Chapter 360


    Sephie


    We had made ns to return to the city the following morning. Vitaliy had agreed toe back with us,


    but he was going toe up a couple days behind us. He said he needed to take care of a few things


    in Panama before leaving.


    I had quietly snuck off to the bedroom to take my contacts out for a few minutes. I told Adrik where I


    was going and what I was doing, so he wouldn’t worry about me. I knew he was going to worry about


    me anyway. I didn’t want to interrupt his conversation, but my eyes were itching so bad that I couldn’t


    take it. I needed some relief for at least a few minutes. Contacts were highly overrated.


    I sat down on the end of the bed, rubbing my eyes, finally getting some relief. I felt a slight breeze, so I


    opened my eyes. I didn’t remember a door or window being open. When I looked up, there was a


    woman standing in front of me. At first, I was startled, but she looked familiar somehow. She smiled


    sweetly at me, then asked, “you can see me?”


    I nodded my head, wondering why she would ask that question as I could see her standing in as day


    in front of me. She caught on to my confusion. “You’re the only one who’s been able to see me. Or hear


    me. You really are special,” she said.


    I gasped. “You’re Vitaliy’s wife. Adrik’s mother. You’re Lena. How can I see you right now?” Her smile


    widened. She took a step closer to me and I saw her eyes. The same eyes that I adored on her son.


    “This has never happened before,” I said,pletely taken aback.


    “I wanted to thank you,” she said. “I keep an eye on Vitaliy, but I don’t always stay with him. I have


    other responsibilities. That’s how I met your father. He told me I could make this happen.”


    “He always talks to me in my dreams. Never when I’m awake. Except that one time when he swooped


    in, but even then, I didn’t see him. Did he show you his swooping?” I asked, grinning at her.


    Sheughed. “You’re very much like him.” She walked closer to me, sitting on the bed beside me. I felt


    the bed dip as she sat down, like she waspletely real. I could see that Adrik got her smile, along


    with her eyes. The softness in his face came from her as well. He favored his father, but she made his


    father’s harsh good looks softer.


    “He has your eyes,” I said as I was taking in the details of her face.


    “I think that was the hardest thing for his father to get over. He used to say he could get lost in my eyes.


    Seeing the same eyes on his son just reminded him of his loss.”


    “He’s still very much in love with you,” I said.


    Sheughed quietly. “And I’m still very much in love with him. The love we have is much the same as


    the Jove you have for my son. It’s not an average rtionship. It’s…” she paused like she was trying to


    find the words.


    “Eternal,” I said.


    “Exactly. I should’ve known you’d already know,” she said, smiling sweetly at me. She reached out and


    grabbed my hand. Surprisingly, she felt warm. Simr to Adrik’s touch. “Sephie, I want to thank you. I


    knew you wereing for my son, but I had no idea the role you would y in my husband’s life as


    well. Or how you would bring them together.”


    I scoffed. “I haven’t done anything. I don’t think there’s anything to thank me for.”


    She reached up and brushed a curl from my face, just like Adrik does almost constantly. “Sweet girl.


    You’ve already set it in motion. You just have no idea. You’ve already brought them closer than they’ve


    ever been and this is just the beginning. Part of what makes you unique is your ability to know what the


    people you care about need, even before they do. Even without you being aware of it. I know you’ve


    heard stories about my husband and what a cold man he’s been. It’s because most of his light died


    with me. He was almost overtaken by his own darkness. But you. You’ve given him a spark and I


    cannot thank you enough for doing so.”


    “Eh, I think Adrik was right. I’m just really good at getting grumpy old men tough. That’s all,” I said,


    grinning at her. Curiosity got the best of me, so I asked, “were you special like Vitaliy and Adrik too?”


    “No. Adrik’s poweres from Vifaliy. Just like yourses from your father. But much like you, I


    epted Vitaliy for who he waspletely. There is much to be said for being someone’s safe harbor.


    Vitaliy, much like Adrik, has a giant heart for those he cares about. He just has a difficult time showing


    it. Adrik is much better and even better still, since meeting you. Vitaliy still very much struggles with it.”


    “I knew he was a cheeseball in there,” I said, chewing on my bottom lip.


    Sheughed. “Please promise me you’ll tell him that. I can’t wait to hear himugh.”


    “I promise I will tell him. And I have a feeling you’re more special that you think. You calmed Vitaliy’s


    storms. That’s no small feat,” I said. She smiled sweetly at me, brushing another curl back from my


    face as we both studied each other.


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    “It’s time for you to get back. They’re worried about you. Adrik worries about you the way Vitaliy used to


    worry about me. Ivan is almost as bad. Those men are good men, Sephie. All of them. I know you


    know, but they need to know that the Universe knows how good they are. Please tell them I’m sorry for


    making them worry,” she said, squeezing my hand gently.


    “Why would they be worried about me? It’s only been a few minutes.”


    “Sweet girl. You forget. Time is different here. It’s been much longer for them, which is why I need to


    apologize. Tell them I promise not to do this again. They’re going to be angry,” she said, smiling.


    “They’re not the boss of me,” I said,ughing. “I’ll tell them you apologize if you tell my father I miss him


    and I’d like to see him again.”


    “I will, Sephie. But you can tell him yourself. He constantly checks on you. Even with Ivan taking his


    job, he’s still around. All you have to do is ask,” she said. She stood up, her hand lingering on my


    cheek for a moment before she walked away toward the door. With each step she took toward the door,


    she faded a little more until she was gonepletely and I was left alone in the bedroom again.


    “Sephie? Sephie, love. I need you to wake up. Please wake up. Pleasee back to me,” Adrik said. I


    could hear the panic in his voice. “She’s not responding. She’s never zoned out thispletely before.


    I don’t know what to do.”


    “Can you feel anything from her? I don’t feel anything bad, at least, but I don’t feel anything good,


    either,” Ivan said. “Her eyes are going apeshit though.”


    1 giggled. She was right. They’re gonna be mad.


    “Sephie??” Adrik said, frantically.


    It took me a minute to focus. My eyes were open, but I couldn’t see anything in front of me. I reached


    up and rubbed my eyes. “I’m okay. I’m sorry. She’s sorry, too. She said it’ll never happen again.” When


    I opened my eyes, I could see Adrik and Ivan standing in front of me, both of them clearly panicked.


    “Who’s she? And what won’t happen again?” they both asked, as I was hit with anger from both of


    them. Yep. They’re mad.