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  When he finally did look up, she could see there were tears in his eyes. He looked away again and cleared his throat as if to say something. He shook his head as if some long speech he had planned were too much for him. "Goodbye, Isabel," he said finally and reached over to touch her face. He kissed her quickly on the cheek and then swiftly walked back out of the room.

  She stood there puzzled for about half a second when an amazing thing occurred. Into the light of the doorway where her eyes still watched, stepped the gray clothed, worn out figure of a man with a rough wooden cane. This startled her. She had not known anyone else was in the hall.

  He took a step closer to her then, limping on one side. The firelight caught his features suddenly and Isabel threw a hand over her mouth, afraid to speak, afraid to move. It was Devon.

  She thought it was, she dared to hope it was. He was thinner and paler. His eyes were bright as he gazed at her. Neither one of them moved toward the other.

  She was afraid that if she spoke or tried to touch him he would disappear, that it was all a horrible vision and he wasn't really there at all. That she was sick and had finally lost her sanity.

  She almost couldn't breathe as she watched him. He blinked away a tear and she watched it roll down his dirt stained face. His eyes stared out so clear and blue compared to his dirty skin and clothes. Finally he dared once more to move.

  With the aid of his cane, he took another small step towards her. Suddenly she felt her knees become weak and knew that she would fall soon, so she collapsed into the chair behind her. He stopped walking then, seeing her reaction, feeling he was pushing her away.

  He looked at her intently and walked slowly towards her again. She began to cry into her hand and his image was blurred, but she couldn't stop. Years of pent up feelings were bursting out of her in one moment. She was sure he couldn't be real and at any moment he would disappear again.

  He stood before her now, quietly, as she cried. She couldn't take her eyes off of him and saw him reach out with his free hand to touch her face.

  "No," she managed to get out. "Please..." She held a hand up to stop him, but he only grasped that instead. He was real!

  "Oh, God..." she said. He felt so real. His warm hand. He was actually here with her. In front of her. She couldn't speak. Her tears came too fast, and all she could do was stand up and throw her arms around him finally.

  He put his arms around her too and the cane dropped to the floor. Tears were running down his face as she looked up at him and he laughed. He grabbed the sides of her face and kissed it a dozen times or more, and threw his arms around her again. He held onto her so tightly she thought she'd suffocate, but she didn't care.

  She held onto him just as tightly until she pulled away to look up at him again. Finally one of them spoke. He reached up to her face with one hand to wipe away some tears. He held her face and gazed into her eyes. "Isabel..." he said.

  Her heart leaped at the sound of his voice and she smiled at him, so happy she couldn't believe it. "Don't say anything," she whispered and pushed a curl of black hair off his forehead.

  "Oh, I do love you," he gushed, and bent down to give her a long and heartfelt kiss. A kiss from a lover greatly missed, to his beloved.

  ###

  Other novels by Chris Slusser:

  Paranormal Activities Unit

  (fantasy/sci-fi)

  Fugue

  (suspense/thriller)

  Black Ribbons

  (paranormal romance)

  www.chrisslusser.com