Page 105 of Whispers of Helena
No. I can’t accept that. I refuse to be separated from him again. And I know for damn sure Silas won’t survive without me.
“Send me back,” I blurt out.
The man’s brow furrows. “Caroline, that’s not?—”
“Send me back,” I repeat, more forcefully this time. “If I return, it will be proof to Silas that God loves him enough to save him.”
He hesitates, considering my words. “We don’t usually do this.”
“All things are possible through God.” I throw the scripture back at him without hesitation.
His face softens, a quiet chuckle escaping him. “You’re a stubborn spirit.”
”I am when it comes to my husband.” I shift in my seat, determination settling deep in my bones. “My son—will you keep him safe here?”
He nods. “He will remain sleeping until your return. But you must be certain, Caroline. No more deadly sins can be committed.”
I lift my chin. “The only commandment Jesus gave us was to love one another. That, I can promise.”
The man sighs, then picks up his pen and signs the paper before him. “Very well. You will be returned to your cell. Once you sleep, you will wake back on earth.”
Relief crashes over me like a wave, my breath shuddering with gratitude. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He lifts the small bell on his desk and rings it once. The door opens, and a guard steps forward.
“Take Mrs. Hayes back to her cell, please.”
Wishes
Silas
The western streammeanders over smooth stones, whispering stories of time and memory. Sunlight dances across the surface, casting golden flecks against the gentle current. The air hums with the rippling sounds, a sound I’ve sought solace in countless times before.
This place holds more than just peace, it holdsher. Caroline lingers in the rustling leaves, in the scent of earth and river. So many stolen moments, whispered promises, and quiet confessions are woven into this landscape, and now, they press against my chest like a phantom ache.
I stand still, closing my eyes, tilting my face toward the sun’s warmth.
“Why did you take her from me again?”
The words slip past my lips, dissolving into the open air. There’s no reply, no divine sign, only the endless sky stretching indifferent above me. Maybe God doesn’t hear me. Maybe He doesn’t want to. I’ve strayed too far…wandered too long.
In one last bargaining plea, I beg, “God, if you’re there, if you hear me, send her back. Please. I’ll gladly give you my soul to hold her again.”
I inhale deeply, steadying myself. Kiran is waiting. I should stay out here for a few nights like I always do, let the solitude burymy grief, but I can’t this time. I won’t let my son wonder where she’s gone. He deserves the truth, no matter how much it shatters him.
Shadow shifts on the grass, his ears flicking forward. I turn, my boots meeting the damp earth as I step toward him. Then?—
The airerupts.
A thousand dandelion wisps burst around me, swirling in the aureate light, suspended in the air like a midsummer snowfall. Weightless and countless, they dance in the breeze, brushing against my skin. My breath catches, confusion flooding through me as I reach out, watching them slip through my fingers.
Then, as if carried on the very wind itself, I hear her.
"Make a wish, Bronco."
I turnand she’s there. My wife stands just feet from me. A blue sundress, her hair in a braid over her shoulder. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Caroline?”
