on for four more years without you.”
“Well, what in the world have I been doing all that time? Because the last thing I remember is closing my eyes in bed, holding you.”
Cupping my face, she pulled my lips down for a kiss. “You were waiting for me.”
With my forehead pressed to hers, I stated the obvious. “And you’re young.”
Her laughter rolled over me like honey. “Hate to break it to you, Jett, but so are you.”
“What?” I reared back, eyes wide. When I glanced down, my rounded middle was notably absent, and a quick survey of my hands showed them to be completely wrinkle- and liver-spot-free. Bending my knees, I tested the joints, expecting them to ache and creak, but instead they acted like well-oiled hinges.
“This is wild,” I murmured in awe.
Daisy giggled. “But kinda amazing at the same time.” Her palm came to rest on my stomach. “Told you I missed these abs.”
My head tipped back, and a hearty chuckle rolled up my throat.
Looking around, I gestured to the others gathered, “So all these people . . . ?”
