Across the Multiverse

Chapter 6 | Boston, MA

This chapter of my life begins in the same cliche way that stories of this nature often do. My childhood friends wait until the very last second to cancel our plans.

Amy has a scratchy throat and should probably go to the clinic just in case it's strep. Sure, she has diagnosed seasonal allergies that show up at the same time and in the same fashion every single year without fail, but you can never be too safe. It's kind of her to be so concerned about protecting my health.

Daisy's mother's boyfriend, who is a good fifteen years her junior, has stopped answering her calls and texts (and she has left several hundred just to make sure they were going through). She is going to be in need of some major emotional support. She can't let her husband see her crying.

Jasmine has a big class project due on Tuesday that she completely forgot about until this very second. I didn't realize she was working on a second PhD!

Well, so much for celebrating the unofficial start of summer with the ladies in Newport.

I didn't really want to go anyway.

I shoot Gabe a text from behind my desk between classes. My students will freak if they see me on my phone since they aren't allowed to be on theirs.

I let my husband know about my newly cleared schedule, figuring we can make use of what was going to become an unused hotel reservation. I'm the one who booked it, and no one else has paid me yet anyway, so it's fair game.

I figure we will transform the next three days into a little romantic getaway. Visit a couple of vineyards. Get a little wine drunk and then stumble back to our harbor-side home base.

By the time the end of the day rolls around, I am surprised to see that my husband still has not texted me back. I suppose it makes sense. He's been sucked into this big pro bono case that one of his managing partners handed down to him. I guess they made some vague comment about it being a 'partner-making'' kind of trial. Sounds like an empty promise if you ask me. I just hope Gabe can find the time to get away this weekend. I feel like I haven't really had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him lately.

I arrive at our townhouse around 4 PM. I had originally planned to leave for Newport right after work, so now I get to enjoy this bonus me-time. I quickly fall into my usual afternoon routine.

Step one consists of making sure Lemon has had his afternoon meal before anything else can happen. Lemon meows his thanks as I head off to the bedroom for my own little cat nap.

Said nap never occurs, however, as sitting on my nightstand is a ginormous bouquet of roses that leaves me far too excited to sleep.

A frilly pink card is sticking out of the vase. It reads "Lorenzo's. 7 PM. Wear that little black dress I like."

Well, I'll take that as an answer.