All My Tomorrows (37 page)

BOOK: All My Tomorrows

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Dr. Lewis stood and looked at the couple before him. "I can clearly see why Jordan loved you two so much. Here, she wrote this for you before she died more than thirty years ago. My wife found it a few years back in some old papers that were in a trunk my grandmothers owned. It was enclosed in a larger envelope addressed to me. With it, was a note asking me to hand-deliver it to you. I didn't expect it to be under these circumstances, but it seems appropriate. Considering what you three meant to each other, it's only fitting that she continues to help you across time."

Dr. Lewis handed the envelope to Andi. "I'll check back with you later today to discuss little Jordan's treatment." He then smiled at the couple and left the room.

* * *

Kale and Andi walked hand in hand across the pasture toward the tall oak tree. To the right of the tree was a small cemetery where Jordan and both her parents were buried. The couple approached Jordan's headstone and sat side by side with their backs leaning against it. Kale pulled out the letter Dr. Lewis had given them and gingerly opened it. It was several hand-written pages long. Andi entwined her fingers with his and laid her head on his shoulder as Kale held it before them and began to read.

My Dearest Kale and Andi,

I don’t know how to begin except to say I dearly love you both with all my heart. Because of your love and sacrifice, I have lived a long and prosperous life with the one person who completes me. I will be forever thankful that you came into my life. I know you compromised everything you believed in to help me realize the love of my life. For that, you have my undying gratitude.

Andi, I am so happy you came into Kale’s life. You are the main reason I felt comfortable leaving him. He needs you. You are the other half of his soul. Please take care of him.

I cannot possibly rest until I tell you how I came to be so happy. As it turned out, the final trip back was the charm.

On the morning Maggie was supposed to die, I almost slept through my opportunity to save her. An old woman that looked strangely familiar woke me in the nick of time. At the time, I didn’t know who she was, but as I write this and see my own visage in the mirror, I can only thank you for obviously indulging me one final time.

Loving Maggie is the most important thing I have ever done in my entire life. I don’t know how I could ever have lived without her. She is even more beautiful in person than she was in my dreams. The first time we made love, it was so incredibly life altering. I was changed forever.

Kale, you once told me that someday I’d be happy that you were around. My dear friend, I was always happy that you were around. You are the closest thing I have ever had to a real brother. Did you ever learn to comb your hair?

Kale and Andi both chuckled through their tears as Jordan teased him from beyond the grave. They continued to read the details about how Jordan had saved Maggie from Jan’s deadly plans. As the letter wound down, Jordan explained how the farm had been saved for them.

Kale, do you remember the land records for the farm indicating there were several owners between Maggie’s parents and mine? Well, I needed to find a way to assure you and Andi ended up with the farm, so I convinced Maggie to hold on to it until 2071, when my parents came along, and we sold it directly to them. Let me tell you, it was very strange meeting them two years before I was born. They both stared at me in the oddest way, like they thought they should know me. I wanted so much to tell them who I was, but that might have just given them both heart attacks, then I would have killed my parents before my own birth. Talk about the ultimate paradox!

Maggie and I were married a year after the final transfer, and thanks to the wonders of science, we had two children, a boy we named Kale and a daughter named Andrea, after two people I love with all my heart. The two of you made all of this possible for me. I will be forever in your debt and will watch over you and your loved ones for the rest of eternity. That is my promise to you.

Kale, you warned me about not creating paradoxes with my presence in the past, but as I see it, impacts of a positive nature would surely be welcome. So, as you probably know, I continued our spinal cord regeneration research. It is my sincere hope that by taking the knowledge back one hundred years, SCI healing will have advanced at a much faster rate. It’s the least I could do to repay the two of you and Peter for all you did for me.

If you are reading this letter, then you have met our grandson, Jordan. We are so proud of him. He has known about where I came from since he was a child. In fact, our children, Kale and Andrea, as well as all six of our grandchildren know. Jordan has chosen to enter the field of spinal cord regeneration to follow in my footsteps. He just completed his internship and will return to school in the fall to pursue advanced training in neurology. He is determined to escalate the progress we have seen over the past several years. I have confidence that he will succeed.

When I realized Jordan might have the opportunity to meet you in person, I penned this letter and gave it to him for safekeeping until he could deliver it personally. At the time of this writing, you will still be toddlers, so it will be several years yet before you actually see it. It is my sincere hope that he has carried out my wishes.

Well, my dear friends, I am tired and must rest. It is unfortunate that time travel cannot erase the ravages of age. My body is old but my spirit is still young. I have little time left in this world and look forward to the day that Maggie will join me and we will be together again for all eternity. I am not afraid to die. I know there is something more beyond this physical state. One day, Maggie will join me, as will both of you. I will miss my Maggie, but we have had fifty-eight wonderful years together thanks to you. There is nothing in this world that I could ever do to repay you. Know that I love you both, and I look forward to seeing you again one day. Give my best to Peter.

Take care of you…

Love, Jordan.

Andi clutched at her heart. "It hurts so much. I miss her."

Kale made no attempt to stem the flow of ears from his eyes as he brought the letter too his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"I love you, Jordan. I always have." He reached over to take Andi's hand in his own. "It warms my heart to know she was happy."

Andi smiled through her tears. "Me too."

Kale held the letter in front of both of them. "Jordan," he said out loud. "You said there was nothing in this world that you could do to repay us. Well, my friend, you were wrong. You are giving our child's life back to us. It doesn't get any better than that."

"Amen," Andi chimed in.

Kale leaned over and kissed Andi tenderly. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

Andi inhaled deeply. "I believe you have, but I never tire of hearing it. I love you too, Kale, across all space and time."

"Across all space and time."

Kale carefully folded Jordan's letter and placed it in his pocket, then rose to his feet and offered his hand to Andi. Soon, they were walking hand in hand back to the farm.

At that moment, if Kale and Andi had looked at Jordan's headstone, they would have seen that it now mysteriously read;

Jordan Marie Lewis

Born September 20, 2073

Died July 4th, 2077

Free front the bonds of time, and held in the arms of love.

Thank you, Kale and Andi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo Credit: Brad Fowler, Song of Myself Photography

Karen D. Badger is the author of On A Wing And A Prayer, Yesterday Once More (a 2009 Golden Crown Literary Award winner for Speculative Fiction), In A Family Way, Unchained Memories, Happy Campers and Collective Identity: Books I, II, III and IV of the Commitment Series, and The Blue Feather, all published by Badger Bliss Books. This novel, All My Tomorrows is a sequel to the 2009 award winning, Yesterday Once More.

Born and raised in Vermont, Karen is the second of five children raised by a fiercely independent mother, who remains one of her best friends to this day. Karen earned her B.A. in 1978 in Theater and in Elementary Education, and in 1994, earned a B.S. in mathematics. In addition to her novels, Karen is the author of many technical papers on photomask manufacturing, which she has presented at numerous semiconductor industry conferences, and is the holder of several technical patents. Karen works as a semiconductor engineer for a leading edge computer chip manufacturer in Vermont.

Karen and her wife, Barb (a retired Lt Col in the US Air Force) live in the beautiful state of Vermont — home of Ben and Jerry's. They spend their spare time with family: sons Heath and Dane, their respective ladies, Kacie and Daisy, and their three grandchildren, Kyren, Ariana and Ellie, as well as doing home improvement projects on both their homes in Vermont and New Mexico. They also enjoy camping, kayaking, motorcycling and singing Karaoke.

In 2014, Karen and Barb (aka, 'Bliss') founded Badger Bliss Books when Karen's previous publisher, Blue Feather Books, Ltd., closed its doors. This novel is the second one, along with Collective Identity, to be published solely by Badger Bliss Books. They invite you to visit the Badger Bliss Books website or to drop them a line at [email protected].

You can find the website for Badger Bliss Books at www.badgerblissbooks.com.

OTHER TITLES BY KAREN D. BADGER

www.badgerblissbooks.com

On A Wing and A Prayer

First edition published by Blue Feather Books, Sept, 2005