Page 118 of Wish Upon A Star

And they meant you just for me…”

This is accompanied by a ukulele.I know that song. It sings in my heart.

I’m Jolene.

Where am I?

I hear his voice again. His voice.

Who is he? Why does his voice drag me upward, away from the dark cold nothing and into the lightning soaring maybe of sound and breath?

“Together can never beclose enough for me

To feel like I am close enough to you

You wear white and I'll wear out the words ‘I love you’

And ‘You're beautiful…’

“Marry me…”

With violent,crushing suddenness, awareness returns in full.

Wes.

The video.

The hotel room…

His house—ourbed…

The pool. The helicopter.

The cabin.

Oh my soul, the cabin. Making love to my beautiful man in the light of a dying fire, as stars burn and wheel and fade all around.

Westley, and his voice:

“Jolene, I know you can hear me. I love you. I need you. I want you. Come back to me, baby. Please.”

He sounds so tired, so sad.

I could hug him and kiss him and tell him I love him and let him rest with me—

If only I could find my way out of this darkness.

Up, Jolene. Up.

Out.

Breath.

Eyes.

Memory.

God, I love that book. I read it so many times the spine cracked in half and the pages fell out.