Chapter 31

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TURQUOISE GOO SLUICES OFF HERbody as she sits up in the casket. Her eyes stay closed. Is she okay? Is she hurt? I can’t tell; a skintight gray suit covers her from the neck down. It looks thin. She must be cold.

“Kay…” I reach for her, then stop. Now that I’ve fought back my tears, I notice she’s different from how I remember her. Older. Closer to twentysomething than sixteen. Her hair is short—shorter, I should say, than the bob I’m used to.

But what do looks matter? She’s Kay. My Kay. My mind floods—not with memories this time, but emotions. The pain of not being able to share her world, and the love in spite of it, when I realize we will always be there for each other when it matters most.

“Kay.” My voice wobbles. “Open your eyes, love.”

She does, and every fear I’ve had these last three years—about forgetting her or perishing before I find her—melts as our gazes meet and lock and she smiles.

“You’ve finally found me.”