Book of Days_ A Novel - James L. Rubart [125]
Movement out of the corner of his eye made Cameron whirl back to the lake.
He gasped as a new image formed on the surface.
Jessie and he sat on top of Mount Erie in northern Washington, gazing at the lush green farmland five hundred feet below them.
"What if I told you something you'd never believe?"
"I'd believe it."
She tickled him. "God is real."
"You have proof?"
"I've seen something He made. Something amazing."
The scene faded into the time they sat on the shores of Lake Chelan, the remains of barbecued salmon on plates to their right.
"You know how you always said you couldn't live without me?"
"True."
"You can."
"Uh-oh. This is where you tell me you've fallen in love with your old high school tennis coach and you're about to leave."
"You'd make it without me." Jessie gazed up at him, eyes sad.
"I'm not going anywhere and neither are you."
"Okay." Jessie buried her head in his chest. "I want to believe that."
"Why wouldn't you?"
"It's still years away. I'm not going to think about it."
She nuzzled in tight to his chest and he stroked her hair. "I love you, Jess."
"Always, Cam-Ram. Always and forever."
He glanced at Taylor who sat at the base of the tree, legs crossed, smiling. Cameron turned back to the lake.
The scene shifted and Jessie and he were sailing in the San Juan Islands.
"How old were you when the fantastic happened?"
"Ten. I saw something about us. About me."
"So that's how you knew to accept my invitation for that first date."
"This is serious, Cam."
"I'm being serious. I'm just . . . You have to admit it sounds a little woo-woo that you saw us when you were ten."
"I saw someone die." She drew a quick breath. "Someone we both know."
"It was a dream from a ten-year-old. Let it go."
The surface of the water shifted again.
"What's going on? Are you bummed because Pirates is shut down for the night?"
"Maybe God writes our memories down, hmm?"
"Sitting in a park where make-believe comes true, you could almost convince me God does exactly that. I wish He did."
"What if it's true? Not a wish? That our lives are written down, recorded, everyone's life?"
"Like some cosmic yearbook put together by the supreme being of the Universe?"
"Something like that."
"I love your insanity. One of the countless reasons I'll love you for eternity."
The scene ended and melted into Cameron taking a call on his cell phone as he recorded a voice-over with Brandon.
"I want us to go to Oregon. We need to go soon. We need to look for something, find something there."
"What?"
"Something I saw when I was a kid."
"What? The thing you saw when you were ten? That thing?"
"Yes. To see if it's real."
The scene shifted once again and Cameron watched the scene from the day Jessie gave him the stone. The day she died.
"I want to show you something."
"It's beautiful. Where'd you get this?"
"When I was a young kid. It's Native American."
"And these markings?"
"They told me it's a kind of language."
"What's it say?"
"I have no idea."
"It's cool; I like it."
"You need to have it."
"This stone means something to you."
"I need to give it to you just in case."
"Just in case what?"
"I'll tell you when I get home, I promise."
"Just in case what, Jess?"
"I will always be here, you know."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay here today? Hang out, you and me?"
"Good-bye, Cameron."
"You sure you're all right, babe?"
"I love you. Remember."
"What is it?"
"Fine, I'm fine. So are you. Always."
The scene on the surface of the pond shifted once more and the final moments of Jessie's accident played out in front of him.
"Promise you'll find it." Her eyes closed. "No tears, Aragorn."
"No. You can't leave me, Jessie."
"I have to. It's going to be all right, I promise. I love you, Cameron. Always and forever."
A moment later he vanished from the scene but Jessie remained. There was no blood and her face was more radiant than he ever remembered it. He couldn't tell if