Reid remembers a lot of things. He remembers the scores of the last ten games the Houston Astros played (and probably lost). He remembers the names of all the patients he couldn't save. Most importantly, he remembers all the lives he's shared with Luke and all the lives they've yet to share. He doesn't necessarily remember them all equally or clearly, but he has a vague remembrance of each and every one, though some stick in his mind more clearly than others:
There is the life where they live in Revolutionary France and Reid is married to Luke's sister. He marries her not because he loves her, but because it's the only way he can be with Luke without facing severe punishment. But they're found out and all three of them are executed, Luke and his sister after long, grueling trials, Reid without question because he's found to have been the one to put the plan into motion, and his treason is the worst.
Then there is the life in suburban America in the 1950s where they're next door neighbors, where they grow up playing basketball together and eating delicious home-cooked meals at each others' houses. And as they get older, they develop feelings for each other, but they only ever act on them when they're alone, because it's the era when it's taboo to have those types of feelings. So they each marry a nice housewife, but never stray more than a few houses from each other, because they're in love and don't want to be so far apart.
There's the one two hundred years down the line where they're set up on a blind date by a mutual friend and they end up married. And ten years into the marriage, a month after they've adopted a baby girl, Luke's kidneys fail and so does the dialysis. And after three months of futile waiting for a match, Luke slips from Reid's grasp, leaving him alone to raise their precious daughter who will never know the father she lost.
There's the time in 1800s England where Reid is the respectable and gentlemanly Mr. Oliver who is worth a hefty ten thousand pounds a year, and Luke is Lucas Snyder, the youngest of five sons who will never see a farthing of his family's money. And they meet in a card room at a coming-out-coming-of-age party for one of society's newest ladies. And Mr. Oliver is immediately smitten and enthralled by Mr. Lucas's fine brown eyes, while Mr. Lucas is proud and prejudiced against Mr. Oliver because of stories he hears from a family friend. But slowly Mr. Lucas sees Mr. Oliver in a different light and even comes to love Mr. Oliver. And they get married, despite the strain it puts on Mr. Oliver's reputation and relationship with his foreboding aunt. And they live a long, happy life together, until they are both old and laid to rest simultaneously and side-by-side.
There's another life where they date briefly in the late 3080s, but end up going their separate ways. Then they accidentally meet again in the mid-3090s in a very futuristic New York, where Reid's a cyber-chef and Luke's a blog-journalist, and, though they both have significant others, they end up in bed together, initiating a year-long affair. But it ends badly and they go their separate ways again, and Reid moves alone to Atlanta, and Luke gets married, and they never see or speak to each other again.
There's one where they're in high school together, though they're not friends because Luke's a jock and he's popular, and Reid is a nerd and has only one friend. But Reid's got a massive aching for Luke, who he's pretty sure doesn't know he's alive. And then they graduate high school and Luke is nothing more to Reid than a face in a yearbook.
And there's a life where they both go to the same summer camp, Reid as a counselor, Luke as a counselor-in-training. And this time it's Luke who is unrequitedly in love with Reid, who has a serious boyfriend and sees Luke as nothing but someone to boss around. And when the next summer comes around, Luke finds that he can't even remember the name of that counselor he had a crush on last year.
Then there is a life about a hundred years from now where they're paired as roommates their first year of college. And, despite Luke being an English major and Reid being a Neuroscience major, they hit it off right away. And by Halloween they're dating, and by Christmas Reid is meeting Luke's family and Luke is meeting Reid's, and they lose their virginity to each other during spring break. They have their fights and temporary break-ups, but somehow they manage to make it in tact to graduation. And Luke moves to Boston with Reid so he can go to Harvard Medical School. And then Reid is proposing and Luke is saying yes and they're standing at an altar promising a lifetime full of love and happiness.
And then there's this one. This one where Reid's a brilliant brain surgeon, and Luke blackmails him to come to the godforsaken town of Oakdale, Illinois. And Reid finds himself falling fast and hard for the younger blonde. And then Luke helps him keep his medical license and they kiss. And Luke fights his feelings, but eventually comes around and after some bumps they're boyfriends. And Chris Hughes is an idiot and Reid attempts to get a heart for him and gets stuck on the train tracks, just as a train rolls his way. And Reid asks for Luke to have power-of-attorney and for Chris to have his heart. And Luke reiterates that he loves Reid and Reid dies as Luke kisses him. And Luke cries for a few months, but learns to live without Reid. And he moves to Chicago – far enough from the memories, but close enough to home – and slowly he starts to heal.
And though Luke doesn't know it, and certainly doesn't remember, he and Reid have met before, and Reid knows, as he slips away, that they will again.