Raven's Rose

Chapter Ten

Eli

It had been months since Shae died, and I knew it was taking its toll on not just me but everybody around me as well. My family was showing me lots of love and support. It meant so much to me, and yet, I didn’t know how to express my gratitude. So when Charity approached me, with two of her babies wrapped in her arms, I knew I needed to make an effort to ease her mind. So I smiled. “Look who you’ve got. Bring ‘em closer.”

I almost felt her relieved sigh in my heart. “I thought they’d be good for you,” she said, her bright eyes meeting my tired ones.

“So where is the other one?”

“Oh, Levi has him. They’re both still asleep on our bed. These two woke up from their nap early for their feeding, so I snuck out.”

She laid the first boy to my left, and after situating him comfortably, she laid the next one to my right. “I think they like you,” she said, giggling.

“Yeah? How do you know?”

“Well, they’re not screaming their lungs out, are they?”

I laughed softly. “No, I guess not. So what did you finally name them?”

“Oh, we haven’t named them yet. You can blame your stubborn brother for that though.”

I grimaced. “Of course.”

Without warning, she laid her hand on my arm and peered deeply into my eyes. I could see the love and concern held there. “We’re all so glad you’ve returned home to us. Everything is going to be alright, Eli. I’ve been praying so hard for you, and I can feel it in my soul. Everything is going to be alright. God has a great plan for you—a very special destiny.”

I slowly nodded as her eyes filled with unshed tears. “Yeah, Charity, I know. I know.”

She wiped her eyes and continued. “There is a verse in the Bible that I think might help you. It says ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose’. I know we can’t see it now, but I truly believe that. You will have your happily ever after, Eli. I just know it.”

“Thanks, Charity. That means a lot.” My smile was becoming harder to hold, but I knew she needed this— she needed to feel that I was okay just as much as I needed to be okay.

I gazed down at the two sleeping boys and marveled at how beautiful they were with their brown curly hair like their dad’s and soft pale skin like their mom’s. They were still very small and appeared so peaceful, without a care in the world. Nothing would ever harm these babies—not with Charity, Levi, and the rest of us watching closely. They were so blessed.

The baby to my right started to squirm, and I felt a vibration under my hand. “Um, Charity I think you should take them back. What do you call this one?”

“Oh, that’s number two.”

I genuinely laughed; a full-blown, deep bellied laugh. This made her very happy. “Well, take him ‘cause I think number two just did a number two.” Her eyes grew wide and then we both shook with laughter until both babies were crying louder than a wolf’s howl. And it was just what I needed.

* * *

I was stalking the woods behind Shae’s house, just like every other day. I took my usual seat on the stump and watched. I knew, just like all the other times that I wouldn’t see anything, but that didn’t stop me from doing it. My mind kept repeating Charity’s words from earlier, “God has a great plan for you—a very special destiny”.

I was thinking on those words when I heard a car door shut, drawing my attention to the house. After a moment, there was a knock on the door. I heard the door open. There was some talking; I heard Shae’s mother’s voice and a new voice, one I didn’t recognize. I strained harder to hear.

              Suddenly, Shae’s mother burst into tears and ushered the woman inside. My curiosity was piqued. I watched the house closely until after some time, her mother, along with another female, passed by Shae’s bedroom window. Her mother was showing the woman some pictures. Okay, that was it. I had to know who this was.

              Something strange began to happen. The closer I got to the house, the faster my heart raced. It had barely beaten at all in months, and now it was beating harder than I can ever remember. I walked faster. Something was pulling me with a supernatural force towards that house. I stepped up to the door and knocked with urgency. The door finally opened and Mrs. Leoni stood there with tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped at them.

              “Oh, Eli! It’ so good to see you! What perfect timing. I have someone I’d like you to meet. Come in.”

              I was passing her before she even finished her sentence. I scanned around the room frantically— searching for the reason for my anxiety.

              Mrs. Leoni took my arm and ushered me into the living room, pulling me to a stop in front of a slight girl, maybe nineteen or twenty years old. What? It was just a girl, and a small one at that. But then she peered up at me, and I thought my heart had stopped. There, gazing deeply into my eyes, were the eyes I had missed for so long—one the darkest color of brown, and the other the palest shade of green.

              “Eli,” Mrs. Leoni began, “this is the recipient who received Shae’s eyes. Isn’t it remarkable? She came all this way to meet us. She said she was blind her entire life until now. Isn’t that wonderful? Our Shae gave her sight.”

              I knew Shae had been an organ donor and that through her death many lives were saved and changed, but this was too much. I was speechless, still gazing into those amazing eyes—eyes that stole my heart so long ago. But it was what came next that surprised me the most, making me realize that Shae was never meant for me. I felt an odd tingling on my right palm, glancing down to find a blue vine-like line forming before my eyes. What was that? Then the girl spoke, confirming Charity’s earlier words and jump-starting my dead heart once again. Extending her small, soft hand to mine she said the words that would change my life forever. “Hello, Eli, my name is Destiny.”

Epilogue

Charity

As I lay on my bed, flat on my stomach with my feet swinging in the air, I smiled, watching my three beautiful babies sleeping soundly in their crib. I could watch them all day long. Life was peaceful for once. All of us missed Raven and Rose very much, but we were more thankful for their safety.

My thoughts drifted to Eli. He was on my mind a lot these days. He had been through so much—we all had, but things were looking up for us—especially Eli. Our lovely family was whole once again. None of us would ever forget Shae and what she meant to us, but we all loved Destiny very much. She had become a part of our family with ease, as if she was born to be with us. She had always longed for a big family and was open to all things supernatural. She was beautiful, funny, and because she spent her life blind, she marveled at everything she saw. It gave all of us a greater appreciation for what we took for granted daily. She was meant for Eli, and I had never seen him this happy before. He was now experiencing what Levi and I experience with our heart-connection.

              But his happiness had come at a cost. After many weeks of courtship, Destiny and Eli had gone back to her home in Chicago to spend a few weeks with her parents so that Eli could get to know them. Her mom had had her at a young age and had spent years single so she could raise her blind daughter. But two years ago her mother had fallen in love and remarried. A few months after the wedding she was pregnant with another baby, a little girl. She named her Journey. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike again and during their visit a hurricane hit; Hurricane Sandy. Eli was only able to rescue Destiny and the baby. Sadly, Destiny’s mother and