"She scares me, Gina."
"Scares you, how? She hasn't been abusive, has she?"
"No, not at all. In fact, she's so tender and loving… more so than anyone I've ever met. It's just that this whole mess is so abstract. I don't know what to believe. I can't help it, Gina. I'm the type of person who needs to touch and feel things to believe them. She's asking me to suspend all disbelief here, and I don't know if I can do that."
"Yet you're miserable without her. Think about that, Maggie."
Maggie nodded and watched the bubbles swirl around her for the next several moments before she looked up at Gina again. "You said you know where she is?"
Gina nodded. "I do."
"Is she okay?"
"Funny you should ask that. When I dropped her off this morning, she asked me to check on you to make sure you were okay."
"She did?"
"Yes. She wears her love for you on her sleeve, Maggie. A blind man could see it. On the first day we met her, Sam asked if she loved you and she was so choked up, she couldn't even answer. Sam simply said, No need to answer, I can see it in your face."
"Where is she, Gina?"
"I'm not going to share that information with you if you have no intention of using it, so ask me again if it gets to that point."
Maggie yawned loudly.
Gina pushed the button on the hot tub and shut off the jets. "Out with you," she said. "You obviously need a nap. Sam will be home in a couple of hours. That should give you adequate time to get some rest."
Gina held the towel for Maggie as she allowed herself to be swaddled in terry cloth comfort, then accepted Gina's hand to help her out of the tub.
As Maggie walked through the house toward the guest room, Gina remembered that they had yet to change the sheets from Jordan that morning. "Maggie, wait. I need to change the sheets before you crawl in. We didn't have time to do it after Jordan climbed out of them this morning."
Maggie turned around sharply. "No, please don't. I need to feel her near me, even if it's only her essence."
"Okay. Head on in then. I'll wake you when Sam gets home."
* * *
Gina met Sam at the door when she got home. The minute she walked into the entryway, Gina grabbed her and pressed her against the wall. She kissed her long and hard then pulled her close for several moments. When she released Sam, she touched her forehead to hers and whispered, "Promise you'll always love me."
Sam dropped her bag to the floor and took Gina's face between her hands. "Sweetheart, you're trembling. Of course I'll always love you. Baby, talk to me."
"I've never seen such raw pain on someone's face as I've seen on both Maggie and Jordan's. Sam, they are dying apart. I don't ever want that to happen to us."
"Not a chance. You're stuck with me, and don't you forget it. Okay?"
Gina nodded and kissed her again. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now why don't you come help me get dinner started." Sam stopped part way to the kitchen. "By the way, where's Miss Thang?"
"Miss Thang is right here," Maggie said as she came out of the bathroom and straight into Sam's arms.
"Come here, darlin'," Sam said as she held her close. "How are you doing?"
"I've had better days," Maggie replied. "Can I help you with dinner?"
"If you'd like, then you can tell me what's been going on in the crazy red head of yours."
"Crazy is a good way to put it. It sure feels that way of late."
Gina followed them into the kitchen. "Does this mean I get out of cooking?" she asked hopefully.
"Not a chance. Now drag that cute white ass of yours over here and peel the potatoes," Sam joked as Gina pouted. "And use the potato peeler. I'd like there to be some potato left to actually cook when you're done."
"Nag, nag, nag," Gina mumbled.
"What was that you said?" Sam asked.
Gina perked up. "I said, sure, honey. No problem. I love peeling potatoes."
"That's what I thought you said." Sam winked at Maggie, who chuckled at her friends' antics.
* * *
Sam paced back and forth across the living room. "So let me get this straight. She's from the future?"
"That's what she claims," Maggie said.
Sam stopped in front of Maggie. "Do you believe her?"
"I don't know. I… I don't know what to believe. She's been able to quote things directly from my diaries that I've never told another living soul, yet I tore the wall apart in my bedroom a few days ago to see if they were still there… and they are, so she would have had to read them before I even met her."
"Wait a minute. You diaries were between the walls of your bedroom?" Sam asked.
"Yes. I put them there a while back on a whim, you know, as a time capsule of sorts. I thought it would be fun for someone to find them…" Maggie trailed off.
"In the future," Gina finished for her.
"In the future," Maggie repeated.
Sam sat down beside Maggie and took her hand. "And you say John saw her appear?"
"He claims he did."
"And he didn't freak out about it?"
"John said, and I quote:
Jordan is good people. Once I got to know her, I could tell she was harmless. It don't matter none to me where she comes from, only that she's good people."
"Gotta love John," Gina said.
"Well if she's really from the future that would explain the implant in her back. I'm sure spinal cord regeneration techniques will improve significantly over the next eighty or so years," Sam observed.
"Well, if she has her way, it won't take another eighty years," Gina said.
"What do mean, if she has her way?" Maggie asked.
"She has a meeting scheduled with the Vermont Spinal Institute in a couple of weeks to convince them to fund her research on the spinal implant," Gina explained. "I only hope it doesn't backfire and get her arrested."
"Arrested? Why would they do that?" Sam asked.
"Because she has no identity," Maggie explained. "Think about it. She won't even be born for another fifty-four years. You're right, Gina, there is a chance they'll think she's an illegal and have her arrested."
"What are we going to do? We can't let her go to jail, or get deported," Sam said.
"Get deported to where, the year 2105?" Gina said. "No, we need some other way to make her legal."
Maggie stood and walked across the room to stand in front of the picture window, her back to her friends. She stood there, looking out into the darkness in silence for a long time until Sam approached her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Maggie, are you all right?"
Maggie turned and looked at her friend. Tears were falling freely from her eyes. "I know what to do." She looked at Gina. "I need to see her, Gina. Where is she?"
CHAPTER 20
"What do you mean, you know what to do?" Gina asked.
"I'm going to marry her," Maggie replied.
"Whoa, wait a minute," Sam interrupted. "Are you sure you want to do that, Maggie?"
"I may be freaked out about all this future stuff, but one thing I am absolutely sure of, is that I love her. I have loved her almost from the first time I set eyes on her."
Maggie paused to collect her thoughts. "You don't know this, but I actually asked her to marry me several weeks ago. We were going to do it around my birthday, which is only two weeks away, but then the near-death experience and time travel thing changed everything."
"Ya think?" Gina said sarcastically.
"Gina," Sam admonished gently.
"So, how do you think marrying her will make her legal?" Gina asked.
"Well, foreigners who marry US citizens are generally not deported, so I figured—"
"But she still doesn't have any ID. You need to show ID to get a marriage license," Gina pointed out.
Maggie turned back toward the window for several moments. Suddenly, she swung around. "Gina, maybe you can.…"
"No fucking way. Don't even go there, Maggie," Gina said. She sat back on the couch and crossed her arms defiantly.
"But—" Maggie started.
"I was a stupid kid then. I have too much to lose now. It's too risky," Gina insisted.
Sam looked back and forth between Maggie and Gina. "What's going on here?"
"When we were in high school, Gina had this little business going on where she would make fake ID's for people," Maggie said.
"Seriously, Gina?" Sam asked.
"Key word here is high school. Like I said, I was a stupid kid then. We're talking now about a grown-up world and grown-up situation with authorities who could do some pretty severe damage to me if we're caught," Gina explained.
"But Gina, the only person we would have to fool is the town clerk. Once we have a marriage license the rest should be relatively easy. I mean, if the spine institute accepts her, she'll be issued an employee ID and medical insurance cards. That, along with our marriage certificate and a few pieces of mail addressed to her, is enough to establish residency. Once we have residency established, we can see about getting her a social security number."
"You are being way too optimistic, Maggie. I'm pretty sure the spine institute will want her social security number before they hire her, otherwise, their asses would be on the line with the federal government," Gina reasoned.
"Not if they want what she has to offer badly enough," Maggie said.
"Are you suggesting they might look the other way and break some rules just to get access to the spinal implant?" Sam asked.
"That's exactly when I'm suggesting. Hell, they might even help get her the documentation she needs to become a legal citizen."
Sam looked at Gina. "I guess it all comes down to just how much risk we're all willing to take… you with the fake ID, Maggie with an illegal marriage license, and Jordan with the possibility the spine institute may not play nice."
"And you?" Gina asked.
"Well, I guess, I'd be a willing accessory to all of it. In the eyes of the law, I may be just as responsible as the rest of you." Sam held her hands out to the side to emphasize her point.
"Okay. Stop right there," Maggie said. "This is becoming way too complicated. I obviously didn't think this through before I opened my mouth. Maybe it's not such a good idea. You two have no skin in this, and it's unfair of me to ask you to put your necks on the line. I'm sorry."
A silence fell over the three friends. Gina remained on the couch, her arms crossed, Maggie leaned her backside against the window sill and Sam stood there looking at both of them.
"Well then, I guess we should defer this decision to Jordan. I mean, she's the one who is most at risk here," Sam said.
* * *
"Hi Jordan," Gina said into the phone. "How are you settling in?"
"Hey, Gina. There wasn't much to do but put my clothes and groceries away, which was accomplished in about a half hour after you dropped me off this morning. Other than that, I'm pretty much bored out of my mind. I'm used to having an endless list of chores to do on the farm. Did you get a chance to check in on Maggie when you got home?" Jordan asked.
"I did. In fact, she's here with us right now." Gina listened to the silence coming from the other end of the line. "Jordan? Are you there?"
"She's there with you? Is she okay?" Jordan asked.
"Yes on both counts. In fact, she'd like to talk to you, if you feel up to it." Again, Gina listened to silence. "Jordan?"
"I'm here. I… I wasn't prepared for that. I assumed she'd never want to see me again. Is she angry?"
Gina glanced at Maggie who sat beside her on the couch eagerly waiting for the phone. "Is she angry? No, she's not angry. You've actually been the topic of conversation for the past hour or so. Maggie has something important to ask you, and we have plans to make before your meeting with the spine institute."
"What kind of plans?"
"Well, we believe there's pretty significant risk involved with you exposing yourself to the institute, and we need to come up with some sort of plan to mitigate that. The last thing any of us need is for you to be arrested or detained in some way because you can't prove you exist."
"Believe me Gina,
that
thought has crossed my mind several times since I made the appointment. What do you have in mind?" Jordan asked.
"I think we'd best leave that discussion for when we're face to face, but right now, Maggie wants to talk to you. Is that okay?"
"Damn. Suddenly, I can't breathe," Jordan said.
Gina stood up and stepped onto the back deck, casting a nervous glance over her shoulder at Maggie as she went. "Jordan, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just really nervous about talking to Maggie."
"I totally understand how you feel, but I think talking to her will be good for both of you."
"Has she said anything to you about what happened between us?"
"She's told us more than you probably would have wanted her to, if that's what you're asking."
"So, are you as freaked out about it as she is?"
"I won't lie and say I don't have concerns, but like I told Maggie, I would love Sam, even if she teleported here from Mars. I happen to believe love transcends all things, and if you and Maggie love each other as much as I think you do, I am confident things will work out."
"She said she loves me?"
"She said the time travel thing is a little hard to deal with, but the one thing she is sure of is her love for you. Don't give up on it, Jordan. You guys need one another right now."
Gina glanced into the house through the sliding glass door and saw Sam holding Maggie in her arms. Maggie was crying.
"Gina, I'd rather talk to Maggie face to face. I can call a taxi and be there within an hour if it's not too late," Jordan suggested.
Gina looked at her watch. "It's only seven o'clock. I will come to get you. A taxi from Burlington to Shelburne will cost a fortune. I'll be there in about a half hour. Pack a bag for a couple of nights, okay? Tomorrow is Friday. Sam and I have to work, but that will give you all day for the two of you to work things out."
"I'll be waiting… and Gina, I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."
"Your friendship is payment enough. I'll be there soon. Bye."
Gina slipped her phone into her shirt pocket and went back into the house. Maggie and Sam's attention was immediately drawn to her.
"She doesn't want to talk to me, does she?" Maggie said in a tearful voice.
Gina grabbed her truck keys from the key holder on the kitchen wall. "I'll be back in about an hour. I'm going after Jordan."
* * *
Maggie sat on the couch in the living room, nervously fussing with her hair while Sam stood in the window keeping watch. Finally, headlights appeared at the end of the driveway. "They're here, Maggie," she said.
"Do I look okay?" Maggie asked.
Sam walked over to her friend and took her hands. "You are an amazingly beautiful woman, Maggie, but I'm guessing you could look like death warmed over right now and it wouldn't matter to Jordan."
Their attention was drawn to the sound of the front door opening.
Maggie squeezed Sam's hands.
"Sam, we're home," Gina's voice called out.
"In the living room, love," Sam replied.
"Throw your bag on the floor for now, and give me your jacket. I'll hang it up for you," Gina said.
Jordan walked ahead of Gina into the living room and stopped short when she saw Maggie sitting on the couch. She was unable to speak and unable to move as their gazes locked.
Gina walked around Jordan and motioned to Sam to join her. Sam obliged as they walked hand in hand down the hall to their bedroom, leaving Jordan and Maggie alone in the living room.
It was several long moments before Jordan found her voice. "Maggie," she whispered. She extended her hand forward while consciously fighting to keep her tears in check.
Maggie didn't need a second invitation as she rose from the couch and ran into Jordan's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Jordan. I'm so sorry," she said.
Jordan clung to her for dear life, nearly crushing her in her embrace. "I love you, Maggie. I love you so much."
"You are the best thing in my life, Jordan. I'm sorry I asked you to leave. I was such a fool," Maggie said.
Jordan eased her death grip on Maggie and leaned back to look into her face. She cupped the side of Maggie face with her hand. "No, you're not a fool. The truth does sound crazy. I don't blame you for being afraid. I know this won't be easy to deal with, but know that I love you with everything that I am."
Jordan wiped the tears from Maggie's face. "Please don't cry. It's breaking my heart."
"I'm sorry. I can't help it. There is just so much emotion spilling from my heart right now, I can't contain it."
Jordan lowered her face to Maggie's and tentatively brushed her lips against hers. "Let me love you," she whispered.
Maggie wrapped her hand around the back of Jordan's head and pulled her mouth closer for a deep, probing kiss. "Love me, Jordan. Please."
Jordan scooped Maggie into her arms and carried her to the guest room, kicking the door closed behind them. She placed her on the bed and lay completely on top of her. "I've missed you so much, Maggie. I've missed holding you in my arms at night. I've missed the smell of your hair and the softness of your skin. I've missed the taste of your essence."
Maggie tilted her chin upward to give Jordan access to her neck. "Oh, my God, Jordan. Do you know what you're doing to me right now?"
Jordan slipped her hand into the front of Maggie's jeans and encountered a flood of moisture that caused a spasm to wrack her own body. "Maggie, I need you," Jordan said in a shaky voice."
Maggie reached down and unbuttoned her own jeans then pulled down the zipper and pushed Jordan's hand deeper into the front of her panties as she lifted her hips. "Ahhh, Jordan, I need more."
Jordan sat back on her knees and pulled Maggie's jeans and panties off and tossed them on the floor. She pulled Maggie's button-up flannel shirt over her head without unbuttoning it and threw that on the floor as well, before making short work of Maggie's bra.
Before she could do anything else, Maggie sat up and began removing Jordan's clothing. "Off with this," she said as she pulled Jordan's shirt over her head followed by her sports bra. As soon as Jordan's breasts were freed from her bra, Maggie suckled her hardened buds, causing Jordan to spasm involuntarily.
"Maggie, as much as I'm enjoying this, I'm going to come right now if you don't stop," Jordan said.
Maggie grinned and turned her attention to the button and zipper on Jordan's jeans, and soon added them to the pile of clothing on the floor.
Jordan shifted her weight to one side and ran her fingers through Maggie's damp curls before plunging deep inside. Maggie's head pressed into the pillow as she moaned loudly, spurning Jordan on to increase the frequency and depth of her thrusts until Maggie's hips arched high off the bed.
"Jordan," Maggie cried as her body convulsed again and again.
Jordan turned her palm upward and curled her fingers to slowly massage the sponge-like tissue at the front of Maggie's vagina. Maggie involuntarily convulsed a few more times, until finally, Jordan removed her hand and gathered her into her arms.
After a few moments, Maggie kissed Jordan tenderly. "My turn to love you," she said.
"This won't take long. I almost climaxed just looking at you in the living room tonight," Jordan joked.
Maggie pushed her onto her back and kissed her way from Jordan's ear to her breasts where she inhaled each nipple, catching the swollen bud between her teeth and flicking it with the end of her tongue.
Jordan caught Maggie's head between her hands and encouraged her to continue. "I'm almost there, Maggie. God, what you do to me."