Evercrossed

?Always, Tristan.?

?Always, Ivy.? A gold shimmer enveloped her. ?You told me I had to move on,?

Ivy said, half crying for the loss of him, half laughing with the joy of finding him.

?You said I was meant to love someone else, but I couldn?t.? ?Nor could I.?

?Every day, every hour, I have held you close in my heart.?

?As I held you,? he said. ?Don?t leave me, Tristan,? she begged. ?Please don?t leave again.? She felt his warmth wrap around her. ?I need you.?

?I?ll always be with you, Ivy.?

She felt his kiss on her lips. ?Don?t let go!?

?I promise you, Ivy, I?ll always be with you,? he said again. His love reached into every part of her, his pure heat burning within her. Suddenly, she felt her heart beating — beating wildly, like a caged bird, against her ribs.

Five

?WHAT ELSE DO YOU REMEMBER?? THE WOMAN police officer asked.

Ivy gazed out the window of the hospital room at the pale yellow clouds of early morning. ?That?s it. The car — the vehicle,? she corrected herself, since that was what they were calling it, ?came from the other direction straight at us. Braking wouldn?t help. He was going too fast. I had to avoid him.?

?Him??

?Or her. Or them. Head?on like that, and in the dark, all I could see was the headlights.? She remembered looking down on a vehicle and assuming it was a car — but the perspective of someone floating above her car and the road on which the accident occurred wouldn?t make sense to the police. It barely made sense to Ivy — she knew rather than understood what had happened.

The moment Ivy had become conscious again, her spirit had felt extraordinarily light, while her body had seemed a heavy and clumsy thing to her. She had clung to the memory of being with Tristan, afraid it would slip through the grasp of her earthbound fingers.

?Do you remember anything about the sound of the vehicle?? the police officer asked.

Jolted out of her thoughts, Ivy stared at the woman blankly until she repeated her question.

?No,? Ivy said. ?Beth was screaming, telling me to watch out. That?s all I remember hearing.?

They had already gone over why she and Beth were driving on that road. Ivy knew that both of them had been given toxicology tests.

At that point, the nurse entered her room. Andy?s genial face was the first Ivy remembered seeing after arriving at Cape Cod Hospital six hours ago. She couldn?t recall anything about the ER, but had been told that Beth, Will, and Aunt Cindy had taken turns staying with her and sleeping on the waiting room sofas, and that her mother was on the way.

?Ivy?s had a tough night,? he began. ?I?m done,? the policewoman said, standing up. ?If more questions arise, I?ll be in touch. Stay safe.? Andy checked the record of Ivy?s vitals signs on the room?s computer, and shook his head. ?Our own miracle girl! I like starting the work week with a miracle.? The nurse was tanned, sandy?haired, in his early forties, Ivy guessed. The lines around his eyes crinkled when he smiled. ?Your numbers are good. How are you feeling?? ?Great.?

?You wouldn?t fake it now, would you?? ?No. Well. . maybe a little,? she admitted. ?Is this all I get for breakfast??

He lifted the lid and saw that the plate, like the tray, was empty. ?I guess you?re not faking it. You know, if word gets around, we?re going to have religious pilgrim types flocking here, wanting to touch your head. I have no idea how that head wound stopped itself from bleeding, or how, given the EMS description of the amount of blood in your car, your hematocrit could be normal. But it is. The doctor said he?s seen a case like yours before, but between you and me?—Andy lowered his voice—?the guy?s full of it.

He just doesn?t like to admit that there are some things he and medicine haven?t figured out.? Like angels, Ivy thought. Had Tristan healed her? Had he saved her?

?You have visitors. Mom and little brother first?? the nurse asked.

?Please.?

Andy headed toward the door, then turned back to open a drawer next to Ivy?s bed. He set an extra box of tissue on the table top. ?You might need this.?

?Oh, baby!? her mother said, rushing in with Philip behind her.

Andy was right. A handful of tissues later, Ivy said, ?I?m glad you didn?t wear your eyeliner, Mom.?

?Or lipstick,? Philip added. His eyes, green like Ivy?s, were now rimmed with red. ?Or her cheek stuff. She left it all home.?

Maggie and her makeup kit were rarely parted. ?I?m sorry I upset you, Mom.?

?She even forgot her comb,? Philip said. ?That’ s why her hair looks like that.?

Maggie patted her head self?consciously. ?My mind was all on you, baby. But don?t worry, I did think to bring you something to wear while you?re here.?

Uh?oh, thought Ivy.

?Fortunately, the nightgown and robe I gave you last Christmas looked barely worn.?

Mostly because they hadn?t been. Ivy?s friend Suzanne, who was in Europe for the summer, had suggested that Ivy wear the gown and robe combo to the senior prom — or a Halloween party. Of course, it was nothing compared to the bridesmaid dress that Ivy?s mother had chosen for her when Maggie and Andrew were married. Scarlett O?Hara dropped in a bucket of glitter was what Ivy thought every time she looked at the wedding photos. But it made her smile, because among several informal photos stuffed in the back of the wedding album was a picture of Tristan, in waiter?s garb, launching a tray of fresh vegetables over the bridal party.

?Ivy, are you listening?? her mother asked. ?Do you want me to help you get this on??

?I?ll wear just the robe,? Ivy replied. Like the gown, it was filmy pink and trimmed with lots of feathery stuff. ?See now? It puts color in your lace,? her mother said.

Philip played with the feathers for a moment, then unzipped his backpack. ?I brought you two things.?

?A Yankees cap! Thanks.? Ivy put it on. ?This is going to make me real popular with the doctors and nurses here among the Red Sox nation.?

He held up his second gift, a coin, then dropped it in the palm of her hand. The gold piece, an inch in diameter, had an image of an angel with wings spread, stamped on each side. ?It came in the mail.?

?Part of a solicitation for a religious charity,? her mother explained.

?It?s beautiful. Thank you, Philip. I?ll keep it right by my bed.?

?I forgot — Dad told me to give you a hug. He?s in Washington at a conference,?

Philip added, amusing Ivy by giving her a light hug, the way Andrew would have. Only a few months before, Philip had started calling Andrew ?Dad.? Her brother was young enough to make that adjustment, especially since he couldn?t remember the man who was their father.

?And how is Tarantula Arms?? Ivy asked. ?Isn?t he going to miss you at camp today??

?Tomorrow, too,” Philip said happily. ?We?re staying overnight.?

?Mom, really, there?s no need. I?m fine. Look at me — I?m fine!?

?Well, I?m not,? Maggie replied. ?And Philip and I have already taken a room at the Seabright.?

?Will?s taking me kayaking,? Philip announced. ?Is he??

?And he?s getting us fishing rods.?

?Good.?

?And he said he saw an awesome kite shop on Route Twenty?eight.?

Ivy smiled and swallowed hard. Philip loved Will, as he had loved Tristan. If she and Will broke up… Ivy didn?t want to think about it.

?We should let Will visit you now,? her mother said. ?He?s been very upset. Ivy.

He saw your car before they towed it. In some ways, I think this was more frightening for him than for you.?