Chapter 48: Echoes of the Past, Whispers of the Future

Sunday September 11th, 2005:

Katie awoke on Sunday to the familiar sounds of her mother moving around in the kitchen. She lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting the events of the past few days wash over her. It had been a whirlwind—shaking Josh’s hand in the parking lot after the game, the electric realization that they were both time travelers, the raw emotion in his eyes when she referenced their song, “Still into You.” Then came his heart-wrenching confession in the middle of the restaurant, the intense conversation at her house, and finally, their time together at his home the previous night.

Her mind drifted to another song, one that seemed to resonate deeply with her now—”Past Lives” by Sapientdream.

The lyrics echoed in her head:

“Past lives couldn’t ever hold me down

Lost love is sweeter when it’s finally found

I’ve got the strangest feeling

This isn’t our first time around

Past lives couldn’t ever come between us

Sometimes the dreamers finally wake up

Don’t wake me, I’m not dreaming

Don’t wake me, I’m not dreaming.”

The words were hauntingly relevant, as if they were written for her and Josh. She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of time itself pressing against her chest. Their love had transcended death, second chances, and fate itself. The question was—what came next?

Deciding that lying in bed and overthinking wouldn’t help, Katie swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up. Maybe they could see Josh again today, or maybe he could come over. Anything to keep moving forward.

After using the restroom and brushing her hair, she headed toward the kitchen, the scent of cooking filling the house. She stopped in the doorway, watching as her mother busied herself at the stove, a spread of food already in progress. It was far more than what was needed for just the three of them.

Judith turned, noticing Katie standing there. “Good morning, sweetheart. Go wake up your sister, will you? Your father called earlier—he’ll be home soon.”

Katie’s face lit up with excitement. “Dad’s coming home?” Without waiting for a response, she took off down the hallway and burst into Hannah’s room. “Dad’s coming home! Get up, sleepyhead!”

Her eyes adjusted to the dim light, and she suddenly realized that Hannah was already awake—and busy with something that clearly wasn’t meant for an audience. Blushing furiously, Katie spun around and fled the room, shutting the door behind her. “Sorry!” she called over her shoulder.

A few minutes later, Hannah emerged, looking at Katie with an exasperated expression. “You should know better than to just barge into someone’s room.”

Katie rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “I thought you were still asleep. I didn’t mean to—”

Hannah cut her off, rolling her eyes. “Well, after the display you and Josh have been putting on with those kisses, and then him answering the door in just a towel ... just—never mind. I’m taking a quick shower.”

Katie turned a deep shade of red. “Okay. Mom just wanted me to wake you up because breakfast is almost ready. I’ll let her know you’re showering. And ... I’m really sorry for barging in.”

Hannah smirked but said nothing as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Katie headed back to the kitchen, relaying the message to her mother, who nodded in understanding. “Since you’re here, can you finish setting the table?”

“Of course.” Katie took her time placing the plates, silverware, and glasses, letting the routine task ground her swirling thoughts.

Then, she heard it—the sound of a key in the front door. Without thinking, she dropped the last fork on the table and sprinted toward the door just as it opened.

Her father, Kirk, barely had time to step inside before she threw herself into his arms. He let out a surprised laugh and lifted her off the ground in a bear hug. “There’s my little firecracker!”

Katie giggled, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. “I missed you, Dad.”

“Missed you too, sweetheart.”

Kirk set her down gently and turned toward Judith, pulling her into a warm embrace. “I love you, honey,” he murmured against her hair.

Judith smiled, holding him close. “We missed you. Breakfast is almost ready.”

As Katie watched her parents reunite, she felt a sense of peace settle over her. No matter how many lives she had lived, this was home.

Katie’s family gathered around the kitchen table as the scent of freshly cooked breakfast filled the air. Plates of eggs, bacon, and toast were passed around, and the familiar clink of silverware against plates filled the room. Kirk, settling into his chair with a satisfied sigh, looked at his wife and daughters. “So, anything new while I was gone?” he asked, his tone casual but probing.

The women exchanged brief glances, silently debating how much to reveal. The weekend had been overwhelming, and finding the right words to explain it all felt impossible. Finally, Katie took the lead, drawing a deep breath before meeting her father’s gaze. “Well ... I met someone. Someone really important to me.”

Kirk immediately straightened, his expression sharpening as he turned to Judith. “Do I need to get my shotgun out and start cleaning it?” he asked, only half-joking.

Judith and Hannah burst into laughter, while Katie rolled her eyes but smiled. “That won’t be necessary, Dad. I think ... I think this one might actually be the real thing.”

Kirk let out a deep chuckle, shaking his head. “Well, I hope he’s a good one. Just make sure he knows that your Uncle Barry and I are very skilled in the art of making people disappear.”

Katie smirked, playing along. “If he ever becomes a problem, I can handle it myself.”

Kirk roared with laughter. “That’s my firecracker.”

Turning to his other daughter, he grinned. “And how’s my pumpkin doing?”

Hannah smirked. “Better now that you’re back. You know, making sure Mom and Katie didn’t burn the house down while you were gone.”

Kirk laughed again before turning to Judith, giving her a warm smile. “And how about you, darling?”

Judith patted his hand affectionately. “Just trying to keep these two in line. And failing, as usual.”

Breakfast continued with lighthearted conversation, the warmth of family filling the kitchen. As the plates emptied and coffee cups were refilled, Kirk stretched his arms above his head and let out a contented sigh. “Well, I need a shower and then a good nap. Been driving all night, and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”

As he pushed his chair back and headed toward the bathroom, the women remained at the table, their laughter fading into more serious expressions.

Katie leaned in, lowering her voice. “We need to come up with something to explain Josh to Dad. I’m not sure about telling him the whole truth, though. I hadn’t even planned on you two finding out ... it just kind of happened.”

Judith tapped her fingers against her coffee mug, her brows furrowed in thought. “Well, we have to tell him something. Your age difference alone is going to raise questions.”

Hannah shrugged. “Why not just tell him the truth? If we’re careful, he can be the last person we let in on it.”

Katie sighed, considering it. “I think we need to discuss this with Josh first. This affects him just as much as it does me. But with Dad home, we can’t exactly invite him over.”

Judith nodded. “Then call him. See what he thinks.”

Katie nodded in agreement and stood from the table. “I’ll go to my room and call him.”

As she walked down the hallway, she could hear her mother and sister beginning to clear the table, the clatter of dishes mixing with the distant sound of Kirk singing an old country song in the shower. Smiling to herself, she pulled out her phone and dialed Josh’s number, bracing herself for yet another conversation.

Katie hurried into her room just as Josh answered the phone. Checking the caller ID, he recognized the number instantly, despite not having it saved. Smiling, he picked up and answered, “Yes, beautiful?”

Katie grinned, her heart skipping a beat. Josh used to say that every time she called him before.

“Hey, I miss and love you,” she said softly.

Josh sighed, the warmth in his voice evident. “I miss and love you more.”

Katie’s smile faltered slightly as she got to the reason for her call. “We’ve got a little bit of a problem. My dad’s home off the road, and we don’t know how to explain everything to him. I don’t know if we should tell him the full truth or come up with something else.”

Josh didn’t hesitate. “Tell him everything.”

Katie blinked. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Out of everyone in your family, the only one I had real concerns about was Hannah. I would have liked to avoid telling her, but I slipped up at the restaurant.”

Katie sighed. “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have pushed the whole song thing with her around.”

Josh chuckled. “It’s alright. What’s done is done. How are you doing this morning?”

“We just finished breakfast,” Katie said, relaxing a little. “What about you?”

“Everything’s good over here, just wishing I could’ve woken up next to you.”

Katie smirked. “That would be wonderful. I could really go for some sausage myself.”

Josh laughed, catching her innuendo. “I know what you mean. It’s been forever since I had a taco.”

Both of them burst into laughter, their familiar banter easing the tension. But Katie, unable to suppress her curiosity, decided to test the waters. “I bet it’s been a lot longer for you than it has for me ... unless...”

Josh immediately understood the implication. “Yeah, it’s been around three decades for me.”

Katie let out a low whistle. “Bet you invested a lot in lotion and tissues.”

Josh groaned. “Oh, ha ha. Very funny. Rosie Palmer never let me down all those years. But honestly, I couldn’t stand the thought of trying to start over with someone else. And coming back as a ten-year-old with the mind of a sixty-five-year-old man? It would have been beyond creepy to even consider it. Even seeing you in your younger body is a little weird for me, but at least I know mentally you’re older.”

Katie teased him. “Oh? My younger body doesn’t get your motor running? You do realize this one is technically still a virgin.”

Josh groaned again. “You temptress. You’re going to get me in trouble.”

Katie giggled but sighed. “As much as I want to keep this banter going, I need to talk to Mom and Hannah before Dad gets out of the shower. I’ll try to call you later today. I love and miss you.”

Josh softened. “I love and miss you more, beautiful. I’ll be waiting for your call.”