Free Eternity by Laury Falter

unmentioned, we all secretly wondered how Campion might react to Felix’s cooking but, to everyone’s surprise, Campion eagerly finished his plate and asked for another. Felix was supremely delighted.
    When the plates were cleared, Eran stood and I followed. We stepped out under the eaves where the rain had become a drizzle now.
    “Promise me that you’ll be safe,” I said.
    “I will.”
    “Promise.”
    A flicker of a smile rose up and fell away. “I promise.”
    Because I still couldn’t find the words to convince him to stay, I remained silent.
    “Try to get some sleep tonight,” he suggested.
    “Come home tomorrow,” I whispered.
    He lifted his hands and placed them on each of my cheeks, his warmth comforting against the chilly air, and then he guided our lips together. Unlike before, this kiss held a different passion. It was full of purpose and reassurance.
    When he pulled away, his eyes were intense; leaving no doubt that he wouldn’t leave me unless he knew it was necessary.
    “I’ll need to speak to Campion alone. Will you-”
    “Yes,” I sighed. “I’ll send him out.”
    Our hands never separated until I stepped inside and left his reach.
    The moment Campion closed the door behind him I headed for my balcony.
    Despite three other individuals in the room, the house seemed unbearably empty now.
    Once in my room, I flung open the French doors and leaned over the far edge for any sight of Eran. Then, through the broken clouds, the silhouette of massive, powerful wings moved through the moon’s rays. I watched them lift Eran higher and farther across the horizon, amazed at his virility. Suddenly, a boom reverberated through the sky and Eran disappeared. To anyone listening, it would have sounded like a clap of thunder but I knew it was Eran moving at nearly the speed of light.
    “How did you know Eran needed you?” I asked, sensing Campion standing behind me.
    “He called out to me.”
    “Called out?” I asked, unable to move or take my eyes from the sky.
    “Yes…” he paused and I could feel him evaluating me. “We can hear you on the other side. You simply need to call out our name and we listen.”
    I considered this and wondered how many customers would stop seeing me if they knew this to be the case.
    “So…” I said, taking a seat in my chair. “How long have you been on earth?”
    Campion answered so quickly it made me think he was counting the minutes. “In your time, just under five hours.”
    I froze, knowing that my casual conversation had just taken a serious turn. A realization had come over me so quickly I didn’t have time to process it before muttering to myself, “You fell to watch over me…”
    “Yes,” he replied, and I groaned.
    “No…”
    “I fell because Eran asked it of me, Magdalene.”
    I appreciated him trying to absolve me from my guilt but his admission told me something more. The declaration of that statement, the sacrifice he had made reinforced in me the strength of the relationship these two shared.
    Still, I couldn’t shake my culpability and felt compelled to ask, “How often can you fall? I mean…you must be able to die and fall…as often as you’d like, right?” I asked, hoping this would be the case.
    Campion explained, “Once we are on earth, we stay on earth until our bodies give out.”
    I cringed at hearing those words. They meant that Eran and Campion were now here, locked in this dimension and unable to return at will – and both were here because of me. It was too much, they had given too much. They had chosen to forgo the feeling of comforts the afterlife offered, the familiarity, the relationships with loved ones there. It felt like so much time away, so much to sacrifice, and never before had it been so evident to me that my ability to visit the afterlife at night was a gift - a gift that Eran and Campion had come here to protect.
    Campion shuffled restlessly.
    “There’s another chair here,” I offered.
    He accepted it and