Page 136 of My Heart Will Find You

“It’s all right. Henry is fine. He’s well.”

Max relaxed. “My mother is...” He smiled. “Martha. Can you imagine that?”

She was blinking rapidly. Had he read the book but told no one? Was that what he was remembering? “And Bert is actually your brother,” she said.

“Yes. How did you know that?”

“Henry and I wrote it all down.” She wondered how confused he really was. “What would you do if a horse had a bowel obstruction?” She’d heard that on TV.

“Electrolytes, fluids. Probably surgery.” His eyes widened. “How do I know that?” He ran his hand over his face. “There are things in my mind that I don’t understand. I’ve been places and done things. I like elephants and giraffes.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “You’re right. It wasn’t an arrow. It was a bell. Did Alice’s Pat make the thing? Did he throw it at me?”

Etta couldn’t help laughing. He and Phillip were never going to be friends.

“Are you crying?”

“I think maybe I am.”

“You’re not going to go away again, are you? I don’t think I can carry you up any stairs right now.”

She shook her head no.

For a moment they looked at each other. “Things are different, aren’t they?” he asked. “There’s two of everything in my mind. Our home—yours and mine—is fading.” Suddenly, he looked frightened. “Are you still my wife?”

She nodded, too choked up to speak.

“There’s a voice in my head saying, ‘She found me.’ Do you know what that means?”

Again, she nodded.

He closed his eyes tight for a moment. “I have a job. With animals. And there’s a house. Cornelia designed it.” He smiled. “And Dad lives with us. You and he are friends.” He paused. “There are people in my mind. They’re the same but they’re different. When I was a kid, I saw a wooden picture of you and me. I knew who we were but I didn’t know. I—”

A nurse opened the door and looked at Etta. “You need to leave now. He has to rest.” She closed the door.

Max tightened his grip on Etta’s hand. “I think maybe I’ve traveled a very long way to get to you. I saw that arrow coming at me and I started praying. I said I wanted to go whenever you are. Not where but when. ‘When’ seemed to be your secret. Was I right?”

She kissed the back of his hand. “You are exactly right.”

“You won’t leave me again, will you?”

“No, never,” she said. “I know for sure that throughout time, you and I will be together. Forever.”

There were tears in Max’s eyes as he held her hand. “I have a question. What’s an emoji?”

She laughed and kissed him. “Tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning. We have a lot to talk about. And I promise that you can adjust to two worlds and duplicate people. I did.”

His eyes were drooping with fatigue. “I look forward to it. Forever and always?”

“Yes,” she said. “Always. Even time can’t separate us.” As she left the room, her smile was brighter than the hospital lights.

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