Return From the Future Read online

  Joe and Harriet sat there stunned. Neither could say anything at first, but after a moment Joe found his voice and turned to Harriet, “I’m all for it, what about you?”

  Joe had been picking Harriet up every day so they could make the forty-minute drive into the city together. At times Joe had no classes in the morning while Harriet did or the other way around. They used the waiting time in the library. But it had made for some very long days for both of them.

  “Is it furnished, Dad? Who pays the utilities and is there parking? Joe will want to keep his car. Are you sure you’re okay with us living together without getting married first?” Harriet’s rapid-fire questions helped to cover her embarrassment. Even though she’d soon be twenty-two, she felt uncomfortable knowing her parents were aware of her intimacy with Joe. It had a lot to do with her Catholic school upbringing and being shielded from the realities of life by her overly protective parents.

  All four of their parents laughed. “Look, you two, you’ve been tiptoeing around trying to pretend that you’re not getting it on for the past three years. We have eyes, so cut the crap, do you want this or not? It’s a onetime offer. It ends when you graduate and get your first paycheck. And besides that, we’d all like to travel and maybe turn your rooms into a gym,” Mike said laughing.

  “Okay, okay, yes, Dad, Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Flemming, I’d love to move in with Joe. How about it, are you game?” She knew the answer but had to ask, anyway.

  “Got any boxes? We’re moving.” He grabbed Harriet and swung her around. I love you my beautiful soon to be common-law-wife!

  “Put me down, you nut. Let’s go see the place first. I need to know how much room we have and what we’ll need. Thank you all, it couldn’t be more perfect. Now we can walk to school and our jobs. I love you all. Mom, Dad and future Mom and Dad, we’ll make our wedding plans for next June. How does that work for you?”

  The next few days were a hive of activity for the young couple. For the first time, they were setting up their very own home. They couldn’t believe that, after a lifetime of waiting, they were taking the next big step on their journey. The odds had been against their childhood friendship lasting, let alone blossoming into an enduring love.

  The past three years had not been easy knowing that their parents didn’t believe their trumped-up tale about their disappearance. The parents were happy just to have them home, figuring the kids had a good reason for the lie, and maybe one day they would share the truth.

  In the meantime, they fielded questions from friends and the media, elaborating on the made-up story. Once they announced their engagement that took most of the heat off. People soon lost interest.

  Living together, without benefit of clergy, was contrary to their Catholic upbringing. But neither believed it would damn them to hell for the short delay. If all went well, by next summer they could make their union legal.

  Their small basement apartment was a dream home to Harriet, despite it being furnished by someone more concerned with function than fashion. She and Joe raided their family homes, taking pieces of stored, cast-off furniture to replace some of the old beat up stuff provided by the landlord. Once done, they had a cute and functional apartment, with a kitchen, living room and bedroom. The living room was L-shaped, so they had room to add a small table and four chairs which functioned as a dining alcove. Harriet couldn’t wait for them to cook their first meal.

  They moved in four days after her graduation, both sets of parents helping them with moving their clothes and personal things.

  Bill Blaney, who had engineered the deal to get the apartment for them, looked around the little living room and expressed his approval.

  “You’ve made it your home, that’s for sure. It sure looks different from what it did a week ago?”

  Their parents sat crowded on the sofa and the one extra chair. Joe and Harriet pulled out two dining room chairs, so all had a place to sit.

  Joe’s dad opened a bottle of sparkling wine he and Jen had brought and poured glasses for everyone. Mike raised his and offered a toast, “This is the beginning of the rest of your lives, we are all proud of you and we look forward to your marriage and our grandkids.”

  The parents laughed but, Bill noted, his daughter didn’t appear to see the humor. “Don’t rush them… they have enough on their plates right now. Harriet’s got another year of hard work and Joe has three, maybe four.”

  “Well I for one can’t wait for grandkids.” Mary loved babies and had wanted more in the early years of their marriage. She was broken hearted when that didn’t happen and always blamed herself.

  Joe’s mom wasn’t in any rush and remained silent. The thought of being a grandmother seemed way too soon for Jen. She loved being Joe’s mother, but didn’t feel ready to take on grandkids just yet.

  Are they ever going to leave, Joe gave his parents a crooked smile while listening to only half of what they were saying.

  I’m with you there, Harriet rolled her eyes, stifling a yawn. Her folks got the hint.

  “I think we should let these kids get some sleep.” Mary stood up and gathered the dishes off the coffee table and took them into the kitchen.

  “Don’t bother with that, Mom.” Harriet was praying her mother didn’t plan to do the dishes at this time of night.

  “No, no, not to worry,” Mary laughed, heading toward the door. “Let’s go, Bill, I think we’re overstaying our welcome.”

  The other three were on their feet. They hugged the kids and bid their goodnights.

  Once they closed the door, Harriet headed back into the kitchen, “I’ll wash and you dry.”

  Joe knew it was no good arguing, so they went to the kitchen, and the two of them had it cleaned up in fifteen minutes. Standing by the sink, Joe pulled Harriet into his arms. “Alone at last.” He kissed her long and hard.

  She responded, grateful to have him alone.

  It had been such a long day but Harriet was proud of how they had pulled the little apartment together. Their graduation photos and her artwork she’d hung on the wall had helped to transform the place into their home.

  “Do you want to watch some TV before we go to bed?” It was eleven o’clock and the local news was on; the national and international news was too upsetting these days. The conflict in the US was accelerating and Joe and Harriet knew the outcome and didn’t always want to be reminded.

  She shook her head. “No, I think I want to try out our new bed. If I stay up much later, I’ll fall asleep right here.”

  Harriet grew quiet all of a sudden. Joe glanced over at her and knew there was something wrong. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Oh my God, I had that weird feeling again. Like someone is watching me. It used to happen to Mom. She’d said it was like someone walked on her grave. A kind of eerie feeling… it was so quick, so weird. Why is it making me think of the future, Joe, why do I feel so funny, so scared? Oh God, hold me. I hate this!”

  Harriet was sure someone was watching them. This had been happening on and off for the past six months. Joe figured she was still experiencing stress over their two months in the next century. It had been a lot harder on Harriet than it was on him. She still suffered from nightmares.

  “Well, that won’t do.” He tried to make light of it.

  “I didn’t get to carry you across our threshold, so how about I carry you into the bedroom.”

  “That’ll do, sweetheart.” She loved it when she was in his arms.

  He swept her up and carried her into the room, making sure their window blinds were down and the drapes drawn.

  His nearness and strength helped her to shake off the feeling of dread. Breathing in the slight muskiness of his skin, she felt the heat from his body blanketing her in warmth. Harriet wanted to snuggle closer on this first night in their new home. His strength penetrated deep, creating a new warm tingle.

  Setting her down, he breathed into her ear, “Do you want me to undress you, or can you m
anage?”

  Her earlier stress now forgotten, she smiled, looking deep into her lover’s pale blue eyes where she watched her own reflection as she slowly undid the buttons down the front of her blouse.

  Tossing it over Joe’s head, she purred, “Hmm, I can try.”

  Her gaze never leaving Joe’s face, she reached down and flipped open the button on her jeans, sliding them down her long legs.

  “Oh my, I lost my jeans.”

  “Lose the bra and panties… they don’t look right.” He leaned back on the bed trying to look serious.

  “I think I need some help, I can’t seem to reach around behind me.”

  Joe shot to his feet, “I can do that, turn around.”

  Flipping the hooks on her bra, he slipped the straps down along with her panties letting them slide to the floor.

  Feeling her rapidly cooling skin, he pulled her close, pressing his mouth to her lips, probing. He tasted the fruity tartness of wine mingled with the sweetness of her breath. He slid his mouth down to her neck and nibbled under her ear, sending a shiver through her body.

  Reaching between them, Harriet undid his jeans and they dropped to his knees. She jammed her foot in the crotch and forced them down his muscled calves to the floor. Ripping off his unbuttoned shirt, he tossed it across the room.

  Harriet, now with a sense of urgency, yanked down his briefs, releasing him.

  Joe lifted her, so she wrapped her long legs around him, throwing him off balance and causing him to sit hard on the bed where she straddled him. Her breasts, now level with his mouth, teased his lips.

  He ran his hands up from her round bottom to caress her breasts, rubbing her hard nipples with his thumbs.

  Shoving him back onto the bed, she kissed his neck and then ran her tongue between his pecks tasting his salty musk and letting the soft blond hairs tickle her nose. Her journey of kisses continued to the tender skin between his thighs making him squirm until he could no longer stand it. He stood up, lifting her off the bed, reversing their positions—he was not ready to finish their lovemaking. He nuzzled her under her ear knowing this was her favorite spot. It made her groan as he drew his tongue down between her breasts, to the tiny rise in her belly. Her breathing increased as he spread her thighs. He blew his warm breath over her most sensitive spot.

  “Oh my God!” she gasped. Electric shocks ran through her body as his tongue probed. She groaned again, grabbing his head, guiding him.

  Rising to his knees he raised her bottom, resting it on a pillow; leaned forward entering her, feeling her wet softness, her heat. He set up a gentle rhythm, slowly at first but with increasing urgency. She cried out. Joe was seconds behind her, collapsing on top. Both of them drained.

  “God I love you, Slick. I thought it might be different, not as good, when we lived together, but holy shit… that was un-fucking-believable.”

  “I thought the same thing, but it was better than that, so much better. It felt right. And we have our folks’ blessings.” Then she gave him a strange little smile.

  “But, we also have a problem. We’ve used up all the birth control pills we brought from the future.” Since they only had to take one every six months, it was easy to forget. The pill worked for either of them, so they took turns. When it was Joe’s turn, she had to remind him.

  “My God, why didn’t you tell me sooner? Do we need to worry? Joe knew that getting pregnant right now would be a disaster.

  “Oh, I don’t think so, based on the time of the month. I’m safe for at least another week. And I didn’t think of it, until just this minute.”

  “So what’ll we do, should I buy condoms?”

  “Oh, good grief no, I’ll get a prescription for the patch. I don’t need anyone’s permission now.” She laughed then, at Joe’s bewildered expression.

  “The patch is a step up from the pill. I still have to stick it on my body once a week for three weeks, but it has fewer side effects than the pill.” She had done her homework.

  Relived, Joe heaved a sigh. “I didn’t think I’d miss the future as much as I do. Even the short time we were there, I got to like some of the differences. Life was simpler in so many ways.”

  They had stayed with their friends Eric and Millie, sleeping on their Murphy bed where they had lost their virginity. But they hadn’t had to worry—Joe had used a condom he’d been carrying around in his wallet waiting for the day he would get to use it. After that their friends supplied them with the pills.

  “Do you miss our friends, I do? Sometimes I feel like I want to go back. The world is getting crazier and crazier.” Joe didn’t doubt for a second that what Millie and Eric had told them about the decades ahead of them was the truth.

  “You know I miss them. They warned us about what will happen, and so far they’re dead on. Things in the US have gone crazy since President Hunt was forced out of office. I wonder when his followers will accept that he’s gone. It’s been three years and it will take years to get that country back on its feet. We know the outcome of their civil war and that’s the only reason I’m not packing my bags and heading for the door to the future.” Harriet had contemplated it more than once, until she remembered her parents. She could never abandon them.

  Sleep overcame them as they chatted. It had been a long, exciting day filled with memories. And while they both fell into a deep sleep, Harriet’s, sleep was dream-filled.

  Since they’d returned from 2120, three years ago, she’d had nightmares about the commander and what the doctor did to her while captive. Even worse was the impossible task of trying to explain their absence to their parents. Their version of why they had been missing for so long haunted her conscience and her dreams…

  Chapter 3

  A Lot of Explaining

  2020

  Harriet opened the front door and they walked into the wallpapered foyer and dumped their backpacks on the gleaming tiles.

  They heard her dad call out, “Who’s that? Mary, did you just open and close the front door?”

  Her mom came from the kitchen with a tray of tea and cookies, took one look at the kids and her mouth dropped open, her eyes rolled back and she fainted dead away. Her dad walked into the foyer from the living room at the same moment but wasn’t quick enough to catch his collapsing wife. The tray dropped with a crash on the marble tiles, and Mary followed like a crumbling house of cards.

  “Oh my God!” was all Bill got out. He bent over his wife, lifting her head, patting her cheeks… “Mary, can you hear me, are you all right?” Her eyes fluttered open, and when she saw Harriet and Joe, she went to pieces.

  Torn between attending to his wife and sweeping his daughter into his arms, he got up and helped Mary to her feet and guided her to a nearby upholstered bench. He went to his child, grabbed her in his arms and went to pieces himself.

  “It’s you, oh my God!” He was at a loss for any more than that. He stared at his daughter then Joe, “Are you okay, are you both okay?”

  “Oh, Dad, I missed you so much. We couldn’t get back, we tried, but we couldn’t get back before now.” Harriet was crying now.

  Bill touched his girl’s flushed cheek, wiping away her tears, and then stroked her hair. “I’m not dreaming, you’re here in front of me.” He was so overwhelmed with emotion that all he could do was pull her in and hold her tight. “Oh, baby, we thought you were dead!”

  “It’s okay, we’re here, we’re okay, we couldn’t get back,” she said between sobs. “Dad, I missed you and Mom so much!” The remnants of that fear were etched on her face.

  Now under control, her mom got to her feet and joined in the hugging. All three were crying and laughing, oblivious to Joe, forgotten in the corner. He was a sniff away from crying himself.

  “I better call my folks, or do you want me to go home?”

  That snapped Bill back to reality, “No, stay, sit, I’ll call Mike and Jen. God, we’re glad to see you. Sit down.” He pointed to the bench. “Better still… let’s go into the living room
. Mary, don’t worry about the mess, we can clean it up later. Go into the living room with your daughter and Joe. I’ll call from the kitchen.” Regaining his composure, Bill was once again in full control.

  His wife, who was busy piling broken china and the dented, steel teapot onto the tray, nodded, “It's okay… I have most of it, now.” She took the tray that Bill had made for her and followed him out to the kitchen, where she placed it on the counter. Then she went to the living room to join the kids, hoping this wasn’t all a dream.

  They could hear Bill on the phone. His voice was rising with laughter followed by a few muffled words before he came back to join them.

  He looked hard at the two kids. “You look none the worse for the wear. You said you couldn’t get back. I assume you have a story to tell.” He looked from one to the other.

  “Do you want to fill us in on where you were for sixty-three days?” His lawyer side was kicking in.

  Harriet opened her mouth, but Joe stopped her, “I think we should wait for my parents, so we can explain it to all of you.”

  Bill nodded, “You’re right. The main thing is you’re okay. You are okay, you weren’t hurt?”

  “We’re good, Dad. We’re not hurt.” Before she could go any further, the doorbell rang.

  Mary got up to answer it. They could hear her warning that there was still tea and shards of china on the tile floor and to watch their step.

  Jen came through the door first, saw Joe, and burst into tears.

  “Oh, baby, you are okay. I couldn’t believe it when Bill told us, we were so worried”

  She swept him into her arms and leaned back then held his face in her hands, studying him.

  “You look okay.” She couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

  Mike pushed in at that point and took over from Jen. He grabbed Joe in a bear hug, and then grabbed his hand, stepped back and stared into his eyes, before he pulled him in for another hug. At this point everyone was crying.