Chapter 150

“Never. He never is, Gram…” When I turned to speak to my grandmother, my heart sank. “She’s gone.”

“You will see her again,” Jefferson promised. “Someday or sooner.”

“The choice is mine.”

Patrick turned just as I said that. Our eyes locked. He smiled.

“The choice is mine.” I pictured myself clicking my heels and saying, “There’s no place like home.” Shell and Carrie needed me, my grandmother said. I was also promised Patrick would be fine. “Damn it! Why is this so hard?” 8

Well, I made a choice. I was pretty sure I had. I was awake. At least part of me was. There was no grogginess, which led me to assume I wasn’t the kind of awake that was normal in the afternoon when I got up from sleep after work. There was no pain, which I doubted would be normal after hours of surgery. I saw no Rainbow Bridge and I sensed no Patrick, though. “So, where the hell am I?” I whispered. “Yikes! Not there, I hope.”