Whispering Hearts - Part Two

Chapter Eight

Chris was standing on the beach, watching the waves comes in when Sierra arrived with Luke. Luke knew not to interfere and waited for her patiently as she walked to the depressed man. Sierra could already feel his emotions, read his thoughts, and they made her heart break. He was contemplating ending it all. Drowning himself in the ocean seemed a more peaceful death for him than slowly suffering a torturous death watching the life of his wife and baby gradually slip away from him with each passing day. His life would slip away right along with them and turn him into a walking shell of himself.

"Committing suicide is the sign of a grown man being a coward, taking the easy way out instead of acting responsible for his family and facing his fears with them together. And we both know you're not a coward, not in the least..."

Chris turned around quickly, startled by the sound of Sierra's voice. He hadn't expected anyone to be here with him...especially her. He should have felt shocked at seeing her, but deep inside he knew why she'd suddenly appeared. "That day, when Kiara awakened from her coma, you were standing over her bed whispering words to her that have always confused me until now... You knew about this, didn't you? I never got the chance to thank you for guiding her back to me...I'm sorry that I didn't...at the time, I was too wrapped up in what was going on, deep down I knew it was you, but I just couldn't bring myself to believe it..."

"You and I have never talked. Isn't that interesting? The entire time we were a part of the same group we both love and care about, and yet our paths never crossed. Your wife was my roommate in college, you came to see her regularly, we all hung out together as a group and yet you and I never spoke to each other one on one until now. You were afraid of me. I was the unknown to you..."

"You saved my wife's life by entering her mind and I couldn't let myself believe...that someone could do that...it was unheard of....so I dismissed it, and now you're here, of all the people I've ever been close to who knows everything about me, only you are here. No one called you and told you I was here because no one knew where I'd gone. As soon as I turned around and saw you everything that I tried to deny of you came crashing back. So, now I'm going to say, thank you, Sierra, thank you for bringing Kiara back to me that day..." He looked at her with eyes full of hope. "Have you come to save her again?"

Sierra stared at him regretfully and slowly looked away... "This time...I cannot...." she said softly knowing it would break him.

She watched him fall to his knees in the sand. His body shook with heavy sobs... "Then why are you here!" he yelled at her; his voice broken...just as his heart...

"To save you..." she told him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You must be strong, Chris. You must endure... You will not lose her for a long time...She will survive the pregnancy, she will birth a fragile little girl full of life, who will be the spitting image of her mother. And Kiara will live a happy, peaceful, life. She'll be here for her first words, her first steps, cherish all the memories of watching her daughter grow into a happy little girl. Your life will be filled with love and happiness if you let it be that way. If you accept her fate as Kiara already have..."

Chris looked up at her. "Kiara...she...already knew her future...didn't she? That's why she didn't fight it, she'd already made peace with it..."

Sierra nodded. "And you need to make peace with it as well to continue to be happy. I know this is hard for you, but I hope my words have brought you some comfort..."

"Tell me when it will happen...please...," Chris begged," please tell me, I don't want to go through life not knowing...always fearing every day that she'll leave me...knowing is better..."

"Is it?" Sierra asked.

"No," Chris admitted, "but at least I can prepare for it. That's more than any of us have...right? Most people don't know when their loved ones are going to die, but at least I can...it would help..."