“Believe me, aside from keeping up necessary appearances publicly, I won’t.” She laughs. “I don’t envy you, Ali. I get to fade into the background. You’re the one that’s going to be putting on a constant show.”
After we finish in hair and makeup, we follow Jane down to the lower level platform where Eric and Ben are waiting. As I walk down the stairs, Ben looks up at me in his brown suit with an ascot tie and a stickpin. He twirls a straw boater hat in his left hand and has his walking stick tucked under his right arm. The walking stick has a camera hidden in the handle. He looks dashing. His eyes brighten as I come toward him and his smile is beaming. This moment feels like the grand reveal after a makeover in every 90s romantic comedy. This is my Laney Boggs moment.
“Al, you look amazing,” he says as he grabs my hand to twirl me for a better look at the entire ensemble.
“We’re about to go to 1912. We should probably drop Al and stick with Alice.” I remind him of the proper etiquette. We might as well get used to that now, so we don’t accidentally have a lapse in conversation once onboard.
He smiles and dramatically bows to me, one hand behind his back. “Whatever you say, Miss Murphy.”
I bow back, matching his theatrical performance. “Wrong again,brother.It’s Miss Turner now.”
I break away to pack my items into my trunk. Each trunk has a small locked box inside it, intended to keep any modern conveniences packed secret.
Dr. McCoy joins Dr. Conrad on the lower level and we begin the final preparations. Everything feels simultaneously hurried and as if it's moving in slow motion. Dr. McCoy holds a small dark wooden box containing our return tickets; the talismans with hidden buttons.More like a panic button.
Dr. McCoy approaches me and motions for me to turn around. As he places the necklace around my neck and fastens it, he whispers in my ear, “Good luck, Ali.”
Dr. Conrad follows behind him and shakes Ben’s hand, which turns into a hug. “Good luck to you, Ben.”
As Dr. Conrad turns toward me, he pulls me into a hug. “Take care of yourself, Ali. And take care of him, too.” He nods his head over toward Ben.
I am not normally someone who hugs. At any gathering, when everyone goes around hugging goodbye, I tense up and become dead-weight. I don’t know how to accept love or affection from someone. His hands are shaking as he hugs me, and for the first time, I realize how nervous he is. I feel guilty for just standing here while he wraps his arms around me.
“See you later, James,” I whisper in his ear, trying to sound confident to comfort him. When he pulls back, I can see his smile, full of pride. There’s a gleam in his eye as if he is both surprised and touched that I’ve finally used his first name.
We assemble as directed onto the platform. Sarah and Eric hold on to the trolleys loaded with our trunks and suitcases. I stand next to Ben, and for the first time, he looks nervous. I look down and notice his hands are shaking. It feels as though we’ve traded places because for the first time since this all began; I feel calm and controlled. How much crazier can it honestly get?
Dr. McCoy begins the countdown as Dr. Conrad monitors the screen and pushes buttons.
“10, 9, 8, 7….”
Ben leans over to whisper in my ear. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Not like I can back out now. We’re in this. For better or worse.
“6, 5, 4….”
“You jump, I jump, Jack,” I whisper with a playful smile as I slip my hand into his. I squeeze his hand reassuringly, hoping to put him at ease. He looks back at me. Once our eyes lock, his breathing slows down and the nerves disappear from his face.
“3, 2, 1….”
Dr. Conrad pulls the final lever and I’m surrounded by nothing but a bright white light.
Chapter Nine
Backwards Traveller by Wings
April 10, 1912
The light fades. I can feel Ben squeeze my hand and he whispers with surprise, “We did it, we really did it. Open your eyes, Ali.”
I’m hesitant to open them. Even Ben’s words aren’t enough to make me believe it worked. I need to see it for myself, but a part of me is frightened. And for some reason unknown to me, I’m more scared that itdidwork.
I slowly open my eyes and see we’re in an alleyway behind a red brick building. In the distance, I can hear a muffled flurry of voices and commotion. Even the air feels different, heavy with salt and smoke. We all stare at each other in disbelief.Holy shit. I’m here.
Eric is the first to break, and he speaks for everyone. “We did it.” He has a tinge of surprise in his voice. None of us can believe we’re here, that we’re even alive.
Suddenly, a familiar panic washes over everyone’s face. We’ve all collectively realized that there’s no going back now and perhaps that is even scarier than the time travel itself. I recognize the panic on all their faces because I can feel it showing on my own. “Deep breaths, everyone,” I say reassuringly. I’m just as panicked as they are, but I go into my typical take care of everyone else over myself mode. Ben can see it in my face. There’s no hiding it from him. We understand the silence in each other.
He corrects his posture so that he stands straight and formal. He clears his throat as he holds his arm out for me to take. “Shall we, Alice?” I slip my arm into his and rest my gloved hand on his sleeve.
