It was an immense relief that no mortal sin was committed. That night, Brooklyn could hardly sleep. Thoughts and expectations for the next day danced around in her head; for finally, after three months of waiting, she would be granted life once more.

When her eyes opened the next morning, everything was white. Footsteps were heard approaching from behind. Brooklyn grinned. Turning around, she saw that it was Dog walking up to her- just like she expected. He looked exactly the same as he did when Brooklyn last saw him. “Hey Lynnie,” he greeted, flashing her a white-toothed smile. To her surprise, he pulled out a confetti popper and released it. Little stands of confetti flew out, one of them landing on top of Brooklyn’s head. Dog picked it off for her. “Congrats on making it through those three months. I knew you had it in you.”

“Thank you,” Brooklyn replied, returning the smile. “But it honestly wasn’t difficult at all. Sam has remarkable control over himself.”

“Not just that,” Dog added, “But he can also has a naturally good heart... unlike his father. Well, anyways-“

“-Wait! Dog, what do you know about his father?” Brooklyn intervened. The more she knew about Harvey, the easier it would be to avoid his wrath once she returned to earth. 

Dog smirked. “My dear, I know everything about everyone.” He held up a finger. “But! I am not permitted to reveal any information.”

Brooklyn looked at him pleadingly. “Please, Dog. Can’t you at least tell me how he knew I was leaving the house on the night of the accident?”

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Well... I can’t outwardly tell you, but I suppose I [i]can[/i] tell you that the answer rhymes with lone.”

“Lone?” Brooklyn echoed. “Lone, sown, bone... phone?” 

Dog nodded.

“Phone... was he peering through the window at my phone?”

“Can’t tell you that, Lynnie. But I suggest that you dispose of your phone and get a new one.”

Brooklyn’s eyes widened. “Get a new phone? Did he hack into mine? What about Sam? Is his phone safe?”

Stuffing his hands into his jean’s back pockets, Dog chuckled. “You’re quite curious today, aren’t you, Lynnie? I’m sorry, but I don’t think I should tell you anything else. I don’t want to put my job on the line.”

She sighed and looked away. “I’m sorry. But Dog, while there’s still time, there’s something I need to tell you.  My body...” Her gaze, now filled with sorrow, returned to him. “...it’s been reduced to ashes.”

“I know. As I already told you, I know everything about everyone.”

“But how can I return to earth if my body doesn’t exist anymore?”

Dog laughed. “Oh, Lynnie, You never would have returned to that body in the first place. It would have started decomposing by now [i]plus[/i] it was covered with injuries.”

An embarrassed blush covered Brooklyn’s cheeks. All this time, she had been fretting over nothing. But now, a new point popped into her head. “Dog,” she said, “When I return to earth, what if people go into shock? After all, my funeral already happened. People are convinced that I’m forever dead.”

“This isn’t the first time that I’ve given a person a second chance at life,” Dog reminded her. “I always wipe people’s memories regarding that person ever dying. Easy peasy.”

Brooklyn shook her head. “But the circumstances of my death weren’t normal. There was even a trial about it. Doesn’t that change anything?”

“We should have talked this out more before the contact,” Dog muttered as he rubbed his temples. “You’re one tough cookie, Lynnie. What do you want to do? Go back in time?”

“Actually, yes.”

“I was being sarcastic.”

“But is it possible?”

Brooklyn’s gaze was pleading. After staring at her blankly for a few seconds, Dog finally caved in. “Yes, yes, it’s possible. But don’t make the same damn mistake of going to Ella’s house again.” 

[hr]
The hands of time rewound. It was December 18th once more, and nobody, with the exception of Brooklyn, had any memory of what had happened previously. This was a fresh start. Brooklyn stood in the living room with Louis sitting nearby on his play mat. He looked three months younger than she remembered him to be. There were no longer wings on her back nor was her skin glowing. From the couch, her phone buzzed with a text.

Ella: [code]want to come over to sing some holiday tunes? i got wineee. ;)[/code]

Without hesitance, Brooklyn replied: [code]Not tonight, sorry.[/code]

Then her grip around her phone tightened. If Harvey was monitoring everything she did on her phone, it would be wise to destroy it. But maybe, just maybe, Brooklyn could figure out how to use this to her advantage. After setting down her phone, she walked over to her son and sat next to him. “Hello Louie,” she cooed. For the first time in three months, he reacted to her. A smile spread across his face and he kicked his legs in response. “Aww, I missed you so much,” Brooklyn spoke, taking one of his tiny hands in hers. He no longer had to grow up with only one parent. The other parent was going to arrive home from work soon, and Brooklyn couldn’t wait to see him.