Forgiven (Book 3, The Watchers Trilogy; Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (27 page)

“Where is she going?”
Tara
asked.  “
S
he
don’t
remember what today is?”

I shook my head, tears of sorrow streaming down my face. 
Tara
put her arms around me.
  “I swear, Lilly.  I really hate your mom sometimes.”
 

“Lilly! 
Tara
!  Y’all come on in now, it’s going to be getting dark soon.”

“Come on
,
Lilly Rayne.  Grandma needs us inside.”

I followed
Tara
into Utha Mae’s trailer wiping the tears from my face
, refusing to let Utha Mae see me cry yet again because of something my mother did
.

When I stepped inside, Utha Mae and Will
sprang
out from behind her couch and yelled, “Surprise!”

They had spent the time while Tara and I were outside to decorate Utha Mae’s trailer with
streamers and balloons.  A chocolate birthday
cake
lit with s
even
pink
candles was sitting on the kitchen table.  I burst into tears.

“What’s she crying for?” Will asked, completely confused by my reaction.

I felt Utha Mae come pick me up and hold me in her arms.  “Baby, don’t cry,” she begged, which made me cry even harder.

“Do you know what she’s crying about?” I heard Will ask
Tara
as he came to stand beside her.

“Her good for nothing momma just left to go on a date.”

“Tara Jenkins,” Utha Mae
said, a warning in her voice.  “I’ve told you not to talk about
Lilly’s mom like that.”

“But she just left!”
Tara
protested
hotly
.  “I don’t even think she remembered it was Lilly’s birthday!”

“We don’t know what other people go through in their lives,” Utha Mae said.  “Don’t judge until you have all the facts.”

“I agree with
Tara
,” Will said, anger in his voice.  “Mothers aren’t supposed to forget your birthday.  That’s just not right.”

Utha Mae rubbed my back and hummed a hymnal until my tears stopped
flowing
.

When I finally lifted my head from her shoulder, she looked at me with more love in her eyes than I had ever seen in my own mother’s.

“Why doesn’t’ she love me?” I asked
, my voice breaking over the question
.

“Oh baby, she loves you.  She just has a hard time showing it I think.  Now you dry those tears up.  I made you my special double chocolate cake and you have to blow the candles out and make a wish.”

After I blew the candles out, I twitched my
little
finger to make Utha Mae lean down so I could whisper in her ear.

“I wished that you were my real mo
mma
,” I said to her. 

Utha Mae hugged me and I knew then she would do everything in her power to make my wish come true.

The scene changed to my wedding day to Brand.  Utha Mae was welcoming guests which
were mostly made up of
all of her friends.

“I can’t believe she’s all grown up,” Ms. Ida, one of Utha Mae’s closest friends said as she entered the church.

Utha Mae smiled.  “Me neither Ida.  Time sure does fly.  My baby will be having babies of her own soon.”

Ida laughed.  “I swear you’ve been more of a mother to that child than her own.”

“She’s been like the daughter I never had.  Both her and Tara have.  I’m not sure I would have made it without them all these years.  You know how hard it was for me wh
en
Harry died.  Those babies gave me the will to go on.  If it hadn’t been for them, I’m not sure what would have happened to me.”

“Well good luck marrying off that
h
ell
raiser you have for a granddaughter,” Ida
snorted
.  “It’ll take a strong man to
tame
her heart.”

Utha Mae smiled.  “Oh,
I
don’t know.  I think she’s closer to finding Mister Right than even she realizes.”

“Well, I hope you’re right,” Ida said.  “Ain’t neither one of us getting any younger
, Utha Mae
.
  It would be nice to leave them knowing their taken care of.”

Utha Mae nodded.  “Yes it would
,
Ida.  Yes it would.”

I found my self back on the swing with God.

“That
’s
what she’s thinking about right now?” I asked, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

“Yes.  She’s reliving a lot of memories
from her past like most people do
during this time
.  Almost all of them center around
you, Tara and Will.  In her heart, she always felt like your mother.  She loves you
that
much.”

“Will I be able to say goodbye to her before she dies?”

“There will be a time when you can all make your goodbyes.  She won’t leave this world without seeing you
all
one last time.”

“Can
’
t you heal her?” I asked
, knowing what I was asking wasn’t a fair question
.  “She’s been a good person.  She’s always had faith in you.”

“It’s her time to go, Lilly.  Don’t ask me to take that away from her.  She’s waited a long time for this moment.”

“When
will I happen
?”

“Soon.”
 

The next day Utha Mae finally woke up.  She was smiling and talking
with us like nothing was wrong
.  She even asked Malik to sneak her in some of his chicken and dumplings.  It made me wonder if God had changed his mind and decided it wasn’t time for Utha Mae to leave us just yet.  Maybe he realized I still needed her help
to
see me through the next few days.

At one point, she asked Brand and I to come sit on either side of her.  She placed one of her hands on Brand’s arm and the other on mine.

“Now, I want you two to promise me that you will never let the sun set on your anger.  There will come times when you get angry with each other because that’s just what happens when you care about someone more than
you do
yourself.  But don’t let that anger sit too long.  When I look down at the two of you, I want to see happy faces.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” I told her squeezing her hand.

“Oh baby, we’re all going at some point.  I think my time is coming sooner rather than later
,
and I’m
just fine
with that.  I’ve lived a long full life.  That’s more than a lot of people can say.  I don’t have any regrets
to take with me
.  But promise me one thing: get your mom away from that devil.”

“What did he show you?” I asked, needing to know what Lucifer had done to Utha Mae.

“I know what he is,” she said
, and I could see in her eyes she fully understood the truth of things
.  “And I know what you are, child.”  She lifted her hand and cradled my face.  “I knew you were an angel the moment I saw you as a baby.”

“I don’t know if I can make it without you,” I said, tears
writing the depth of my sorrow down my face
.

“Baby, you are stronger than you know.  That’s how I raised you and don’t you
dare
disappoint me.  You’ll find a way to stop him.  I know it.”  Utha Mae looked at Brand.  “You have a good man by your side and as long as the two of you stick together, there’s nothing you won’t be able to do.”

When Malik came back with the dumplings
later that afternoon
, Utha Mae made him and
Tara
sit with her too.

She took one of
Tara
’s hands and placed it in one of Malik’s.

“You finally found your Prince Charming,” Utha Mae said to
Tara
.  “And I want you both to know you have my blessing when you decide to marry.”

“Grandma…”
Tara
said
, like what Utha Mae was saying didn’t have a chance in
Hell
of happening anytime soon.

“You know you’re Grandpa Harry was a lot like Malik.  I see the same love in his eyes
for you
that my Harry had for me when we were together.  And you,” Utha Mae said looking at Malik.  “I want you to promise me you’ll look after my grandbaby when I’m gone.  Can I trust you to do that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Malik was quick to
promise
.  “I’ll look after her as far as she will let me.  But you know how stubborn she can be sometimes.”

“You’ll find a way to get past that part of her. 
She’s built her wall so high only a man who truly loves her can find a way through it.  But,
I know you will.”

“You two do realize I’m
still
sitting here
,
right?”
Tara
said, laughing through her tears.

“Baby
,
you let this man help you when you need it.  He’s a good man.  And I’m just thankful he’s here for you now.  I’m glad I got to meet the love of your life before I have to go.”

The last person Utha Mae wanted to speak with was Will.  She asked that we all leave the room then, not wanting us to hear their conversation.  When we were called back in, Will had tears in his eyes and left the room, saying he
needed some time alone and
would be back later.

“Is he all right?” I asked Utha Mae.  “Do I need to go after him?”

“No, baby.  I think he’s just relieved he doesn’t have to lie to me anymore.”

“Lie about what?”

“Lie about who he really is.  I think we all knew our Will died the night he rescued you out of that lake.  I’m just glad I could tell the Will we know now that I forgive him.  If he hadn’t taken over, both you and Will would have been lost to me forever.  He did what he had to do even if it was for the devil.  But, I think the devil is going to regret sending Will in the end.  He’s not the same person he used to be
,
and I think me, you and Tara had a hand in
changing him
.”

“Did Lucifer tell you everything?” I asked, not seeing that there was anything left secret to Utha Mae.

“No, not everything.  I know he plans on trying to use you in some way but he didn’t reveal
how exactly
, baby.  I’m just glad
I
know
what I do so I can bring you peace of mind before its time for me to go.”

“I wish you would stop saying that,” I said, selfishly wanting to keep Utha Mae with me forever.
  She had been a part of my life ever since I could
remember.

“You know it’s true just like I do, child.  And don’t be sad for me when I’m gone.  I’ll finally be with my Harry.  You just don’t know how long I’ve waited for that.”

Utha Mae’s health deteriorated
quickly
after that.  The doctors called
the time she was awake and talking
the surge, a time when a patient has one last bit of energy left to say their goodbyes and make their peace with death.

That night Utha Mae’s breathing became shallow and we were told there wasn’t anything to do but try to make her as comfortable as possible.  Not caring that my mother was in the room, I let my power burn freely, holding onto Utha Mae’s hand hoping she could feel the peace I knew my touch would bring to her.  If God loved anyone on Earth, I knew he had to love Utha Mae. A faint smile graced her lips as she took her last breath.

On the other side of the bed from me, I saw two shadows appear.  As they became more distinct I saw the ghost of eight year old Will and a handsome man I had only seen in photographs but knew instantly to be Utha Mae’s Harry.  They looked down at Utha Mae before looking over at me.

“We have her from here,” Harry said
to me
, reaching down to take Utha Mae’s hand and raising up a younger version of
the woman I knew
.  She was as pretty as I always knew she probably was in her youth.  She smiled at us all.

“Don’t be sad for me,” she said, taking her husband’s arm.  “I’m finally
going
home.”

The ghost of our loved ones faded as they walked away from us, leaving us to deal with our sorrow.