Deciding to take a breather, I walked around to the other side of the bar where it was quiet. I sat down by the table where it all began and closed my eyes as the voices filled my head with memories of that day. I remembered how nervous and excited I felt around Stephen. In a sense, it was the day he made me find my womanhood. The day I found my sexuality. I never knew how good it could feel having someone you want so badly as close to you as Stephen was. He awoke the tiger in me, and she could not be tamed.
Smiling to myself, I opened my eyes and breathed out as the memories washed over me. I looked out the window and gasped as a shooting star shot across the blackness. On instinct, I shut my eyes and whispered, “I wish you could be here with me, Stephen.”
Without warning, the air grew thick with electricity, and our song came over the speakers. It was only a soft murmur, but was enough to hear the familiar words.
Smiling to myself, I opened my eyes and spotted a drink on my table. I hadn’t brought one with me, so that could only mean one thing.
With my heart beating frantically, I raised my head. Standing on the other side of the room was my mirage. He looked stunning with his hair in a mass of sexy waves, his eyes sparkling brighter than ever, and a grey suit hugging him in all the right places. He was so unbelievably handsome, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“Stephen?” I whispered, wondering if this was all just a dream. “Are you actually here?”
With a smile, he pointed out the window where another shooting star sprawled across the night sky. “Your wish, remember?”
I couldn’t seem to move as my eyes traced back to the man with whom I knew I would spend my life. The man with whom I would spend all my lives. I knew he was the one person who would forever be my constant. Now I knew exactly why I was here. I had a mission to accomplish, and I knew Stephen would be there to hold my hand. I felt I could accomplish anything with him by my side.
His eyes lit up as he saw my smile spread wide. Tears came, but they were now tears of joy—tears of absolute, overwhelming joy. He was actually finally here!
Seeing him now walking towards me, I didn’t know whether I could find my feet and get out of my seat. Instead, I sat there, rooted to the spot. His eyes danced over me as he stared longingly at my attire. The heat surfaced in every nook and cranny of my body as I watched him coming towards me like a prowling lion.
Once at my table, he stood tall and muscular, the biggest, cheekiest grin I had ever seen on his face. If it wasn’t for the fact I was still in so much shock, I think I would have laughed.
I watched as he held his hand out to me, a small square gift in his palm. His eyes danced all over me again and the gaze penetrated me so much, I thought I might pass out.
I couldn’t quite believe he wasn’t a mirage, that my brain wasn’t playing tricks on me. But I knew he was as real as anything. I knew all I had to do was reach out and touch him. Take him in my arms and never let him go again. I had once lost my Guardians and had been mourning the emptiness ever since. But now…now he had returned to me and I could finally see the happily ever after I had been dreaming of all my life. He wasn’t lost at all. He was here. He had always been here.
He was my guardian found.
Finally, I rose just as Stephen uttered three words I had been longing to hear from him all day. With an intake of breath, I braced myself to savour each and every word that left his lips. “Merry Christmas, Twinkles,” he whispered, as I ran into his arms.