Meant to Be (The Saving Angels 1)

“Honey you look so sick. I think I need to take you to the hospital.”

“I just need Mark,” I whispered as I drifted back to sleep.

I woke later to raised voices. Too weak to move, I laid there as the voices got louder. “You just have to trust me, but one way or another, I’m going in there.”

I was too weak to even move as Shawn and Mark charged into the room. Shawn hurried to Sam’s side and pulled her into his arms.

I could hear my mom trying to protest. My eyes drifted closed before Mark even reached my side.

I woke a few seconds later to Mark’s hands on my face. I was in his arms and was finally able to open my eyes and keep them open.

“I don’t think I can live without you,” I said in a weak voice.

“I know that I can’t live without you,” he answered back.

He leaned over and kissed me. I felt the ache that was gripping my body begin to loosen its death grip on me. I deepened the kiss, and the familiar warmth spread though me. His touch was the nourishment I needed.

I could hear Sam and Shawn talking quietly. Sam had recovered quicker than me, probably because she hadn’t been separated from Shawn as long.

Mark continued to rain light kisses across my face and soon I began to regain my strength. I could feel my heart began to find its normal rhythm again.

I was surprised when I finally looked up and saw my mom was still standing uncertainly in the doorway.

“We have to tell my mom something,” I said in a whisper.

We could skim over the sketchier parts, but we had to give her something. I had wanted to keep her in the dark as much as I could and spare her all the details, but she had just witnessed my friend and I miraculously recover from a terrible illness by a few kisses from a couple of guys. She wasn’t stupid and she would want answers.

Mark nodded his head.

“Mom, I know you’re confused. We were too at first, but if you let us explain, you will start to understand,” I said in a still weakened voice.

She nodded her consent, and the five of us headed down to the living room to talk. Sam and I were still weak, so the guys helped us down the stairs and got us settled on the couch.

My mom sat on one of the recliners in the living room and Mark perched on the edge of the other recliner. Shawn chose to lean against the wall.

I started from the beginning. I told her about having the dreams every night, not just every once in awhile, like I had led her to believe. I explained my first meeting with Mark, and the familiarity I felt the first time I met him. I then told her how he stepped out of the shadows of my dreams that first night. I explained that I feel like I had known him my whole life because he had always been in my dreams. I didn’t mention any connections with Shawn and Sam except that they had similar dreams as ours. I knew there were numerous holes in my story, but I only wanted to give her the facts.

She listened quietly the whole time, and finally when I was done talking, she finally said something.

“You expect me to believe all that?” She asked incredulously.

“Come on mom think about it, do you have a better explanation for all of this?” “You saw how sick I was. Do you think I was faking that or what about all those times my emotions got out of control?” I said in a hurt voice.

“Of course not, it’s just that all of this seems pretty farfetched; dreams about each other and getting sick because you were apart? How come you were fine away from him In Montana, but now you seem to have issues?”

“We don’t know, Mrs. Miller. Believe me, we wish we did,” Mark finally interjected.

“I don’t like any of this,” she said to him. “My daughter is only seventeen and you’re already acting like she’s yours.”

“I realize we’re young, but that doesn’t seem to matter to the dreams. We just want to get to the bottom of those first. Everything else we can take slowly, one day at a time. I’m not trying to steal her from you,” he said, finally zeroing in on what was really bothering my mom. She had just lost my dad less than a year ago, and now she thought she was on the verge of losing me.

I stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. Perching on the arm of the chair, I grabbed her hand. “Do you understand why I love him now? It’s just like you and daddy. Remember when you told me you were more in love with him than the day you met, and each day your love grew stronger? It’s the same way for us. We have been together forever. I love him because he is my past and my present, he is my life. These past few days were obviously a crucial test for us, and we now know that we can’t live without each other. None of us know why, but that’s what we’re trying to figure out. I know this is crazy, but you know I’ve never been normal. You and dad did the best you could, but I was a nut job from the beginning,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

My mom looked from me to Mark. “I understand, but I don’t know about everything else. This is a lot to accept, but I can’t deny what he did for you this morning. You looked like you needed to be hospitalized.”

“I guess I can’t keep you apart. Just understand that I’m your mother. I just want you to be safe and happy,” she said as she reached over and hugged me.

“I’ll let you guys stay and talk for awhile. I’m going to go finish my painting,” she said as she gave me one last quick hug.