Anthony had always known his parents were different. They weren't his birth parents but that wasn't what made them different. A young mother had left baby Tony in the hospital after his birth without any trace of where she'd gone. Lucky for Tony, a nurse named Rory Williams had made quite an impression on the woman. She'd left a note insisting Rory take care of her son.
Amelia and Rory Williams landed in New York in 1938. At a time when the threat of a complete Nazi takeover was slowly tightening around Europe like a noose. They were British immigrants but there was something more about them. Tony noticed the way they spoke sometimes, as if the future was somehow past-tense for them.
Tony was a big fan of science fiction flicks and lucky for him, his mother was filled with excellent stories. Anthony loved the stories his mother wrote but sometimes he wondered where the stories came from. They had to be fiction but Amelia told them like there was an element of truth behind them. It was something in her eyes when she spoke about them. She didn't look like she was making it up, she looked like she was remembering.
Tony was 5 when he asked why his parents never had kids before him. He was just wondering as kids often do. He wasn't thinking about what a loaded question it really was. He just wanted to know why but the question took his parents by surprise, and few things ever did.
"Umm... I... Rory?" Amy insisted her husband take over.
Rory knelt down to his son's eye level to speak. "We had a baby once before we had you. We were 20 years younger then... give or take. It's hard to keep track." Rory did his best to keep his timelines straight. "We had a little girl named Melody. But we lost her and we could never have a baby again after that. A medical complication..." Rory looked up at his wife as she nervously poured her tea. "It was hard for us so we didn't know when we'd be ready for a child again. But then we found you." Mr. Williams ruffled his son's hair and smiled.
Anthony wanted so badly to ask how they lost his would-be older sister. But after seeing how his first question rattled his mother, he decided it was best to drop the subject. Growing up with a father who worked long hours at the hospital had taught Tony from an early age that life and death were always fighting one another for dominance. Not just for the old but for the young too. He figured his sister must have lost that battle.
Tony was 12 when the mysterious woman came to visit. He'd only recently been deemed old enough to stay home alone while his mother ran her errands. He heard a knock on the door and there she was, a statuesque and strong woman with wild blonde curls. She seemed confused at the sight of Anthony answering the door.
"Is this the Williams' residence?" She asked.
"Yes, but my mom's not home right now." Tony figured the woman was looking for his mother. She had what looked like a manuscript in hand, she was most likely from publishing.
"Is your mother Amelia Pond?" The woman asked as she looked over his head at the living room, like she was searching for clues.
Anthony raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "You're from Leadworth, aren't you?" His parents rarely spoke about their lives before arriving in New York. All he knew was where they were from. He was excited to meet someone who might be able to shed some light on their past.
"Yes, I am. I'm an old friend." She answered.
"I knew it! Because you know my mom by her maiden name and you talk like my dad!" Tony sounded so proud of himself as if he'd solved some big mystery.
"You're absolutely right. You're a regular Dick Tracy." The woman smiled but there was something bittersweet about the look in her eyes. "I didn't know they had a son." She whispered. After a quick moment, she regained her composure. "And where's your father?"
"Working at the hospital. He won't be home till really late but mom only went down the road to the grocery store so I'm sure she'll be home in a few minutes if you want to wait." Anthony opened the door wider to invite her in.
"No, thank you. I really shouldn't stay long." She looked at the strange watch on her wrist. "If I stay another minute all of New York might implode on itself. Just take this and make sure Amy gets it. It's incredibly important." She handed Tony the manuscript and walked away quickly.
He put the manuscript on the kitchen table and read the cover. "Melody Malone". He was tempted to untie the brown strings holding the papers closed but figured it best to leave it alone. His mother always told him about what stories she was writing, so why had he never heard of this one?
"Tony?" His mother's voice came ringing down the hall. "You left the door open. I thought you said you could be alone now. I thought you were a big boy now!"
"I am a big boy." Anthony ran down the hall to meet his mother in the living room. "I'm sorry I forgot. There was a lady who dropped off a manuscript for you."
"What? I'm not expecting anything." Amy threw her coat on the couch and walked to the kitchen. There was a pause of silence followed by panic. "Rory!" Amy screamed. "I need Rory!"
Anthony quickly ran into the kitchen. "He's working, remember? Are you ok?" He asked.
"I'm fine just... go watch TV or read one of your comics or something... there's cereal if you want anything to eat... I have to go.." Amy walked back into her study in a daze.