Prologue- Alba
"Alba? Alba, wake up." A warm, honey coated voice says, and I moan.
"Just give me a few more minutes. I was... somewhere... last night, I didn't get any sleep." I beg, throwing a hand over my eyes to block the sunlight streaming through our window.
"Alba, you don't know where you were?" The voice sounds concerned, "You always know where you are."
"Not last night. I was too exhausted." I informed the voice, and then something crossed my mind: Why had I been so exhausted? I pondered this thought to the lapping of the waves against the sand. Waves? Sand? Ohmygod, Cedric!
"Cedric... Cedric, we got married yesterday, didn't we?" I asked, still not opening my eyes. I could hear him chuckling.
"Yeah. And last night..." He was silent. I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar room.
"I don't remember any of it," I said sadly, and he frowned. I leaned up and touched his face, where red stubble was poking through on his cheeks and jaw. He leaned towards me, and kissed me gently for a long moment.
"You had a lot on your mind. Your Dad... your Dad came for the wedding." He said quietly when he pulled away.
"My Dad's—" I began the automatic response, but did not finish the sentence. No, Dad wasn't dead. Not really.
"Yeah. He showed up at the reception, after your Mom left. I don't suggest telling her that, though. She would probably throw herself off the Sears Tower." He said, grinning. I glared at him. That wasn't funny... because it was true. He knew that, and seem to realize it, clearing his expression.
"I'm sorry, Alba, I--" I sighed, shrugging.
"It's okay. Let's not fight." I was starting to remember last night. Oh, god. Last night. I stood uneasily, feeling sharp pains that still hadn't gone away, even after about four years. What was wrong with me?
A lot of things.
Including my ability to jump from time to time. I could feel myself shimmering.
"Agh, Ced!" I cried, and I felt his strong arms wrapping around me.
"Stay here." He said calmly, "Don't leave me now." I inhaled deeply, and I stayed. But I heard a voice in my head, almost like a radio, singing an old Cheap Trick song. Mom. I hummed along absently, and Cedric looked at me funny.
"I hear my mom... singing Cheap Trick." I said, shrugging. God, this was normal for us. I gazed out the French doors that led straight to the beach in the house we had rented in Jamaica for our honeymoon. The sun was reflected on the ocean, making it sparkle turquoise and white. I threw on an old concert T- shirt of Ced's and some sweatpants, then grabbed my camera from the dresser.
"I'm going to take some pictures. Come with me?" I said, and he nodded, taking my hand as we walked out the doors.
I could still hear Mom in my head. She was talking to Dad now, talking about me. But as though... I smiled. She was still pregnant with me.
It was hot on the beach. Feeling more sweaty and irritable than I would have liked, I chatted pointlessly with Cedric while I snapped some pictures. Then I led him back to the house.
"That was fast," He commented. I usually spent hours taking pictures.
"It's so hot out." I mumbled, throwing the camera on the bed. Mom wasn't singing any more. Kendrick would be mad I wasn't taking my meds. Cedric seemed to be following the same train of thought as me, because he tossed me the little orange prescription bottle, that contained a medicine Ben and Kendrick had worked on together. Ben was a big shot now, thanks to Kendrick. He was unspeakably happy.
"Take your meds, Alb. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to go through the same thing as your Mom." He said, dead serious. Can you see why I love him? I smiled weakly and swallowed two of the little purple pills hesitantly. Sometimes they made me loopy.
I don't want to lose you, either. I thought, leaning back across the bed and resting my head in his lap.
I will not put you through that.