coupless, but allll three?” I shake my head. “Thattt’s tooo much tooo believe.”
He drops the hand holding the phone on his lap. “And what about the journals themselves? How did they get in the attic?”
He stops and glances down at the screen again, his brows dipped in concentration.
“I knooow you were jjjoking when yooou mentioneddd it, but whaaat if….” I pinch my lips together. I can’t believe I’m going to even suggest this, but what other explanation is there? “What ifff we reallyy are reeeincarrnationsss of thesse people?”
“I don’t know.” He scrubs his palm over his beard, looking off toward the window. After a moment, he turns his head back to me. “I guess it’s possible. What do we really know about reincarnation?”
“I’ve alwayyys believed whenn we leeeave here, we gooo onnto a better placcce. Like Heavennn. Buuut mayybe we don’ttt. Maybeee we arrre reborn.” Slowly lifting my hand, I grab his fingers as tightly as I can in my weak grip. I smile softly at him. “Annd maybe forrr us, each timmme we do, weee alwaysss find each otherrr.”
Leaning forward, he presses a gentle kiss against my lips. When he pulls back, he only leaves an inch of space between us. “It gives a whole new meaning to forevermore, doesn’t it?”
Goosebumps appear on my arms. “It doesss.”
“Does it surprise you that we always find each other?”
I shake my head and my hair falls into my face. He pushes it back and slides his fingers through my hair so he’s palming the back of my head. He leans forward so our foreheads touch.
“I have no doubt if we’re both alive and breathing, whether in these bodies or others, I’d find you. You’ve always been my soul mate, Molly. God made my soul to perfectly match yours.”
Is there any wonder why I love this man so intensely? Has there ever been one more perfect than him? Not for me there hasn’t. It’s utter madness to even consider what we are. Our family and friends would laugh us out of the room and look at us like we’re crazy as they do it. There’s no way to know for sure if we are reincarnations of these other couples, but now that the thought has sprouted, it makes sense. Insane sense, maybe, but still sense. There have been so many similarities between Lincoln and me and the other couples. Unbelievable similarities, the most being how much we look like them.
I grab the bottom of his shirt and let gravity pull his lips to mine. After a slow kiss, I murmur against his lips. “I reallly love theee thoughttt of findinnng you in the nexxt life.” I look deeply into his eyes. “Maaaybe it’ll maakke this a little easiier for us.”
Except, we won’t have Gray and Gemma. That thought takes away some of my joy. I love Lincoln. I truly believe he’s my soul mate and thinking about finding him in another life to continue our love story, makes me boundlessly happy. But knowing Gray and Gemma won’t be part of our new life sends a sharp pain to the center of my chest. I want to carry them with me to my next life if I’m lucky enough to have one.
“Either way, we’ll be together again,” he says quietly. “Whether it be in a heavenly place or here on earth in another body. Our story doesn’t end when you stop breathing. It’s eternal and everlasting.”
I swallow past the lump forming in my throat and blink away the tears. Lincoln’s right. My body and mind may be giving up on me, but my love for him is never-ending. It won’t cease to exist simply because my body perishes. Just as I know his won’t either.
It will forever continue to live on until the end of time.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
LINCOLN
Leaning my head back against the shower wall, I close my eyes. I’m sitting on the floor with my legs drawn up and my forearms resting on my knees, my hands dangling between them. Hot water beats down on me, mixing with the tears secretly sliding down my cheeks. I’m not a crier. Before Molly became sick, I could count on one hand how many times I’ve shed a tear and still have fingers left over. One time was when Molly went into labor and we almost lost Gemma. Two of those times were when both kids were born.
What I’m doing right now though? It’s become my normal. My internal battles are fucked up. The longer Molly lives,