I was, quite frankly, dumbfounded. “I really don’t know what to say.”
She returned back in her chair, but winced as she arched her back into the seat. “Well, now you know.”
The seed of doubt returned to my mind. “There’s something wrong, isn’t there?”
She sat there silently for a moment, then smiled. “Always so perceptive, Cassie.” She inhaled deeply. “My time on earth has come to an end. I don’t have long now. That was why I needed to speak with you.”
With tears in my eyes, the hurt coursing through me, I wondered whether I had the strength to ask what I didn’t want to know. “How do you know all this?”
“I’m sure you’ll know when it’s your time, Cassie. It’s just something we do. Animals can sometimes sense it. For instance, why do some cats find a special place to curl up in before they know their death is imminent? It’s just something within us, I guess.”
I understood exactly what she was saying, but it didn’t help the sorrow I now felt. “I know it sounds selfish, but I don’t want you to leave me.”
Ms. Summers looked radiant all of a sudden. “I know, Cassie. But I’m so happy. I’ll get to go back to my George. He was always and will always be my life. You can understand that, can’t you?”
Thinking about Stephen, I knew all too well. “Yes, I can. More than anything. I suppose, in that sense, I can say I’m happy for you. Although I never would imagine why I would say something like that to anybody.”
Ms. Summers chuckled. “Thank you, dear. I’m preparing for my time now. I have until the clocks on the Big Ben tower strike midnight on New Year’s Day.”
What she told me about the animals made sense, but I couldn’t understand how she would know down to the last second when her time would come. “Can I be there for you?”
Pursing her lips, she shook her head. “I would never expect it, Cassie. You should be out celebrating the day, not mourning my passing.”
I’m not sure whether Ms. Summers knew just how important she was to me. I had to be there. It just didn’t seem right otherwise. “There is nowhere else I would rather be. Besides, I couldn’t let you leave on your own. I would like to finally hold your hand as I say goodbye to a dear friend.”
With that, I think she finally understood. “If that’s the case, Cassie, then I would be honoured.”
*****
Not knowing how I put one foot in front of the other, I left Ms. Summers’ house. I walked for fifteen minutes before I looked up to see where the hell I was. Without having a clue as to how I got there, I was walking down the high street amongst all the shops. I went about my business with my shopping, then visited the doctor. My shoulder was finally healing, so I was able to take the sling off. I had been using my arm even with it on, but I was just so glad to be finally free of it.
As with everything in life, there were new endings and even newer beginnings. I just wondered where mine would lead me.
Chapter 20
It was now Christmas Eve. In the past few weeks, I heard of Daniel’s passing, Tom Merryfield’s arrest for the murders of sixteen innocent children, and Mama Caroline was out of the hospital and doing well. She would be on medication for a while, but she was just glad to be alive. I had visited her a couple times since to sample her amazing culinary skills. We even had dinner with Molly and little Caroline. I could tell it was a little awkward for Molly at first, but she soon settled in. Caroline, on the other hand, didn’t seem to want to leave my sight. Everywhere I went, she went. It was becoming a running joke in the house that she was my little shadow. I didn’t mind, of course. I was falling in love with this little bundle of intelligence. If only her mother knew just how intuitive she really was.
The other shocking bit of news was that, in the end, Justin Merryfield was released without charge. Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge him, considering Molly was living with him voluntarily and had willingly conceived a child with him. Molly and Caroline were ecstatic, but Simon wasn’t. At the end of the day, they were safe, happy, and had been for the years she spent with him. Molly only threatened to marry him so she wasn’t forced to give evidence against him in court. I didn’t think this would result in one big family union , though. I just couldn’t imagine Molly’s family accepting Justin into their lives, and I couldn’t blame them for that. At the end of the day, I just hoped that whatever choice Molly made would make both her and Caroline happy.
As for me, I still kept having the dream. I still kept banging on that door like my life depended on it. Just last night, I heard a voice from behind it giggling and saying, “You’re so silly, Alexander.” I didn’t know what it meant, but I knew I was getting closer. I knew I was within arm’s reach of grabbing it. It filled me with a new sense of hope and determination to seek the answers I was so desperate to find.