Page 28 of All Your Tomorrows

“Yeah, I’m a real hero,” he said somberly.

“Heisa hero,” a voice beside me said.

I looked to my right. The spirit of an older woman stared down at the water below.

“Kyler? Did your gram pass?”

His eyes cut to mine. “One of them. Why?”

“I think she’s standing next to me,” I explained.

“Jesus Christ,” he said, looking to my left and right. “Why can’t I see her?”

I looked at the woman who I now realized resembled Kyler, especially those Fletcher lips. “Why can’t he see you?” I asked her.

“Because he’s still alive,” she said.

“What’d she say?” he asked.

“Because you’re still alive,” I told him before looking back to her. “Were you there the night it happened? He has a lot of unanswered questions.”

She nodded and my heart stammered. “I arrived after the accident. I saw him unbuckle the girl and push her out of the car even though his seatbelt was stuck.”

An ache twisted in my heart hearing the firsthand account.

“Was she?” he asked.

“She said you pushed Melanie out of the car but your seatbelt was stuck.”

“He was so brave,” his grandmother continued. “He tried not to panic, but he was running out of air. He did what he needed to do to save the girl. I wanted to help. Wanted to somehow get the seatbelt unstuck for him, but that’s beyond my capabilities,” she said regrettably.

“What’s she saying?” he asked.

“You were brave. You didn’t panic, even when you couldn’t breathe.” A tear trailed down my cheek, the idea of what he went through burning away at my eyes.

“Hey,” he moved to me, using his thumb to wipe my tears. “I’m right here.”

I nodded. “It’s just hard to hear what you went through.”

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t remember any of it.”

“Tell him I love him,” his grandmother said.

“She loves you,” I said. “Your gram.”

“I love her too,” he said, though his eyes were on mine.

“Tell him I’ll be there when he decides to cross over. It’s not a scary place.”

I chewed on my bottom lip.

“What?” he asked, reading my look.

“She said she’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready to cross over.”

“And what if I’m not ready?” he asked.

I glanced to her. Her lips twisted with sadness as if she knew how this all ended.