The Game Has Changed (28 page)

There was not much more hope left within her
soul. Her mind soon seemed to wander again as it often did.
Sometimes, she felt as if she was on another plane of reality. She
could hear her son's happy cries and coos, but it sounded ever so
faintly to her.

Jaime's heart leapt to her throat when she
heard the most wonderful sound in the entire world fill her head.
It had to be her imagination, a breathtaking remembrance of a
cherished vision of the past within her mind. The sound lilted as
if floating upon a leaf in a gentle breeze.

“Do you think you might be able to help me?” a
beautiful, deep British male voice said.

Her breath left her entire body. A slew of
memories bombarded her as she heard the words. They were the exact
words her dear, sweet lost love had spoken to her so long ago. How
was it that she was hearing them, then and there?

She looked up with a jolting and momentary
fear. A vision of beauty was standing in front of her table, except
this time, he looked whole. This time, he didn't have an ugly,
bloody gash across his forehead, nor did he possess a shock of
dirty hair or ripped clothes.

Was she seeing an angel? Evan had been shot
during that police encounter. How could she be seeing him standing
in front of her now? The incredibly handsome vision gave her one of
Evan's menacingly flirty smiles followed by his signature
faint-inducing wink.

Jaime gasped aloud as she felt herself
hyperventilate. “Evan?” she squealed with confusion and
wonder.

“Let me check,” the vision whispered
playfully.

He reached into the inside jacket pocket of the
handsome black blazer he wore. He pulled out a wallet, opened it
up, and held it out before her. She looked down to see the same
California driver's license she had peered at a year and a half
ago. That same handsome and cocky 'screw you' picture smiled back
at her.

“Yeah, I think it's me,” he replied, at last,
as his wallet disappeared back into his jacket.

“But . . . but . . .” she stammered,
breathless.

“You thought I was dead?” he asked as he stared
down at her. “Yeah, well, so did I, but I promised you that I’d
come back for you, remember?”

She stared up at him with disbelief. “Yes, you
did promise me!”

“And you're still wearing the promise
necklace,” he pointed out, reaching out to curl his fingers about
its fragile chain as it lay against her chest.

Was he really touching her? She shook her head
to clear it, wanting to feel his hand in order to reassure herself
that it was indeed real. Instead, she grasped the special pendant
he had given her as if it were a lifeline that she needed to hold
on to before she bobbed under the waves of emotion that threatened
to claim her.

“I've never taken it off! Not since you put it
on me at the Grand Canyon! Am I . . . am I dreaming?” she
whispered, her voice tinged with despair. “If I am, this is so
cruel!”

“You're not, Luv,” he assured.

She watched as her 'vision' gazed at the infant
sitting in the high chair. A look of bewilderment crossed his
lovely features. He gently placed his hand upon the boy's head,
tears shining within the depths of his dark brown eyes.

“My child?” the ethereal apparition whispered
with sudden amazement. “Jesus, he's beautiful!”

Jaime stared up at him with astonishment. Tears
blurred her eyes. “Is it really you!?”

He nodded tenderly as he gazed in her
direction. “Yeah, it's really me.”

Her mouth trembled slightly as she struggled
with her wavering emotions. “Why didn't you come
sooner?”

“I couldn't. I had a restraining order drawn
against me until you turned nineteen,” he murmured
softly.

She had considered that very possibility over
and over within her dreams. But in her reality, could it have been
true? She had seen him collapse after the gun had been fired. He
had been bleeding profusely. No movements had come from him when
the police had searched him for additional weapons and handcuffed
him. Nor had he offered any physical response,
whatsoever.

She had witnessed his lifeless body being taken
away by paramedics who seemed quite resigned to the fact that there
wasn’t much that they could do for him. Yet, for months and months,
she had tried to convince herself that she had seen things in a
different way. That there had been something she might have missed,
something that meant he had survived.

She sensed his hand beneath her chin and felt
it tug her head up so that they were staring at one another eye to
eye. “Happy birthday, my dear, sweet Jaime.”

After a contemplative and hopeful moment, a
look of complete happiness and satisfaction danced across her face.
She blinked rapidly as a rush of tears surfaced once more. “Looks
like I won the game. You finally came back to me!” she whispered
passionately.

She could see the love he felt for her shining
within his eyes. “We both won this game, my love,” he whispered.
“We're together again.”

“For all eternity? Like the necklace you gave
me says?” she asked, sounding hopeful as she pushed herself out of
the booth and stood up. “I'll love you for all eternity,
Evan!”

“Yes,” he said with certainty. “For all
eternity, Luv. Come with me.”

He extended his hand toward her and waited.
Without any further hesitation, she took it.

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D. L. Wu is a married mother of
three beautiful children. She loves to write and has been doing so
quite steadily since she was twelve-years-old. This is her first
attempt at publishing a work.
She loves traveling, listening to rock music and watching films of
all types; her favorites being of the sci-fi/adventure genre such
as the "Star Wars" series. She also considers herself a super geek
because she loves attending Comic-Con every year.

Connect With Her
Online:

Website:
http://caspiansprincess.blogspot.com

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/hockeymom_12

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDLWu

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427163.D_L_Wu

Email:
[email protected]