made a difference in my life. I’m a different person, a better
person for having known him, however brief that time was.
Love is its own reason.
I set my hand to Lawrence’s face. We don’t kiss. We just
look into each other’s eyes. Everything that’s passed between
us, every moment, every feeling of agony and bliss, surges
from his soul to mine and from mine to his.
“I love you,” Lawrence says, his voice heavy with emotion.
“I wish there were better, more meaningful words to express
how much.”
“A kiss could be a good start,” I say, smiling.
He obliges me. As the warm night envelops around us, we
push away every other thought but our kiss.
We take our place at our favorite spot. It seems only fitting.
Lawrence keeps his arms around me as we walk, as if he can’t
bear the thought of being apart even one second before we
have to. We’re quiet, but then he asks the dreaded question:
“When does the moon rise?”
“In about fifteen minutes.”
“So soon?”
I rest my cheek to his shoulder. “Try not to think about it.”
“How can I not?” He sighs deeply. “This is agony, Cassandra.
I’d almost rather we just say good-bye and part ways.”
“Would you really?”
He closes his eyes. “No. Of course not. I want to spend
every moment I can with you.”
“Then just hold me.”
The minutes pass without mercy. Each moment fills me
with deeper and deeper sorrow. And then we notice the
first gleam of light on the horizon of the ocean. The moon.
It’s here.
“I’m not ready,” he says. “I can’t let you go.”
I can tell from the way his voice shakes that he’s crying, but
I don’t dare look at him. The sight of his tears will break my
heart forever.
“We have to let go, Lawrence.”
He pulls away from me. His eyes glisten, and tears spill
down his cheeks. I wipe them away, kissing the wet trail as I
do. He takes my face in his hands and kisses me. Even as I try
to just enjoy the moment, I can’t help but think that I’ll never
again find a kiss as beautiful as this
The glow from the rising moon grows brighter.
Lawrence draws a shaking breath, trying to compose himself.
I know the words he’s going to say. “Goodbye, Cassandra.”
I can’t breathe. Part of me wants to collapse right here. Even
if we die here on this beach, it has to be better than watching
him disappear forever.
“Goodbye,
Lawrence.”
“Know this. We may never be together again, but I will love
you for the rest of my life.”
I hold him with all of my strength. I press my face into
his chest, willing him to stay a minute longer. Just a minute
more. But as he holds me, the pressure from his grip softens.
The colors of his body become muted. A glowing line of light
rises from the dark water.
It’s happening.
Lawrence pulls back from our embrace. He’s fading into the
sand around me, as I know I am for him. Our eyes meet—his
so beautiful and sad. As I stare back at him, an unexpected
wave of happiness rushes over me. I don’t know what I did
to deserve a love this beautiful, but for the rest of my life, I’ll
give everything I have to do it justice.
I set my hand to Lawrence’s vanishing face. With tears spilling from my eyes, I press my lips to his in a final kiss. We stay that way, locked in a kiss that will endure forever, even if
just in our memories. We stay together until Lawrence Foster
disappears back into 1925.
Chapter 4o
Cassandra
T
he next two days pass in utter blankness. I have no
memory of what I did, what I said, what I felt. There was
nothingness.
Then came the sorrow. In many ways, sadness that you knew was coming feels worse than the unexpected. I spend the first nights lying in bed, staring at the ring Lawrence gave me, and crying as I never had before.