She found herself back in that familiar kitchen, which had been decorated with a woman’s touch. Unconsciously, she knew she’d done it. Bryce was standing at the stovetop, stirring a vegetable soup and smiling at her. His beard was full, his hair longer than it had been in February, and his shirt was off, showing his rippling, tanned, summertime muscles. Kenzie wrapped her arms around him, kissing the back of his shoulder.
“They just fell asleep,” he whispered to her, kissing her nose.
Behind her, the babies were stationed in their cradles, their eyes closed and their eyelids sparkling in the sunlight. She could hardly believe how small they were, how perfect: one boy and one girl, both with Bryce’s blue eyes and Kenzie’s dark hair.
“It’s going to be chilly tonight,” dreamland Bryce told her. “I’m going to bring some wood in for a fire. Maybe cook some of the venison we still have frozen. What do you think?”
“Sounds cozy,” Kenzie said.
Together, in this dream world, Kenzie and Bryce gathered their babies and fed them dinner as the evening darkened and the wind began to howl outside. Bryce built a large fire in the fireplace, and Kenzie dressed the kids in adorable bedtime onesies. They placed them on a large bearskin rug near the fire and played with them, kissing their tiny, round cheeks and making them giggle.
“I’m glad we did this,” Bryce told her, his eyes heavy with happiness and fatigue.
“Did what?” Kenzie asked quietly, watching as their babies began to slumber on the soft bearskin rug.
“Had babies. Made a family,” Bryce said. “But most of all, I’m happy you came back. You changed my life.”
Immediately, Kenzie’s eyes popped open, bringing her back to reality. She looked at the clock, realizing it was only five in the morning. But she’d never been so awake in her life. Her stomach clenched and she rushed to the bathroom, barreling toward the toilet and huffing, almost vomiting, but keeping it in.
As she sat on the cold tile, she pressed her chin to her knees and thought about Bryce, about the beautiful future she had seen for them in her dreams. She couldn’t wait another minute to see him. She had to leave immediately, work be damned.
Kenzie showered quickly, scrubbing at her legs and arms but being delicate with her abdomen. A boy and a girl, she just knew it: growing, living, becoming real in there. What were the rules she was meant to follow? No coffee? More vegetables? Should she start listening to classical music, just in case that made the babies smarter? She didn’t know.
She packed a small bag, not knowing how long she’d be gone, and emailed her clients and boss, informing them she had a family emergency. She set out in her car, wrapped up tight in a spring coat, conscious that the mountains would offer a much harsher climate.
I should have known something like this would happen, she thought as she drove. Their night together had seemed pivotal, sizzling with magic and a chemistry she couldn’t describe. She could only hope that Bryce would want to live her fantasies with her and become a part of their family—or at least a part of Kenzie and the babies’ lives, in any capacity he could.
Kenzie stopped many times along the way, using the bathroom and recharging with fruits and vegetables and nuts, along with the occasional dark chocolate square. She wore sunglasses, protecting her eyes from the spontaneous mounds of snow that glittered in the April sunshine.
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When she first saw the mountains, she breathed a sigh of relief. Far away from her responsibilities, she felt her shoulders grow less tense, her body relaxing, and her stomach calming. She passed through the small town at the base of the mountain, stopping briefly for a grilled cheese sandwich. As she ate, crunching on the crust, she considered how she’d tell Bryce the truth. Would she just come out with it?
She sat, poised for several moments, with the cheese oozing out from between the bread. The waitress approached her, frowning.
“You all right, darling? You been staring at that sandwich for a while now.”
Flustered, Kenzie dropped the sandwich. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Just a little out of my mind today.”
“Aren’t we all,” the waitress said, flashing a wide smile, which contained just ten teeth. “I got your bill here for you,” she said, laying it lightly on the countertop. “Take your time.”
After Kenzie paid, she drove the rest of the way up the mountain, now fully shivering with jitters. She drove past the cabin she’d rented and then weaved up the tight streets, toward the familiar driveway. The area looked different without the mounds of snow, and the trees were beginning to open their arms to springtime. Sunrays swept through their still-empty limbs.