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WE’RE LIKE BIRDS, HUGH

Lizzie

OCTOBER 27, 2003

T ODAY WAS THE BEST DAY .

I didn’t feel an ounce of anger.

Not one little bit.

Instead, I felt enchanted .

Like the world was glowing with sunbeams.

Everything was blissful and glorious.

No fear.

No sorrow.

Just everything .

“This is where it happened,” I declared, stopping midpoint on the bridge. “Over here.” Gripping the metal bars of the railing, I leaned over the side to glance at the river below. “This exact spot.”

Loud swishing .

Lustrous water .

Absolute revelry .

“This is where she went over.” Glancing over my shoulder at my boyfriend, I inclined my head to him. “Come see.”

Reluctantly, he did.

Closing the space between us, Hugh pressed his chest to my back and looked over my shoulder. “You think this is where she fell in?”

“I know it is,” I mused, reveling in the feel of his big, strong body pressed to mine. Desire instantly roared to life inside of me when his arm came around my waist, and my body pulsed with need. “Mm. You make me feel so good.”

“How do you know that?” he asked softly, nuzzling the side of my head with his cheek. “Hm?”

“Because I was there, silly.”

“What do you mean you were there?”

“I mean I was there.” Pushing my hands through my hair, I inhaled deeply, while my body absorbed the cold autumn breeze attacking my senses. “I see her every night.” Releasing a breathy moan when my nipples hardened from the stinging wind, I leaned back and felt enveloped in his love. “She comes to see me in my dreams, you know.”

“You’ve had dreams about her falling in?” Hugh’s voice was gentle and probing. “In your dreams, this is where she goes in?”

“Mm-hmm.” Nodding lazily, I turned around to face him. “You’re so pretty.”

Whiskey-brown eyes stared down at me. “You feeling okay, baby?”

“Mm-hmm.” Reaching up to cradle his face with both hands, I pulled his mouth down to mine. “You’re going to make me better soon,” I breathed, lips brushing against his tenderly. “You’re my medicine, aren’t you?”

“I’ll be anything you need me to be,” he replied against my lips, while slowly backing away from the railing and taking me with him. “Why don’t we go back to my place, and I’ll cook dinner for you?”

“But I don’t want dinner,” I complained against his lips, desperately trying to deepen our kiss. “I want your special medicine.”

“I don’t have special medicine, Liz,” he said, trying to coax me, while he reached up and covered my hands with this. “But I have your favorite ice cream in the freezer and a couple of movies rented from Xtra Vision.” He leaned in and kissed me softly. “Hmm?” Another gentle kiss. “We can bring a duvet downstairs and have a movie day on the couch?”

“Mm-hmm.” Nodding, I pressed a kiss to his lips before pushing his hands away and returning to the railing. “Bye, Caoimhe.”

“Liz.” Hugh sounded sad. “Let’s just go home, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” I mused, stepping onto the bottom bar of the rail and then the next one up before turning around to face him. “Hey, Hugh?”

“Yeah, Liz?”

“Would you come with me if I jumped?”

“Liz.” Fear flashed in his eyes, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I could tell that he wasn’t enjoying this nearly as much as I was. “Climb down. Now.”

I could hear the panic in his voice, see it in his eyes, but I pushed for more.

For the breaking point, without feeling, without care for the consequences.

“We’re like birds, Hugh,” I continued to tell him, as my mind spiraled and my body was engulfed in a hundred thousand sensations. All at once. “We could soar if you just give it a chance.” Inhaling a deep breath, I raised my hands to the sky. It was magical. “Just close your eyes and fly.”

“I’m not going to do that, Liz, and neither are you, okay?”

“God, I feel so much, Hugh.” Smiling, I closed my eyes, stretching my arms out as far as they could go. “It’s like the sun is kissing my skin. Can’t you feel it, Hugh? Is it kissing you, too?”

“Yeah, baby, I can feel it. Just come down, please.”

“I love you so much, Hugh.”

“Liz!”

Inhaling the deepest breath I could, I let myself fall backwards and waited for the water to embrace me.

It didn’t come.

The only thing I felt was a pair of strong arms around my body as he pulled me to safety.

As he pulled me back to him.

Back to the here and now.

Back to life .