From Heaven... Ch. 06

As the morning light filtered through the curtains, I woke. I had to suppress a gasp as so many different sensations flooded in on me – the light feeling different on my eyes, the warmth of the bed, the softness of the pillow.

I became aware of my own heartbeat, the blood pulsing through my veins. I took a deep breath, then exhaled. Suddenly there was a sound from outside, followed by others. Birds, singing in the garden.

Without thinking, I willed to reach out my senses to see them, and halted in shock as nothing happened. I realised that the awareness I'd had of the edge of Tim's thoughts, was silent.

Next to me, Tim stirred and opened his eyes. "This is a nice..." he began, then I saw his eyes widen, his face turn pale. "Ria?"

I didn't reply, letting him look at me.

"What..." he managed.

I found my voice, feeling my breath moving my vocal cords, my tongue and lips shaping the words. "I thought it'd be less of a shock than when you first found out what I was." I put the emphasis on the word 'was'.

Tim reached out a hand to touch my face hesitantly. "You mean...?"

I nodded.

"But – but how?"

I smiled. "I was given the choice," I said simply.

His face was a mask of confusion. "But... is this what you want?"

I nodded. "I want to be with you, and with Sally."

Again he was lost for words. I reached out my hand to his shoulder. "Don't worry, we have plenty of time."

He blinked. "I can't imagine what it must be like. So many things you'll have to learn to cope with."

He looked at me closely. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," I said.

At that moment I realised that there was a strange sensation in my stomach, an... emptiness? I'd never felt any kind of need, or lack, and I frowned, then my face cleared and I smiled at Tim. "Think I'm hungry, though."

Tim hurriedly pulled back the covers and said in an anxious voice, "Of course, I'm sorry, we must find you something to eat right away."

I put my hand out to touch his shoulder. "Tim... Don't panic, I won't suddenly fall to pieces because I'm human. Just imagine I'm any other person, treat me the same."

Tim nodded. "Ria, I understand what you're saying. But you're not just 'any other person'."

He hesitated. "I couldn't say before, when you were... what you were. I knew you might have to go back at any time, and there was nothing I could do about it. But now..."

He reached for my hand. "Now I can tell you. Ria, I love you."

I felt my eyes begin to brim with tears, glad that this was one part of being human I'd been able to know in advance. The tears spilled down my cheeks, and Tim traced their path with a finger.

I looked into his eyes. "Tim, I loved you before – but I learned something very important last night while you were asleep. The human heart has another kind of love, one that I couldn't know before. Now I can... and it's all for you."

Tim wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him, cradling my head in his hands. "Ria..." he murmured against my hair.

I realised that being held so closely caused different sensations again in me, and I drew back a little, almost shyly. Then I remembered something, and tilted my face, touching my lips to Tim's lightly.

His eyes widened again, and I felt him return the kiss, then reluctantly pull away.

"Come on," he said, "let's get you that breakfast."

We went downstairs, and he found me cereal and milk. I started to eat, and said, "I enjoyed it before, but it's different, now that I need this. I can't really explain."

Tim nodded, then glanced at the clock. "I think I'd better call into work and tell them I won't be in today. I know you're not going to break, but I don't want to miss a single thing."

He shook his head incredulously. "I sound like someone with a new baby, don't I."

He went out into the hall, and I heard him making the phone call.

When he returned, he said, "That's fine – my boss said that things aren't too busy this week, he doesn't mind me having a few days off."

"Great," I said. "Could you make me some coffee?"

Tim nodded. "Can't quite manage a caramel macchiato, though."

He grinned. "We can go down there later, though, if you like – I want to see your face when you taste it again for the first time."

He made me coffee, adding sugar and cream, and I closed my eyes as I sipped.

"That was the first thing I noticed about you," said Tim. "The way you enjoyed everything, savoured every taste and experience."

"That won't change," I promised.

When I'd finished my coffee, I said, "Hmm, think there's something else I need."

"Getting dressed would be useful," teased Tim.

"Ah, that's it," I said. "A shower."

Tim raised his eyebrows. "OK – do you think you can manage?"

I nodded. "And there are some of Sally's clothes in her room, so I can find something to wear."

"I'll go and get ready too," said Tim. "Just shout if you get stuck."

I went up the stairs, and shed the clothes I'd worn to sleep in. I glanced briefly at myself in the full-length mirror, and wondered what Tim would think of this body...

I stepped into the shower, trying to work out the controls, and squealed as a jet of cold water struck me. I quickly adjusted the taps, and the water warmed, another new sensation as it streamed over my skin.

I glanced round, and picked up a container at random. "All over body wash," I read. "Well, sounds obvious."

The fragrance of the gel was heady, and I lathered myself thoroughly before rinsing off.

I turned off the water, and stepped out of the cubicle, reaching for a towel. The material felt rough on my skin, but it left a pleasant tingle when I'd finishing rubbing myself dry.

I found a hairbrush on Sally's dresser, and brushed my hair, then opened the drawers until I found clothes that looked more or less the same as the ones she'd bought for me the previous day.

In another drawer I found t-shirts, and I remembered that Sally had worn jeans, so I decided to try those.

Just as I finished dressing, I heard a hesitant knock on the door.

"You can come in," I called.

Tim opened the door, and looked at me. I tried to understand his expression, then shook my head. "Tell me."

He smiled. "You look beautiful. But I can't help remembering how you let me see you as a flame of fire."

He looked sad for a moment. "And I never did see your wings."

"They're just like you saw them in your dream," I reassured.

He nodded. "I guess that'll have to do."

He hesitated, then brought something from behind his back and held it out to me, his face colouring slightly.

I took the book from his hands, leafing through it. "The 'What's happening to my body' book for girls."

"It's what we bought Sally when she turned twelve," said Tim. "I thought it might help you."

I grinned. "Thanks, Tim. You're pretty smart – not everyone would have thought of that." I put the book down on the bed.

"So, what shall we do next?" asked Tim.

I thought for a moment. "Well, what seems most different for me, apart from needing to eat, is how I sense things – everything seems so much more immediate. Maybe we could go to some place where I can get used to all the different sensations."

Tim thought for a moment. "I know the perfect place."

We went out to the car, and again Tim was careful to make sure I put on my seatbelt. We drove for a few minutes out into the countryside, and Tim turned into a gravelled drive, then stopped the car.

We got out, and I breathed in deeply through my nose. "Something smells nice."

Tim grinned. "This place is really just a big garden, but there are so many different kinds of flowers and plants. You'll see practically every colour, and a lot of the flowers are scented."

He took my hand as we walked down the first path. "You can touch most things if you're careful, and there's even a sensory garden – it's designed for people who have problems with one sense or another, but it'll be ideal for you."

We walked round slowly, and as Tim had suggested, I feasted my eyes on the colours, then bent to each flower, inhaling the scent. I ran my fingers over the leaves, some smooth, some rough, some shiny and waxy.

Birds flitted in and out of the branches of the trees singing, and I found myself hoping that I hadn't lost all of my rapport with the creatures.

"You can even taste some of the plants," said Tim, reaching down and carefully plucking a tiny leaf from the tip of one shoot. He tore the leaf in half, and handed me a piece, putting the other half in his mouth and chewing.

I followed his example, and my eyes widened as the taste took hold of my tongue. "It's like the ice cream."

Tim chuckled. "I thought one of the scoops was mint."

He glanced at his watch. "Are you hungry again yet?"

I grinned. "I haven't quite got the hang of this yet, but I think I could eat something."

We walked towards a wooden building with tables outside, and Tim picked up a menu card as we sat down.

"How about a burger?" he suggested.

"Sounds fine," I said. Tim went off to get our food, and I relaxed, looking out over the garden.

He returned with a tray, putting a plate in front of me, and a cup of coffee. I picked up my burger and took a bite, tasting the beef, the crisp salad, and the vinegary tomato sauce.

"Mm," I said, "fantastic."

Tim grinned. "At least nobody can say you're high-maintenance."

I threw him a puzzled look, and he shook his head, smiling.

When we'd finished our lunch, we went back into the garden. I noticed movement among one patch of flowers, and moved closer, stretching out to touch them. I felt something brush my hand, then a sharp pain.

"Ow!"

Tim hurried over, his face a mask of concern. "What happened?"

"Something... I don't know. It – hurts?"

Tim took my hand, looking at it carefully. "Oh..."

"What?" I asked. "Is it serious?"

He shook his head. "Just a bee sting. Come on, we'll go back to the café, borrow some tweezers."

I followed him, not understanding. When we got to the café, Tim spoke briefly to the girl behind the counter, and came back holding something in his hand.

"This is going to hurt a little," he said. I nodded, and he lifted my hand. I felt another stab of pain, and Tim said, "Got it."

I smiled. "Thanks, darling."

Tim glanced up, his face suddenly full of emotion. "Are you OK?"

I nodded. "It still hurts a little, but I'll be fine."

Tim nodded thoughtfully. "At least we know you're not allergic."

He grinned. "Considering how you came by your body, I'd expect it to be in pretty good shape."

He gave the tweezers back to the girl behind the counter and returned to me. "Do you want to go home now?"

I nodded. "But I've had a lovely day, and it's never going to be possible for me to avoid pain totally."

As we walked back to the car, Tim said with a wry smile, "I was right."

"In what way?"

"It is like having a new baby – remembering you need food every so often. And like having a little girl, bee stings and grazed knees."

"And a teenager," I said, thinking about the book he'd given me that morning. I hesitated, remembering a thought that had crossed my mind only a couple of days previously. "Tim, all those things are true, and I'm really glad you're here to help me. But even though I'm barely a day old as a human being, I'm already a grown woman."

Tim nodded. "Trust me, I'd noticed."

I hesitated. "One of the reasons I chose this life is because I love you. And I want everything that means."

Tim stopped. "So do I, darling."

He took me in his arms, holding me tenderly, then bent to kiss me. My senses swam, and I was glad he was holding me up. I felt a strange sensation in my stomach, almost as though I was hungry again, and I had a sudden urge to slide my hands inside Tim's jacket, to feel the muscles under his skin.

Tim broke our kiss, and I saw something in his eyes, at the same time soft and wild.

"Let's go home," he said.

We got back in the car, and when we reached the house, I was about to go through the door when Tim raised his hand. "Wait."

He lifted me into his arms. "I may be skipping a few steps here, but after all, you were sent to me..."

He glanced hesitantly upwards. "Can I say, by your boss?"

I grinned. "I don't have a problem with that."

Tim stepped over the threshold, then continued up the stairs with me in his arms.

Epilogue

We'd planned our day out carefully, a walk down the canyon to see the peregrines. The sky was overcast, but it didn't seem like it was going to rain imminently.

We reached the bottom of the canyon, and Tim knelt to point out the nest. "There are chicks again this year, Beth, look."

"I see them, Daddy." Then she looked further up. "Mummy, what's happening to the sky?"

I followed her gaze, and something in my heart leaped as I saw the clouds splitting apart, light blazing from the widening tear in the sky.

I took a deep breath. "Beth, we're going to meet some of my old friends."

She smiled. "Oh, I know. Will Gabby and Mikey be there?"

I looked at her astonished, then started to laugh, holding my sides.

"What?" said Tim, smiling but puzzled.

"Wait till I see those two," I said. "And now I know what he meant when I said I didn't want either you or I to be left behind without the other."

'Ariel, I promise.'