The Prospects (25 page)

Trista nodded. “It’s been quite a week.”

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I have a lot of decisions to make. Looking out for you will make me feel like I’m at least doing something right.”

“And I’ll look out for you.” Trista rubbed her stomach. “I’m also scared about the baby. I don’t know what to do. I’m not ready to be a mother, but this must be God’s will.”

“Whatever happens, I’ll help you get through it. I wasn’t there for Emily as much as I should’ve been when she was pregnant, but I learned a few things. ”

“I still don’t know what to tell my family.”

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. First, we need to get you off probation. I’ll fill out all the forms to recommend an early end to that when I’m not doped up on painkillers.”

The whole room seemed to shake. Trista’s hand slipped from Alex’s grip.

He blinked. He was in the hospital again. Trista was back in her wheelchair.

“I don’t mean to be impatient,” said Chaplain Monaghan, “but it’s been an hour.”

“Really?” said Alex.

“It’s easy to lose sense of time in your own mind,” said Trista. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Chaplain Monaghan pushed Trista’s wheelchair out of the room and down the hallway. When they went near the elevators, Trista saw a chestnut-haired woman carrying a toddler.

“Wait.” Trista grabbed her chair’s wheel. “Turn around.”

After the chair turned Trista called out, “Emily O’Farrell?”

The chestnut-haired woman turned.

“Hi. I know you’re on your way to see Alex, but can I talk to you for a minute?”

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“I’m Trista.”

“Not Candilyn?”

“What? No, nothing happened between them. That’s kind of what I want to talk to you about. Look, you have every reason to hate me, but please listen for a minute.”

“Why would I hate you?”

“I’m … the reason Alex missed your son’s birth. I tried to kill him, or rather make him kill himself, that night.”

Emily drew her head back. “He kissed your butt?”

Trista winced. “Yeah. I’m sorry about that.”

Emily looked Trista over. In her psychic nullifier with an arm in a sling and hospital gown accented by an antique rosary and sitting in a wheelchair, this skinny girl seemed too pathetic to hurt anything. The presence of a wizened and kindly man in a white collar behind her further made it even harder for Emily to be angry.

“All I can say in my defense is that I was being controlled by someone who was trying to take over the world,” said Trista. “It’s a long story. It won’t happen again. At least I hope it won’t. “

“Why are you near Alex’s room?”

“We’re friends now. At least I think we are. What I want to say is that Alex loves you. I mean, he really loves you. I’ve been in other people’s minds, and I’ve never felt any love that strong. It was so strong it literally kept him alive during my psychic attack.”

“Sorry, your what?”

“Alex can explain it better. I wish I knew a more powerful word than ‘love’ to describe how he feels for you, but I don’t think there is one.”

Emily exhaled deeply.

“I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I understand your marriage isn’t in a good place right now. You have reasons for your feelings. I thought you should know how Alex feels.”

Emily wiped her eyes. “Why are telling me this?”

“Because Alex helped me, and I want to help him. He can’t talk well right now. You’ll understand when you see him. Again, I’m sorry for all the grief I caused you and your family, and I’ll pray for you.”

Father Monaghan wheeled Trista away. “That was the most awkward conversation I’ve ever seen.”

“If I didn’t say that, I’d regret it.”

The elevator doors closed.

Trista looked at her reflection in the steel doors and smirked.

THE END