“And what about Jude? Is he stil stuck in that lifetime too?”
Lotus nods. Her gaze faraway when she says, “Jude has his own journey. You may not see him for a while. Though you wil see him again. Not to worry.”
My gaze lands on the river, noticing it’s grown darker, murkier, and glad to be standing safely on its banks rather than closer to its shore. “So is this it then?” I turn to face her. “Is this the journey? Is it over—have I completed what you’ve asked me to do?”
Lotus shakes her head, those rheumy old eyes meeting mine. “That was merely the beginning, the first test of many. Much lies ahead.
You have more to discover.”
And before I can ask what that means, before I can ask her to clarify for me, the ground begins to shake, the river begins to slosh and bulge, as the earth beneath my feet begins to shift and separate in a way that reminds me of my first California earthquake.
I fight to locate my voice, fight to free the scream that sticks at the back of my throat, when Lotus disappears—just simply evaporates
—as a swel of red tulips sprout up al around me, taking her place.
A sign that can only mean one thing—Damen has joined me.
Hundreds of tulips sent fluttering, their soft petals whispering against him, as he rushes over them, rushes toward me—grasping me into his arms, he picks me up off my feet, twirls me al around, and presses his lips to my face, my hair, my lips, my cheeks, then starts the
procession
al
over
again.
Desperately
reassuring
himself
that
I’m
here,
that
it
real y
is
me—
Adelina/Evaline/Abigail/Chloe/Fleur/Emala/Ever—his love of so many lifetimes, bearing so many names, but being of only one soul al the same. Final y made aware of the truth, that I never real y left him despite what he may have convinced himself of.
“Adelina!” He pauses, smoothing my hair from my face, his eyes hungrily roaming over me, drinking me in, as he laughs, shakes his head, realizes he’s stil caught up in the past, and says, “Ever!” He kisses me again, holds me tightly to him. “You were right. You were right al along. There was a life before—an entire lifetime I never could’ve imagined.” His eyes pore over me, stil a bit overcome by what just transpired. “But now that we know, what do you suppose it al means?” he asks, almost as though musing to himself.
I thread my fingers through his hair, aware that his question was meant to be serious, but eager to erase any trace of his lingering grief in favor of a much sweeter memory.
“Wel , for one thing, it means I wasn’t always a virgin.” I smile, remembering the beautiful night we spent together as Alrik and Adelina, and the wonderful part of the morning that fol owed.
Watching as he throws his head back and laughs, his hands clasping tighter around my waist as he says, “Now that’s a moment I wouldn’t mind reliving in the pavilion.”