1 The Future Past

My joints were killing me!

But still...

I happily stood at my favorite place in the house, just behind the open glass window overlooking the beautiful and serene landscape with flowers of all kinds. Songs from birds and the warm sun peeking through was just an added bonus that eased me into a small smile.

I remembered I always loved the sun rays through my window, even when I was young. When I could do anything I wanted.

The slow, gentle breeze brushed against my skin and blew my graying short hair against my ears and forehead. The same hair that used to be long and rich. Wavy and thick. So dark, most people used to mistake it for black. But really, it was just deep, dark brown.

While I enjoyed the songs and the wind, I brought the cup of coffee in my hands to my lips and took a small sip.

"Grandma Amelia. There you are."

My granddaughter's feet smashed against the tiled floor as she ran towards me. The small smile I had before, broadened into a bigger one as I turned around to meet her. One look and I knew she must have been running as soon as she got out of the car downstairs. Trickles of sweat on her forehead caused a few strands of her dark blonde hair to look darker as they clung to the sides of her face.

"Wow, Emma, look at you. You've grown so big."

"Grandma? You saw me just a few months ago," she said and flung her arms around my torso.

"Oh, you know," I waved my hand dismissively. "Old mind and all. Now, can we go sit down?"

I used my walking cane to help me move from the window to the sofa. My joints groaned in protest each step I took. They complained even more once I bent my knees, but gave in the minute I was fully seated.

My granddaughter, straight away, jumped next to me. Young people with their energy.

"Grandma, you promised me the story. Come on, tell me, we have time now."

She was right. We had time, and I did promise her. She always wanted to know how I met her granddad, how we fell in love all those years ago, how come we stayed together and still love each other. She wanted to know the big secret to happily ever after.

As if that's what usually happens. Movies are the biggest lie of all times.

"You know?" I said as I made myself comfortable. "Contrary to what you may think, it wasn't just a straight road, rainbows, and unicorns."

"Really?" She creased her eyebrows. "You and grandpa sure seemed like it."

Of course, that is only because we've already been through everything.

I shook my head. "No, it was bumpy. In fact, I was completely in love with someone else when I met your granddad."

Her eyes widened; her mouth hung open.

That must have been quite a shock to a fourteen-year-old girl. When you are young and have a crush, or in love, or whatever they call it these days, you think that's it. They are yours forever.

Wrong.

"Mmh, mmh" I hummed. "Your granddad loved me, I belonged to someone else."

"Interesting." She bobbed her head back and forth for a while. "I want to write a school project based on your story," she said. "Grandma, please tell me everything. It sounds like it's a really good story."

I smiled. No story is really ever just good. She was going to have the biggest shock of her life if 'good' was what she thought.

"Buckle up. This is going to be a long, bumpy, interesting story about my first love and my second."

She clasped her hands in joy as her light green eyes sparkled. Just like the way her mom's eyes did whenever she was happy. At that moment, she looked so much like my daughter.

"It all started a long, long time ago. I was seventeen if my memories are still intact. That one fateful morning. The day started just like any other day... Wait, actually, that day didn't start like that I'm thinking about something else. Bear with me."

Emma smiled. "It's okay. Take your time, grandma."

"That day started with news from my stepsister which really messed up my mood and weighed heavily on my shoulders. The decision on telling or not telling it to my mom was eating at me alive and because of that, my best friend decided to distract me in ways only she knew how."

"What was her name?"

I thought for a moment. Even though her name does pop up in my mind from time to time, I don't really allow myself to think about her a lot. Not after what happened between us. Not after that night. But thinking about her at that moment, I let loose a smile. We were great friends once and maybe those are parts of memories I would like to keep.

"Suzanne." I grinned. "I used to call her Suzy though. Anyway, she decided the only way for me to be distracted, I needed to meet new boys. Only her attempts didn't go as planned at all. For her at least." I let loose a small laugh as the memories of that day rushed in my mind. Seriously, being young is the weirdest time in life. I do miss those days sometimes, but then again, growing up was a blessing I wouldn't trade for anything.

"Was that how you met Granddad?"

"Now, now. Don't get ahead of yourself. The story did just began."

"Oh, okay. So, what happened then?"

I turned around and placed my palm on Emma's cheek. Emma who was intently listening, eyes sparkling like she couldn't wait to hear about what happened on that day. I smiled because I knew the words I was about to say were going to shock her in ways she wouldn't see coming.

"I broke my wrist."