followed Landen up the steps of the porch and into
the house. Aubrey opened the front door to call Ashten and Brady in
for lunch.
When she stepped closer to Ashten, the white
glow around him stretched to surround both Ashten and Aubrey. “Did you see that?” Landen asked, awestruck, as he watched
the glow connect his parents.
“ I think that’s the love we can feel
between them,” I answered, looking at the one that surrounded
us. Ours seemed to be thicker than theirs; I pondered that it may
be because our love was newer.
We followed Brady and Ashten in the house.
Nyla and August were there, too. Nyla was setting the drinks on the
table, and there was a glow around her and August as well. I was
sure then that it was love that I was seeing. Felicity walked
slowly into the room, staring down at little Allie and kissing her
tiny head softly before sitting her down in a cradle beside the
table. Brady pulled her chair out for her. What was so fascinating
was that the glow around them stretched to Allie as she lie
sleeping silently beside them; it was breathtaking to be able to
see love connecting people so intensely.
Landen walked back outside, and I followed
him. It was easy to see that he was fascinated by the colors of
nature. Preston and Libby came to our side, and we walked through
the field back toward our bodies. As the birds would pass above us,
we could see a pure white glow around them. It was as if everything
and everyone was connected by energy; if everyone in the universe
knew this, loneliness would not exist.
Suddenly, I couldn’t feel Landen’s hand in
mine; he was gone. I felt myself panic and squeezed Preston’s hand.
He and Libby were calm. I brought myself back to consciousness,
desperate to find Landen. Back inside my body, I opened my eyes and
looked quickly to Landen. He was there, and so was Marc. Preston
and Libby opened their eyes as well.
“What are you guys doing?” Marc asked,
almost amused.
“Learning,” Landen said, slipping on his
shoes as he looked up to the sky.
I followed his stare; sadly, the colors were
gone. There was no longer a light stretching from the heavens to
us; yet, vaguely, we could still see the colors around everyone.
Marc’s shade was light brown, and the white glow that should
connect him to the ones he loved lingered around his body
alone.
“Learning what?” Marc asked, looking at
Preston protectively.
“To leave,” Preston said, smiling at
Marc.
Marc’s shade shifted to red, and I could
feel his disapproval. “You are teaching these children to walk
around without their bodies?” Marc said, looking sternly at Landen
with his eyebrows creased. His brown eyes seemed to grow darker,
and his jaw tightened; for a moment, the resemblance between him
and Drake seemed to be more clear. A shiver ran down my spine as I
remembered the moments Drake had held me.
As he felt it, Landen looked at me. I pushed
down the emotion and forced a smile.
“No, your little brother is teaching us,”
Landen corrected. “It seems Preston is miles ahead of us.”
Marc looked down at Preston “Who taught you
that? Drake? Mom?” Marc asked Preston.
“I learned all by myself. I’ll show you,
too,” Preston said, his smile lessening a little.
Marc shook his head in disbelief. “Is this
what you guys were talking about last night?” Marc asked Landen.
Landen nodded “You should have made me come; Preston is my
responsibility - not yours,” Marc finished.
Landen reached for Marc’s arm and pushed
much needed calm through him. Marc sighed, then nodded. His brown
eyes lighted slightly, taking the ghostly image of Drake away. “So
what triggered a late night discussion?’ Marc asked.
Landen looked down at Preston and
smiled.
You could feel the guilt coming from
Preston. “I was bad. I wanted milk, and I didn’t wait for Aubrey to
give it to me,” he said, looking down.
Marc looked at Landen for some kind of
clarity. “They can step inside people and take
the house. Aubrey opened the front door to call Ashten and Brady in
for lunch.
When she stepped closer to Ashten, the white
glow around him stretched to surround both Ashten and Aubrey. “Did you see that?” Landen asked, awestruck, as he watched
the glow connect his parents.
“ I think that’s the love we can feel
between them,” I answered, looking at the one that surrounded
us. Ours seemed to be thicker than theirs; I pondered that it may
be because our love was newer.
We followed Brady and Ashten in the house.
Nyla and August were there, too. Nyla was setting the drinks on the
table, and there was a glow around her and August as well. I was
sure then that it was love that I was seeing. Felicity walked
slowly into the room, staring down at little Allie and kissing her
tiny head softly before sitting her down in a cradle beside the
table. Brady pulled her chair out for her. What was so fascinating
was that the glow around them stretched to Allie as she lie
sleeping silently beside them; it was breathtaking to be able to
see love connecting people so intensely.
Landen walked back outside, and I followed
him. It was easy to see that he was fascinated by the colors of
nature. Preston and Libby came to our side, and we walked through
the field back toward our bodies. As the birds would pass above us,
we could see a pure white glow around them. It was as if everything
and everyone was connected by energy; if everyone in the universe
knew this, loneliness would not exist.
Suddenly, I couldn’t feel Landen’s hand in
mine; he was gone. I felt myself panic and squeezed Preston’s hand.
He and Libby were calm. I brought myself back to consciousness,
desperate to find Landen. Back inside my body, I opened my eyes and
looked quickly to Landen. He was there, and so was Marc. Preston
and Libby opened their eyes as well.
“What are you guys doing?” Marc asked,
almost amused.
“Learning,” Landen said, slipping on his
shoes as he looked up to the sky.
I followed his stare; sadly, the colors were
gone. There was no longer a light stretching from the heavens to
us; yet, vaguely, we could still see the colors around everyone.
Marc’s shade was light brown, and the white glow that should
connect him to the ones he loved lingered around his body
alone.
“Learning what?” Marc asked, looking at
Preston protectively.
“To leave,” Preston said, smiling at
Marc.
Marc’s shade shifted to red, and I could
feel his disapproval. “You are teaching these children to walk
around without their bodies?” Marc said, looking sternly at Landen
with his eyebrows creased. His brown eyes seemed to grow darker,
and his jaw tightened; for a moment, the resemblance between him
and Drake seemed to be more clear. A shiver ran down my spine as I
remembered the moments Drake had held me.
As he felt it, Landen looked at me. I pushed
down the emotion and forced a smile.
“No, your little brother is teaching us,”
Landen corrected. “It seems Preston is miles ahead of us.”
Marc looked down at Preston “Who taught you
that? Drake? Mom?” Marc asked Preston.
“I learned all by myself. I’ll show you,
too,” Preston said, his smile lessening a little.
Marc shook his head in disbelief. “Is this
what you guys were talking about last night?” Marc asked Landen.
Landen nodded “You should have made me come; Preston is my
responsibility - not yours,” Marc finished.
Landen reached for Marc’s arm and pushed
much needed calm through him. Marc sighed, then nodded. His brown
eyes lighted slightly, taking the ghostly image of Drake away. “So
what triggered a late night discussion?’ Marc asked.
Landen looked down at Preston and
smiled.
You could feel the guilt coming from
Preston. “I was bad. I wanted milk, and I didn’t wait for Aubrey to
give it to me,” he said, looking down.
Marc looked at Landen for some kind of
clarity. “They can step inside people and take
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