A Weakened Heart: Juliette

chapter 34

Chapter 34

 

I lay on my bed in the same fetal position for hours, watching the blades of the fan go around and around and listened to the ticking of the Grandfather clock in the hall.

People visited me, said their condolences and left. Katrina came once but her words went through one ear and out the other. She left something on the dressing-table for me but I was too tired to see what it was.

Avan was gone; that was the only thing floating around in my mind. Soleil’s thoughts were my own.

Dominic came one evening and sat and watching me for half an hour as I watched the fan. Then, he snapped.

“Juliette, that’s it!” he shouted and I turned my head to him, ever so slowly, and watched him with a blank stare. “You’re been mopping around for almost a week now! Everyone’s worried sick about you. You’re not eating or sleeping and you’ve been in that same, depressed position every time I came to see you! Stop being so stubborn and get a grip on reality, Juliette!”

“But Avan’s dead,” I whispered, my voice hoarse from lack of moisture.

“So what?” Dominic cried, grabbing my shoulders and pulled me up with his wolf strength. The blankness in my eyes disappeared to be replaced by surprise. “Do you think that Avan would have wanted you to be like this when he left you? If he could see you now, do you think he’ll be happy? No, he would want you to grieve for him but be okay without him. He’s been suffering for a while so you should be glad that he’s no longer in pain. I care about you, Juliette, and Avan too. We hate to see you like this. Come back to us, Juliette. Please come back.”

Suddenly, I remembered the words Avan had told me on the night he died.

“When I die,” his voice said inside my head as though he was actually there. “I want you to continue with your life. Go marry Dominic, have a dozen kids, do whatever you want with your life, except end it because of me.”

That’s when Soleil decided to make her appearance to me after so long.

 

“I think Dominic and Avan are right, Juliette. Avan told us to be strong without him and not waste away. He wouldn’t have left this world knowing that we would be like this after. He would want us to move on. He was a bridge for us over troubled waters, I believe. Now that we’ve made it across, he left. Let’s moan no more, Juliette.”

 

“You’re absolutely right, Soleil.”

With a new found strength, I pushed Dominic’s hands off my shoulders and sat up by myself. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and smiled deeply at Dominic. He seemed shocked for a moment and then smiled back at me.

“I can finally see the sun after the rain,” he whispered, stroking my cheek and this time, I didn’t blush after his touch. “Plus, you’re been long overdue for a refill.”

I looked at myself in the mirror on the wall close to my bed and my wings were out but were dull, drooping and they looked so thin. That was not a good sign.

“It’s a good thing Katrina thought of that,” Dominic said, coming off my bed and took up a small, gold jewelry box from my dressing table. “She bought this with her on one of her visits. I hope you’ll thank her later for this.”

He brought it over to me and I opened it. Inside, nestled on gold paper, was a small pile of sunshine sweets; the only thing that gives a Light her glow. I smiled to myself and took up one of the golden sweets.

I popped it into my mouth and couldn’t prevent the sigh that came out of my throat. The luscious sweet melted in my mouth and brought with it a new glow. When I opened my eyes and looked back at the mirror, my winds were gold, upright and glittering again. Even I was.

It was like I was a wall and someone had applied a fresh coat of paint on me. My skin and hair looked so healthy and my eyes sparkled as though I hadn’t been crying them out for days.

“Beautiful,” Dominic muttered as I stretched out my legs and fluttered my wings. “You know, you’re the most stunning Light I have ever seen, and you know I’ve seen a lot.”

“I know I am, Dominic,” I giggled and looked down at the box again.

There was something silver next to the sweets and I discovered it was a necklace with a dog-tag on it. I looked at the tag and saw the words ‘Avan Jackson Daniels’ scribbled on it.

“What is it?” Dominic asked and I showed him. “Well, I’ll be, he left you his tag.”

I put it around my neck and threw my hands around Dominic in a tight hug.

Thank you, Avan, for your strength, happiness, determination and giving my light a reason to shine again.

Thank you, most of all, for giving me your unconditional and unreserved love.