CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: Mike
Even in this universe, Mom was an amazing mother and still did all of my laundry. When I woke up Monday morning, I went to the dresser and pulled out clean boxers. A lower drawer held neatly folded Levis and in the closet ten to fifteen assorted graphic T-shirts hung in a row. I reached for a white North Face shirt, held it to my nose and noticed Mom still used Downy. I pulled the T-shirt over my head, admitting how good it looked on my trim body when I checked myself in the mirror hanging on my door. Levis hugged me in all the right places as well. Stepping into some well-worn Nikes, I headed down for breakfast and my cheerful mother.
My mother generally rose hours before I did, even on school days. She practiced yoga before meditating to prepare her for setting up her chakras or something like that. She hardly ever wore makeup and usually kept her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her routine must be working because she looked a decade younger than her true age.
“Omelet okay, son?” she asked after I showed up.
The kitchen smelled like incense of course and she had her new-age music playing softly in the background.All was good in her universe.I laughed at my internal joke, not realizing it was out loud.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, turning to face me.
“Just glad to see you never changed, Mom,” I admitted, sliding a chair from under the table I’d eaten off of my entire life. The table, like Mom’s decor, hardly ever changed: white farmhouse chic with a different table cloth every week. I tucked into the cheddar cheese with spinach omeletshe placed before me. Swallowing quickly, I inhaled deeply when I noticed a familiar scent. “Is that the smell that sets your day up for success?” I asked, motioning to the slim and scented smoke trail rising to the popcorn ceilings.
“So,” she began, albeit suspiciously. “Youdolisten when I carry on about my life enhancers.”
“Hey, as long as you’re happy,” I stated, shoving a heaping forkful of hash browns into my mouth. “Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you about your books,” I mumbled, my mouth still half full.
Mom sat down across from me, shaking her head in disappointment because I was talking with food in my mouth. While adding oat milk to her ethically sourced coffee she asked, “Which one, honey? Do you have a school project you need help with?”
“I didn’t see a book on parallel universes,” I said. “Do you not believe in that stuff?”
“Truthfully, I haven’t read up on it,” she admitted, blowing on her coffee before taking a sip. “But you know me, I’m open to all possibilities.” Mom pursed her lips and looked like she was trying to remember something important. “You know what?” she began. “I did read something a while back at the library about déjà vu and the connections to parallel universes. So, there could be something to it actually.”
“Wouldn’t that be weird?” I asked. “Kinda freaky, dontcha think?”
“Oh, not really, I love the idea of it,” she stated. “Imagine the limitless opportunities we’d have.” She closed her eyes and smiled. I knew she was thinking about Dad. “I’d like that, son. Eat up and I’ll take you and Cooper to school. I feel like going to the library.”
As soon as she said she was going to the library, I wondered if it was because of my question. I suddenly realized that maybe I should be more careful about asking questions or making observations about things I may have known in my former life.
That was the thing about Mom that I admired the most. She never poo-pooed other folks’ ideals, traditions, or beliefs. Instead, she immediately explored their rituals and educated herself about them. “Lemme know whatyou find, Mom.”
I stood and placed my plate in the sink, running water over it before deciding to wash and dry the plate before placing it in the designated cabinet.
Mom watched me the entire time. “Have you seen my son?” she asked, scratching her chin in amusement.
“What?” I questioned, leaning against the counter. “I can help out around here more.”
Mom stood and came to stand in front of me. “Okay. I’ll stop,” she stated. “I’m not going to tease you about this . . . this . . .”
“Change?” I said.
“So,” she began suspiciously. “This is intentional?”
“I appreciate you, Mom. That’s all it is.”
“Maybe my magic is working on you,” she said.
“Oh, trust me, I think it is,” I quipped.
* * *
Twenty-seven years old and walking down the halls of high school again. Was it trippy? Trippy as fuck. Absolutely nothing had changed in these hallways. The long and narrow space was still loud, buzzing with energy, and full of teenage shenanigans. I couldn’t believe I used to participate in all of the crazy.
“Wassup, Hill,” Jonah Selmer asked after smacking my shoulder. I’d forgotten how handsome he was. Jonah was actually a sweet guy back then too. He turned into a predator after we graduated, but I won’t be letting him know about his future.Why bother?I guess getting caught hiding cameras in the women’s locker room at the local gym, and then storing unauthorized videos on his personal computer didn’t appeal to his wife all that much. Rae-Anne Tilton had found the videos one night because her husband accidently forgot to log out. I was tempted to give her a heads-up to save her the embarrassment.
As I walked through the building and recognized kids from my past, I became overwhelmed by the memories of them as adults. I hadn’t plannedon this side effect of time travel. Was that what it was? Time travel? Had Mom even thought about the possibility that I could be my matured self while in this universe? Seventeen in physical appearance, twenty-seven in my head? After being at school for five minutes I was reeling.
“You’re in trouble, mister.” The unmistakable voice of Jennifer hit me from behind, I turned around and found my drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend scowling at me. “Big time,” she added, flipping her hair from her shoulder and leveling her gaze at me.
