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“You dreamed of a place where you were happy, peaceful, carefree. Where you knew you were safe and loved.”
Tears filled her eyes at the beauty of it. They thickened in her voice, spilled into her heart. That heart sang hallelujahs.
“You dreamed that wonder, that peace, during those precious minutes before you were dragged back into this life.”
“I think. I don’t know. Maybe later, in the hospital. I don’t know.”
Enraptured, Clara shoved his doubts aside, because sheknew. Even with his great sin, he’d been welcomed into the next life and shown love.
“That’s a beautiful story, Zach. I’ve never heard one so beautiful, so inspiring. It’s a story I’ll hold in my own heart forever. Thank you for sharing it with us.”
“I need to go home now. Please. I need to go home.”
“Of course you do.”
She walked over to the sink to scrub her hands, put on her gloves.
He screamed when she hooked up the tubes. Begged and wept and cursed. She felt sorrow. Sorrow that he didn’t understand they were setting him free. Sending him back to that happy, peaceful dream.
But his story kept her heart, her very soul lifted and joyful.
After the blood ran out of him, when the color and the false life left his body, she gently removed his glasses.
They would go in the box, and she would think of them as a remembrance of a man who’d atoned, and whose homecoming was, even now, filled with the light of a summer day.
“Don’t you cry now, babe.”
“They’re good tears, doll. Tears of gratitude for the beauty he gave us. For knowing he’s at peace again. A little boy, playing with a dog on an endless summer day.”
Overcome, she leaned against Sam. “No one ever gave us a story like that before. I can get discouraged when they can’t or won’t tell us anything at all. Now, after this. I’m lifted, Sam. The gift he gave us, the gift we’ve given him? It lifts me.”
She laid a hand on her heart before they labeled the bags of blood, stored them. Before they cleaned and sterilized the medical equipment.
Looking at the fragile flesh and bone in the hospital bed, Clara pictured Zach’s freed soul welcomed into his reward. And considered the job well done.
“Now, I’ve got to get some laundry going or we’ll be working in our altogether. I’ll make us a nice lunch before I go to work.”
“I’m on nights again. Couple more weeks of it. I sure do miss sleeping beside my woman.”
“And she misses you.”
“But I guess it gives me enough time to take care of his earthly remains.”
“That’d be best, since you’ve got the day for it. If you’re still busy with it, I’ll leave you a sandwich from last night’s chicken.”
“Appreciate that, but don’t you forget to come in and kiss me goodbye.”
“Here’s one for now.” She caught his face in her hands and kissed him. “And I’m saving a better one for goodbye.”
When she went out, Sam hauled Zach’s body up and over his shoulder. He went through the next door into the small workshop.
Clara’s dead husband had liked building things. Clara had kept all his tools, and kept them neat as could be.
The room was a little tight for the work Sam did there, but he made do.
He dumped the body on the worktable, on the plastic sheeting already prepared. He turned on the Bluetooth speaker Clara had given him for Christmas.
Bless her heart, she knew how he loved his music.