SOMEWHERE IN THE FUTURE
I am standing clueless in the most surreal situation you can imagine, trapped in my future self, and staring at my future daughter. Oh my God, I just noticed her hair’s texture is a replica of mine. And her walk reminds me of myself. I’m going to cry bubblegum tears right now.
“Mummy, we’re late,” she says. “Have you slept in again?”
I kneel to the floor and open my arms, wanting her to jump into them. Instead, she stares at me, as if I am a loon. Then I realize I don’t even know her name.
“What’s wrong with you, Mummy?” she says. “Did you take your pills?”
“Pills? Huh,” I say, not caring about pills. “How about you come into Mummy’s arms?”
“Ooofff.” She stomps her feet and blows out a long sigh, showing her bubbly cheeks. “All right.”
She approaches me, and my heartbeat is like a freight train. Then she slowly moves into my arms. I squeeze her so tight. I can’t help it. Tears squeeze out of my eyes. This feels so good. So illegally good.
“Mummy, you’re choking me,” she says. “What’s wrong with you today?” She slides herself away and stares into my eyes. “Do you want me to tell Dad to drive me to school?”
“Dad?” I raise an eyebrow. Is it Jack? Really? It must be Jack. She has those light dimples in her cheeks. It must be Jack.
Then another voice calls from the hallway. Not that of an adult. Another kid. A boy.
“Lily!” the boy calls. “Where are you? I need to go.”
“Lily?” I stare at my daughter.
“Yes, Lily, Mum. It’s not like I chose the name.”
“Lily is a nice name,” I say. I love it, actually.
“Yeah, so you say.” She rolls her eyes. “At least it’s better than Tiger.” She points at the boy, a little older, standing by the door.
“Tiger?” I stare at him.
“Yes, Tiger,” she mumbles. “Hey, Tiger. Come meet Mum.”
“Thanks, I’ve seen her before.” Tiger giggles.
“Because she is acting like she hasn’t seen us before.”
“Then she didn’t take her meds,” Tiger says.
I am at a loss for words, staring at my cute kids, and experiencing something I’ve never thought of before. Hell, I haven’t even experienced being married. And frankly, I thought a girl who was out there to save the world wasn’t going to fall in love and have kids, ever.
But wait. Tiger and Lily? Is that why my plant in my cell means so much to me? Does this mean I have been into the future before?
“She is in a daze,” Tiger says. “Let’s get Dad to drive us to school.”
“No.” I stand up. “I will drive you to school.” It’s my responsibility, isn’t it? “Have you had breakfast yet?”
Both stare at me as if I am an alien.
“Did I say something wrong?” I say.
“You never make us breakfast,” Lily says.
“Oh.” I rub my chin. “That was a bad mum. Not from now on.”
Tiger and Lily burst out laughing.
“Dad won’t believe this ,” Lily says.
And then Dad calls out. He sounds like he is down in the foyer or something. My room is on the second floor. And he says, “Baby, are you awake yet?”
Suddenly, and upon hearing his voice, I realize I don’t want to see him.