Cadence

Part 63 - Tuesday, December 6th, 2106 or 2125 or...

Tuesday, December 6th, 2106 or 2125 or...

We got to the TTA of 2125 and appeared right in the middle of the conference room. Older Robin, Wendy, Younger Ryan, Older Me, Aaron, and Younger Polly were all sitting with steaming cups of either coffee or hot chocolate.

For a moment, they all were pointing guns at us.

"Why are you both in those uniforms...what's the F stand for? You're not apart of the TTA. You're a disgrace. Both of you. I am so disappointed in you." Chocolate fire burned in Aaron's eyes.

But instead of screaming at the guns or crying from embarrassment, Older Polly ran and hugged Aaron tightly. "Oh, Air, you're okay..."

"Polly, you're a traitor." Aaron growled, wrenching himself from her grasp. "Get off of me."

"I'm your sister!" she whispered, kissing his cheek. "I'm Polly. And you're not dead. Hug me."

Older Me spoke up. "Aaron, I've been watching Younger Me's memory. Polly and Ryan are here to help. They want to avoid the death of their lovers. They didn't have a choice on whether or not to follow Fulton. They wanted their lives."

Aaron sighed. Then, very slowly, he drew his arms around Older Polly's shoulders.

All of us smiled, but there was still plenty to do.

We had to figure out how to stop 'Fulton'. My sister.

And while I was thinking about that, I was suddenly overcome with the longing to run to where my angel was sleeping and hold her close.

"Aaron, can I please see my Gabriella?" I asked, and Older Me suddenly opened her mouth.

"Me too," she breathed.

Aaron sighed. "I'll tell Annika to go get her. Go, dear."

Annika, who had been sitting very quietly in a chair, her face white, stood up, and without one word, walked from the conference room.

And then I had another idea.

"Get Tom!" I cried excitedly. "Go, get him!"

"Oh, certainly," Older Robin looked at me with even more excitement. "I'll be right back."

He ran from the room, and right after he left, Annika came in, holding my beautiful Gabriella in her arms. She was still asleep, one tiny thumb between her soft, pink lips.

I dug my nose into her shoulder-length hair. Her pure beauty took my breath away.

"How can you turn into someone who would hurt me?" I whispered. "Why would you want to destroy the hearts of everyone I love? Why do you make my heart ache with love now, and...and make it ache with loss later?"

I felt an arm around me, and instead of my Robin, Wendy kissed my cheek very gently.

"If we figure out what we need to change, it won't happen, Caddy," she said softly. She laid a snowy hand on Gabriella's head. "This girl could grow up to do great things. She could repair, instead of destroy...but...Caddy, we need to figure out what to do. What went wrong."

"But I don't know!" I cried, and I sounded panicked. "I don't know what happened! I don't know where to start! It could have been any moment. As simple as ONE SECOND. And I don't know what that second could BE. I was at juvie for a month and a half of her life. Anything could have happened!"

"Cadence, I think it's wise you and Wendy go to your room and calm down," Aaron said. His voice had lost its authoritative, pushing tone. It was replaced with a quiet, soft lullaby.

Wendy took my hand and led me to our room. We both sat on the bed, and she fell asleep.

She's still sleeping right now as I'm writing this.

I'm so upset. No one will understand the agony I'm in. There is a moment in time that I need to fix and I don't know what it is. It could be anything. It could be something she did. It could be something my parents did. It could be something that one of her playmates did. And I don't know.

I just don't know.

And I never knew that not knowing something could hurt this bad.