Chapter 47. Reunited Again

"Elijah? Is that you?" 

Elijah's hands opened. "It's me, Bernice."

Bernice stared intently at the approaching figure, as if what she was experiencing was a dream. But the young man with the hazel-brown hair - now quite long - was real. Tears instantly streamed down Bernice's cheeks, she ran and immediately threw her arms around him.

"Elijah!!!"

"Wow, slow down. My leg hurts," Elijah replied with a smile. He hugged Bernice and smiled in relief. "I'm glad you didn't throw a shoe at me."

Bernice let go of the hug. "Why would I do that?"

"Probably because you saw a ghost?"

"You're real."

"I am."

Bernice smiled. "Even if you were a ghost, I wouldn't do that, Eli."

Lucas was already standing behind Bernice, his face red with emotion. He hugged Elijah and Lucas' soft sobs finally broke through.

"Shit, I thought you were dead," Lucas sobbed.

"You want me to just die?"

"Idiot, of course not! This is really... God, I