Page 26 of Time After Time
A self-deprecating chuckle escaped me. “I don’t need anyone or anything to torment me. I’ve got that covered all on my own.”
My sister’s eyes flicked toward me, her expression serious, the usual humour absent. She didn’t share in my attempt at lightness, and the gleam in her eyes told me she already had a pretty good idea of what was gnawing at me.
Before I could say anything more, she turned away, rinsing her hands under the faucet and then grabbing a handful ofpaper towels—far more than necessary to dry them. Without a word, she left the kitchen, her footsteps loud as she disappeared upstairs, leaving me sitting there, bewildered, with only Mr. Whiskers for company. He stared up at me with his wide, curious eyes, as if he, too, was trying to make sense of what had just happened.
But she soon returned, slipping onto the barstool beside me.
Without a word, she placed my laptop on the kitchen island and nudged it toward me. “Do it.”
I frowned, confused. “Do what?”
“What you were going to do as soon as you shut yourself in your bedroom.”
A lump formed in my throat, growing thicker by the second, making it hard to swallow. My neck tightened, the sensation pulling uncomfortably at my ears. I wanted to look anywhere but at her, yet my eyes betrayed me, shifting to the closed laptop in front of me, covered with pastel-coloured stickers with cute cats and quotes.
With a deep sigh, I gave in and opened it. The screen flickered to life instantly as I hadn’t even turned it off this morning.
The keys seemed to taunt me as my trembling fingers hovered over them. When I managed to open my browser, I began typing, and the search suggestions immediately highlighted the very thing I’d been dreading.
Sylvie’s soft sigh filled the room, and I felt my heart sink further.
Reth Inoue—the very name was a symbol of Sebastian’s deepest aspirations. He had always talked about how much he admired the baker, and when the chance to win a free apprenticeship with him appeared, Sebastian didn’t hesitate to work harder and immediately contacted Inoue’s programme in the USA. I was well aware of how far it was from our cosyEuropean town. Yet, I found myself compelled to double-check, a self-inflicted wound fuelled by the need to quantify the vast geographical expanse that threatened to separate us.
“Gen.” My sister’s voice, sweet and soothing, broke through my defences. I couldn’t hold back any longer; the tears I had been desperately trying to keep at bay spilt out uncontrollably.
Before long, I was enveloped in her arms, her whispers promising that everything would be alright.
Yet… while she held me, I couldn’t help but mentally replay the endless kilometres that would eventually separate us.
Chapter 10
Sebastian
Atiny bead of sweat hung on for dear life at the tip of my nose, staging a brief rebellion against gravity before surrendering to a soft splash on my bare chest.
The sun was already going hard, roasting my face, chest, and back like it had something to prove. Of course, I’d forgotten sunscreen—again. Gen was gonna give me that look. I could almost see her eyes rolling and those eyebrows shooting up in desperation.
But as my mind strayed from thoughts of Gen, it slipped into a replay of the previous night. There had been something in the air, some kind of tension that wrapped around us, leaving me off balance.
“Fuck it,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head in a futile attempt to shake off the doubts and the sense of dread that seemed to be make itself at home.
Desperate for a distraction, I shifted my attention to the world around me.
The landscape unfolded in stunning colours, with nature’s sounds as the only music in the air. Gravel crunched undermy running shoes as I stuck to the narrow trail I took every morning, hoping it would give me the peace I was looking for.
I sighed.
How was it possible for so much beauty to exist? Glancing to my sides, I only spotted vibrant plants and colourful flowers that made me want to wear some kind of long coat or robe and walk decisively through these fields.
I often stopped my jogging, needing to take everything in, letting my mind go as quiet as it had ever been while soaking in the breeze of the morning and the first rays of sunlight. There was something about this place—an inexplicable sense of solace—that felt like it could ease even the deepest ache.
Yet one day, I would be leaving this place behind. The thought alone was a sharp pang in my chest, and though I tried to push it away, it was impossible. My mind already began erasing the colours, the flowers, the sun and replacing them with grey buildings, gloomy weather, crowded streets, and loneliness.
What bothered me even more was the realisation that my mum and Rob would stay here while I moved to another continent. It was an odd conflict. An adult grappling with the deep-seated fear of separation. The thought of being miles away from my mum, with just virtual check-ins, sent unsettling shivers down my spine. I knew Rob would look after her well; logically, she’d be in excellent hands. Yet, despite this, something akin to fear gnawed at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling thatIwouldn’t be okay.
My aspirations and dreams demanded that I step away from this place, if only temporarily, until I reached a goal that felt frustratingly distant at the moment. It was a sacrifice I had to make, even though the thought of leaving everything I knew behind weighed heavily on me.
She would be here too.
