Forever

Monique Jones stood undercover, outside of the café. It had begun raining almost from the moment she’d gotten into her car this morning. The clouds looked like they would be settling in for the day. They even forecast snow for later. But that wouldn’t stop her from getting the specific coffee she was after.

The Opal Garden had been in business for about eight months, but it quickly gained a steady reputation. More people came rushing up behind her. The owner Anabella glanced at her watch, while unlocking the door. “9 am, right on time. Hey guys, come in and get warm.”

Inside, the walls were decorated with contemporary wallpaper and landscape paintings. The tabletops had diamond patterns, and the wooden chairs all had comfortable seats. Menus were placed on the counter. Both savory and sweet treats were displayed. Specials changed once a week. As with other cafés, you ordered in line, got a number, and waited.

So intent was Monique on reading Night World by L J Smith, that she didn’t notice the chair across from her had moved. She looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes. “Morning Keith.” “Hi. Is your cousin here today?” Tessa had been working at the café’ since she’d left school. Their former classmate Keith had a crush on her. “She’s heading our way.” Monique saw him wringing his hands together. “She won’t bite.”

Keith O’Connell had no problems talking with her, but around Tessa he seemed to clam up. He practically melted when she asked him if he was waiting for an order. He shook his head. Monique and Tessa exchanged a knowing glance. Her cousin wrote her number on a napkin, smiled and walked away. He stared in disbelief. “Did she really just do that?” “Of course. She knows you like her.” Keith shook his head. “I didn’t expect this to happen, at least not today.”

“Well, it has. What are your plans?” “Does she eat Italian?” “She’s not too picky about food.” “I know a place on the outskirts of town. My auntie works there. They serve great pizzas, among other things. Should I call her tonight?” “Great idea. Have fun and bring her home at a decent hour.” They laughed at her mock parental tone. Keith pocketed the napkin and stood up, visibly lighter on his feet. She watched him exit the café whistling.

Monique had just finished her novel, when she realized that someone else had taken the chair opposite her. She lifted her head. Thomas introduced himself. “Hey, don’t mind me, this was the closest empty seat I could find.” Monique glanced around to see nearly all of the tables were indeed full. She closed her book. Tessa came by, placing a plate in front of her cousin. “Thanks.” “Enjoy!”

She pulled her chocolate muffin apart and sipped at her hazelnut latte, as they started talking. Thomas was a business consultant, and Monique was a music teacher. She was single; he had broken off a relationship about six months ago. Thomas accepted his cappuccino from Tessa with a smile but did not move. “Totally random question; what’s your favorite color?” “Blue.” “I like red.”

Monique was surprised that the two of them actually had things in common. Both liked rock and roll, usually preferring that kind of music over other genres and agreed Metallica was one of the best bands ever. Although Thomas was the lucky one, having seen the group perform live. “It was awesome!” He was a fairly good surfer, while she was thinking of taking lessons. No siblings. Parents on either side still together, but Monique thought that something had been off with her mother Juliet lately.

Thomas was sympathetic, seeing the worry in her eyes. “What do you think it could be?” “I’m not sure. It’s nothing I can put my finger on.” “From how you’ve been talking about your mum and dad, if there was something wrong, they wouldn’t keep it from you.” “True enough. I hope it isn’t what I suspect.” He asked another question. “What is your ideal pet?” Her response was quick. “Golden retriever, hands down.” “I love German Shepherds.”

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Monique and Thomas couldn’t deny a connection had been made. They went out for lunches and dinners, like most friends do. They attended theatre shows and went to the movies. Sometimes a night club would appeal; they watched out for each other, but no random hook ups or flirtations occurred, which should have clued them in. Thomas won tickets to a rock festival and things changed. Monique kissed him at the end of the evening. The two of them soon became an exclusive item.

After moving in together, Thomas proposed. She then informed him that she was pregnant. Months passed, and Monique was feeling insecure about her changing body. However, Thomas always assured her she was as lovely as ever. She knew he meant what he said, which eased her mind. She went into labor a month early. Juliet called Thomas immediately. He was at the hospital when they brought Monique in. Eleven hours later, she held their son in her arms. Her fiancé was struggling to hold back tears. “He’s so beautiful.” The couple named him Marcus James Ashby. They got married before his first birthday. The new family were so happy. Then an unforeseen tragedy occurred…

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On a sunny April day, Monique was driving down a familiar road. Marcus was telling her about his first day at school. She listened to his sweet clear voice, keeping a sharp eye on the view ahead of her. There wasn’t a lot of traffic. She stopped at a railroad crossing when the lights flashed, signaling a train was coming. She heard a horrific screeching behind her; another vehicle speeding out of control ploughed right into the sedan, which went through the barrier and onto the tracks. She was completely stuck.

The train blared the horn loudly, slamming on its brakes, but a collision was inevitable. Monique and Marcus screamed, and everything went blank…

When Monique next opened her eyes, she was almost blinded by sun light. She found herself in a grassy meadow, filled with beautiful flowers and huge strong looking trees swaying with the wind. Marcus stood beside her. A voice from out of nowhere made them jump. “Hello.” Soft laughter followed. “Relax. You are safe here.” A woman in black robes glided towards them. Her eyes glowed red and she was very pale.

Marcus wasn’t quiet for long. “Where are we?” The woman sighed. “Well, to put it bluntly, my dear, you died. You are in limbo. I am an Angel, whose job is to guide lost spirits on to Heaven. I cannot fulfill my duty until you both feel no need to remain on Earth.” Her son piped up again. “What do you mean?” “You are thinking about your father Thomas. He is currently being told the news. He will be devastated. It may take a long time for him to come to terms with his loss. You shall return in spirit and watch over him, until he finds happiness once more. Then I will come for you.”

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Mother and son followed Thomas Ashby wherever he went. He broke down and cried himself to sleep often. He forgot about work and eating properly. He also started drinking, which wasn’t like him; he wasn’t doing well at all, unable see past losing them. On his worst days, he secretly wished he could join them. Monique and Marcus could only look on helplessly. Thomas was steering close to the edge, and it wouldn’t take much to push him over into the darkness. Months went by and there was no sign of him turning a corner with his grief. Relatives and close friends tried helping, but to no avail…

On the second anniversary of his wife and son’s passing, Thomas decided to remain sober long enough to get a tattoo for them. He walked into Enchanted Ink’s Parlor, waiting at the reception desk. A pretty girl named Gina, greeted him and asked about what he wanted. “I would like to have a heart with wings and the names Monique and Marcus written underneath it.” “Give me a couple of minutes to sketch it and let me know your opinion when I am done.” “Fine.”

He picked up a folder lying on the desk in front of him, admiring the obvious skillset of the artist: Andrei Castello. If Thomas were going to return for another tattoo, he might ask for him specifically. Gina came back. “Alrighty, here’s what I have. We can make changes before I start inking your skin.” The heart looked almost 3D in effect and the wings so light and soft. She’d used cursive script for his family's names; it finished off the design nicely.

Thomas managed a small smile. “I like it very much. When do we start?” She pointed to an empty chair. “I’ll just bring over my kit and we can begin straight away. Black and white, or color?” “Black and white, please.” The pain was more than he thought he could manage at first, but he soon got used to it.

Gina asked him questions, no doubt attempting to keep him focused on anything else besides the needle. He hadn’t allowed himself to talk about his family, but in the tattooist’s gaze he saw she did not pity him; she would listen sympathetically if he spoke. He guessed she’d heard all kinds of things in this parlor.

The words suddenly began to pour out of him. 

“Two years ago, I lost my wife and only child in a horrific accident. I have been struggling to deal with it. We were married for nine years. My son was starting primary school. I hate that the man who caused the crash, however unintentionally, walked away unharmed. He wrote me an apology letter a couple of months after their funerals; I tore it into pieces. Since then, I’ve not been able to get through the day without alcohol. I’m shocked that I was even able to resist a few of glasses of whiskey before my appointment today. I won’t give in to the urge just yet; when I get home however, all bets are off.” 

Gina hummed, continuing her work. “My fiancé battled an aggressive form of cancer. Leukemia. He died at home. It’s been three years and seven months. I haven’t taken off my engagement ring yet. I won’t pretend that using drink or drugs to dull my pain didn’t tempt me, however Julian would be extremely disappointed, if I went down that path. My brother Jimmy is always by my side. We’ve been looking after each other since we were teenagers. Our parents who loved to sail, were caught in a raging storm out at sea and disappeared.”

Thomas was touched this stranger had shared her story with him and knew why she did so; she understood his pain. Something inside him that had long been absent, began to wake up again. He wasn’t sure what this emotion could be, but it almost felt good. Gina wiped his shoulder clean. “Finished. Go take a glimpse in the mirror.” His eyes took every detail in. Impulsively he hugged her. She held him carefully. He wiped away a couple of stray tears. “It’s perfect. Thank you so much.” “No worries.”

Afterwards, he strolled down the street, sensing for the first time in ages that perhaps there was light at the end of the tunnel after all. He spotted a music store and thought why not go in and see if he could add to his vast collection. Jezza’s Sound Waves may have only been small, but it was alive with random music flowing from the speakers, rows of CDs, DVDs and vinyl records, branded t-shirts and other memorabilia.

He watched a short blonde tried to grab a record on a shelf just out of reach. He approached and asked if he might help her. “Thank you.” When she turned around, he couldn’t believe it. “Rachel, is that you?” “Thomas? Oh, my goodness, how long has it been?”

“Over a decade.” In high school, Rachel Thorne and Thomas dated when they were sixteen. They hadn’t seen each other since graduation, despite promises to stay in touch. Thomas was kind of dazed, staring at his ex-girlfriend now. She was still incredibly attractive; the years had been kind to her. He glanced down, noticing that she wore no ring on her left hand. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe. As always, she was brutally honest. “You look like hell.”

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Monique Ashby’s spirit was standing by the kitchen window of their beach house in Madeira Cove. The storm had finally arrived. Heavy grey rain clouds gathered overhead, and powerful winds sent the waves crashing against the sand. If they lost power inside the house, Thomas had planned ahead; along with food and drink, he’d brought candles and spare batteries. It was certainly a much better option to have the house illuminated by candles and torchlight, rather than stumbling around in pitch black rooms.

Thomas had switched on the radio before he went out for his run with Rachel’s dog Harry. It looked like they were becoming serious. The spark had been rekindled. Monique was so relieved to know that he wouldn’t be alone or sad anymore. A song started playing; she and Thomas had danced to ‘When I Fall in Love’ by Nat King Cole at their wedding. Tears filled her eyes. A tiny hand slipped into hers. “Mummy, are you okay?” She looked at her son. “Yes, I’m fine. I was just recalling a happy memory.” 

Monique led Marcus towards the lounge room. “You know we don’t need to be here now, right?” He nodded. “I know. But I miss him.” She tucked a stray hair behind his ear. “I do too.” The Angel who had spoken to them before appeared. She held out her arms. “Shall we?” Marcus asked if he could say goodbye, which the Angel agreed to. The little boy walked up to his father and put a small arm around his waist. “Bye Dad. Mum and I love you lots.” Thomas shivered slightly. Monique stared at her husband for a long time. She then whispered “Farewell, my love.”

A sharp knock on the front door announced Rachel’s return from the shops; she was cooking something special for dinner tonight. The Angel clicked her fingers. A shining portal opened up next to her. Monique walked towards it with Marcus. They looked back only once, to see the new couple embracing. It was definitely time to go. They had no idea what lay ahead of them, but at least the person they loved more than anything else in the world, was on his way to a new life, with an old love. Who would have thought?

THE END