Splendid Fall

Ch. 40 The light

"Vitamin D deficiency," she muttered. "But most importantly....stop crying for Xavier."

Birdie's bottom lip trembled.

"Stop that," Rye pinched her chin harder. "Swallow that sob. There will be no sobbing or tears for my husband. He is doing just fine. We did not lose him. He's waiting for us all...just like he had waited for us all those years ago."

Birdie nodded slowly, biting down on her bottom lip to keep the sobs inside.

"My darling," the demanding edge to Rye's voice vanished. She pulled Birdie closer and placed a kiss on her hand. "I will see him again...we all will. There is a life after this. All this....it was all temporary. Our happily ever after will begin once we dock at Tobias' door steps."

"Do not cry," Rye said gently. "Xavier did not want anyone to cry for him. He made me promise all of you fools will behave while he was away."

Birdie could not help the sob that bubbled out of her. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her Rye as the woman patted her hair and kissed the side of her face.

"I'll tell you a secret," Rye whispered to Birdie. "He once told me you were his favorite."

"I bet you said that to everyone," Birdie laughed through her tears.

"Lying to make others happy isn't a crime," Rye shrugged.

"No," Birdie shook her head, feeling her heart contract and shrink. "It's not a crime."

With a tender smile, Rye brushed back Birdie's hair and kissed her again.

"I know it's hard right now," she said. "The first few weeks I was a shell...unable to understand or process what was happening or what had happened..."

Birdie felt her eyes tear up once more. She closed her lids and held her breath as she saw only one smile in her mind.

"But darling time heals everything and life goes on..." Rye continued. "You have to look around you and see that there are others we have to live for."

Birdie opened her eyes as the memories in her head of hot springs and sandstorms became too much for her to bear.

"I will see him again," Rye reminded her. "You will see him again..."

No, Birdie wanted to cry as she thought of navy blue eyes. I won't ever see him...not even after death...

"He's waiting for us all," Rye pulled Birdie back to look into her eyes.

"I..." Birdie couldn't stop herself. "I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get to say thank you. He doesn't know."

"He knows," Rye nodded. "He knows, my love. He knows how much you loved him."

Birdie's heart stumbled, causing her to flinch from the sudden pain that burned through her whole body.

"No," Birdie shook her head, staring at her own reflection in Rye's eyes. "He doesn't know. He doesn't know anything."

"Then you can tell him," Rye laughed. "When you see him again."

"And if I don't?"

"Are you planning on committing mass murder and living out your days in the frozen caves of hell?" Rye asked.

"What if he's not there..." Birdie asked, her words coming out faster than her mind could process. "He's not going to be there."

"Of course he will be!" Rye frowned. "Where else would he be?"

"No, Mimzy," Birdie shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ears. "The other Paws. The one who raised Eggs. When he passed away in his timeline he didn't go to Tobias."