Free One Last Time by Denise Daisy

anyone. That’s when fear moved in, taking residence, convincing me no one would ever want me, and I would be alone the rest of my life.
    I want to talk with her. I want to tell her she takes her own life a month from now, but as usual, I am afraid . How could she ever believe I am from the future? I fear if I say anything, I will ruin Quillan’s plan, even though he admits he doesn’t really have one. Still, I don’t think blurting out that I am a time traveler would be the best course of action. Again, she interrupts my musings with her sweet Southern accent. “Your husband is dreadfully handsome. I suppose you love him a lot.”
    Now this, I am not sure how to respond to. Yes, he is very hot, but as far as loving him…
    “Yes, I do.” I smile, keeping up the charade.
    “How did you two meet?” she asks, keeping her eyes cast far across the river as if she’s looking for something. Who does she think she’s fooling? She doesn’t care how we met. She’s just making small talk, biding her time. I’ve been treated this way before so I know how it works. It happened a lot back in high school. Someone would sit next to me in the lunchroom just because they didn’t want to be seen as a loner. They would offer idle chitchat but the entire time they looked past me, at the door, waiting for someone better to come along. Then they’d excuse themselves, no matter where I was in my story. I hated it then, and I hate it now.
    “We met at a dinner party.” I keep it as truthful and simple as possible so not to contradict myself later. I don’t know why I’m being cautious, she’s not listening anyway. Since I am playing make-believe, I’d love to embellish the story and come up with some wonderful, romantic, chance meeting. Come to think of it, the way we met was exceptional and a bit romantic. My stomach does that warm burning sensation when I think of Quillan grabbing my hand and pulling me into the passageway. He saved my life. I wonder why since he allowed the other dinner guests to remain behind, sealing their fate.
    “You’re smiling,” she says, and I’m surprised she noticed.
    She pulls her attention from the woods and focuses in on me. “You are in love. That’s nice.”
    My cheeks grow hot. I want to deny her claims, but then it would be odd, so I smile and play along. “Yes, yes I am.”
    “And you’re having a baby.” She continues on, returning her gaze across the water.
    I smile and nod. “That’s what they tell me.”
    She laughs. “You’re funny. I like that.”
    Her eyes widen, and I see anticipation spread across her face. I follow her gaze except I can’t see what excites her. Slightly raising the hem of her dress, she turns to leave. “Will you excuse me a few minutes, Miss Averie? I have a little errand to run. I’ll be back shortly.”
    I nod and watch as she gracefully glides along the grass, making her way down the riverbank. She disappears into the thick trees lining the back of the property. It’s still hot as hell, even in the gazebo. I lift my hem much higher than Miss Emily did and wade out into the water. My feet sink in the soft, cold mud. The water feels like heaven on my ankles. I splash out a bit farther, stepping on smooth stones, the clear, cool water rushing over my feet. What I’d give to strip down right here, dive in, and swim. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to skinny dip. Of course, I’ve always been too afraid of being caught. Instead, I lift my skirt as high as I can and step out a bit deeper, fording the stream one rock at a time. I step into the shade where the big oaks line the bank. The rocks are green, covered with moss. It’s been a long time since I went wading, long enough for me to forget how slick the wet algae can be.
    I slip and plunge into the rushing water. I try to get my footing, but the river is deep and the current swift. I would have a chance of swimming out if I weren’t wearing this ridiculous dress. The weight of the