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“I’m happy for you Liv. Luke will give you a good life.” He pats the step next to him. I sit and he holds out his hand. “Can I show you?”
I nod, trusting him for reasons I can’t explain.
I take his hand and a vision, like a memory, appears. Only I’ve never experienced it before. I’m on a tropical beach somewhere. It’s warm, and the sky is a crisp blue, not a cloud in sight. Someone calls my name and I turn to find an older man calling out to me from the deck of a spacious cottage. I cover my eyes from the sun and squint. Is that Luke’s dad? Impossible.
I walk towards him, my curiosity piqued. The man comes out to meet me halfway and I stare in wonder. It’s not Luke’s dad. It’s Luke. He’s older. Salt and pepper dot his beard and short hair. There are more creases around his eyes, but they’re the same gorgeous pale blue. He wears a white cotton shirt that looks extra bright against his tan skin. It sits unbuttoned, fluttering in the breeze. The sparrow tattoo peaks out, but it’s much more faded than the one I saw this afternoon. I didn’t think it was possible, but he’s even more handsome. He smiles when he reaches me and grabs my face, kissing me until my toes curl.
He takes my hand and I follow him up the steps to the deck. Luke watches me and a frown forms. He takes my hand and closes his eyes. They pop open and he grins. “What year are you from?”
“Twenty twenty-one.”
His smile slips and he brings my hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss on my knuckles. “That was a tough year.”
“What year is this?”
“I can’t tell you. But it’s a good one.”
My eye catches on the sparkling emerald and diamonds on my ring finger and I gasp.
“So, I haven’t asked you yet,” he says. Tears well and he smiles. “It’s going to be ok.”
The sliding door opens and the younger versions of Luke and John walk onto the deck. My eyes widen as I gape at the teenage boys. “Mom, can I go on the jet skis? Uncle Garrett and Uncle Dylan said they'd go with us,” the one who looks like Luke says to me.
My hands fly to my mouth and tears flood my cheeks. The boy runs over, pushing Luke aside and gripping my shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“James, give us a moment. She’ll be ok,” Luke says.
The boy’s eyes crease with concern and my heart melts. “I’ll be ok,” I whisper. He relaxes and steps back into the house with younger John, glancing back at me several times.
“That’s our…” I can’t even finish it.
“Our son, James. He worries about you even more than I do.”
I smile and Luke chuckles. “And the other boy. He’s…”
“John’s? Yep. He might even be taller than him at the rate he’s going.”
His translucent watch buzzes and he looks at it and sighs. “Brody is going to be late. They got caught up in Miami.”
I continue to stare at him. “Everyone’s inside. Do you want to see?”
I nod and he chuckles. We walk up to the sliding door, and I put my hands on the glass to peek inside. John is there, his hair graying. Vera grins up at him, a toddler on her knee who’s her mini twin. Sylvie sits in a rocking chair. John bends down and kisses her forehead. My throat clogs when I recognize my dad, asleep in the armchair. His hair is a light gray, and his skin is more wrinkled, but he still looks fit and healthy. A gorgeous older woman I don’t recognize walks past from the hallway. She casts an affectionate look in my dad’s direction before she disappears into the kitchen, where more people bustle around. The voices are familiar, but the cabinetry blocks my view.
“It’s beautiful,” I choke out through my streaming tears.
I turn back to Luke, and he cups my face. “You have a beautiful life, with a beautiful family. All you have to do is say yes.”
He kisses me before I can ask questions. “Thank Charlie for me,” he says with a wink.
My eyes fly open, and I stare at Charlie. Tears flow down his face as a grimace forms and golden light crackles along his skin.
He grips the banister, his entire body tense as he grunts through his teeth. He relaxes and takes a moment to catch his breath.
“Are you ok?” I ask, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He nods. “Yea. The recoil just sucks.”
“Charlie… was that real?”
