A beating heart

Chapter 17

17.

„Mary" the blue eyes were so close.

This time they were crying and the heavy tears were dripping on her face.

„Mary" the voice grew louder and his pupils dilated as she peaked at them from behind her lashes.

She could feel his hands cupping her cheeks again, his thumbs stroking across her pale skin.

It felt so real, truly and utterly real. The way his touches elicited small bursts of electricity from her nerve endings and his tears now clung to her skin as well. But it had to be another hallucination of her exhausted mind or maybe she had finally passed over and left live behind.

She could feel the trail of fire his touches left on her skin and how his familiar smell engulfed her nose, clouding her already weary head. This couldn't possibly be real, it made no sense. Why would he be her, in her rooms in the dark of night?

No, this had to be another of her desperate dreams, an imagined reality. Her heart dropped at the thought of it, sending cool shivers down her spine. God was playing a cruel game with her, an endless loop of pain and misery.

The desperation caused her own tears to spilled over and trace down her already wet cheeks.

„Mary, can you hear me?" he hurriedly grabbed for her lump hand, tightly squeezing it in his.

His other hand gently brushed away her tears and his eyes were filled with fear. The blue was deepened by his own wet eyes and she could see a trace of panic flash in his face.

She couldn't react, do noting but stare at his face. Was this real, was he real?

„Mary. Mary, can you squeeze my hand?" he was begging her.

She could feel his finger, tightly wrapped around her's. But every single part of her body felt so incredibly heavy, her muscles not strong enough. If this was only her mind's imagination she was entirely powerless.

„Please, Mary I love you. Come back to me." he barely got the words out and the salty tears were dripping from his face again.

‚I love you' the words triggered something in her brain. It all seemed to explode before her eyes at once. His blue eyes, Anne's and she could hear her daughter's scream. Her baby, his child, the one person she had vowed to protect.

At the thought of her daughter's angelic face and her sweet smile, her hand instinctively latched onto his, and her finger ever so slightly tugged against his grip.

She could feel his whole body instantly tense up in response and his eyes grew even wider. His lips parted and now it was him, who was staring at her motionless. She could feel a comforting warmth trickle through her body in response to his look. They way his eyes suddenly lit up, all the hope and love flashing in the blue. Her body rebelled, but she couldn't help it and her lips slowly curled up into a weak smile.

„Francis" it was more a stertorous breath than an actual word, but he understood.

„You ... you are alive. I .. I thought ...I had lost you ..." the tears strangled any further words.

All the tension fell away from his body, as if she had finally freed him from his burdens. His golden locks were falling from his head unkempt and messy. The skin around his watery eyes was still blotchy from the tears.. But none of that mattered. All she could see was the smile that filled his face and the blue eyes glowing with joy. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed, and she could feel her heart mending at last, as it beat in union with his.

„You came back." she barely managed to get the words out.

It was truly him, merely inches away from her face. He had returned, he hadn't left her yet. She felt the relief welling in her chest, her heart picking up it's pace. He was so close and it strained her eyes to focus on his face, as he buried it in her hair for one moment. His breath tickled her skin and his so familiar hands traced along the line of her cheek bone, caressing her pale skin. His thumb brushed across her cheek and he rested his forehead against hers, breathing her in and she savored the feeling of knowing him so close.