The Hourglass (UNEDITED)

Chapter 17

Jace's eyes flickered open but struggling against the blasting happiness of the sun. The sun rays also confused his because someone was standing by his bedside, he couldn't make out who it could be though. Too tired to react that there was an intruder, Jace rubbed his eyes and tried to open them more fully, only to be met by a heart-stopping surprise.

He froze.

His blue eyes as wide as saucers. Standing before him was a woman as naked as the day she was born. The only thing covering her up was a large box she held against herself. His eyes were held by a set of warm browns staring back down at him with a kind a smile.

"For you, beloved husband of mine," she said. Jace could not move. Was this a dream? Was it possible that a dream could be as vivid and lucid as what he was experiencing right now? Jace just lay there in the bed staring up at Katherine?

"Katherine?" he said skeptically, but his heart was already bursting out with happiness. Katherine frowned at him, but change her face to a happy one immediately, gesturing to the box.

"Here Jace, open your gift," she said, handing him the box and Jace took it. Now she was fully exposed to him and a number of emotions began to taunt him. Jace looked at the box and quickly ripped the wrapping paper and took out what was inside it. He was holding the hourglass, the one she had given to him 11 months ago, and then she got into a coma a month later...

Jace looked up at Katherine, his eyes still reflecting awe.

"Thank you sweetheart," he said, his eyes shedding tears. Katherine frowned for sure this time. She went to go cover herself with a robe and sat on Jace's lap.

"Babe? Are you okay?" she asked. It could have been a dream, it could have been a trance or apparition of his imagination even. It wasn't however, because as he felt her body against his, he could feel that she was real, see that she was real! This was no dream and Jace had no explanation. He lifted his hand to touch her face, stroking her cheeks and her lids, and lastly, her lips. Yes, she was as real as he was.

"Are you really here?" he whispered, not believing that Katherine was in his arms instead of in the hospital, as immobile as a vegetable.

"Jace, what are you talking about?" Katherine frowned. He couldn't even answer right away. She was here, she was alive; conscious and stroking his hair. Her fingers were in his hair, moving around his scalp, he could feel it. Jace pulled her closer, his head buried in the nape of her, crying profusely.

"Jace, you're really scaring me. Baby, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," he croaked, his body shaking with his crying and her body had applied pressure from his powerful grip as he tightened his hold on her. Katherine lovingly stroked his hair; her arms wound around his neck and let him shed his tears for whatever reason.

"It was just dream Jace. Just a dream," she cooed him, kissing his head and neck, trying to comfort him.

"God, I hope so. I really hope so."

"I promise, it was all just a bad dream."

It might have been a dream after all: Katherine leaving the company ball, getting into a cab, getting involved in car accident that put her in a coma for ten months. And yet, here she was in their bedroom, sleeping soundly. In the middle of the night Jace was by the window overlooking the Chicago city streets as he watched Katherine sleeping, noting the rise and fall of her body. His eyes moved to the hourglass on the fireplace mantle. Something was going on here, something unusual was happening here. Jace knew that Katherine had given his hourglass 11 months ago. However, it appeared that he was back to this very day when she had given it to him. The only way to describe such a phenomena would be time travel. It was a sobering realization; such a thing only existed in fiction, not real life. But what other explanation could there be? Not unless if Katherine was right and it had all been a bad dream.