The Last Genie: A Novella

Chapter 34

When Grace woke up the next morning, her heart was a flutter, and this time I mean literally it wasn't beating properly. But, Grace was filled with so much love and happiness that she didn't notice it.

As she was getting dressed for work, Ithel made them pancakes, and she thought, "How can my life get any better than this?"

Grace floated along in her cloud of ecstasy all the way to work, and she even gave Ithel a quick kiss before she got out of his car, which sent a thrill all through Ithel's body and left Grace just beaming.

However, throughout her morning, Grace's heart kept sending her little jolts of pain, which due to her joyous state she brushed aside. Until, her heart wrenched to a halt.

Grace only had time to think, "Not now," before she collapsed into unconsciousness.

That afternoon, Ithel was outside Grace's office when he was supposed to be, but she didn't come out. At first he didn't think anything of it, but as time stretched on, he grew more and more worried.

Finally, Claire came out. Ithel rolled down his window and with a little trepidation in his voice said, "Excuse me, Claire. Is Grace still inside?"

Claire gave him a pained look and said, "I'm sorry, but she had to go to the hospital."

"What happened?"

"She collapsed."

Fear gripped Ithel's heart. He quickly told her thanks and sped off.

When Ithel got to the Grace's hospital room, he knocked on her door, and after a moment, Grace said, "Yes." So, Ithel pushed open the door.

When Grace saw him, a stab of pain that was a bit sadness and also a bit of guilt shot through her, but she plastered on a small smile and said, "Hey, Ron. This is my mother. Momma this is Ron."

Grace's mother stood up and said, "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," said Ithel.

Sensing the mood in the room, Grace's mother said, "I think I'm going to get something to eat, so y'all can talk."

"Thanks momma," said Grace.

After Grace's mother left, Grace choked out, "I have to tell you something that I should've probably told you much sooner...I have a disorder that weakens my heart. I had been doing ok, but today it gave out on me."

Ithel, who hadn't moved from the foot of Grace's bed, asked, "What does that mean?"

"I need a heart transplant or..." Grace trailed off, but Ithel knew what she couldn't say.

After he took a moment to try and wrap his head around what she had just told him, Ithel said, "Ok, we just have to get your some more wishes. I know a pretty easy— "

"No."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," said Grace as tears welled up in her eyes. "But, I don't want you to cure me, and I know that's going to be especially hard for you to hear after everything that happened between us last night. But, I swear. I had no idea this would happen so soon... I thought I had more time."

After a long moment, Ithel asked, "Why can't I heal you?"

"Because I don't believe in playing God."

"This isn't playing God."

"It is to me."

"What about a heart transplant? Isn't that playing God?"

"No, that's just medicine."

"But, couldn't God have given me this power, so I could be here to save you?"

Ithel's question felt awfully familiar to Grace, and for a moment, she couldn't understand why. But, then she remembered that Kari had asked her a very similar question, when they had first talked about Ithel's powers. She didn't have a great answer for Kari then, and she didn't have a great answer for Ithel now. So, she said, "I don't know, but we all have to die."

"But you don't have to die now."

From the look on his face and the quiver in his voice, Grace knew Ithel was hurting, so she said, "Come sit next to me," and patted on her bed.

After Ithel slowly, despondently sat on the spot Grace indicated, she took his hand, squeezed it tight and said, "I may not die now. I may get a new heart, but if I don't, at least I'll have spent my last days with the man I love."

Ithel looked into Grace's beautiful eyes, which were burning with love for him and realized he couldn't let her die.

Then, Grace said, "And, I want you to promise me you want use your powers to cure me or get me a new heart."

"Ok."

"I need you to say it."

"I promise I won't use my powers to cure you or get you a new heart," said Ithel knowing that he absolutely was not going to keep that promise.

"Thank you."

"...So, what happens now?"

"We wait."

"Just wait?" asked Ithel, and Grace just nodded her head.