“The curse is broken,” Deirdre said, looking behind her. “That means…”
From the darkness a figure emerged where once there was only a skeleton. “Wallace?” the figure said, reaching a hand forward. “My boy?”
“Father!” Wallace replied, running and throwing his arms around him. “You’re alive.”
“Not for long if you keep crushing me like that. When did you get so strong?” Jock turned to face Natalie. “And who is this?”
“This is Natalie,” Wallace said. “Natalie MacCallister.”
If Jock was surprised by the surname he didn’t show it. “A pleasure to meet you, Natalie MacCallister,” he said, holding a hand out toward her. “Now I only have one more question.”
“What?” Natalie asked.
“How long have I been in this dungeon?”
“Too long,” Deirdre said, pulling her hair from her head. At once she looked different. Wallace marveled at the change in her appearance.
“Daisy?” Jock said, taking a step forward. “Is it really you?”
“Aye, my love,” she replied. “Hiding in plain sight like you made me promise.”
Wallace was shocked beyond words. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“You’re his mother?” Natalie asked. “But why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because if you found out, the barefoot man would have found out and any chance we had for dealing with him would be gone. I’m sorry, Wallace. I had to leave you for your own safety. I was hunted and the only way to keep you safe was to leave you with others. It has hurt me every day since to know I missed your childhood. Forgive me but it had to be this way.”
She embraced her son, and he tried not to cry.
He almost managed it.
16
Natalie tapped Wallace on the shoulder. “Tell me what you hear through that door.”
He turned away from his parents and looked where she was pointing. “Nothing,” he said, wondering why she looked so shocked. “Why, what do you hear?”
“I can hear someone singing.” She turned to Daisy. “Who is that?”
“Go and see,” Daisy said.
“Wait, isn’t that my time up there? If I go through, will I ever be able to come back?”
“Until the door closes. As long as it stays open you can return.” Daisy smiled, looking as if she knew something Natalie didn’t.
“If I can’t get back,” Natalie said, taking Wallace’s outstretched hand. “I just want you to know-”
“I know,” he replied. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Natalie felt herself being drawn through the door. Her feet moved her even though she wasn’t ready. She walked through and up the stairs, feeling a strong wind hit her even though her hair didn’t move.
Was this how it felt to return to her own time. She moved toward the sound of singing, pushing open the door into the living room she left what felt like a lifetime ago. It was the same but different.
“Is this the butterfly effect?” she asked herself, running her hands over a poster on the wall. It was a picture of a boy band, their smoldering faces staring back at her as she frowned at them. Who put that up?
“What was that?” a voice said behind Natalie. She turned to find herself looking at a ten year old girl that bore a striking resemblance to her. “Mom? Are you talking to my poster again. You know they’re not going to marry you, right?”
“Mom?” Natalie echoed, not sure she wasn’t seeing things. “Who’s your mom?”
