âCaleb.
â Debraâs soothing voice snapped me back to reality.
âIâm back.
â
My heart missed a beat.
Was it real?
Had Debra truly returned?
Words failed me as I tried to speak.
My throat felt clogged, making me extremely uncomfortable.
Could this really be happening? Not just a figment of my imagination?
âDarling, are you injured?â Debraâs expression turned to one of concern when she noticed my distress.
Before I could respond, she examined me.
Then a white light illuminated her hand.
As the light flowed into my body, I sensed a comforting energy spreading through me, erasing all pain in an instant.
âAmazingâ¦â My eyes grew wide with shock.
I gazed at Debra and extended a shaking hand to caress her face.
It felt warm.
This confirmed it was truly Debra!
Debra was alive and had returned to me!
Acknowledging this, I shook from head to toe, overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions.
I couldnât contain my longing for her.
I embraced her tightly, fear
ing she might be an apparition, fearing this moment might be a mere hallucination that could vanish any second.
âIs it really you, Debra?â My voice came out raspy, filled with a deep-rooted anxiety.
Debra, always perceptive, understood my turmoil.
She wrapped her arms around me, offering reassurance in a gentle tone, âDarling, donât be afraid.
Iâm real.
Iâve come back.
â
Her warmth and her words brought me a sense of peace.
Yet, the recent agony of her loss haunted me.
With a heart still fragile, I inquired anxiously, âWhere have you been all this time? Why did Carlos and Gale claim you were dead?â
Debra seemed prepared for such a question.
She answered, âWell, I wasâ¦â
âARIâ
Her words were abruptly cut off by Galeâs hysterical shriek.
Glaring at Debra with bitter animosity, Gale appeared to have lost her grip on sanity.
Her face contorted in fury, she bellowed, âDebra, how are you still alive?â
With clenched teeth, Gale demanded, âHow did you survive my flames?â
Debra, protective and alert, positioned herself in front of me and responded with a steely edge, âGale, arenât you aware?â