Chapter 53: Tale of Two Hearts, Part Two

Friday September 16, 2005:

The weight of the conversation was pressing down on Kirk, and it was clear he was feeling overwhelmed. Everything Josh and Katie had told him—the impossible truths, the revelations of past lives and second chances—was almost too much to process in one sitting. He exhaled deeply, rubbing a hand over his face before shaking his head slightly.

“Mind if I take a breather?” Kirk finally asked, his voice strained but steady.

Josh, knowing Kirk as well as he did, nodded in understanding. “Let’s step outside,” he suggested.

Kirk gave a brief nod of appreciation, and the two of them moved toward the front door while Judith and Hannah began clearing the dishes in the kitchen. The evening air was crisp, carrying the lingering scent of summer’s end. The quiet of the night was a stark contrast to the storm of emotions raging inside Kirk’s mind.

Josh walked over to his Supra, popping open the trunk. He reached inside and pulled out a small box before turning back to Kirk. With a knowing smirk, he extended it toward him.

Kirk arched an eyebrow. “What’s this?” he asked, eyeing the box with skepticism.

Josh’s smirk widened slightly. “Go ahead, I won’t tell them.”

Still uncertain, Kirk lifted the lid and found himself staring at an unopened pack of his favorite brand of cigarettes, accompanied by a lighter. His breath caught for a moment. He hadn’t brought any cigarettes into the house—he’d told Judith he quit. And yet, Josh had known. Knew exactly what brand he smoked, knew that he only indulged while he was on the road. A realization struck him like a freight train. Josh really knew him.

Kirk let out a low whistle, pulling the pack from the box. He flipped it open, tapped a cigarette out, and placed it between his lips before flicking the lighter. The familiar crackle of burning tobacco filled the silence as he took a long drag.

Josh held out his hand, motioning for one as well. Kirk glanced at him, then back at the pack before shrugging and offering him one. Josh took it, lit up, and inhaled deeply. It had been so many years since he’d last smoked, and as soon as the taste hit his lungs, he was reminded why he had never taken the habit back up.

Kirk exhaled a cloud of smoke and glanced at Josh. “How old are you?” he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

Josh took another slow drag before answering. “Physically? I’m nineteen,” he said, then exhaled. “Mentally? I’m seventy-four.”

Kirk let out another low whistle, shaking his head as he took another hit from his cigarette. He let the smoke escape his lips in a long, slow stream. “And Katie?” he asked. “How old would she be?”

Josh’s expression softened as he thought about it. “She’d be about thirty-four.” He flicked the ash off the tip of his cigarette, watching the ember glow faintly in the dim evening light. “I lived a lot more years after she passed. But when we’re together now, it feels just like it did before the accident, like nothing changed. It’s a little unnerving sometimes.” He turned to Kirk, meeting his gaze with quiet intensity. “But I love your daughter more than anything, and I would do anything for her.”

Kirk studied him for a long moment, then gave a slow nod. “I can see that,” he admitted. He took one last drag from his cigarette before flicking it onto the pavement and grinding it out with his boot. Josh did the same, then turned back toward the Supra, placing the box back in the trunk.

Kirk, needing a distraction from the whirlwind of emotions, glanced over at Josh’s car. “Alright, tell me about this beauty,” he said, motioning toward the Supra.

Josh grinned, tossing the keys to Kirk without hesitation. “Why don’t you hop in and see for yourself?”

Kirk caught the keys, his eyebrows raising slightly in surprise before a boyish grin tugged at the corner of his lips. “You serious?”

“Dead serious,” Josh replied. “Let’s take her for a spin.”

Not needing any more encouragement, Kirk slid into the driver’s seat. He adjusted it to his frame, checked the mirrors, then let his hands glide over the steering wheel with appreciation. Josh climbed into the passenger seat, moving it back to give himself some legroom.

Kirk twisted the key in the ignition, and the Supra roared to life, the deep, throaty growl of the 2JZ engine rumbling through the chassis. Kirk revved the engine slightly, listening with satisfaction as the twin turbos spooled up, followed by the satisfying “psshht” of the blow-off valve as he released the throttle.

“Now that’s a sound I can appreciate,” Kirk said with a grin.

Josh chuckled. “She’s got some kick, that’s for sure.”

Kirk released the parking brake, shifted into reverse, and backed out of the driveway. As they rolled down the street, the weight of the conversation they had just left inside began to settle in, but for now, they let the hum of the engine and the open road take precedence.

The Supra’s engine growled as Kirk pushed the car along the winding country roads, the twin turbos spooling up before releasing with a satisfying hiss. The darkened sky stretched above them, and the road ahead was illuminated only by the car’s bright headlights. Kirk was clearly enjoying himself, his hands firm on the wheel, a youthful grin tugging at his lips as he expertly maneuvered the vehicle.

Josh leaned back in the passenger seat, arms crossed, allowing Kirk to enjoy the drive. He knew the feeling—the freedom of an open road, the thrill of a well-built machine responding to every command. Kirk had always been a car guy, and watching him let loose reminded Josh of the first time he had let Kirk test drive his car in their past life. It hadn’t been much then, just a 1979 Corvette they had found in rough shape. Katie had been hesitant at first, reluctant to let Josh buy it, but he had convinced her. Little by little, he had worked on restoring it until it was nearly as pristine as the day it rolled off the showroom floor. But in the end, it had also been the car they had crashed in.

As they approached the outskirts of town, Kirk glanced at Josh and asked the inevitable question. “So, what are your real intentions?”

Josh smirked, knowing full well that Kirk was playing his fatherly role to the fullest. He didn’t mind. “I plan on marrying your daughter again as soon as we can,” he said, his voice steady with conviction. “In our past lives, we didn’t meet for another nine years. This time, we have almost a whole extra decade together.”

Kirk hummed in thought before pressing the gas a little harder, preparing to test the Supra’s grip around the next bend. As they came out of the curve, he asked the real question that had been weighing on him. “How do you see this working? She’s only fifteen. Legally, she can’t get married right now, and if anyone finds out what’s going on between you two, you could end up in a world of trouble.”

Josh took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “We have a few options. We could get married when she turns sixteen, but that would mean she’d move in with me. She’d have to transfer schools or I’d arrange private tutoring for her. When she’s ready for college, I’d pay for everything—tuition, books, anything she needs. I want to provide for her completely. That includes insurance—health, dental, life—everything. If we wait until she’s eighteen, well, I guess we would have to work with Judith and your restrictions.”

Kirk kept his eyes on the road, digesting Josh’s words carefully. After a few minutes of silence, he finally asked, “How exactly do you plan on paying for all this? You work at a Mini Mart and help run a dojo. That’s not exactly enough to cover tuition, cars, and insurance.”

Josh chuckled, glancing at Kirk with a knowing look. “Kirk, think about it. Really think about it. What would you do if you were sent back in time with all the knowledge you have now?”

Kirk’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel as realization hit him. “So when you said you were ‘making careful financial moves—saving, investing’—you really meant that you’ve been using your knowledge of the future.”

Josh nodded. “Exactly. I’ve made strategic moves to make sure Katie and I will never have to worry about money. If she wanted, she wouldn’t have to work another day in her life. But I don’t flaunt it. The last thing I need is people crawling out of the woodwork, looking for handouts. I’ll help my family to make sure they don’t struggle, but I’m not going to buy their loyalty.”

Kirk was quiet for a moment, then let out a small laugh. “Damn. With all that knowledge, you could’ve been a billionaire.”

Josh shrugged. “Maybe. But money was never the goal. Katie is. Having a future with her—that’s what matters to me.”

Kirk stole a glance at Josh, evaluating the sincerity in his words. It was hard to wrap his mind around everything, but if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that Josh’s love for Katie was real.

Realizing they had been driving for nearly 45 minutes, Kirk sighed. “We should probably head back before the girls think I’m out here trying to figure out where to hide your body.”

Josh laughed. “All you’d have to do is call Uncle Barry. He’d tell you exactly how to take care of it.”

Kirk chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s another thing that tells me you’re telling the truth. No way in hell would you know that otherwise.”

Meanwhile, back at the house, Judith, Katie, and Hannah were gathered in the living room. They had been cleaning the kitchen when they heard the Supra start up and speed off down the road.

Judith glanced toward the front door, raising an eyebrow. “I wonder where they’re going.”

Katie, who had been curled up on the couch, smiled knowingly. “If I know Josh, he probably handed Dad the keys and let him take the Supra for a spin. He knows how much Dad loves sports cars. And while they’re out, they’re having ‘man talk.’”

Hannah smirked. “So what you’re saying is, Dad is giving Josh the full interrogation.”

Katie nodded. “Pretty much.”

Judith chuckled. “Poor Josh. Kirk can be relentless when he gets into protective father mode.”

Katie grinned. “Josh can handle it.”

Hannah leaned back against the couch, kicking her feet up. “Still, I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.”

Judith smiled. “Well, we’ll find out soon enough when they get back.”

As the Supra’s engine echoed faintly in the distance, Katie couldn’t help but feel a small swell of pride. She knew Josh could handle her father. And more than that, she knew that, no matter what, Josh would do whatever it took to build their future together.

Josh and Kirk pulled into the driveway, the rumble of the Supra’s engine settling into a purr before Kirk shut it off. They stepped out, the crisp evening air settling around them as they walked to the front of the car. Kirk turned to Josh, holding out the keys, but before releasing them, he met Josh’s gaze with a serious expression.

“I’m going to trust you with my daughter,” Kirk said firmly. “I’m not sure how this is all going to work out, but you have my support. And from what I can tell, you already have my wife’s.”

Josh nodded, taking the keys. “I appreciate that, sir.”

Kirk exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Me and Judith are going to have to talk this through and figure out how to handle everything. So for now, just be patient.”

Josh reached out to shake Kirk’s hand, gripping it firmly. Looking him dead in the eye, he made a silent vow. “I swear to you, Kirk, I will always treat Katie with respect. I’ll love her with everything I have, and I’ll protect her from anything within my power.”

Kirk held his gaze for a long moment before shaking his hand back with a small smile. “I’m going to hold you to that.”