(February 4, 2016. Lily: 16)
LILY: I'm so cold. I can't feel my body. I don't know where I' am and I'm terrified. There's ice and slush on the streets. I'm huddled in a corner near an alley. I can't find any clothes. I don't know how to break in anywhere and find some.
I pull my legs to my chest and wait. Maybe this trip won't be much longer. My hair is damp and I feel tears run down my cheeks. What is this! Why is this happening?! I hate this, this disease! Oh God! I'm cold!
"Lily?"
My eyes dart to a young women standing far from me.
"Who are you?" I whimper.
"My name is Doctor Brown… Lily is that really you?"
She seems shocked, as if she's seen a ghost. "Do you know about my… my problem."
She nods. "I'm well your doctor."
I shiver and she quickly sheds her coat and gives it to me.
"You came in today with your husband and told me about well… where'd I'd find you. My God! I should have listened to you today."
"What are you talking about?!" I shout while rubbing my eyes.
"Today is February 4, 2016. You walked into my office this morning as a 25 year old woman. You tried to convince me you can time travel, but I wouldn't listen and well here you are! At what? Sixteen? That's… that's amazing!"
I don't really understand, maybe it's because I'm too cold or because she's talking and ranting to herself. I stand up and wrap the long winter coat closer to me.
"How does it work?" Doctor Brown asks her eyes light and her lips curling into an excited smile.
"I'm not sure." I say softly suddenly feeling stressed and tired.
"Well can you tell me anything?" She demands.
"I don't know! I just want to go h-"
I leave Doctor Brown.
(February 4, 2016. Lily and Oliver: 25)
OLIVER: "Do you think she'll believe you?"
"Of course she will!"
I have to say that I doubt what Lily is putting so much faith into. We walk into the hospital doors and she races into the elevator. We stand side by side holding hands as the numbers light up and a ding sounds.
Once on the fifth floor we search for Doctor Cindy Brown's office. "Aha!" Lily cries triumphantly. "Told you we'd find it!"
We walk inside. Lily doesn't have an appointment, but she's smiling so I suppose she knows something I don't.
"Hello Doctor Brown? I'm Lily Oken."
A very tall round women stands from her desk and takes her glasses off. "Do you have an appointment?" She asks stiffly.
"Well not exactly." Lily frowns. "But I'm sure what I have to tell you will change that."
Brown sits down and points to the short gray chairs for us. We sit together in unison. Lily looks determined and I'm confused.
Lily takes in a breath; I reach for her hand and hold it tightly. "I can travel through time." Lily state fairly calmly.
Cindy Brown laughs. It's not a pretty laugh; it's loud and in a mocking manner. "Are you mad?!"
So far I'm not impressed with this lady Lily clams to be her friend and savor in years to come.
"I know this is very difficult to comprehend but it's true. I need you to take me under test. I want to understand this, and you're the one for the job."
After Brown finished laughing she shook her head. "I'm very sorry Mrs. Oken but what you're purposing is simply impossible. Time travel is still beyond some of the greatest scientist of our time."
Lily is still smiling. "I understand that you don't believe me. But if you happen to see something out of the ordinary tonight please give me a call." Lily writes down our home number and we leave.
Once we're out in the car I turn to Lily. "Ok spill."
She sighs. "I've already met Doctor Brown, when I was sixteen. She babbled on and on about how you and I came to her earlier this morning. She will find me in the alley on her walk home tonight."
"Wait! You were in an alley? Alone in this weather?! Why didn't you tell me? Lily, that's terrible." I'm frustrated and I have the urge to hold her, just to make up for that lost moment when I wasn't around to protect her.
"I got over it Oliver, its ok. I'm ok."
We drive home in silence.
It's around eleven o'clock at night when the phone rings. I turn over and answer it.
"'Ello." I yawn.
"Where is she? Put Lily on!"
I rub Lily's shoulder and she looks at me. "It's for you." I say smiling in the darkness.
"Hello?" Lily says into the phone. "I know…. Yes that's what I was trying to tell you earlier…. I understand…. Tomorrow? Seven? Make it eight I'm tired… Yes… Goodnight Doctor Brown." Lily hangs up and lets out a victory cry. "YES!"
We laugh together and she curls up close to me. Maybe with help we can figure all of this out. Maybe we can learn to keep Lily here, in the present.
(March 13, 2016. Oliver and Lily: 25.)
LILY: "Damn it!" I yell throwing the documents down.
"What?" Oliver asks looking concerned next to me.
"There's nothing here! Nothing! None of my family member's has any record of this dysfunction."
Oliver puts his hand on my shoulder, I shrug it off. I don't want him touching me right now. He gets the memo and backs off, mumbling about getting coffee. I stay put at our kitchen table and put my head down.
There's a knock on the back door. "Come in!"
Miley swings the door open and bounces in with Jake trailing behind her. The two have silly smiles on their faces.
"Guess what?!" Miley squeals.
"Huh?" I say looking bored and frustrated.
"Jake asked me to marry him!"
I'm happy for them, really I' am. Miley just picked one bad day to talk to me.
"Cool." I say dryly.
"What's wrong?" Miley asks her face falling.
"I'm just frustrated. Sorry Miles I'm just really not in the mood to celebrate."
With that said Oliver walks back in two mugs in his hands.
"Hey guys." He grins weakly.
"Hey." Jake waves.
Miley looks a little peeved and upset. Jake puts his arm around her and whispers something in her ear. She smiles and kisses his cheek softly. Jake is good for Miley. True, they can be annoyingly affectionate sometimes, but then again just the other day they caught me and Oliver making out on the couch. It evens out I suppose.
I feel a bolt of energy jolt through me. I hop up and embrace Miley. "I'm so sorry!" I gush. "I'm just upset about this family records but I shouldn't ruin your day!" She hugs me back.
"Always forgiven. Your problem is a little bit bigger then me."
I sigh while running a finger through my hair. I'm brunt out. I need coffee and coffee and sleep.
"Come on." Jakes says. "Let's go out, my treat?"
I glance at Oliver and he shrugs. I nod and he smiles. "We'd love to join you." I say while Miley and Jake look at us strangely.
"How do you do that?" Miley laughs.
"With practice." I smirk.
Dinner was the best idea! Sometimes Jake really surprises me. We were seated at a booth towards the back of a small French restaurant. Together we drank too much wine and laughed so hard we cried. Oliver and I toasted to the engaged couple and wished them well.
"Let's play a game!" I whine as we find ourselves back at mine and Oliver's small house. Miley chips in with a few suggestions: Monopoly? Sorry? Shoots and Ladders?
"Twister!" I shout while running to the closet and pulling out the game.
"You're kidding right?" Oliver laughs.
"Ah come on guys!" Jake smiles at me. "Let's play twister…"
"Ok, ok one foot blue and one hand… red!" Miley laughs after reading the spinner.
I groan while trying to navigate myself around Jake and Oliver. I make a bridge with my body when I finally find the spaces. I'm suddenly regretting this choice of game.
"My turn!"
We are waiting for Miley to read Oliver's next move but we hear a loud crash in the kitchen. I fall back onto Oliver and we are quiet for a minute.
OLIVER: Lily gets off of me and runs to the kitchen. I sprint after her along with Jake and Miley. We step inside and an older version of my wife is lying in a fetal position on the floor. She is bleeding from her head and feet.
The older Lily groans and looks to my Lily. "Stay back!" The other Lily yells holding a bloody hand out to us.
We stand helpless as she cries and suddenly disappears.
"Lily." I say nervously. "What was that? That was… ugly."
And from the horrified look on her face she does not know. What is going to happen to her? My wife, my best friend?
(April 12, 2016. Lily and Oliver: 25."
LILY: "Why don't you talk to your parents about this?" Doctor Brown asks as we sit in her office.
"I already have. My father tells me he believes it's from his grandmother. My great grandmother, but there's no way to tell." I'm getting very frustrated with Cindy. I need to know how to get this under control. After what happened in March I'm determined to solve this.
"Have you ever considered that there is no cure for this? I know that is a very sad idea but I think it's very much possible. You've tried the drugs I prescript correct?"
I nod.
"How are they working out?"
"Bad, I don't sleep much any more. And I'm getting these crazy moods swings." I reply bitterly.
"Well, from now on I'm taking you off of those. Lily, I'm doing what I can. Believe me I'm determined to help you."
I need to see Oliver. I want to kiss him and just lay with him in bed all day. He keeps me stable and healthy. After the pointless meeting with Brown I race home to him. I take the bus or walk now. It's far too risky to drive.
"Oliver? Oliver? Are you home?" It's a good possibility he's at work. We just quit our old jobs and opened a new skateboarding shop. Together we own and run it… well, it's mostly Oliver. I'm usually falling through time loops and getting stuck in the past or future, you know silly things like that.
"Oliver?" I'm starting to feel a little dizzy.
"Lily?" He runs to me and I hold him. My mind is racing and I'm having trouble concentrating. I close my eyes and…
(December 23, 2041. Lily: 25, Oliver: 50)
LILY: I'm on soft carpet floor. It's nice and warm unlike my many trips crashing to the hard cold cement. I look around and find clothes right beside me, I smile. After quickly getting dressed in a baggy blue flannel shirt and blue jeans I tie my long hair up and walk around.
The house is different from any other that I've been in. It's fairly small I hear a record playing. My feet pat the now wooden floors and I find an old man sitting in a large armchair listening.
"Hello?" I say softly hating that I interrupted his moment.
"Well, well you're early." He smiles.
"Huh?"
"It's me, Oliver."
I really looked at him. His hair is gray and there are many wrinkles around his mouth and eyes, but his eyes are still the same. Oliver, my Oliver.
"Hello Lillian." He chuckles.
I sit on the footstool next to him and look up at him. "I have a surprise." He says.
Oliver gets up and I hear his bones crack. I hear him take a record out of the record player and put something else in.
I listened intently. A familiar piano introduction starts up, nice and raspy. My heart swells and a smile curves across my face quickly.
"Oh Oliver…" I sigh looking to him as he sits back down.
"I knew you'd love it."
It's Billie Holiday's I'll Be Seeing You, one of my all time favorite jazz songs.
"I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day." I sing along.
"I'll always think of you that way." Oliver adds.
"When did you get this?"
"A long time ago, for your birthday." He smiles knowingly.
"I think that will be my favorite birthday… Oliver?"
"Yes?" He whispers.
"Do you even want me to ask it? Do you even want me to question where I' am?"
"No." He says quietly. "Please Lily, please don't ask. Just enjoy Billie."
And I do. We listen to the song three times. On the third time he offers to dance with me.
"I would love too." I smile taking his hand.
We come together his old cheek resting against my young one and we sway together oh so slowly.
"I love you." Oliver tells me in my ear, his breath hot.
"I love you too Oliver, with all that I' am."
He twirls me around and I giggle. He dips me backwards and I feel my time approaching. And I know Oliver feels it too. We give each other a smile. I kiss his cheek and with a sigh I say, "I'll be seeing you Ollie boy."
And then I' am no more.
(April 14, 2016. Lily and Oliver: 25)
OLIVER: It's been hours. I'm getting antsy and very worried. I look to the dark sky wishing she was here. It aches when she's gone. It hurts when we're too far apart.
"Oliver?"
"Lily!" I'm happy to see her coming from our bedroom trying to button up a shirt.
I notice tears pouring from her face and my heart breaks. "What? What is it?"
"Life!" Lily says throwing her hands up. "Life is so… so heart warming isn't it Oliver?"
I don't understand but I think she accepts my hug and my gentle kiss. All is well when she is here, in our time.
"Come on Oliver, let's go to bed." She says taking my hands. I follow; I would always follow her if I could. Always, always.
"Oliver?" She whispers to me later, when we're settled in bed.
"Hum?"
"Do you ever… do you want kids?"
I turn to her and run a finger down her soft cheek and neck. "Of course."
"Let's have a child." She stated firmly.
"But, but what about you know?"
"I don't care. Oliver, I want one child, just one."
"Ok." I say simply, because it is so simple. I love Lily and she loves me why not have a baby? I've always wanted to be a dad. And suddenly I want a child more then anything. I want someone here with me when Lily is gone. Someone that looks just like her. I kiss Lily and she kisses back but then stops.
"Not tonight."
I look to her confused.
"Just no, ok? I want you to hold me."
So I hold her and I can't help but wonder: When did we get so grown up?
….
Well there's that chapter. You're reviews have been lovely thank-you. Leave your thoughts.
Lazy Days