Chapter 8 - The Meeting
Lily Hartman broke free from her father’s grip and ran across the brick patio, her small pink boots clacking loudly against the stone.
She stopped right in front of Elijah, tilting her head back to look up at the massive, scarred man who towered over her like a mountain.
Elijah stood frozen, terrified that if he moved or breathed too loudly, the tiny miracle standing before him would break.
"Hi," Lily said in a bright, sweet voice.
"Hello... little one," Elijah rasped, his voice trembling.
Lily reached up and handed him a sheet of paper. It was a crayon drawing of a big blue mountain wearing a green army hat, holding the hand of a tiny girl holding a strawberry milkshake. At the top, written in crooked, childish lettering, were the words: THANK YOU FOR MY PULSE.
Elijah held the drawing with two shaking fingers, staring at the bright colors. Tears filled his eyes, blurring the wax lines.
"My daddy told me you listened to my chest," Lily said, pointing a small finger at his ear. "He said you told the angels to wait."
Elijah dropped to one knee, bringing himself eye-level with the little girl. He looked into her bright, healthy eyes—eyes that were full of life, energy, and unbridled joy.
"I didn't tell the angels anything, sweetheart," Elijah whispered softly, a genuine, beautiful smile breaking through his beard for the first time in ten years. "I just told them you were too brave to leave."
Lily stepped forward, wrapped her tiny arms around Elijah’s thick neck, and pressed her soft cheek against his scarred face. "I like you, Sarge," she giggled.
May you like
Elijah closed his eyes, pulling the little girl close, burying his face in her shoulder as the final wall surrounding his broken heart crumbled into dust.
Daniel stood a few feet away, wiping a tear from his cheek, knowing that the debt of life had finally come full circle.
