In This Life (Sequel to 'In Another Life')

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Mrs. Gail called to let me know that they couldn't transport for Amber's body out until next week, so the funeral would be the following weekend. I told the others so that Sam and Colby could do what they needed to do this weekend. He resisted but I insisted that he go finish filming. If he was going to take off so that he could go to Georgia with me, then he needed to do what he could before that. He finally conceded, and he and Sam pulled out that weekend for the remainder of their postponed trip. I felt empty again, when he left, but I knew that I would be okay. Denise never left my side, so much so, that it was getting annoying. I had to use the bathroom, and she literally busted in on me while I was sitting on the toilet. "What the fuck?! Denise, shit, can I piss in private please?!" "Oops! My bad T. Didn't know you were in here," she said, backing out of the room and closing the door. "Like hell you didn't Neece! I'm not doing drugs or drinking! How would I even get anything? You're stuck up my ass so far, I wouldn't even be able to smuggle anything up there." I heard her laughter through the door, and couldn't help but smile myself. One of the first smiles that I've had since The Incident. That's how my mind processed it now. Just 'The Incident.' Like it was the title of a movie or a book. She kept me so busy the weekend that Colby was gone, the days flew by. We went hiking, to the beach, driving and blasting old boy bands to sing along with. We ate fast food in the car with the windows down, and by the time we would get home, I was so exhausted that I would just fall in my bed and pass out in my clothes. I liked it better this way. I was too exhausted to dream. When I dreamed, it was always about Amber. Finding her body, only her dead eyes were open, glaring at me accusingly. When Colby made it back, he came straight over and I jumped in his arms and started kissing every inch of his face that I could while he laughed. "Did you miss me?" he asked, lowering me to the ground. "Not at all," I said, with a smile. He brought his hand to my face, and let his thumb brush over my lips. "I've missed that smile," he said softly. I blushed, and ducked my head. "How did everything go with filming? Did you guys get the first episode finished?" I asked, taking the focus off of myself. "Yeah, we did. I think it's gonna be great. Exciting and spooky, but a lot safer, and legal." We talked about their trip, what they had seen, how different filming for Netflix was than filming for a YouTube video, and how much fun it had been. Somehow we ended up talking about old explore trips that they had done before YouTube, when it was just for fun. I added in my own adventures, and even told him about the old plantation house that was in my little home town. Back when I was younger, it was rumored to be haunted but I didn't care. That only made it more beautiful, and intriguing. "Describe it to me," he said, as we lay in bed one night, me pulled back against him, while his arm rested on my hip. "It was gorgeous. I always said that I would live there when I grew up. Picture this. It was a two story old style plantation house, with pillars on the wraparound porch, ivy leaves hanging down over the roof and climbing up to the windows. The house was surrounded by Hyacinth flowers. You know those purple flowers that grow in clumps? No, well there were so many that it made it seem like the house was surrounded by a purple moat. It was set way back off of the road, in the middle of a pecan orchard. I went there alone a lot. I would just take a book and my camera, and spend the entire day there, taking pictures of the house from different angles, and catching the rays of sunshine through the hundreds of trees. Oh, there was even a lake set off behind it! I forgot about that. I almost fell of the dock one day, when I was trying to catch the sunset at a certain angle, and I wasn't paying attention," I said, my voice animated as the images played in my mind. "What was your favorite part about it?" he asked softly. "The peace," I said automatically. "It was just so peaceful there, tranquil. It was my safe place, where I went when my parents were fighting, or I felt ignored by them. It felt more like home than my actual home did." "That's kind of sad," he said, leaning forwards and kissing my cheek. I shook my head. "I never thought of it that way. I guess because that's just how it was. They were never great parents and I've accepted that. The plantation house was just...safe." "You know that I'll do anything to keep you safe. You know that right?" he asked, reaching his arm around my waist, and pulling me back against him. I nodded, and lay on my back so that I could see him. "I know. You're my plantation house now," I whispered, a smile playing on my lips. He smiled back and kissed me gently, before resting his head near mine. We fell asleep holding one another and my dreams weren't nightmares for a change. Instead, I was back at the old plantation house, surround by the purple Hyacinth flowers, and the pecan trees. I wasn't alone this time though. Colby was with me and everything was right in the world. When Thursday arrived, we left early, before the sun was up, to catch a four hour flight to Georgia. I had promised Mrs. Gail that I would help with setting up the wake at her home. That's how we did it here. Some people might think that it's a little grotesque to allow a dead body inside their home, but we saw it differently.