Page 62 of Through the Snow Globe
She already knew he was going to pick the lavender tie with the dogs on it. She already knew which lavender button-down shirt he was going to match with his trousers. She knew everything that was going to happen today, and she couldn’t change it. She was going to see Maria and then Addy. Addy was going to be upset over a boy. After leaving the Pierce home, Diana was going to go to an interview that she would bomb completely and miserably. She would probably do even worse than she did yesterday and the day before that. Afterward, she’d meet up with Rochelle for drinks, and Rochelle would try to analyze Diana’s every thought and action.
Then, finally, Diana was going to go see Linus at the store. And no matter what she did or said or tried, he would get into an awful accident this evening.
Diana’s heart sunk into the pit of her stomach. She looked up as Linus walked out of his closet holding the lavender tie with dogs on it and the lavender button-down shirt.
“I have a meeting with a distributor this morning,” he told her.
“Yeah, I know. But your truck isn’t going to start because you forgot to put gas in it yesterday. So, you’re going to have to take your bike because, even though I offer to drive you to work, you’re going to argue that you need the exercise. In which case, you better go ahead and get dressed so that you’re not late to meet the distributor. And I guess I need to get dressed as well because I need to see Maria and make sure she doesn’t break her ankle.”
Linus blinked back at her. “You’re acting very—”
“Bizarre? Yes, I know. I’m getting stranger by the day.” But he didn’t know the half of it. Nobody did except for Dustin, who Diana would see this afternoon. The child who was naughty, but wanted to be on Santa’s nice list so that he could get a family of his own.
Diana wondered if Dustin was having any luck changing fate. The thought of going through this day again just to find out was exhausting, though. She’d rather stay in bed with the covers pulled over her head and wait it out. Then again, she’d probably just wake up again tomorrow in the same miserable, horrible day.
“Are you all right?” Linus asked. That question would normally evoke a reassuring response from Diana. Normally she would reflexively answer, “Of course I’m okay. I’m always okay. I’m fine.”Today, however, she answered differently. “No, I am not all right. I am so sick of this day, and it’s only just gotten started. All I want to do is spend the next twelve hours with you instead of running around and doing things that maybe I don’t even care about.”
Linus looked completely dumbfounded. “You love working with your patients. What are you even talking about?”
“Yes, I love working with my patients, but I have an interview for a promotion this afternoon. And I don’t know if I even want to go, because maybe I don’t want to be behind a desk all day. Maybe I want to spend more time with my patients. Maybe I want to be with you.” She was talking quickly, and the more she said, the higher Linus’s eyebrows rose.
“Di, you’re just nervous about your meeting. You’ve been talking about this interview and preparing for it for a while now. Just relax. Maybe take a couple extra minutes to take a hot bath.”
Memories of last night when he’d suggested the same came to mind. “No! I don’t need a bath! I never want a bath again!”
Linus’s brows drew together as he looked at her with concern. “Do you want me to call Rochelle for you?”
Diana shook her head quickly. “Just ride your bike to work for your meeting, and I’ll come see you later. I’m fine. I promise,” she reassured him with a fragile smile. She was lying through her teeth, though, and she suspected he could tell. A person who was living the same awful day in a loop was as far from fine as one could get.
Linus offered a slight nod and then jingled his keys. “It’s freezing outside. As much as I would love to get some exercise, I think I’ll drive the truck this morning.”
Diana didn’t argue. He would learn soon enough that his truck wouldn’t start.
He gave her a kiss before heading out the front door. She waited until she heard it close, and then she got ready for the day, moving much slower than she had the day before.
A text pinged on her cell phone. She stopped to take a look.
Linus:How did you know?
Diana:Lucky hunch.
Linus:OR you funneled the gas out of my tank last night while I slept. Looks like I’m taking the bike after all. Love you.
Diana stared at the text with tears in her eyes. She blinked them away, mainly because who had time for crying? She did apparently. She suddenly had loads of time, but she could only manipulate it in her favor a tiny bit. She texted back.
Diana:Love you too.
Then she continued with her day. Just like yesterday and the one before that, Diana called Maria and begged her to wait to pull out the Christmas decorations. Then she drove to Maria’s house and pulled the Christmas boxes from the attic.
“All right, let’s get down to business. I’m sure your arm is stiff today so let’s stretch it out,” Diana said.
“How did you know I was stiff?” Maria asked, looking perplexed.
“Probably because of the weather,” Diana said, unable to hide the irritation in her voice. She loved Maria, she did. She just couldn’t help herself today. Everything was rubbing her all wrong. She could make Maria feel less lonely today, but it would all be erased tomorrow. None of it mattered. Diana couldn’t fix anything except apparently Maria’s ankle.
“You seem troubled,” Maria noted after a few minutes of stretching. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Diana shook her head. “What is talking going to do anyway? Nothing. Nothing changes anything. I just want to be done with this day,” she practically shouted as Maria’s eyes rounded.
