Chapter 27

Egon locked the car and pocketed the keys before heading towards the double doors that led to the elevators and the subway. He was happy and whistled a tune from Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" as he held the door open for another commuter.

"Thank you," the older woman said.

"You're welcome," Egon replied as they both turned to their right and the older woman pressed the button to call the elevator up.

"You're in a good mood today," the older woman commented to Egon, "Why would Monday, working in the city, make you happy?"

Egon smiled before he answered her.

"My daughter just got engaged," Egon stated.

"Oh that's wonderful news!" the older woman said as the elevator's doors opened up.

Egon allowed the older woman to go first and then followed her inside the car. Pushing the button for the first floor he listened as she continued to talk.

"I remember when my oldest daughter got engaged," the older woman said.

"She was so excited and it was a special time for both of us. We came together as women, not as a mother and child planning the wedding. Your wife must be so happy."

Egon's smile turned into a frown.

"My wife would have been proud of our daughter," he answered.

"Would have?" the older woman questioned as the elevator came to a stop.

"Yes," Egon replied, "My wife died years ago."

"Oh!" the older woman said as the elevator's doors opened.

Egon followed the older woman as she stepped out of the elevator. Once outside Egon went to turn left and felt a hand on his arm stopping him.

"I'm so sorry," the older woman said to Egon, "Losing someone close is hard to deal with, but if you look closely into your daughter's face you will see your wife there."

Releasing Egon the older woman turned right and made her way out the double glass doors and onto 8th Avenue. Egon stood still and watched her for a moment before he turned to his left and headed for the escalators to take him to the subway below 8th Avenue.

Egon walked in a daze through the doors at the bottom of the escalator. He had been happy and now he wasn't. Sliding his Metro Card through the turnstile he followed the other commuters down the underground tunnel to the Times Square/42nd Street subway stop.

Eden. She was the love of his life and now she was gone. Even though Egon knew that she was in a better place and happy it didn't make it any better on days like today. A single word from someone would send him spiraling in upon himself. He saw couples holding hands as he walked and Egon wondered if he would ever be able to do that again with anyone else in his life time.

Egon stopped on the platform waiting for the #1 train to take him uptown to Columbia University at 116th Street. No one around him knew what he went through every night. The loneliness that he felt after he would retire to his bedroom. The full sized bed that seemed to be king in size to him now. No one lying beside him anymore. No one to hold onto on a cold winter night. No more perfumed scented hair waking him up each morning.

Egon sighed as the train came to a stop in front of him. Waiting for the doors to open he followed the other passengers aboard and found a spot to stand in the crowded train.

The older woman that Egon had met that morning was right. Eden should be here helping Echo to plan her wedding, not him. "It just wasn't fair," Egon said to himself, but just as soon as he finished the thought he regretted it.

Sure it had been hard on him when his wife had died. He suddenly became a single father to a soon to be ten year old. As a couple they had always shared the responsibility of Echo's upbringing between them. Eden would take the day while Egon would take the night. That worked great for both of their schedules, because he worked at Columbia University during the day and Eden worked at the Metropolitan Opera at night.

But that had all changed the day Eden was killed. Columbia University had given Egon a paid leave of absence until January of 2002 so that he could figure out what to do. Egon's mother lived in Cleveland, Ohio and couldn't help her son from that far away. Uncle Cyrus had offered Egon a research position at "Spengler Laborites" that he co-owned with Egon's late father Edison, but Egon had turned Uncle Cyrus down.

Even though it would have solved the problem of what to do with Echo during the day, as she would stay with his mother, Egon just couldn't bring himself to leave the tri-state area. Even Eden's parents lived across the country in Utah as well.

Lizzie and Kane had offered Egon a place with them as well, but in the end he had talked to the president and made arrangements with him and the other facility members at the university.

Egon sat down into an empty seat when a passenger got off at the Lincoln Center Stop. Lincoln Center was where Eden would get off and he remembered back fourteen years ago.

"Father," Echo said, "I like going to work with you."

Egon looked down into his ten year old daughter's face and smiled. It had been a rough first week now that his wife was gone and he was back teaching. Egon watched as Echo adjusted her backpack over her right shoulder as they walked down the underground tunnel heading for the Times Square/42nd Street subway stop.

"You like the long days?" Egon questioned.

"They are not so long when you're around," she answered back.

Egon reached out and took Echo's left hand into his and squeezed it tight.

"Thanks sweetheart," he said, "you just made my day."

Egon watched as a man got onto the train at the next stop with a toddler perched on his shoulders. Egon smiled and found he remembered the time he had done that with Echo.

The day had been a long one but Echo had not complained at all. They had gotten up at five o'clock to catch the 6:12 a.m. DeCamp bus to take them into the city. Echo had been slow walking up the street to Bloomfield Avenue to catch the bus and they had almost missed it. There had been a longer than usual line and when the pair got to the stop they were the last ones on. Egon moved to the back of the bus and found a seat. Placing Echo onto his lap the pair had fallen asleep on the commute into the city.

Once in the city they had taken the #1 subway train to 116th Street. Egon had allowed his daughter to take over his desk until classes started. Echo would have an open book with pen and paper at her command, while he would review his notes for the day's lecture.

Echo would then accompany Egon to his lectures sitting in the front row on the end so that he could see her but leaving the middle seats open for his other students.

Egon could see that she had her book opened, with paper and pen writing things down from the book. He had figured she was working on her home school assignments that he had given her for the week. It wasn't until a couple of months later that he found out that she was doing the assignments that he was giving to his students.

Lunch was spent in his office with him grading papers and Echo working on her Spanish with a faculty member.

After lunch Echo went to spend the rest of the day with Professor Arnold Aronson in the Dodge Miller Theatre building. Even though President Rupp allowed Egon to bring his daughter to work with him the line had been drawn about taking her into a lab setting.

"I don't care what you do in your own home Doctor Spengler," President Rupp told him, "but the university can't have Echo in the lab with you. It's too much of a liability on our part."

Echo hadn't cared. With Professor Aronson she was able to do what she loved. The first week she had stayed by his side accompanying him on his lectures until he caught her playing the piano one day. Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata caught him by surprise. Never had he heard anything so lovingly played by a ten year old. He brought Echo's name up to the Associate Professor of Music Giuseppe Gerbino who had recently joined the facility last year. Professor Gerbino had agreed with Professor Aronson that Echo had talent and unbeknownst to Egon they had started his daughter on what would be her musical career.

After work Egon had taken his daughter out for dinner before returning to the university for a night class that he taught. Nine o'clock at night they had arrived at Port Authority to catch the DeCamp bus back home. He had once again placed Echo on his lap for the trip home, only she had fallen asleep. When their stop came he couldn't wake her up. Afraid that the bus driver would continue on without letting them off he tried again to wake his daughter, but with no success. Another commuter saw what was happening and helped Egon by taking Echo from his lap and carrying her to the front of the bus. The commuter handed him Echo's sleeping form and reboarded the bus. Egon crossed the street and took Echo over to the bench at the bus stop and sat down. He had several blocks to walk to get home and tried to wake his daughter up that he held in his arms.

"Tired Father," she muttered snuggling up against his chest.

Egon was at a loss of what to do when another man who was sitting at the bus stop suggested that Egon call his wife to come and pick him up.

"I wish I could but the phone lines don't reach where my wife is," Egon told the man.

"Sure they do. The phone lines go all over the world. Where is your wife that the phone lines can't reach her?" the man asked.

"Heaven," Egon replied burying his face into Echo's hair so that the man couldn't see him start to cry.

"Oh," the man replied, "that is a problem. Well my dad always told me to make do with what you've got so let's get you on your way."

Standing up the man took Echo from Egon. Making Egon stand up and asking him to turn around he placed Echo onto Egon's back, piggyback style, and then placed Egon's briefcase in his hand.

"There you go," the man said as he hailed the bus coming up the street, "if you have to do this everyday I'd suggest you buy something beside that briefcase. Have a nice night."

Egon watched the man climb into the bus and its doors close before he headed down the street for home.

For a year Egon had carried his daughter piggyback style home late at night until she was able to stay awake. "I wonder if I made her a night owl?" Egon said to himself as he got off of the subway at his stop.

Crossing the familiar campus heading for the Schermerhorn building Egon knew that he loved every moment spent with his daughter. Opening the door and making a left he walked down the hallway to his office. Stopping before his office door he could see in the frosty glass the words:

Dean of Psychology Department

Professor E. Spengler

His name had been changed years ago when he had become a professor and the title once again when he had made dean. Opening the door and turning on the lights, he let the door stay open as he crossed to his desk. Lifting the strap of his brown colored shoulder bag from off of his shoulder he placed it on his desk. Next he pulled his tall, black, armed wheeled chair out from under the desk. Before he could even sit down into it there was a knock on his opened door. Egon looked to his left to see his old boss Dean Williams.

"Vernon!" Egon cried as he pushed the chair back and hurried to the door to great his old friend.

Taking Vernon into a bear hug before he released him Egon looked his old boss over carefully.

"Time has been kind to you," Egon stated as he beckoned Vernon into the office and shut the door behind him.

"What?" Vernon questioned Egon as he sat down into the black leather couch to his left, "no more Dean Williams?"

"Not since I took over your job," Egon said as he perched himself on the edge of his desk facing his friend.

"Touché, my friend," Vernon said saluting Egon with his right hand.

"So," Egon said, "what brings you down to New York? Last I heard you were working for Massachusetts Institute of Technology."

"Still am," Vernon replied as he leaned back on the couch, "I came to see who you hired to be Professor Harrist's replacement."

"Ah," Egon said as he got up from his deck and walked towards the couch, "then you haven't heard."

"Heard what?"

"I wasn't able to find a replacement yet," Egon said as he stopped before the couch, "Eden's mother died while we were on vacation and so everything got postponed."

"I'm sorry to heard that," Vernon said sitting forward, "How are you and Echo holding up?"

"Me, okay I guess. Echo…," Egon trailed off.

"Not so good?" Vernon asked rising up from the couch.

"Hurting deep down I think," Egon replied, "Remember we lost my mother in April. Echo has lost the only two living female relatives she was very close to. If it wasn't for Daniel I think she might have gone into a mental breakdown."

"Daniel has been a welcome addition into your lives."

"Yeah," Egon said as he took his right hand and placed it on Vernon's left shoulder, "and he's going to make one hell of a son-in-law."

Puzzlement fell on Vernon's face before he realized what Egon had said to him. Placing both of his hands onto his friend's shoulders Vernon looked him in the face before he spoke.

"No?!"

"Yes!" Egon smiled back, "Daniel asked Echo on Saturday."

"And I'm taking it she said yes," Vernon stated.

"Well…," Egon started to say before breaking off.

He had not been able to talk to Echo on Sunday. Leaving only a message Egon still hadn't heard back from her. "Well I did call really early," he said to himself.

Taking a breath he tried again, "Well I don't think she said no," he finished.

"Okay Egon spill it," Vernon said as he dropped his hands down from his friend's shoulders, "you are still just as quiet as the first day I met you."

"I am not," Egon retorted back.

"Yes you are," Vernon pointed his finger at Egon, "It took Eden to bring you out of your shell."

Vernon saw Egon's face fall. He watched as Egon turned and walked away from him, back to his desk. Vernon saw Egon sit slowly down into his chair and sigh. Vernon crossed to the desk and pulled out the chair on the other side. Sitting down he looked his former worker in the face.

"Look Egon, I'm sorry if I upset you."

Egon wiped the corner of his eye with his left hand before he answered back.

"I know you didn't mean to upset me, it's just the start of a bad day. Eden should be here to help Echo plan her wedding not me."

"But according to you," Vernon said placing his hands on Egon's desk, "you don't even know if Echo said yes."

Egon smiled and told Vernon what he knew.

"Echo came to see me when we got back from Wyoming and asked if it would be fine with me if she could ask Daniel to marry her."

"Oh this is good," Vernon said trying not to laugh, "just like her mother Eden when she went to ask you to marry her first."

"Yes," Egon replied as he remembered back to that day in Eden's apartment as he knelt down on one knee in the hallway and asked the love of his life to be his.

"But there's a twist," Egon told Vernon.

"Twist?"

Egon nodded his head, "Yes. Guess who came to see me the next night?"

"Who?" Vernon asked narrowing his eyes at Egon, "Surely not Daniel?"

"You guessed it," Egon replied, smiling wider.

"OH!" Vernon nearly shouted as he raised both hands up into the air before he sat them down again into his lap, "This is priceless. And did you tell the other?"

"Are you kidding?" Egon said, "No way! Let them figure it out on their own. But boy do I have a story to tell my grandkids someday."

"You do," Vernon agreed.

"There is just one catch," Egon told Vernon.

"What's that?" Vernon asked, "I don't think I can take anymore excitement."

"While Echo said that she didn't need my help in getting Daniel a ring, Daniel had a problem with that part."

"Doesn't the boy work?" Vernon asked.

"Yes," Egon replied, "but he also got himself into some debt a few years ago and is still having a hard time paying it off."

"Is it from that violin of his that he bought?"

"Yep," Egon stated, "but that violin has paid him and Echo back ten times over. He just needs to get it paid off. The rich, sweet sound that comes from that violin is flawless. I sense it is coming from the wood itself."

"You know Echo told me once that while she was learning classical cello her teachers would harp on about "tone". That elusive quality that required her to spend hours of practicing attempting to coax warm sounds from her instrument. That was until she played the "Batta". The sound it created for her was infinitely nicer than anything she had produced on her other cellos and without any effort. Sharp edges were smoothed, rasps mellowed. The same can be said about Daniel's violin. But that brought about a problem with getting a ring for Echo."

"So what happened?" Vernon asked.

"Well I offered Daniel something that I knew Echo would like."

"You didn't have Echo's wedding ring already picked out, did you?" Vernon questioned.

"No," Egon replied, "I didn't, but Eden did."

"Now I'm confused. How did Eden pick out a ring for her young daughter before she died?"

"Well," Egon said as he opened the top drawer of his desk to produce a manila envelope, "Eden didn't really pick out a new ring for Echo. She gave her daughter her wedding ring."

"But Eden died with the wedding ring on," Vernon stated to Egon, "you told me so. The rescue workers found nothing of your wife's belongings after 9/11. So how did Eden leave Echo her ring?"

Taking his brown colored shoulder bag off of his desk, Egon placed it on the floor. Fingering the manila envelope with its worn sides he continued.

"Apparently Eden knew that something was going to happen to her that day," Egon said as he opened the envelope and produced a piece of paper out of it.

"After she had left Echo at Peter and Dana's apartment she made a stop at the post office before she continued on to the World Trade Center. She mailed this to her parents," Egon said as he raised the manila envelope up off of his desk.

"Inside were letters addressed to her mother, father, Echo, and me. Enclosed was not only her wedding ring but the engagement ring as well."

Egon read the letter to Vernon that he held in his hands.

Sweetheart,

When you make love to me everything seems right. You take my fears and turn them around so that they don't scare me anymore. You stand by me through every kind of trial. The miscarriage of our children, the stillbirth of another, and finally to the birth of our first son.

I will never understand why things happen in our lives. And I have come to accept what time may give us. Either as good or bad offerings to us both.

Egon, we have learned and grown together as a couple, cherishing each and every moment given to us.

Remember the time at the firehouse when Echo was watching you run your experiments in the lab and you left thinking she was following behind you? You left the room only to find that she hadn't followed. Turning around you reentered the room just as the explosion hit. I came running down the stairs to find you sitting next to our daughter covered from head to toe in red goo!

Echo was on the verge of tears, you were on the verge of anger, and I couldn't stop laughing at you both! My laughter became contagions and soon you and then Echo joined in. Remember? If you do hold that precious memory in your heart and never let it go!

The memories of you and Echo are engraved within my heart. Nothing…and I mean Nothing in this world will ever tear them from me!

I know that you have been concerned about me since last week when I woke up during the night. I told you that it was because I was not sleeping well, but that was a lie. What really happened was this. I had a visit from my great grandmother Iona Parnell. She told me that I had to go and that I could no longer stay here. After that she left me. I was in shock and awoke, sitting straight up in bed.

Then on Sunday I had a dream. I was sitting at a table in the main dinning room of Windows of the World. The table faced north and as I looked up there was this airplane. At first I thought that he was in distress. I could clearly see it was an American Airlines craft. I expected it to veer off and go down in the Hudson River. As I sat there, not able to move, I saw the plane rise just a little bit, level off, and turn straight for me! Then all of a sudden he disappeared below me.

A powerful shock wave was felt going down and then back up the building. Then there was a powerful explosion and I woke up. You were not by my side and I panicked. My screaming brought you running to me. I cried uncontrollably as you held me in your arms and rocked me back and forth. I refused to tell you what was wrong and for that I am truly sorry. Please forgive me.

Today is Tuesday September 11, 2001 and I write this letter to you as Echo sleeps with her head in my lap. We are on our way into the city on the DeCamp bus line.

I want for you to go on living. Take care of yourself and Echo for me. Try and do something good everyday. Take a walk, read a book, play your guitar, anything that you and Echo love to do.

Egon, I know you better than you know yourself. I know that you are going to blame yourself for my ultimate death. DON'T! Give me permission to die. I don't want to have to worry about you. I will be fine and you will too.

You have my permission to find another love in your life. No one should ever have to be alone. I know that you will have our daughter, but she can't hold you close when your heart is aching.

I have one request, get your professor title! I know that we have been talking about that for awhile now and you have felt that the timing isn't right. We even talked about it last night when we made love together for the last time. You promised me you would think about it again. Egon seize the day! Do it now before another year passes and you will regret doing so.

Today I must die and I face it unafraid. I can only hope that it will be quick and I will not suffer for your sake. I know it is not fair, but its just got to happen. Please don't cry. I'm with you in your heart, now and forever. Please be happy and give my wedding and engagement rings to Echo when she marries. Tell her that I love her. I have enclosed the rings in this letter. I feel that I must.

Egon please know that I will wait for you on the other side. I promise. And always remember this, I love you.

Your love,

Eden

Egon sat there with trembling hands and bowed his head. Vernon got up quietly and came around the desk. He carefully took the letter out of Egon's hand and gently sat it down on the desk. Putting his arms under Egon's shoulders, Vernon carefully lifted Egon up and out of his chair. Once Egon was out of his chair Vernon gathered the crying man into his embrace as Egon held tight.

Vernon had done this once before, on that day that seemed like yesterday now, when he had interrupted Egon's class to tell him the news that he had just learned himself from Dana Barrett-Venkman.

Vernon had gathered Egon into his arms inside this very office that day. He had then personally taken his friend to the Venkman's apartment to see for himself, outside the window, the black smoke rising up from the lower part of Manhattan.

"I'm sorry," Vernon said as Egon's cries started to subside, "I truly am."

"I know," Egon said as he released his hold on Vernon, "I told you it's the start of a bad day."

Suddenly a loud crash outside of Egon's office startled both men. As Vernon turned towards the office door they could hear a female voice outside talking loudly.

"You know we're all descended from fish. It would be fairly easy to slip back in time, find the fish that you evolved from, and stick it into Cuisinart!"

Vernon turned around to face Egon, who had been following behind him. Egon was smiling and then he started to laugh. Vernon watched his friend for a moment before he too got the joke and laughed along with Egon. Patting Egon on the shoulder Vernon turned around and opened the office door.

There on the floor in front of him were two women and an overturned custodian's cart. Being that Egon's office was right on the corner Vernon surmised that the two women didn't see each other coming and must have run into one another. While Egon went to help the woman who was sitting on the floor to collect her papers that had fallen out of her briefcase, Vernon went to help the custodian.

Vernon helped the custodian up off of the floor. He then uprighted her cart before he started to pick up her things that had fallen off. Both women were mad and talking loudly to each other in their native language. Vernon noticed that Egon was stuck in the middle.

"You should look where you are going!" the custodian woman said in Spanish pointing a roll of toilet paper at the other woman.

"I'm sure she didn't see you coming Rosalind," Egon replied back in Spanish.

"Me," the other woman said in Russian pointing a finger at Rosalind, "you should announce that you are coming around the corner."

"Wait?" Egon said to the woman in Russian handing her papers back to her that he had collected, "You understand what Rosalind said?"

"Of course I understand what Rosalind is saying," the woman replied back to Egon in Russian. "I wasn't born yesterday! I can understand and speak Spanish too."

With that being said the Russian speaking woman turned to Rosalind and spoke to her in Spanish.

Vernon watched as Egon tried to make peace with the two women. It had been way to long since Egon's wife had left him and he was out of practice. Vernon couldn't help but laugh out loud at Egon sitting on the floor with the Russian woman on one end and Rosalind on the other trying to calm them both down. Vernon's laughing soon caught the attention of Egon and the two women. After watching Vernon for a second Egon joined in laughing too.

It took the two women a few more seconds before they too joined in with the men.

"Lo siento," the Russian woman said as she placed her papers back into her briefcase and closed it.

"No worries," Rosalind replied back in Spanish as she pushed her cart on down the hallway.

Vernon offered a hand to the Russian woman and helped her up off the floor.

"Here you go," Egon said in Russian handing the woman her briefcase back, "no harm done."

"I guess so," the woman replied in Russian as she smoothed out her black, knee-length pencil skirt.

When she was done she pulled down on her black jacket so that it fell back into place.

Egon could see that the woman was in her early forties, not too thin, but with all the curves right where they should be. As she pulled her tight fitting jacket down into place the top of her breasts clearly showed out the top.

Egon saw that she had on black high heeled shoes making her taller than him. He wondered if she were to step out of them if she would be the same height as him. Her hair was short and black in color. As Egon looked closer he noticed that she was pale in her skin color, not like the women here in the states who were tan. She had high cheek bones and beautiful brown eyes. Egon found her attractive, and then shook his head to dislodge the thought.

"No," Egon told himself as he turned and went back into his office, "she is a traditional Russian woman and fierily independent. Totally opposite of what Eden was."

Her voice however stopped him inside his office and he turned to look her way.

"Excuse me," she said in English for the first time, that slight hint of another language coming through underneath, "could you please point me in the direction that I must go to find the Dean of the Psychology Department?"

"What do you want with Professor Spengler?" Vernon asked standing outside Egon's office door.

Vernon had seen the look on Egon's face. He had seen it before. His friend liked what was standing before him and knowing Egon he wasn't going to speak up for himself.

"I have an interview with him at ten o'clock," she replied smoothing her hair back down with her hand.

"Oh," Vernon chuckled as he turned to look behind him, seeing Egon blush slightly, "Well you're in luck."

Flourishing both of his arms through the open door Vernon slightly bowed to the woman.

"May I present to you," Vernon said as Egon stood there stock still, "Professor Egon Spengler."

Vernon stood back up and reached inside his suit pocket, pulling out a business card. Handing the woman the card he spoke to her before he left.

"If he doesn't hire you," Vernon said, "I will."

"Bye Spengs," Vernon called over his shoulder as he walked down the hallway, "Don't be a stranger. Call me sometime."

The woman turned from watching Vernon to face Egon.

"Friend of yours?" she said in English.

"Former boss," Egon replied, "Please come in Mrs.…"

"It's Ms.," she replied, "I'm not married anymore. But you can address me as Vladislava Tvardovsky Doctor of Psychology."

"I'm sorry," Egon said as he showed her over to his desk and offered her a chair, "any relationship to Aleksandr Tvardovsky the poet?"

"You know dedushka?"

"Only his works," Egon said as he sat down into his chair, "your grandfather published countless stories that dispensed with positively or educational value and depicted Soviet life as it was. My grandfather would read "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" to me when I was young."

"I never met dedushka Tvardovsky. He died before I was born," Vladislava Tvardovsky replied as she placed her briefcase down in her lap.

Opening it up she continued, "I'm always surprised to find someone who actually met him. He was one of my reasons for completing my degree."

Shifting through her briefcase Vladislava Tvardovsky handed Egon some papers.

"I'm sorry they are not in order Professor Spengler," she said as Egon took the papers from her.

Looking down Egon could see that the papers she had handed him were not in English. He could speak and read other languages but he didn't recognize this one. It definitely wasn't Russian.

"I'm sorry Doctor Tvardovsky," Egon said handing the papers back to her, "you must have the wrong papers."

Vladislava Tvardovsky narrowed her eyes at Egon before she spoke again.

"In my country Doctor of Psychology is equivalent to a full professor here. So addressing me as Professor Tvardovsky will suffice. And I was told you spoke and read Russian?"

"I do," Egon replied, "only those papers are not in Russian."

Professor Tvardovsky looked down at the papers that she held in her hands and cursed.

"Vybliadok!"

As she rummaged through her briefcase Egon could hear her muttering to herself in yet another language.

"IA ne rozumi iu!"

"That's not Russian," Egon stated as Professor Tvardovsky produced another set of papers to hand to him.

"No it's Ukrainian," she replied.

"But Tvardovsky is a Russian surname," Egon said as he took the papers she handed him, "I don't understand."

"Tvardovsky is a Russian surname but Petrenko is Ukrainian," Professor Tvardovsky stated. "My mother was born in Kiev."

"Ah," Egon said as he pulled the papers closer to him.

These he could read. They were in Russian and very impressive. Lecturer at Lomonosov Moscow State University for the past two years. Graduate of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in developmental Psychology. Spoke and read five different languages which included Ukrainian (native language), Russian, Spanish, English, and Latin. She was diffidently qualified to replace Professor Harrist.

Egon continued to read down the paper and then looked up at Professor Tvardovsky in surprise.

"Time-travel research?"

"Hobby of mine," she replied, "Don't you have any hobbies."

Egon smiled as he handed her back the papers, "None that I want the general public to know about."

"I see," she said taking the papers back from him.

"You are highly qualified for the position," Egon said, "Please leave me a copy of your resume in English for President Bollinger to look over. Ultimately he makes the final decision."

"I understand," Professor Tvardovsky replied as she placed the papers that Egon had just handed her back into her briefcase.

Rumishing through her briefcase Professor Tvardovsky pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to Egon.

"Here you go," she said as she snapped her briefcase shut and stood up out of her chair.

"Thank you for your time," she stated as she reached her right hand across Egon's desk.

Egon stood up and shook her hand before releasing it. He watched as she turned and started to walk across his office towards the door. "She is even good looking from the back," Egon thought to himself.

"Follow her," a voice said in his head.

Egon shook his head to clear it. Why should he follow her? He wasn't seeking another woman in his life right now, yet Eden's words came back to him.

"You have my permission to find another love in your life."

Egon looked down at the letter that sat on his desk and carefully picked it up. Turning his head he watched as Professor Tvardovsky stopped at the closed door to his office. He wondered to himself if she was looking for another love in her life. What had happened to her husband? Her resume has said that she was single yet she had mentioned to him that she had been married at one time. What had happened? She knew that he spoke and read Russian. How did she know that? It seemed that he wasn't going to find the answers anytime soon either.

Placing her hand on the doorknob Professor Tvardovsky opened the door and turned around.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Professor Egon Spengler," she said.

Egon stood holding his wife's letter as Professor Tvardovsky turned around and went to step through the door. Soon she would be gone and if President Bollinger didn't hire her Egon would never see her again in his life time.

"Go!" the voice in his head said louder, but Egon only stood his ground and watched as Professor Tvardovsky exited the room and shut the door behind her.

"You are just as shy as the day I met you," Eden said into Egon's ear as she pushed him towards the office door.

Turning around Egon saw Eden standing before him dressed all in white.

"No one should ever have to be alone," Eden said as she started to fade from view.

Egon watched as his wife faded away leaving only his office staring back at him. He had a choice to make, stand his ground or go after Professor Tvardovsky. Looking down at the paper that he held in his hand he finally made his choice.

Carefully setting the paper on his desk Egon bolted for his office door and opened it up. Looking to his left he saw no one, but when he looked to his right he saw Professor Tvardovsky rounding the corner to leave the building.

"Wait!" Egon shouted as he took off running down the hall.

Professor Tvardovsky stopped and turned around.

"Did I forget something?" she asked in Russian.

"Het," Egon replied back in Russian coming to a stop before her.

Professor Tvardovsky narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at Egon.

"What then?" she asked in Russian.

Egon stood up straighter and took Professor Tvardovsky by her right arm and turned her around. He placed her arm into the crock of his elbow and took his left hand to place it on top of hers. Guiding her towards the front doors of the Schermerhorn building Egon nodded to himself.

"I just thought," Egon said trying to sound casual, "that you might like a tour of Columbia University before you go Professor Tvardovsky."

Professor Tvardovsky smiled.

"I'd love a tour Professor Spengler, she replied.

Egon smiled back.

"You can call me Egon," he replied.

"Then Egon it is," she said, "by the way I think calling me Professor Tvardovsky is too formal also."

"Okay," Egon replied, "Vladislava it is."

"How about we use Verdie instead?" she replied. "It's the name my mother would call me growing up."

Egon nodded his approval as he led Verdie across the campus.

"Then Verdie it is."

Eden watched as she sat on the left shoulder of Daniel Chester French's statue Alma Mater outside Low Library in the plaza and smiled. Egon was explaining to Verdie that the plaza had been built to resemble a Greek amphitheater. She hadn't seen him this happy since the day that she had told him that she was pregnant again and this time with a son.

"Eden?" a young voice asked.

Looking to her left she saw an eight year old child dressed all in white standing on the right shoulder of the statue. The child was holding onto the scepter the statue held in its right hand. Eden's smiled turned into a frown.

"You were not supposed to follow me," she told the child.

"I know," the child replied.

"So what are you doing here?" Eden asked as she stood up.

"I just wanted to see them," the child replied.

"Who?" Eden questioned as she took the child's hand getting ready to leave.

"My parents," the child replied letting go of the scepter.

Eden looked to where Egon and Verdie were off in the distance.

"Let's hope so," she said to herself before she and the child disappeared.