When Sadie opened the curtains the following morning, brilliant spring sunshine flooded the bedroom. She stood there for a moment enjoying it’s warmth when her eyes strayed to the face of her husband; so handsome a young man she thought, and how good and kind he had been to her recently. Shocked by this unlikely thought, she stared at the mirror. She looked no different than she had the day before – or did she? Where was that frown which looked as if it were embedded in her face? Certainly she felt different, but what had happened to her? The light! Now she remembered, the monsters had not disturbed her rest. Her only recall was of being enveloped by a soft and comforting white light and a feeling such as she’d never known before but now felt that she could not live without. Was this love she wondered and immediately thought of her little girl. In the adjoining room she found herself smiling down at the sleeping face of the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. Was this bundle of loveliness really her daughter and why hadn’t she noticed her before? As she bent down and gently kissed the baby’s cheek, she felt a sudden surge of joy, a feeling as foreign to her as that which she had felt while embraced by the light.

Upon hearing a stirring in the bedroom, she remembered Jimmy’s breakfast and almost flew to the kitchen. The embers from last night’s fire were still glowing and she soon had everything in readiness. When her husband entered the kitchen, Sadie took one glance at his elegant features and ran to embrace him. The shock on Jimmy’s face was evident as his wife held him tightly and begged his forgiveness. The shock turned to relief when he realized that Sadie was neither ill nor mad. They ate breakfast together – something they hadn’t done before and it felt as if they were meeting for the first time. She felt sad that he had to leave, but he was already later than usual and her face brightened again at the thought of spending the day with Susie. Sadie realized now that other things didn’t matter as much as she‘d thought. She could wash, clean and cook later. This morning she would just hold her daughter and shower her with a mother’s love; something that had been sadly lacking until today.

Jimmy was not the only one shocked by the morning’s developments. I had been prepared for a long fight with the demons that had occupied Sadie’s mind for so long, but as I watched the happenings in the early hours of this morning, my appreciation for Mr. Swift’s sermons knew no bounds. Susie completely neglected me as she cooed and smiled at her mother’s antics. There certainly was no happier child alive. I watched again that evening as Jimmy, Sadie and Susie played together on the kitchen floor. Laughter filled the air until Susie finally tired and fell asleep. Later we would meet in her dreams when she would express her undying gratitude and we would say our good-byes. For Sadie and Jimmy, this was their true wedding night and the beginning of a long and happy lifetime together. As I disappeared from their life forever, I did so with the contentment that comes with a job well done.

It was time to check on my sons.