69. Wishes
Wishes
Silas
The western stream meanders over smooth stones, whispering stories of time and memory. Sunlight dances across the surface, casting golden flecks against the gentle current. The air hums with the rippling sounds, a sound I’ve sought solace in countless times before.
This place holds more than just peace, it holds her . Caroline lingers in the rustling leaves, in the scent of earth and river. So many stolen moments, whispered promises, and quiet confessions are woven into this landscape, and now, they press against my chest like a phantom ache.
I stand still, closing my eyes, tilting my face toward the sun’s warmth.
“Why did you take her from me again?”
The words slip past my lips, dissolving into the open air. There’s no reply, no divine sign, only the endless sky stretching indifferent above me. Maybe God doesn’t hear me. Maybe He doesn’t want to. I’ve strayed too far…wandered too long.
In one last bargaining plea, I beg, “God, if you’re there, if you hear me, send her back. Please. I’ll gladly give you my soul to hold her again.”
I inhale deeply, steadying myself. Kiran is waiting. I should stay out here for a few nights like I always do, let the solitude bury my grief, but I can’t this time. I won’t let my son wonder where she’s gone. He deserves the truth, no matter how much it shatters him.
Shadow shifts on the grass, his ears flicking forward. I turn, my boots meeting the damp earth as I step toward him. Then?—
The air erupts .
A thousand dandelion wisps burst around me, swirling in the aureate light, suspended in the air like a midsummer snowfall.
Weightless and countless, they dance in the breeze, brushing against my skin.
My breath catches, confusion flooding through me as I reach out, watching them slip through my fingers.
Then, as if carried on the very wind itself, I hear her.
"Make a wish, Bronco."
I turn and she’s there. My wife stands just feet from me. A blue sundress, her hair in a braid over her shoulder. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Caroline?”
She steps toward me. “I’m here, it’s me, Silas.” The tears escape her eyes, falling. “I’m back. They let me come back.”
I reach out hesitantly, and place my fingers along her jaw. Once she’s in my hand, it sets in. She’s here; she isn’t some ghost conjured in my dreams or my troubled mind. She came back for me. Her hand comes to my wrist as she leans into my touch.
“I was so scared…I can’t do this without you, Caroline.” My words tremble with the emotion I’m trying to hold back.
“I know. I knew I needed to come back. I’m not leaving here again without you, Silas. I promise you.”
I close the distance between us. “Thank you, God.”