by Laurel Veil
“Oh, no. I’m sorry, sweetie. Of course, you don’t know who I am. You were so young. I’m Mrs. Dundle. Where are my manners? Come in and have a seat. You two must be starving.”
I introduced her to Ty as we took a seat at a large wooden table near a window.
She rambled on about what she’d prepared, and we happily listened as we gobbled it down. “This is the best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever had,” I told her and then shoved another bite of hot, buttery crescent roll into my mouth.
“I’m glad you still like it.” I looked up and she smiled. “It was your favorite when you were a little girl.”
I didn’t know what was so special about learning an insignificant detail about myself, but it was very satisfying.
When we finished eating, Mrs. Dundle had a butler by the name of Claude escort us to our quarters. It was a spacious, round room in a turret all to itself. From the balcony we could see both the forest and the sleepy little village.
As soon as Claude closed the door, Ty locked it, crossed the room and pulled me to him and hungrily kissed me.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” he said softly.
“Where do we go from here, Ty? What happens now?”
He stopped my questions with another long kiss. “I don’t know. We’ll figure things out. As long as we’re together it doesn’t matter.” He started pushing me along as he kissed his way down my neck.
Suddenly, I was falling onto the bed and he was falling with me. “Do you love me, Falon?”
“You know I do.”
He, looked into my eyes. “I love you too, and that’s all that matters.”
I wrapped my arms around him tightly. I wanted to be as close to him as I possibly could. And, that night…we were.
21.
I never remembered ever sleeping as soundly as I did that night. And, waking up with Ty’s arm, laying heavily around me was the way I wanted to wake up every morning for the rest of my life.
“Are you awake?” I whispered.
He nuzzled near my ear and squeezed me. “No.”
I giggled. “I was thinking maybe we could go back to my house today.”
Ty propped his head on his elbow. It reminded me of the way he had looked at me when we lived at Ms. Alice’s. He rubbed his face, then raked his fingers through his disheveled hair. “What in the world would you want to do that for?” His brows furrowed. “You don’t want to go back there to stay, do you?”
“No. I mean, I know it’s been nothing but drama since we got here, but now that we’re together and I found my dad, I can’t even imagine leaving. Not ever. I just want to have one last quick look around to see if there is anything I want to bring back.”
He pulled me to him. I could feel him pressed up against my back. My stomach felt like I’d just jumped from a high dive. Would I ever get used to his touch? It seemed impossible. He rested his head against my cheek. His heart was pounding. “I feel like we belong here. Like I belong. I’ve never felt that way before,” he said.
“I know. Me too.” I pulled his arms tightly around me and kissed his cheek. “Ty,” I continued gingerly, “I want to go by Ms. Alice’s too.”
“What? Why?”
“I’m getting my pets.”
He laughed. “I’ll help.”
◆◆◆
I felt like I was dreaming as I sat across from my dad having breakfast. I was so grateful that he felt well enough to sit in the dining room with us.
“So, after we eat, Ty and I are going to go back to our old house. I want to get some things,” I said.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” he asked.
“I need to.”
"You will be back this evening?" he asked.
"Definitely," I said.
"Good." He turned his attention to Ty, “Please, be careful.”
“We will, sir.”
“Can we borrow a horse for—”
My dad held up his hand and cut me off. “Please, Falon. This is your home. Everything here, is yours. You never need to ask.”
◆◆◆
I couldn’t keep my eyes off Ty. The large, dark horse he was riding, suited him. I would’ve liked to sit behind him again, arms tightly wrapped around his waist, but my view of him from atop Samson was incredible. I couldn’t believe he belonged to me—that, this gorgeous guy was my husband. And, I loved that I was his wife. I belonged to him.
It was almost evening by the time we reached the garden. We dismounted and walked our horses inside its stone walls.
Nervously, I accepted Ty’s outstretched hand. “Here we go,” he said as he led me inside the tree.
A moment later we were in my family’s garden back home. “What’s the matter?” asked Ty. “You look pale. Do you feel sick?”
“I’m just really nervous.”
“Why?”
“I wasn’t very happy here. Well, until I met you. I just don’t want to accidently get stuck here. I’ll feel better when you and I are back on the other side.”
Ty nodded toward the house. “Come on then. Let’s get this over with.”
My heart was almost racing when I placed my hand on the doorknob. I turned it slowly and we stepped inside. The atmosphere was different. It was heavier than usual, and it even smelled different.
I slowly walked in and out of every room.
“You OK?” asked Ty as he came up from behind and put his arms around me.
“Yeah. It’s just…I don’t see anything I want. Not really. I don’t’ know why I felt like I needed to come back. Maybe it’s because when we left, it was unexpected. I guess I just needed to make sure.
The chest at the foot of my bed caught my eye. I knelt, opened it and took out the Rubik’s Cube. “I’m bringing this.”
“A Rubik’s Cube? Seriously?”
“Jackson solved it.”
“No kidding?” He took it from me and grinned as he marveled at Jackson’s skill. “That kid.”
“Yeah. And he did it in like ten minutes.” I choked up. “I think he’s the reason I came back, Ty. This is the last place I saw him, and you said you got to speak to him out back and I guess I was just hoping—”
“Hey.” Ty pulled me to my feet and held me. I couldn’t help but sob. My heart hurt.
Before leaving, I emptied an old backpack on my bed. I looked down at the pile of worn binders and cringed. I was so glad I wouldn’t have to worry about completing another assignment. And, I was relieved that I would never have to go back to school and watch my ex-best friend, Emma replace me with Harper. Nor would I ever be tormented by Jacob and Daisy, or Hazel and Angela again.
I stuffed a pair of tennis shoes and some clothes into my backpack along with the Rubik’s Cube and zipped it up. I left it inside the hollow tree and then we walked to Ms. Alice’s.
“This place makes my stomach cramp,” I said as we walked down Ms. Alice’s driveway.
“We got this.” Ty squeezed my hand. “Yard’s mowed. I guess Jacob had to finally get off his ass.”
I could hear the familiar roar of the vacuum as we neared the side of the house. I could feel the knot inside me pull tighter. It was like this place had given me a form of PTSD. “Maybe Daisy is finally getting off her butt too,” he joked.
I glanced through the window as we walked past. “It’s not Daisy. It’s another girl,” I said.
When we stepped around back, a boy, several years younger than Ty was emptying the grass clippings from the lawn mower into a trash bag. “What a load of crap,” Ty mumbled under his breath. “It figures.”
The boy set down the bag and looked at us. “Hey,” said Ty.
“Hey,” he said timidly.
“We’re just here to get the strays that live under the house,” I said. “Do you know if they’re still there?”
“They’re there,” came a voice from behind us.
We turned to see the girl who’d been running the vacuum.
“I feed them—when no one’s looking
. Right, Connor?”
The boy smiled shyly and nodded.
“I’m Kammy,” she offered.
Ty and I introduced ourselves and told them how we used to live there. And, from everything they told us, they were going through the same thing Ty and I had.
“I’m going to miss them,” said Kammy as I held the box of kittens and their mom, “but I’m glad they’re going. I’ve caught Jacob being mean to them.”
My grip tightened on the box. If Jacob showed up, it would take everything in me not to punch him.
“We better be going,” said Ty. “They may come back any minute and that would be bad.”
My eyes kept traveling back and forth between Kammy and Connor. Their hopelessness was palpable. I could hear Jackson's voice running through my head asking me to let strays and homeless children live with us. “Look. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but, I’ll ask…the people we’re staying with if it’s possible for you two to come stay with us. And, if they say it’s OK,” I looked at Ty and then back at them, “we’ll come back for you too.”
Careful not to bump the kittens, Kammy threw her arms around my neck and gave me a quick squeeze. My heart almost broke when Connor wiped the corner of his eye. “I’m allergic to grass,” he said before quickly walking off.
◆◆◆
“Do you really think you’re going to be allowed to bring them? What if they’re physically not able to travel through the tree?” asked Ty as soon as we were out of earshot.
“I don’t know, but I hope they can come. Heck, I don’t even know if I can bring these guys.” I motioned to the box.
“Shit,” said Ty in a low voice.
“What is it?” My heart pounded.
“I’m pretty sure that was Daisy and her posse that just passed.”
I turned my head slightly to see the car that had just driven by. It’s brake lights suddenly lit up as it came to an abrupt stop. “You’re right. And, it’s backing up now!”
“We’re almost there.” Ty protectively placed his hand on the small of my back and pushed me along. We would’ve ran, but I couldn’t with the cat and kittens.
“I was afraid of this. We have to make it back Ty, and they can’t see us go inside the tree.”
“We’re going to make it. Walk faster.”
“Hey!” Jacob yelled. I cringed at the sound of his voice.
We pushed through the garden gate and stepped inside the tree only seconds before the car pulled into the driveway.
Ty grabbed my backpack that I’d left in the tree earlier. “I hope this works,” I said as I placed my trembling hand next to his and shut my eyes.
“Hello?” came a voice from somewhere outside. I flinched and almost dropped the box. Ty bolted out of the tree and I began to tremble.
“Falon, come out here,” said Ty.
I was surprised when I stepped out into the beautiful garden. “We made it,” I exhaled. Ty smiled and took the box from me and motioned with a nod of his head for me to turn around.
“Jackson!” I knelt, and he ran to me and threw his little arms around my neck. I held him tightly as tears streamed down my cheeks. “I didn’t know if I was ever going to see you again.” His arms tightened, and he nuzzled his face in my neck. “I know now sweetie—” my voice caught. “I know I’m your mommy.”
I held him for a long time and then wiped my eyes. “So, what happens now?” I asked reluctantly, because I feared his answer.
“I can stay, but only for a little while. When I travel, I can never stay for long—it’s just how it works,” he said.
“Jackson.” I treaded delicately. I wasn’t sure how much he understood and the last thing I wanted to do was terrify him. He looked at me with wide eyes. “I-I’m very happy that you stopped me from marrying Landon.”
“He’s bad.”
“Yes. And I love Ty.”
“I knew it!” he laughed. “You used to show me pictures of him.”
“I did?”
He nodded. “He was your friend. You said he was nice to you. My dad wasn’t.”
I was almost panicking on the inside as my brain raced to put my words together as gently as I could. I didn’t want to frighten him, but he had to understand what he’d done. How could I tell him that he’d changed things where he would no longer exist in the future? Was I just supposed to not say anything and make the most of the time we had left? I couldn’t do that! I needed to find out if he could alter things in such a way that he could exist, and hopefully I could be with Ty too. I just found out I had a son, and now I felt like he was dying. I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Jackson, when you made it were I didn’t marry Landon, well, then you made it were we don’t have a baby.” I paused. “Jackson, do you understand? You’re the baby?”
He nodded. “I know, Mama.”
I felt like my heart was in a vice. Was that what he had called me in our other life together? It sounded right. It felt right.
Sobbing, I pulled him to my chest. “Jackson. I can’t let you do this. You have to change things back.”
“No.”
“You have to. I can handle Landon. I can’t handle being in a world where you don’t exist.”
In a small voice he said, “No, Mama. Before, when you were married to him—he killed you.” Jackson’s words reverberated in my ears. “Now he can’t. You’re married to, Ty.”
This precious little boy was sacrificing his life to save mine. How was I going to fix this?
22.
We found our horses where we’d left them in the garden. Jackson sat in front of me and held on tightly to the box that held the mother cat and her kittens, and I held on to him. Ty rode alongside of us. Every now and then I would catch his eye and he would smile at us.
“Looks like rain,” said Ty.
I nodded. “I can smell it.” No sooner had the words left my lips, the first drops hit our heads. Jackson started laughing and before long, we all were.
◆◆◆
We were drenched by the time we reached the castle.
“Oh, dear. You’re soaked,” said Mrs. Dundle as she opened the back door to the kitchen. “Claude,” she called out, “bring some towels. And, who do we have here?” She asked smiling down at Jackson.
“This is Jackson. And—he’s my son,” I said.
Mrs. Dundle looked at me with surprise. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And, I see you have some little friends too. I bet they’re hungry.” She went to retrieve some dinner scraps and milk, and then we tucked them safely in the barn with plenty to eat and drink.
“They’re gonna like it here,” said Jackson.
“I think you’re right,” I said.
“And there’s tons of room for a whole lot more.” He smiled.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” said Ty.
“Me too,” I said. “From time to time, we’ll go back to Ms. Alice’s and bring back any other strays we can find that need a home.” I looked at Ty as soon as I realized what I’d said. How much time did we have?
“It’s getting cold out here,” said Ty. “Come on.” He reached out a hand to me and the other to Jackson and we went inside to warm up.
“Run upstairs and shower quickly,” said Mrs. Dundle. “You’ll find clean clothes waiting for you. Your father wants to see all of you in the ballroom as soon as possible.”
We did as Mrs. Dundle said and in no time, we looked as if we were about to have a family portrait painted.
“Oh my,” said Mrs. Dundle. “Just look at the three of you.” As she looked at us, I noticed that she’d changed as well. She was still in a maid’s uniform, but this one was much fancier. “Well, come on. We mustn’t keep them—uh, your father waiting any longer.”
We followed Mrs. Dundle for so long, it felt as if the castle were growing with every step. We finally came to a stop in front of two, very large doors. Two men dressed in tuxedos each grabbed a handle and pulled the heavy doors open for us.
“Surprise!
” roared the crowd that filled the spacious room in front of us.
My dad stepped forward. “What a perfect night to welcome my daughter home—her birthday!” He lifted his glass, and everyone cheered. Music began to play and most everyone began dancing.
"I feel like a terrible husband. I didn't know it was your bithday." said Ty.
"I didn't either." We laughed.
“And, who might this be?” asked my dad as he looked down at Jackson.
I glanced at Ty. “This is Jackson, Dad. And, he’s my son.”
My dad looked shocked to say the least and then he bent down, so that he would be eye level with Jackson. “Well, hello there. It’s very nice to meet you,” he said as he extended his hand.
Jackson giggled and shook his hand.
“We really need to talk, Dad.”
My dad ushered us to a table on a secluded balcony that overlooked the celebration, where we could have privacy. We took a seat, and Jackson stood near the banister and looked down, distracted by the partygoers.
“I take it, you had no trouble on your journey,” said my father.
“We didn’t have any problems,” said Ty. “But—”
And that’s when I took over and told him that Jackson was from the future and Landon was his father.
“Why didn’t Jackson want you to marry Landon?” asked my father.
“Because, he said he had killed me in our other life.”
My father was quiet for a long while after I finished speaking. He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “I have heard of time travelers. In all my years, I have never known one.” He looked at Jackson, who was busy waving down at the crowd. “It is quite an honor to have one in your family, to be one is extraordinary.”
“He is amazing, Dad.”
“He’s so young though. Is he aware—does he realize what he’s done?”
Ty put his arm around me. “She tried to make sure he understood. He does. He is willingly giving his life for—” his voice caught. “He never thought twice about giving his life to save his mom’s.”
“I want to make him go back in time and let me,” I almost couldn’t get the words out, “marry Landon.” I could feel Ty’s eyes burning into me. I couldn’t bear to look at him. “Is there a way I can force him, Dad?”
