Second Chances(81)

"Do you know who that is?" Paige asked.

"I'm sorry I don't. I've taught so many over the years. I hate to admit it, but I can't remember all of them. If I taught her, please don't tell her I can't remember her," she said with a grin.

"Do you remember the tree?" Paige asked.

"Of course I do. I am not completely senile, yet." She laughed at her own words. "I may not remember all my students, but that tree was around for ages."

Nathan cleared his throat and then asked, "What happened to it?"

"Oh it was a terrible storm. It was struck by lightning. Split the tree right down the middle. It took them days to remove the thing. I wish they'd replaced it. The front just looks naked without it. Don't you think?"

"When?"

Sister Brenda looked at Paige. "When what?"

"When did it get hit by lightning?"

The nun fell quiet and tapped a finger against her chin while she thought. "I am not sure exactly. Maybe fifteen or sixteen years ago."

Paige's eyes went wide, but she said nothing.

"Thank you, Sister," Nathan said.

"Not at all." She patted Paige on the shoulder, took one more look at the photograph and then began walking away. Nathan could hear her lamenting the failure to replace the old tree as she moved on.

"Fifteen or sixteen years ago? How is that possible?"

Nathan saw she was trembling again. He dropped the books on the table and took her hands in his.

"We are going to figure this out, Paige."

She squeezed his hands. "Not with those," she said as she tilted her chin toward the books on the table.

She was right. They were much too recent. He released her and scooped up the books. He return a moment later with four others. He took the top one and handed it to Paige and then took the next and began looking through it.

Two minutes later he stopped looking. His eyes were locked on the picture in the yearbook.

"I...I found...her? You?"

She closed the book she'd been looking through and leaned over to look at the one in front of Nathan. She stared at the picture. A smiling face she knew so well stared back at her. She lifted the book and looked at the date on the cover. The book slammed down on the table as her hands flew to cover her mouth. He thought she was likely holding back a scream. They'd both known this was a possibility, had been looking for the proof of it. And yet the reality of actually seeing it was more than she could handle.

"How is that possible? Seventeen years ago?" Her voice rose with each word.

"I don't know."

"Nathan, I was only six or seven years old. How is that possible?" Her voice cracked and almost every eye on the floor was looking their way. He did the only thing he could think of. He pulled her into his arms, just as she started to cry. Her body shook against him as she sobbed.

Nathan stared daggers at those who were gawking at them. He wanted to scream at them to look away. How dare they view Paige's anguish as a spectator sport. He gently rubbed her back and whispered soothing words to her. Promising that he would make everything right. He had no clue how he possibly could keep those promises, especially given he was as confused as she was, but he aimed to do everything within his power to keep his word.

After a few minutes she stopped crying, but continued to cling to him.

"This can't be. This has to be some horrible dream. Come on Paige, wake up," she said to herself.

"Sorry, but this is no dream."

"You're right. It's a damn nightmare."

"Paige you..."

"Well it can't be real, can it? Can it?"

Nathan could tell she was on the verge of going back into hysterics. He lowered her into a chair and sat down as well. He took her face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Paige. I swear we will figure this out. It doesn't make sense to me right now either. But someone out there has to have answers, right? Someone has to know something."

She looked back into his eyes and then nodded.

"Time travel is starting to seem more plausible, isn't it?"

He couldn't help it, Nathan laughed and nodded.

"Yeah I guess so. I still don't believe it, but I suppose this does make it a bit more plausible."

"Someone has to know something," she said, mimicking his words from a moment ago. She looked down at the yearbook and repeated the words again.

"Yes," he agreed.

Her eyes went from the yearbook to her photograph.

"Daniel," she whispered.

"Who?"

She ignored his words and flipped through the pages of the yearbook. She stopped and pointed at a picture of a young man. He could see relief flood her face.

"Daniel. He was real."

"Who?"

"Daniel Perry. He was the one who took the picture. The real picture. He was my boyfriend during my..."