Motioning to the door, I looked at Luana. “Would you like to come inside? I’m told I make the best hot chocolate.”
Cassie…, his sweet voice echoed, and it took every ounce of strength not to sink to the ground. Instead, I just stood there. Instinctively, my hand grabbed hold of Luana’s arm as I gasped.
“Cassie, what’s the matter? Tell me. There’s obviously something wrong.”
The tingles fell over me like a calming wave. It instantly relaxed me. I closed my eyes and breathed out. I was immediately calm again.
“Come inside,” I tell Luana. “It’s best not to talk about it out here.”
Luana followed me up the stairs and I let us both inside. I immediately got to work pouring some milk into two mugs and retrieving the hot chocolate from the cupboard.
As I made it, I watched Luana as she sat on my sofa, surveying the room. I wasn’t sure why, but I was immediately drawn to her. It was almost as though I was meeting an old friend again. I just felt happy with her. Then again, all angels made you feel that way.
Grabbing her mug with my good hand, I placed it on the table in front of her. Luana smiled and nodded as I went to retrieve mine.
Sitting on the chair, I watched as she took a sip and closed her eyes. “You’re right. It is the best hot chocolate.”
I felt the tingles all over my body and it immediately made me laugh.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, placing the mug back on the table.
“I don’t know. I just feel…overwhelmed.” And I was being truthful. I was feeling overwhelmed. Stephen made me feel that way.
“I can see it in you, Cassie. You look happy on the outside, but your eyes betray you. You’re suffering.”
As if I hadn’t cried enough, the tears immediately began to fall.
“You miss him,” she whispered.
Nodding, I hung my head. I did miss him. I wanted to be brave, but it was hard.
Sucking in a breath, I wiped away my tears. “He’s not here anymore, so what difference does it make?”
“Do you feel him with you? Do you call out his name and feel him there?”
How did she know? From the look on my face, she could tell I was shocked. “How did you—?”
“He must know of your choice by now, right?” I nodded. “Well then, I can’t understand why he’s not here. It’s not like Stephen to beat around the bush.”
Blinking rapidly, I had to gather my frantic thoughts. Did she just say what I thought she said?
“Stephen can come back?”
Luana laughed and sighed. “Dear girl, wild horses wouldn’t stop him from coming back here if he knew you loved him.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around what she was saying. “But…he’s back home. He’s where he wanted to be. I thought that was what he wanted all along. He told me how much he missed it there.”
“You’re his home, Cassie. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”
I felt the tingles flow over me. It was almost as if Stephen was confirming what Luana was saying.
She looked off into the distance as if she were trying to figure something out.
“How do you know all this?” I asked.
“Let’s just say I do. What I can’t understand is why he isn’t here. He must have gone to the Council to seek per—” Then she suddenly stopped. It was like she knew something wasn’t quite right.
“What is it? What is it you know that I don’t, Luana?”
Looking at me, she smiled widely. “Some things never change.” And then I saw the regret. She just let something out she wasn’t supposed to. I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t want to get her into trouble. Seeing I wasn’t going to ask her the one burning question I had, Luana breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Now, can you tell me what’s happening with you?”
I told her about my dreams and the sensations I felt whenever I thought Stephen was with me. “And then there’s what happened last night, then just outside.”
Sipping her hot chocolate, Luana shook her head. “What?”
“A voice keeps telling me to remember.”
In thought, Luana looked off. You could see she was trying to piece together everything. Suddenly, realisation seemed to hit her. “Oh, dear.” Those two words were like a battering ram to my heart.
“What’s going on, Luana? Please tell me.”
Her eyes met mine, sympathy oozing out of them. “It’s an impossibility to remember who you are unless an angel tells you. I assume you know the consequences of that?”
“No, but I assume it’s bad.”
Luana nodded. “Very bad.”
And then it hit me. I replayed her words about Stephen having to go to the Council. “I have to remember in order for him to return.”