Michele's eyes are slimy with tears. Through further investigation, she finds out the unspoken news. Her mother, Hermana Webster, had past away. She developed a cancer in her liver when Michele was twenty two, and her brother was nineteen. Her chances for survival were low as she also had cirrhosis. She never had a problem with alcohol, it was a byproduct of hepatitis. Their father to this day lived at the old house alone with Tommy. He took care of him as he was in agonizing loneliness from the loss of his wife. Tommy had no clue why his sister couldn't recall the most notable and traumatic days of their lives. The grandfather clock was passed down to Michele. Before she can ultimately go to the present for good, she visits the grave.

Rejoicing was hard to get to, especially for someone with the mentality of a twelve year old. She told no one to drop her off because she wishes to be alone. Michele took the bus, something she learn enough about. The ride lasted two hours; for two hours Michele sat in her seat with her racing mind. Even after going back to her preteen life, this was still inevitable.

The grave had a satin ribbon that was emerald colored and pinned to the headstone. A prayer was engraved into it, one of her father's favorite prayers. Michele couldn't understand it, the words were too big. She bends over to fix the flowers, one white rose was holding her sad little head down. Michele sings a song, her voice so soft and mumbling. It went like this,

If you're lost you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting
Time after time

When Michele hops the bus back home, a dark wind blew the petals away. A little girl on the bus asked her why she was crying.

#

With Mohammad stuck at work and the boys at school, Michele was left behind at home. Did her older self have a job, she wonders. Was she shirking it if so? She drops by the lobby, the grandfather cuckoo clock frowning at her from a distance. She came up to it like a guilt child to a parent. Her hands were folded behind her back and her eyes were downward. By sheer coincidence or unaware time wasting, the clock strikes an hour. The big arm and little arm twisted towards the sky. They looked like they were arrows pointing at the 12, they pointed and laughed at the number. They were really laughing at Michele, reminding her of the age she left behind. The bird leaves him home looking the same as ever. Michele was grimaced by him, he was grumpy as normal. This time he talked like a parrot.

"That really hurt you jerk!" He crows.

The woman's face was wet and long. The oddity of the scenario did not phase her at all. She let the animated animal bad mouth her all he wanted. Thankful for her, he stops. The cuckoo wore his serious face but he had a touch of softness to it. The cantankerous sass was sucked out. Michele apologize, there was no one else home to walk in on seeing an adult talk and answer to a cuckoo clock.

The bird fatherly speaks, "tell me what you feel and I'll let you change the time back."

She sobs, "I miss my mom, I miss my old life. Being married to Mohammad and Tommy not being a brat isn't worth it."

The control door opens and exposes the buttons. She had a better hang of them now, no mistakes were made. Michele cranks the knob the right amount of time and tinkers the clock arms. It was a good thing the last day she spent in the present was her birthday, that way it was easy to remember. She took further precautions to perfect every digit to the correct format. Finally, Michele closes the doors and goes back to bed. Even if time doesn't get fixed, she needed the sleep.

#

She wakes up in her old room, the familiar sights and smells hit her hard. The sun distributing light from the window behind her head, where it's supposed to be. No babyish stickers tarnishing anything or mirrors on the back of the door. A banner was hung in her living room that reads "Michele's 12th birthday" with the last word starting with a lowercase. Her family were all present at the kitchen table having banana foster pancakes. Everything seemed normal until Tommy spoke.

"Elehcim si a norom," he gurgles.

Michele stands up to scream, "I put everything backwards!"

The other Websters laugh, especially Tommy, who bowed from their lionizations of his joke. He piped on about how he knew she would fall for it. Normally Michele would want to thrash him, but instead she explodes with glee. Her mom was enlightened by her daughter's behavior rather than disturbed. Michele was vibrant and grateful and for some reason passionate about liver care ahead of time in case of problematic diseases. The mother asks her why she was so happy, she lies and says it was because it's her birthday.

The End