Page 56 of The Vanishing Bookstore
‘I want you to be careful. He’s as mean as a hungry moose but you’re able to take care of yourself and him. I’m sorry I can’t be here to help you; this lifetime is almost up, and it makes me so sad that we didn’t get to be together longer.’
Dora was trying not to cry but it was hard to get air into her lungs because her breath kept hitching.
‘I don’t want you to go, you can’t leave me when I’ve only just found you.’
Lucine smiled at her. ‘I will always be with you, my sweet child.’ She tapped her chest, just like Sephy had, then tapped Dora’s heart. ‘Whenever you need me, I’ll be in your heart. You will always carry a piece of me around with you, just as I always carry a piece of you within me.’
A dark shadow appeared at the window and Dora watched as Hades hopped inside and flew to the bedside table next to Lucine.
She turned her eyes to stare at him. ‘Is it time to go, my old friend?’
Hades buried his head into Lucine’s neck, and she gave him a gentle smile then closed her eyes, her grip on Dora’s hand loosening as she took her last breaths. Time stood still. Dora watched as a glowing white light rose from Lucine’s frail body, so bright she had to shield her eyes. Hades flew to the window, the light following him, and he took off into the sky, soaring so high that all Dora could make out was a small black dot followed by a glowing ball of brilliant white light. She heard a loud sob and realised that Sephy and Lenny were standing in the doorway.
‘What was that?’
‘Hades is guiding Lucine’s soul to the light where she belongs. He is such a wonderful watcher, he will take care of her now just like he always does.’
Dora looked at her mum’s frail body lying on the bed, she did look like a shell of the woman from yesterday.
Lenny stepped in and sat next to Dora, wrapping her arms around her.
‘It’s been a tough few days, eh kid? But Lucine is in a kinder, better place, where there is no pain, and she can be free to enjoy herself until it’s time to come back. Hades will make sure she’s safe, while we take care of this mortal body.’
Dora sobbed; she didn’t know what else to do, there was nothing to say. Sephy came in and bent down to kiss her sister’s head. ‘It never gets any easier, does it? We live our lives and watch her die, only to come back and do it all over again.’
She took a deep breath. ‘I need to phone the funeral home, Richard is waiting on our call and he will take good care of Lucine. He’s a good man, a kind man, despite his rather morbid job, but someone has to take care of the dead and he’s the finest there is at it.’
Sephy left Dora and Lenny, Dora still had hold of Lucine’s hand. Lenny touched Dora’s shoulder.
‘Take your time. I’m sorry you didn’t get to be together for very long. We thought we were doing the right thing, but we weren’t as usual. We screwed up spectacularly and now we’re in the same mess as always.’
Dora looked at her aunt. ‘You tried to save me from my destiny, and I get that, all of you did what you thought was the right thing to do. I don’t hate you for it, I love you. I’m just sad that our time together was so limited. I can tell you one thing though, when I get to go head to head with that bastard, he’s going to pay for all of this, for all of our lost lifetimes. For betraying the English women the way that he did. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to send him to hell or wherever he deserves to be.’
37
Dora waited downstairs while Lenny and Sephy washed Lucine and changed her into a pair of soft, cosy PJs that she’d requested to be cremated in. There was a knock at the door and she answered it to see a tall man all dressed in black with a beard wearing an AC/DC T-shirt underneath his suit jacket. He held out his hand to Dora.
‘I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m Richard Thorne, funeral director.’
She nodded. ‘Thank you, I, erm… they’re upstairs. My aunts, I mean, and Lucine. Should I show you?’
He shook his head. ‘I’m quite familiar with this house, thank you. I was good friends with Lucine. Such a terrible loss, she was such a wonderful woman.’
Dora smiled at him. He seemed genuinely upset, which was nice considering he must be used to dealing with death every single day. She stepped to one side to let him in, and he made his way upstairs to where Sephy was waiting for him.
She opened her arms. ‘Richard, thank you for coming so soon.’
He stepped forwards and hugged her, pulling her close. ‘I’m sorry, Sephy, I know how hard this must be for you all.’
They stood that way, holding on to each other for a few moments. It was Sephy who let go first and it was then that Dora realised Richard was more than just a funeral director, he must have known Lucine on a personal level which must have made this so hard for him. Sephy pointed to the open doorway, and he walked in. Dora could hear hushed voices as he talked to Lenny, then he came back down, his eyes red and swollen. He went outside and beckoned the younger man sitting in the passenger seat of the minivan with blacked-out windows. The guy got out and walked towards the house, his earbuds in, his head nodding to whatever he was listening to. Richard glared at him, and he tugged the earphones out, tucking them into his trouser pocket.
‘Where’s the gurney?’
‘Sorry, dude, I’ll go get it.’
Richard looked at Dora, an expression of exasperation etched across his already grief-stricken face.
‘You just can’t get the staff; he drives me insane at times.’
