I looked at the clock on my nightstand, as soon as I awoke.
4 a.m.
I smiled and rolled over slowly, putting out my arm to hold Evangeline.
But there was only blankets.
Evangeline was not in bed with me.
.
I whispered her name, but there was no response.
I lay in the darkness, for a few moments, anticipating the sound of the toilet flushing or perhaps her walking back into the bedroom, from outside.
Again, there was only silence.
.
I got out of bed and left the bedroom. I could see a faint light, from the living room.
As I entered, I saw her, standing in front of the living room window.
.
"Hey."
.
She turned, smiling.
.
I went to her and gave her a gentle kiss. She was wearing one of my housecoats and sipping on a glass of wine.
.
"Is something wrong?"
I feared the answer.
.
She shook her head, the smile never leaving her face.
"Not a thing."
She turned to me. I could now see that she had been crying.
.
"Then why the tears?"
.
She moved against me, putting one arm around my waist.
"Haven't you ever heard of tears of joy."
.
I laughed.
"Yea. I think I saw it in a movie once."
I put my arm around her and pulled her even closer.
"But now, every time I am near you, I know what they are talking about."
.
She passed me, her wine and I sipped it.
.
"I don't know what it is, Eva. I just feel this connection with you."
.
She laughed slightly, hugging my waist with both arms.
"Isn't that what every man says, after sleeping with a new woman?"
.
"I wouldn't know.
My black book is just a black sticky note."
.
She laughed a little harder.
"Oh my stars. That is one of the reasons why I like you so much.
That wonderful sense of humour."
.
"I use it to cover the excruciating fear that I have."
.
She let go my waist and looked up at me, taking the wine as she did.
"What are you afraid of?"
.
"Waking up and you not being with me."
I took a deep breath and wiped a tear from my eye.
"Like I did just then."
.
"You thought I had left?"
.
I shrugged.
"The thought did cross my mind."
.
She sat on the window ledge, sipping the wine.
"So, you honestly thought I had woke up in the middle of the night and snuck off into the shadows?"
.
Thankfully, it was fairly dark, so Evangeline could not see my shame blush.
"Well. This is not a normal thing for me."
.
"What about Sheila? Didn't you two have something special?"
.
I nodded.
"Sheila was special, but ..."
I searched for the right words.
"She was not ...
I mean ...
what we had ..."
.
"Just sex?" Evangeline offered.
.
I shook my head.
"No. Not at all.
But there was not the connection."
I took the wine from Evangeline and finished it. I saw the wine bottle on the fireplace mantle and went to refill it.
"I did not get the same feeling with her, that I get with you."
I turned back to her, passing her the wine.
"Even in Twillingate, I felt something, with you. Something deeper."
.
"Maybe you were just horny?" she smirked.
.
I shook my head.
"No."
.
She looked shock.
"So, I did not turn you on?"
.
I took a deep breath.
"Let's just drop it. Obviously you are not taking this serious."
.
She put the wine on the window ledge and walked to me.
"You say funny little things when you are stressed ...
well, I tease and make light of the situation."
She kissed me lightly on the lips.
"I felt something too, Will. Why do you think I came to you that night?"
.
"Bored?"
.
She playfully slapped my chest.
"Very."
She sat back on the ledge.
"I wanted to talk to you. To set some kind of boundary, for when I came back."
.
I shook my head.
"You never came back."
.
She took a deep breath.
"I know. I just felt ..."
.
I stopped her.
"You had every right to try and make things work with your husband. You obviously still loved him or you would not have.
You do not owe me any explanation."
.
"Then why do I feel that I do?"
.
I shook my head.
"I don't know."
I looked at the clock over the fireplace.
"It is late, sweetie. Let's get a few more hours sleep."
.
She nodded.
She reached for the wine.
.
"Just leave it. We will get it in the morning."
.
We left the living room and walked the hallway to my bedroom, hand in hand.
.
"What's that?" Evangeline wondered, as we reached the end of the hall.
.
"What?"
.
She pointed to Whisper's room.
"Seems to be a light on, in your niece's room."
.
"I must have left it on when I was last in there."
I opened my bedroom door.
.
"You gonna turn it off?"
.
I shook my head.
.
She started toward the door.
.
'Shit', I thought.
.
She just barely opened the door and reached inside, turning off the light.
"I know you have money, Will, but you still don't have to waste it."
She closed the door and came to me, an evil smile on her face.
"Now. Let's get some sleep."
.
~~~~~
.
"Why am I here, again?"
Whisper looked around, slightly confused. She was back in the white room.
.
"You are doing well, Jenny." It was the man's voice.
"Things are working out, exactly as they should."
.
"What things?" Whisper snapped.
"What are you talking about?"
.
"Things for Will," he exclaimed.
"You are helping things happen as they should."
.
Whisper thought for a moment.
"Are you talking about Evangeline?"
.
"Of course."
.
Whisper's mind was in turmoil. Suddenly she realized why she had been given the chance to go back. She was supposed to make sure Will and Evangeline got together.
She was to be the catalyst that brought them together.
.
"What is wrong Jenny?"
.
"Is this why I was sent back? To make sure Will found Evangeline?"
She needed to get confirmation on what she was sure was true.
.
"Of course. Why did you think you were sent back?"
.
"NO," Whisper screamed.
.
The woman's voice. "But Jenny, it is destiny."
.
"I don't care," she snapped.
"If they get together, you will make me come back."
.
"But Jenny..."
The woman's voice was soft and gentle.
.
"NO." Whisper was very upset.
"I don't want to come back."
.
The man's voice. "It is how it must be, Jenny."
.
"WHY? Why do I have to come back?
Here I will be dead."
.
"But Jenny..."
.
"NO. I don't want to be dead. I want to be with Daddy."
.
"Jenny, that is not...."
.
"I DON'T CARE. I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE."
Whisper was now frantic. She was stomping her feet and yelling as loudly as she could.
.
The man's voice grew angry. "If you want to be an angel, then this is how it must be."
.
"I don't care," Whisper snapped.
"I don't want to be an angel. I want to be with my Daddy."
.
"I AM YOUR FATHER."
.
"NO," Whisper yelled back.
"You are not my father. For many years, you left me alone. Will found me. He loves me. You did not look for me.
You left me ALONE."
.
"I CAN MAKE YOU STAY," the man cracked back.
.
The woman's voice was heard, soft and low. "Calvin, let her be for now."
.
"No Alice."
.
"CALVIN."
Alice's voice was demanding.
"That is enough for now."
.
There was silence for a long time.
Finally Whisper spoke. Her voice soft and gentle.
"I want to go back."
.
The next second she was in her room.
.
Whisper sat up in her bed, looking around.
"This is my home. Nothing or nobody will take it from me."
She looked to the wall, that joined her and Will's rooms.
"Nobody."