Am I Dead?

Emory

I hear a beeping sound, faintly, in the background, and I know that it’s some kind of machine. I remember hearing them in the hospital when Lola was born. For a moment, I am back there, and I am wanting to hold the baby but also want to see her mother, and I’m told that she died in childbirth. Sadness washes over me as I wonder who will take care of this little girl. Then, I vow it will be me.

“Lola,” I mumble, but the voice I hear in response isn’t hers. It’s another familiar one, a voice that stirs all kinds of feelings within me as I begin to process the events of the last few days.

“Emory.” He sounds relieved, like he wasn’t sure I’d ever speak again. “You’re okay, Em. You’re safe. I’m right here.”

Kane. He’s with me. Wherever I am, with all of this beeping, he’s by my side. In fa……