Touch Page 19
Months ago I would have cringed, but now I could only smile. He used to be Mr. Jenkins, science teacher and quiet neighbor, but now he just seemed like Simon, faithful supporter and Mom’s second chance at love.
I almost forgot we were in a vision, it felt so real, and I wanted to fast forward to that moment right now.
But it faded, and the grasp I had on my family loosened. My eyes fluttered open.
There we stood, under the big tree, Dad’s grave not too far away, back in the present moment.
We had seen it. We had seen what no one else could see. Dad’s final moments. And, despite the tragic circumstances, I smiled at the memory of his final words.
I exchanged a glance with each of my sisters.
I had to tell them. “Guys?” I said. “I didn’t only feel things. I saw them too. And tasted, and smelled, and heard.” I shook my head in awe.
“You did?” asked Savannah. “I not only saw things, I had the other senses too.”
“Me too!” Sasha exclaimed. “Oh my God, so freaky.”
Serena and Tamara nodded.
“What does this mean? We’re all fully psychic now? We don’t have fragmented senses between us anymore?” asked Serena.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.” I glanced at Mom, her lips closed, her face red. “Mom?” I touched her arm gently. “We saw what happened to Dad. He was so strong, so ready to do what was right.”
She nodded.
“And we also saw something else.” I glanced at my sisters for confirmation, and they nodded. “Our future. We have a lot to look forward to. Especially you. Everything’s going to be all right.” I offered a smile.
She nodded again. “I know,” she said. “I know.”
“I know you always have a positive attitude about things and are always looking ahead to a brighter future, but I guarantee it’s coming,” I said. “I saw it. We all did.”
“I know,” she said, still nodding. “Because I saw it too.”
“What?”
“I saw it. Everything you saw. Your father’s last moments as he tried to get away with the device. Our holiday to Hawaii, which, damn it, I was trying to keep a surprise! And our future at home with the people we love all around us. I saw it. I sensed it. Every sight, sound, scent, taste, and touch.” Mom clamped her lips together, a smile urging her to let it come forth.
“Holy crap,” said Sasha. “But how?”
“It’s back,” Mom said, her chest rising with a large breath. “My gift, it’s back.” Her smile grew to full force, and it was as though I was looking at my mother for the first time, seeing her in all her authentic, glorious beauty. She was complete again.
I didn’t know how, but somehow, finding Dad and laying him to rest had allowed her true self to be reborn. And not only that, but our senses had apparently merged, too, allowing each of our particular senses to evolve into the full spectrum of awareness, a complete gift in its own right.
I felt more alive than ever before. Renewed, restored, regenerated.
I didn’t know what would happen from here, if Mom’s gift would replace ours and the Delta Girls would be no more, but time would tell. Time would keep passing, life would keep happening, keep changing, and we would soon find out where the next step in our destiny lay. Maybe this was it. Maybe our gift had served its purpose, and we would have to navigate life one step at a time with only our human gifts, leaving the supernatural to others, like Mom and Marco.
It didn’t matter, either way. I trusted it. I trusted the big picture and knew with absolute certainty that life was on our side—no prediction needed.
Our powers were pretty amazing. But love was the greatest power. And Dad’s final words made sense now. Because I knew that no matter what challenges knocked us down or held us back, or what losses we suffered, there was one thing that would never change, one thing I knew for sure and that would be forever ingrained in my consciousness.
Love has won.
Acknowledgments
To everyone I thanked in book one, I thank you again. I couldn’t conclude this final book without one last acknowledgement to those who have supported me and helped me to create a dream come true with the completion of the Delta Girls series.
Support is as much about encouragement, understanding, and spreading the word as it is about being directly involved in a book’s production. So I thank my family and friends who have provided such support.
For the amazing covers that have captured the characters and essence of the stories, I thank Najla Qamber Designs, and also my son Jayden for making a mock cover design of the first book, which provided a concept and inspiration for the creation of these covers.
A very big thank you to my talented editor throughout this whole series, Randall Klein. It was a pleasure to work with you. To Mary Cummings, Sarah Masterson Hally, and the whole Diversion Books team for working on this series; I am so grateful. And to my fabulous agent, Joelle Delbourgo, I am blessed to have your expertise in my writing career.
Thanks to the readers who have bought my books, read them, and told their friends about them. And thanks to the bloggers and reviewers who take the time to read and give feedback and exposure.
And to the amazing unseen force that powers a magical sea of inspiration which flows into my mind to deliver a fully formed idea I’m compelled to bring into reality, I thank you, too.
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