Kintsugi

Chapter 17

Walking along the beach of Smith Island in the early morning light, was a balm to John's overwrought mind. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, between bouts of lovemaking with Marlena, and the disturbing dreams he was having. He stopped walking, absorbing the smells coming off of the flowers nearby, and staring out at the water as it brushed up along the shoreline. Feeling a hand softly on his shoulder, John said without turning, "I was wondering when I might see you again."

"This will be my last visit to you, John," Gabe responded softly.

"I'm surprised you visited Doc the other day," John said, finally turning to face his angel.

Gabe's kind face, gazed on John for a moment, before he responded, "I will see her again."

"You seem to show up, when I'm most conflicted...or to warn me. I'm hoping this isn't a warning."

"It's not. Your mind is troubled, as I knew it would be," Gabe said kindly.

"My mind is troubled all right. I haven't even finished reading that journal, and I'm so confused. What do I do with this information? How do I go forward?"

"You speak with your father, John. He won't lie to you, once he knows the truth."

"The truth? This sounds so far fetched, even to me. You think he's just going to embrace me? Accept what I'm telling him without question? That's not how Shawn Brady works," John said with a slight scoff.

"He'll know the truth, as soon as you tell him, because you see, John, there's something about you that has always felt familiar to Shawn Brady. He thinks it's because you were Roman for seven years, and that he's so used to being with you, that he's never questioned it. It's why he accepted you so readily when you returned to Salem with Marlena, thinking you were Roman. He looked into your eyes, and accepted you outright, with no questions at all. But, John, when you tell him...he will know. You look just like your mother. That's why Stefano hates you, because you remind him of what he lost...but that's also why Shawn loves you. He just hasn't put the pieces together yet."

"Are you sure Gabe?" John asked, and then he paused before saying, "Of course you're sure, otherwise why would you be here?"

"You are the purest form of your mother's light, John. She was kind, generous, and enjoyed her life, short though it was. Shawn loved her with everything he was," Gabe told him.

"Then why did he leave so easily?"

"Hard questions often have hard answers."

"Do you always need to speak in riddles, Gabe? Just answer the question!" John said in frustration, turning to face the angel who was already gone. John stood alone on a deserted beach, listening to the water lap along the shore.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marlena stood in the light of a full moon, on the precipice of a cliff, the ocean breeze bringing a redness to her cheeks, and her arms outstretched in joy. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" a voice behind her said. "I used to come here when I was child, and never wanted to leave."

Marlena turned, gazing upon the face of a young girl. A girl with dark indigo eyes, and the blackest hair she had ever seen. A girl who looked like John. "Luna?" she asked her.

"Luna. I haven't heard that in so long. My father was a hopeless romantic, and since I was his eighth child, and his only daughter, I was named after the moonlight," she said staring off over the ocean.

"It's a beautiful name," Marlena whispered.

"I need you to tell Shawn something. A message from me, if you will," Luna said softly, facing Marlena. Marlena nodded once, and Luna continued, "In my time with him, he gave me everything I needed. I was lost, a bird with clipped wings in a gilded cage. He gave me love. Unconditional love, without expectations, as pure a love, as there ever was. He needs to hear that."