Tristan. Tristan.ʺ
ʺMy love.ʺ
Ivy held still, suspended within a cathedral of starlight. The old world that turned beneath her grew still, as if time had stopped.
ʺTristan?ʺ
ʺMy love.ʺ
ʺTristan!ʺ Ivy closed her eyes, so that his voice would become stronger in her.
ʺCan I really hear you? Is it possible? Oh, Tristan, even in death, I want you near me.ʺ
ʺEven in death, my love.ʺ
ʺAlways, Tristan.ʺ
ʺAlways, Ivy.ʺ A gold shimmer enveloped her. ʺYou told me I had to move on,ʺ
Ivy said, half crying for the loss of him, half laughing with the joy of finding him.
ʺYou said I was meant to love someone else, but I couldnʹt.ʺ ʺNor could I.ʺ
ʺEvery day, every hour, I have held you close in my heart.ʺ
ʺAs I held you,ʺ he said. ʺDonʹt leave me, Tristan,ʺ she begged. ʺPlease donʹt leave again.ʺ She felt his warmth wrap around her. ʺI need you.ʺ
ʺIʹll always be with you, Ivy.ʺ
She felt his kiss on her lips. ʺDonʹt let go!ʺ
ʺI promise you, Ivy, Iʹll always be with you,ʺ he said again. His love reached into every part of her, his pure heat burning within her. Suddenly, she felt her heart beating — beating wildly, like a caged bird, against her ribs.
ʺWHAT ELSE DO YOU REMEMBER?ʺ THE WOMAN police officer asked.
Ivy gazed out the window of the hospital room at the pale yellow clouds of early morning. ʺThatʹs it. The car — the vehicle,ʺ she corrected herself, since that was what they were calling it, ʺcame from the other direction straight at us. Braking wouldnʹt help. He was going too fast. I had to avoid him.ʺ
ʺHim?ʺ
ʺOr her. Or them. Head‐on like that, and in the dark, all I could see was the headlights.ʺ She remembered looking down on a vehicle and assuming it was a car — but the perspective of someone floating above her car and the road on which the accident occurred wouldnʹt make sense to the police. It barely made sense to Ivy — she knew rather than understood what had happened.
The moment Ivy had become conscious again, her spirit had felt extraordinarily light, while her body had seemed a heavy and clumsy thing to her. She had clung to the memory of being with Tristan, afraid it would slip through the grasp of her earthbound fingers.
ʺDo you remember anything about the sound of the vehicle?ʺ the police officer asked.
Jolted out of her thoughts, Ivy stared at the woman blankly until she repeated her question.
ʺNo,ʺ Ivy said. ʺBeth was screaming, telling me to watch out. Thatʹs all I remember hearing.ʺ
They had already gone over why she and Beth were driving on that road. Ivy knew that both of them had been given toxicology tests.
At that point, the nurse entered her room. Andyʹs genial face was the first Ivy remembered seeing after arriving at Cape Cod Hospital six hours ago. She couldnʹt recall anything about the ER, but had been told that Beth, Will, and Aunt Cindy had taken turns staying with her and sleeping on the waiting room sofas, and that her mother was on the way.
ʺIvyʹs had a tough night,ʺ he began. ʺIʹm done,ʺ the policewoman said, standing up. ʺIf more questions arise, Iʹll be in touch. Stay safe.ʺ Andy checked the record of Ivyʹs vitals signs on the roomʹs computer, and shook his head. ʺOur own miracle girl! I like starting the work week with a miracle.ʺ The nurse was tanned, sandy‐haired, in his early forties, Ivy guessed. The lines around his eyes crinkled when he smiled. ʺYour numbers are good. How are you feeling?ʺ ʺGreat.ʺ
ʺYou wouldnʹt fake it now, would you?ʺ ʺNo. Well. . maybe a little,ʺ she admitted. ʺIs this all I get for breakfast?ʺ
He lifted the lid and saw that the plate, like the tray, was empty. ʺI guess youʹre not faking it. You know, if word gets around, weʹre going to have religious pilgrim types flocking here, wanting to touch your head. I have no idea how that head wound stopped itself from bleeding, or how, given the EMS description of the amount of blood in your car, your hematocrit could be normal. But it is. The doctor said heʹs seen a case like yours before, but between you and meʺ—Andy lowered his voice—ʺthe guyʹs full of it.
He just doesnʹt like to admit that there are some things he and medicine havenʹt figured out.ʺ Like angels, Ivy thought. Had Tristan healed her? Had he saved her?
ʺYou have visitors. Mom and little brother first?ʺ the nurse asked.
ʺPlease.ʺ
Andy headed toward the door, then turned back to open a drawer next to Ivyʹs bed. He set an extra box of tissue on the table top. ʺYou might need this.ʺ
ʺOh, baby!ʺ her mother said, rushing in with Philip behind her.
Andy was right. A handful of tissues later, Ivy said, ʺIʹm glad you didnʹt wear your eyeliner, Mom.ʺ
ʺOr lipstick,ʺ Philip added. His eyes, green like Ivyʹs, were now rimmed with red. ʺOr her cheek stuff. She left it all home.ʺ
Maggie and her makeup kit were rarely parted. ʺIʹm sorry I upset you, Mom.ʺ
ʺShe even forgot her comb,ʺ Philip said. ʺThat’ s why her hair looks like that.ʺ
Maggie patted her head self‐consciously. ʺMy mind was all on you, baby. But donʹt worry, I did think to bring you something to wear while youʹre here.ʺ
Uh‐oh, thought Ivy.
ʺFortunately, the nightgown and robe I gave you last Christmas looked barely worn.ʺ
Mostly because they hadnʹt been. Ivyʹs friend Suzanne, who was in Europe for the summer, had suggested that Ivy wear the gown and robe combo to the senior prom — or a Halloween party. Of course, it was nothing compared to the bridesmaid dress that Ivyʹs mother had chosen for her when Maggie and Andrew were married. Scarlett OʹHara dropped in a bucket of glitter was what Ivy thought every time she looked at the wedding photos. But it made her smile, because among several informal photos stuffed in the back of the wedding album was a picture of Tristan, in waiterʹs garb, launching a tray of fresh vegetables over the bridal party.
ʺIvy, are you listening?ʺ her mother asked. ʺDo you want me to help you get this on?ʺ
ʺIʹll wear just the robe,ʺ Ivy replied. Like the gown, it was filmy pink and trimmed with lots of feathery stuff. ʺSee now? It puts color in your lace,ʺ her mother said.
Philip played with the feathers for a moment, then unzipped his backpack. ʺI brought you two things.ʺ
ʺA Yankees cap! Thanks.ʺ Ivy put it on. ʺThis is going to make me real popular with the doctors and nurses here among the Red Sox nation.ʺ
He held up his second gift, a coin, then dropped it in the palm of her hand. The gold piece, an inch in diameter, had an image of an angel with wings spread, stamped on each side. ʺIt came in the mail.ʺ
ʺPart of a solicitation for a religious charity,ʺ her mother explained.
ʺItʹs beautiful. Thank you, Philip. Iʹll keep it right by my bed.ʺ
ʺI forgot — Dad told me to give you a hug. Heʹs in Washington at a conference,ʺ
Philip added, amusing Ivy by giving her a light hug, the way Andrew would have. Only a few months before, Philip had started calling Andrew ʺDad.ʺ Her brother was young enough to make that adjustment, especially since he couldnʹt remember the man who was their father.
ʺAnd how is Tarantula Arms?ʺ Ivy asked. ʺIsnʹt he going to miss you at camp today?ʹ
ʺTomorrow, too,” Philip said happily. ʺWeʹre staying overnight.ʺ
ʺMom, really, thereʹs no need. Iʹm fine. Look at me — Iʹm fine!ʺ
ʺWell, Iʹm not,ʺ Maggie replied. ʺAnd Philip and I have already taken a room at the Seabright.ʺ
ʺWillʹs taking me kayaking,ʺ Philip announced. ʺIs he?ʺ