“How’s that regret thing going?”
“I’m making progress,” she replied right before the pillow hit me square across my cheek…and a flash of déjà vu came to mind.
This was the second time she’d hit me across the face with a pillow. This time it was war. Around my room we fought smacking each other as hard as we could until our pillows gave out and sent all their feathers into the air, onto the ground, and all over my room, covering the place in white, almost matching the sight outside the window.
“There are so many things I want to ask right now.”
We both froze at that voice. That God-like voice. I looked over her shoulder at him. He stood dressed in his signature suit and colored ascot, today’s choice a deep purple. He looked completely fine…with the exception of the cane he was holding on to. It was like he’d been living here this whole time...Had he come here because it worked? Had the treatment worked? I glanced down at Esther, expecting her to tur
n back to him, but instead she was actually frozen. Not just her, but everything was. The snow falling outside, the feathers falling inside, it was all suspended in time.
He looked at her for a long time then snickered and I saw it…the look in his eyes. He hadn’t just shown up. He was here…to say goodbye.
“Alfred?”
“Don’t tell her until after today. I can’t die on her birthday,” he said to me.
“Alfred…no.” I shook my head. He couldn’t die at all.
“Do me one last favor?” he asked.
I couldn’t speak. My throat burned and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything. I was frozen, just like Esther.
“Today is going to be her last good day for a while…make it count for her, okay? I made a video for her, so she won’t know until later.”
“Alfred…don’t please…PLEASE!” The tears burned as they came down my face.
“I’ll miss you too. This is a good dream.” He nodded looking around. “Have more of these types of dreams. Better yet, try to live more like this too okay? Know that I love you and I’m proud of you both.”
***
“Malachi?”
When my eyes snapped open she was kneeling in front of me. I stared into her brown eyes for a long time before I wiped my eyes. Rising from the bed I walked to my window and looked outside. All of Lieber Falls was covered in a thick layer of snow which seemed to glisten as the sunlight touched it.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Esther looked out, her face almost pressed against the glass. “Ha! My roses.”
I saw them, covered in snow, but the brightness of the red stood out in the whiteness.
“Why plant them?” I asked trying to regain my voice.
“Because I’m waiting for the real ones.” She smiled. “I planted rose seeds but they won’t bloom for a while. So I put the silk ones out until then. I love roses but they’re never in season during my birthday so I planted my own.”
“Today is your birthday?” I was hoping it was a lie. That it had only been a dream. That I could pretend I didn’t know what I knew.
She looked up to me as she grinned and outstretched her hands. “I’m officially twenty-three as of four a.m. this morning. What did you get me?” I looked at her hand and she laughed. “I’m just kidding—”
“Twenty-three wishes.”
“What?”
I turned to her. “You get twenty-three wishes. Anything you want. Just make a wish.”
“You’re serious?” She crossed her arms and eyed me carefully.
I nodded.
“You’re entering dangerous waters. I’m a big wisher.”