The Guardian Angel

Chapter-24: James

Those five words out of her brought a rush of long forgotten memories. Though I had forgotten my parent's faces since a long time, I could still remember them now. Maybe the whole death thing, I had no clue, but I could see them clearly now. A beautiful face, full of color and life. Her warm hazel eyes twinkling with love as she looked down at me.

Then there was my father. He had always seemed stricter to me. He had had a sharp jawline, a well built body and shining blue eyes covered by rectangular spectacles. But now that I see it, I see the same affection in his eyes.

Something must have appeared on my face, because Leah's immediately changed.

"I'm sorry! Its fine if you don't want to tell me." She apologized, her eyes widening with surprise. I snaked an arm around her and pulled her closer to me. The warmth that emanated from her body giving me courage to continue. The courage to uncover memories I hadn't tried to in a long time.

"My dad stepped into the role of CEO after my grandfather retired. He fell in love with my mom here in the US." I smiled, remembering all the nights I'd stayed awake hearing the very same story of how they met. "My grandparents had been very skeptical at first, but my grandmom soon came to adore my mother. Since then, my father and mom stayed in the US. They married and had me a few years later. All this while, the business was booming. That's where this house, my money and all come from. Inherited."

"What happened?" She asked. She was quick to catch on, as I'd learned. This story had anything but a happy ending.

"Listen, baby." I told her, smoothing her soft hair back. "You asked." she grumbled a bit but fell silent.

"My dad wasn't around all that often. Meetings, business deals, crisis management and whatnot." I felt a sigh escape my lips. Why did I remember these so well?

"My mother was around much more. She had a job here in Lancaster. But whenever my dad used to be here, they would leave usually to some event. In that case they'd call a nanny. I really did like her, but she wasn't my mom or dad."

Another flash entered my mind at voicing these words. My mother in a flowing blue dress and my dad in a blue tux with a glossy black shirt. Both of them had looked so good together. The perfect match. That had been one of the few times they had taken me with them to one of these events. All of the guests gathered had been mystified by them. But they hadn't been mystified by just them. There had been another couple. They had worn the simplest of clothes of those present. Yet the respect they had been given, including by my parents hadn't occurred weird to me then, but felt so now. Why this memory arose, I'm not sure.

"On one such fateful day, they had gone for a birthday party. I had been left with my nanny. She'd been cooking when the phone rung." I heard a sad whimper leave her mouth. She squeezed my hand, the small gesture somehow instilling me with more courage to finish my story without breaking into a million pieces.

"She'd just stood still near the phone after that. Until she slowly slipped it back onto the table. I had been far too young then, just about five years old. We'd rushed to the hospital. There'd been many firetrucks going opposite to the direction we were headed. I remember being shit scared. I hadn't known where my mom and dad were, my nanny and her boyfriend had just grabbed me, locked the door and rushed to the hospital."

I felt Leah go absolutely still. I took a shuddering breath and continued. "I had ended up sleeping at the hospital while my nanny made various calls. I hadn't known then why my grandparents had picked me up the next day, but I did when they told me when I was around ten. I remember asking nearly everyday, asking where they were. Why they didn't tell me bedtime stories anymore. Why I'd moved to their home."

Leah turned around, her chest now flush against mine, and tilted her head up, looking straight into my eyes. Straight into my soul.

"There had been a fire at the house where they'd had the birthday party. Both of them and a hundred other guests had been charred to ashes. So much that they hadn't even been recognizable. None of the guests survived."

I sighed sadly, feeling a tear slide down the side of my face. Leah wiped it off, her hand smooth, warm and reassuring on my face.

"My grandparents had also always been loving and caring... but it wasn't the same you know? There had always been this empty hole inside me. Something that had never been filled."

"After that, I hadn't been able to even focus on my studies. Every waking moment was haunted by images of burning houses. People screaming. Ashes of loved ones. That only got worse after my grandparents died. I joined the army and then had new nightmares to haunt me."

Leah's eyes shone brightly as she took in my story. I stroked the side of her face with the back of my hand. "Don't worry about it alright? It happened a long time ago."

She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me close, taking me by surprise. She sobbed into my shoulder.

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's my fault." I shushed her as I slowly rubbed my hands soothingly up and down her back.

After a moment, she leaned back and looked into my eyes, glowing with determination.

"I don't care who says what or who feels what. You are not alone in this world. I'll always be there with you. I'll always love you." Love me. These words out of Leah's mouth were so foreign to me. Words I hadn't heard in a long time. There was so much promise held in them. I found myself feeling the exact same way. She'd always have me, no matter what. I may have come back from the dead just to help her. If it had been in my power, I'd still do it. She meant everything to me now. I didn't have anyone else left for me. And I hadn't in a long time.

I crushed my lips against hers, the conversation that had occurred between us fueled the desire between us. It had brough it to light. No. More like put a spotlight on it. It had existed from the moment I laid my eyes on her. And from then it had only grown. This spotlight just brought it out to the front, highlighting it for the world.

"And I'll always be there for you. No matter what." I murmured.

Suddenly she pulled back, her eyebrows creasing. I stared at her, a frown forming of my own, but mine with confusion.

"Wait, wait, wait. It isn't possible, is it? It couldn't be!" She muttered. She sat upright on the bed, the covers falling off her, revealing her beautiful form. But that wasn't what was attracting my attention now. She chewed on her lip, thinking.

She suddenly turned towards me. "When did this happen?"

"About 22 years ago? When I was about five years old?"

"Do you remember where that house is? The house you mentioned was burnt?"

"I think I do..." I muttered. She leapt off the bed and stalked to the door. I snaked her waist and pulled her back.

"Clothes!" I reminded her.

"Fuck! I forgot." She quickly jumped into her clothes, while I hurried into my own.

"What is it, Leah?" I asked her, grabbing the keys to the car. I couldn't give a shit as to what Stephen would say just then.

We both got into the car and buckled ourselves in. I started the engine.

"What is it, Leah?" I repeated, agitated now.

All the color had drained out of her face as she answered.

"I think that's the same place, the same house. I'll explain."