A Kiss Goodnight at the End of Forever

Chapter 3 Pt 2 - Bedtime Story

"That's great," James said. He gave Martha a knowing smile, then to Serafina, "Night, Ser-Bear."

"Night, Daddy."

"I love you."

"I know."

The pair performed the customary carbon-freeze hiss and Wookie wail to end their greeting. The greeting that used to be mine.

"Hey, that's my line," Martha half-joked, half-heartedly. "And who does that make me, Boba Fett?"

"You can be whoever you want to be, Mom. But I think we're all discounting Leia quite a bit. I mean, she was the only Jedi in the room."

"That's true," James agreed.

"I'll take it," Martha conceded.

"What a great point because-" James began before Martha interrupted.

"I said, 'I'll take it.'" She forced a smile. The surprise on James' face gave way to concern. She'd sounded rude cutting him off. Why did I cut him off?

No one said anything for a few agonizing moments before James finally offered, "Well, I'll go finish up in the kitchen while you two, uh... do your thing."

More painful silence. Great, I've contaminated the room. James nodded to the pair of them awkwardly, then left.

Serafina and Martha stared at one another, smiling politely. The former slid to the side to make more room for their mother, who obliged, sitting next to them. Martha felt the urge to put her arm around Serafina and hold them so she did. Serafina nestled their head, not entirely dry from their bath, into Martha's side.

"All right," Martha said. "What story would you like to tell me?"

"Well... There's a lot to choose from," Serafina said, then yawned. "Though the clock is ticking on my five-year-old sleep schedule. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like me to start?"

"How about from the beginning?"

"We have a lot of those. You'll have to be more specific," Serafina joked.

Martha didn't laugh. At once heavy and hollow... Serafina sat up and faced their mother with an apologetic face. Martha shook her head. "I... I don't know what's wrong with me. I wish I... Because I know you didn't choose... I'm sorry I'm not more like your father."

"Okay. It's okay," Serafina soothed. Then they gave their mother a gentle smile and said, "I think I know."

∞ ☆ ∞

The 23rd of June, 2002, My Second Life

Waking in my second life was a singular experience. It seems obvious to me now, but neither my parents nor I had considered the possibility in my first life. We'd assumed I'd live my one and only life and then they would carry on without me. So when I woke up, I was completely unprepared.

In my first flash of consciousness – sitting in the back of my grandfather's car – I screamed bloody murder and nearly made him crash. The brief commotion altered my timeline enough that my second flash wasn't at a gymnastics class – as it was in my first, third, and every life thereafter – but on a children's roller coaster at a fair. I shrieked for my parents, but flashed out before they could reach me. And then on the third, my mother and I weren't painting in the garage, but instead, I was in the tub, giving myself a bath.