same.
Until yesterday.
Yesterday in the antique store she'd had the same dream, and it had not
changed-until the point where Daniel started to back out of the drive. This
time she'd thrown herself on the hood of the car instead of watching him drive
away. This time she had screamed for him to stop, then begged him not to
leave-and for the first time since the nightmare had begun, he and Hope had
lived.
She closed her eyes, remembering the ring that she'd found in that old scrap
of lace-and the odd little man who'd looked at her with such sad, sad eyes. The
ring had been so small and yet it had slid upon her finger as if it had been
made to fit. She took a deep breath, making herself calm and trying to re member
what had happened next.
Oh yes-the scent of dust was in the air and another, more subtle scent of
faded roses. She'd started to feel faint and reached out to steady herself
against a counter.
Mary's heart started to pound. Even now she could feel the heart-stopping
panic of knowing something had been set into motion that she could not stop.
She vaguely remembered how her head had started to spin, as if everything she
was looking at was turning backward.
Backward!
She gasped as a new thought occurred.
Backward?
No. Not that.
It wasn't possible.
There was no such thing as going back in time. But she couldn't turn loose
of the notion. What if that last dream she'd had of their fight had been real?
What if she really had been given the opportunity to change their fates?
What if she had saved their lives and changed the future?
She shoved the picture album back on the shelf and got to her feet, then
went to the phone, picked up the receiver and dialed the operator.
“Operator, how may I help you?"
“What's today's date?"
“I'm sorry?" the operator said.
“Please," Mary pleaded. "Just tell me. What's today's date?"
“September 26th."
Mary started to shake. She'd walked into the antique store on October 2nd. She
took a deep breath and then asked.
“What's the year?"
“Ma'am, are you ill?"
No, but I may be crazy. "No, just please tell me. What year is
this?"
“It's September the 26th, 2002."
Mary replaced the receiver without acknowledgment of the operator's last answer.
What was there to say? Oh, by the way, I think I've traveled backward in time
and don't want to be late for dinner?
Before she could follow the thought any further, the phone rang. She jerked
back in reflex, half expecting to hear the operator's voice telling her to get
ready for a permanent trip to the funny farm.
‘Hello?"
“Mary, darling, how are you?"
'Phyllis?"
Phyllis O'Rourke laughed. "Yes, it's me. Surely it hasn't been that
long since we talked."
Only six years... but who's counting. "Sorry, I was sort of
preoccupied."
'I certainly know how that is," Phyllis said. "As for the reason
I'm calling, it will soon be Hope's birthday. I wanted to know if you'd made
any special plans, because if not, Mike and I would love to have all of you
over for dinner."
'That sounds wonderful," Mary said. "I'll check with Daniel and
get back to you, okay?"
'Great! I wasn't sure if you would be having a party for her or not, and
certainly don't want to intrude."
'Grandparents never intrude," Mary said. "You're a dear,"
Phyllis said. "I'd love to chat longer but Mike is waiting for me. Let me
know about the dinner later. Bye-bye."
'Yes, goodbye," Mary said, and hung up, amazed that the conversation
with a woman who had once hated her guts seemed so comfortable and warm.
She started back to the photo albums when the phone suddenly rang again.
This time she was a little more composed.
'Hello?"
'Hey, good-looking... it's me."
Relief washed over her in waves and sent her moving backward toward a chair.
'Oh...it's you."
She heard amusement in his voice.
'Who did you think it would be?"
'I just finished talking to your mom. She invited us to dinner for Hope's
birthday."
'What did you tell her?"
``That I'd get back to her
Until yesterday.
Yesterday in the antique store she'd had the same dream, and it had not
changed-until the point where Daniel started to back out of the drive. This
time she'd thrown herself on the hood of the car instead of watching him drive
away. This time she had screamed for him to stop, then begged him not to
leave-and for the first time since the nightmare had begun, he and Hope had
lived.
She closed her eyes, remembering the ring that she'd found in that old scrap
of lace-and the odd little man who'd looked at her with such sad, sad eyes. The
ring had been so small and yet it had slid upon her finger as if it had been
made to fit. She took a deep breath, making herself calm and trying to re member
what had happened next.
Oh yes-the scent of dust was in the air and another, more subtle scent of
faded roses. She'd started to feel faint and reached out to steady herself
against a counter.
Mary's heart started to pound. Even now she could feel the heart-stopping
panic of knowing something had been set into motion that she could not stop.
She vaguely remembered how her head had started to spin, as if everything she
was looking at was turning backward.
Backward!
She gasped as a new thought occurred.
Backward?
No. Not that.
It wasn't possible.
There was no such thing as going back in time. But she couldn't turn loose
of the notion. What if that last dream she'd had of their fight had been real?
What if she really had been given the opportunity to change their fates?
What if she had saved their lives and changed the future?
She shoved the picture album back on the shelf and got to her feet, then
went to the phone, picked up the receiver and dialed the operator.
“Operator, how may I help you?"
“What's today's date?"
“I'm sorry?" the operator said.
“Please," Mary pleaded. "Just tell me. What's today's date?"
“September 26th."
Mary started to shake. She'd walked into the antique store on October 2nd. She
took a deep breath and then asked.
“What's the year?"
“Ma'am, are you ill?"
No, but I may be crazy. "No, just please tell me. What year is
this?"
“It's September the 26th, 2002."
Mary replaced the receiver without acknowledgment of the operator's last answer.
What was there to say? Oh, by the way, I think I've traveled backward in time
and don't want to be late for dinner?
Before she could follow the thought any further, the phone rang. She jerked
back in reflex, half expecting to hear the operator's voice telling her to get
ready for a permanent trip to the funny farm.
‘Hello?"
“Mary, darling, how are you?"
'Phyllis?"
Phyllis O'Rourke laughed. "Yes, it's me. Surely it hasn't been that
long since we talked."
Only six years... but who's counting. "Sorry, I was sort of
preoccupied."
'I certainly know how that is," Phyllis said. "As for the reason
I'm calling, it will soon be Hope's birthday. I wanted to know if you'd made
any special plans, because if not, Mike and I would love to have all of you
over for dinner."
'That sounds wonderful," Mary said. "I'll check with Daniel and
get back to you, okay?"
'Great! I wasn't sure if you would be having a party for her or not, and
certainly don't want to intrude."
'Grandparents never intrude," Mary said. "You're a dear,"
Phyllis said. "I'd love to chat longer but Mike is waiting for me. Let me
know about the dinner later. Bye-bye."
'Yes, goodbye," Mary said, and hung up, amazed that the conversation
with a woman who had once hated her guts seemed so comfortable and warm.
She started back to the photo albums when the phone suddenly rang again.
This time she was a little more composed.
'Hello?"
'Hey, good-looking... it's me."
Relief washed over her in waves and sent her moving backward toward a chair.
'Oh...it's you."
She heard amusement in his voice.
'Who did you think it would be?"
'I just finished talking to your mom. She invited us to dinner for Hope's
birthday."
'What did you tell her?"
``That I'd get back to her
Similar Books
