Jasmine

Jasmine POV

“I am ready,” Inanna says.

I rush to her. Inanna is standing by the bed. Thin and as beautiful as ever. She does not look like a woman that just gave birth to a child.

I hug her. “I will miss you Inanna. I am ready to see my friend Chanel but you have done so much for us,” Jasmine says.

“She should not remember much. If she does just be patient with her. I will try not to use her body again for a long time,” Inanna says.

Ka joins us in the room. “I am ready,” she says.

“I am only going to use you for a while. There is another body available. When we get to it, I am going to jump into it. I want you to go with me. I want to give you a purpose since you lost so many years of your life. You can help me and in return, I can offer you a way to heal from everything that happened to you here,” Inanna says.

“I will be whatever you need me to be. You saved my life,” ka says.

Inanna jumps into Ka’s body. As she does Chanel falls to the floor. Bauer picks her up. “Let’s take her to the next room. This will only confuse her more,” I say.

As I hold baby Michael, I bid my final farewell to Ka and Inanna. “We will be here when you are ready. Either of you. You are both always welcome here with us,” I say.

“I have one last gift for you,” Ka/Insanna says.

She reaches out and touches my breast and hums her song. As she hums I feel milk forming. “Now you can feed your baby,” she says.

“What a gift you have given me,” I say to her.

When I turn to say one more goodbye she is gone. I wonder if I will ever see her again. It is probably better I do not. If she is near then something bad is happening.

Bauer carries Chanel into the room next door. I have no idea what to tell her when she wakes up. How do I even explain all of this? I will never lie to her about anything that has happened. Inanna said that she may or may not remember everything. Probably better if she does not. Should I tell her about the child? About how he came to be? Should I tell her he was in her body? I cannot lie.

Bauer lays her body down on the bed. “We should probably let her rest for now,” he says.

“I will stay with her. Go spend time with your new baby,” one of the girls says.

“Thank you,” I say.

Bauer and I leave the room Chanel is resting in. “We should really have that talk,” he says.

“Now, shouldn’t we wait until Chanel wakes up,” I say.

“No I do not think so,” he says.

“Are you sure we should leave her?” I say.

“She needs to sleep. I am sure Insanna put her body through hell,” Bauer says.

“You are right, but I have to come back to check on her soon,” I say.

Bauer and I go down to the clerk's apartment. I did start fixing it up for myself now I guess I really will need it for me and the baby. Me, the baby, and maybe him.

Funny how a job I loved turned into a hell I almost did not escape. This entire thing is something so unbelievable and so crazy but it happened. It happened to all of us. We were ripped from our lives and trapped in an illusion. What do we all do now? We rebuild our lives. We make new ones here. We start over.

Bauer takes my master key and opens the apartment door. Funny it looks different to me now. When I was here before I was lost and felt completely abandoned. Now I know things will be better.

I sit down with my little bundle. I hold him so close as he sleeps soundly in my arms. “Bauer he needs everything. We don’t have a crib, a diaper, we have nothing for him,” I say.

“I will go get everything we need. Just let me say something,” he says.

As Bauer begins to open his mouth to speak, no doubt to spill the feelings in his heart and soul, I look behind and Chanel is standing in the door.

“Chanel?” I question. At this point, nothing would surprise me.

“I am fine. I remember everything. I am okay with all of it. Jasmine, I don’t want to be here. I hope you understand. It is too much. I want to go home,” she says.

“I understand,” I say.

“Can I see him?” she asks.

“Sure,” I say.

She comes close to look at him. She looks at both Bauer and me. “He is in the best place he can be,” she says.

“You can come back to see him anytime you want,” I say.

“No, Jasmine, I think it is time for me to really get my life together. I need to get far away. I hope you understand,” Chanel says.

“I do. Better than you know,” I say.

Chanel hugs Bauer. She leans down to kiss me on the forehead. “Take care of him,” she says.

“We will,” Bauer says.

Chanel leaves. She just walked away. I cannot blame her. I know she is hurting from everything that transpired here. I hope she does get her life in order.

“Back to us,” Bauer says.

“Back to us,” I repeat to him.

“How are we going to do this?” he asks.

“Do what?” I ask.

“Us? I mean if you do not want me here I will understand, but Jasmine give me the chance and I will do anything for you and him,” Bauer says.

“Why don’t we take it one day at a time?” I say.

“Okay, I can do that,” Bauer says.

“No rush. No more illusions,” I say.

“No more illusions, just us,” he says.

Bauer leans in and kisses me. In time the thread of illusion will disappear from our memories. We can replace it with love and kindness. Our little family will survive all of this. We and the women here now at the hotel will rebuild. We will survive.