Page 13 of The One Who Changed Everything

"Can I go swimming at Ella’s house?”

I was pretty sure my eyebrows had just relocated to somewhere behind my hairline. My gaze flew back to Sam’s and found her entire focus on the teenage girl next to us.

“I’m not sure. Who else is going?”

“It’s just Ella and Sarah and me. Please??” The girl was persistent.

Samantha sighed. “Okay, sure. Just have Ella’s mom call me when I should pick you up. No later than five.” Her voice rose at the end, since the girl had already run off. She lifted a hand in acknowledgement of Samantha’s instructions.

I watched her retreat into the crowd, a flicker of familiarity igniting in my chest. Her expressive eyes, that easy smile—hadn't I seen them somewhere before? The feeling was disorienting, like a memory playing hide and seek just beyond the edge of recollection.

There was an unsettling familiarity in the way she had tossed her hair over her shoulder—a mirror image of a gesture I'd seen countless times before. My mouth went dry as the wheels turned in my head, churning through the murky waters of possibility.

Could she be her sister? No, Samantha never mentioned a sister. A cousin, perhaps? But no, that familial resemblance was too pronounced, too specific. It was like staring into the past,into a time capsule of memories I had tried so hard to bury beneath layers of ash and resolve.

Samantha turned back to me. “I should go,” she said. Her voice was clipped and breathy, slightly panicky. “Enjoy the rest of your day.” Without meeting my eyes, she turned and practically jogged down the block.

My tongue felt like lead in my mouth as I watched her leave. I couldn’t form a single word, let alone voice the questions that were bubbling up inside, hot and acidic like the volcano I’d seen once in Hawaii.

The blast of a trumpet behind me jolted me back into the moment. I looked around to find that the firetruck was already a block ahead, about to turn the corner. With one final glance at Samantha’s retreating figure, I turned the other way and jogged to meet up with my crew.

I felt strangely disassociated from the rest of the parade. Going through the motions, I continued to represent the Minden Rogers Fire Department. But my mind was a million miles away, stuck on the smiling, sassy face of a teenage girl.

Samantha had a daughter. She was young, but the resemblance to the younger version of Sam I remembered from Florida was undeniable. I was no expert at guessing the ages of young girls, but she looked to be no older than thirteen or fourteen. Maybe as young as eleven. Which either meant… No. There was no way Samantha could...

The parade had come to its exuberant finale, the final notes of the marching band dissolving into the applause and cheers of the town. Feeling a mixture of relief and restlessness, I peeled off from the procession with my fellow firefighters, our boots thudding in unison on the sun-warmed asphalt.

"Good turnout this year," remarked Chief Bergman, as he tugged off his helmet and wiped his brow with a handkerchief that had seen better days.

"Definitely," I agreed, trying to anchor myself in the present moment, but my thoughts kept drifting like rogue embers back to Samantha and the girl—Sophia.

"Hey, Evan, you seemed a bit distracted out there," Jake said with a teasing voice. "Someone catch your eye?"

"Sort of," I admitted, my voice steady, despite the way my gut was swirling. My gaze flicked across the dispersing crowd, still half-expecting to see Samantha reappear. "Actually, you guys know Samantha Brown?"

"Librarian Samantha?" Nathan asked, squinting under the brim of his cap. "Sure, she's been here since forever. My kids love story time."

If I remembered correctly, Nathan had three boys. Kudos to him–and his wife. My brother and I were already a handful for our parents. I couldn’t imagine adding another to the mix.

"Yeah, that's her," I said, feeling an odd mix of hesitation and desperation. How much information could I get without tipping my hand. "She has a daughter—Sophia, right?"

"Yep, she’s like… thirteen? Kid's got her mom's brains, I'll tell ya," Eli replied, chuckling. "Got herself into the accelerated program at school. Carla is her teacher and can’t say enough good things.”

Carla was Eli’s fiancée and a teacher at the middle school.

"Thirteen, huh?" My heart skipped a beat, the rhythm falling out of sync as if it sensed the impending revelation. "And no husband in the picture?"

"Never has been," Jake chimed in, his tone casual, unaware of the seismic shift occurring beneath my ribcage. "Just Samantha and her girl, as long as I've known 'em. Why? You looking to apply for the job?” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Bug off," I muttered, my mind churning like a storm surge threatening to breach its barriers. Thirteen. The numberreverberated through me, each echo a hammer strike on the walls of my composure.

"Everything alright, Evan?" Chief’s question was tinged with genuine concern, but I could only manage a tight-lipped smile.

"Fine," I answered, though nothing felt fine. Everything was tilting, the horizon of my understanding warping as pieces began to fit together with a precision that terrified me.

As they continued to banter about the day's success, I stood there, rooted in place, the chill of realization creeping up my spine. If Sophia was thirteen, then the timeline...

My breath hitched. Could it be? The mere possibility sent shivers down my arms, raising the hair on the back of my neck despite the July heat.

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