“Your twenty-first birthday is tomorrow?” Hope asked, her eyes wide.
“Aye. Am I going to die here?”
“’Tis your choice,” Hope said. “Whichever life you want to keep, you need to stay awake past midnight on the night of your twenty-first birthday. But that means you’ll lose the other forever. ’Tis the worst part of this gift—choosing one and forfeiting the other.”
I stared at her, both elated and heartbroken. “If I want to stay here, I must stay awake past midnight on my birthday? But if I do, I won’t wake up in 1927?”
“No.” Hope shook her head. “Tomorrow will be your last day there.”
“What will happen to my body there?”
“It will die.”
In all my worrying about losing 1727, I hadn’t contemplated losing 1927. My parents, my brothers, Ruth and the children. Irene—and Lewis. I would have to say goodbye to all of them?
“I’m sorry you didn’t know before now,” Hope said, “but I’m thankful God brought you here in time, so you could choose the life you want.”
“But I want both lives.” As the words came out of my mouth, I realized how strange they sounded. Just a few months ago, I’d been praying that God would free me from this burden, and now He would. So why didn’t it feel like freedom?
Maxwell squeezed my hand and brought my whirling thoughts to a standstill. I loved him, with all my heart, and knew that I couldn’t leave him. God had worked so many miracles for us to be together. And as much as I’d miss my life in 1927, it was nothing compared to how devastated I’d be if I lost Maxwell.
“There is so much to tell you,” Hope said. “I would love if you’d stay for supper, if not for the night.”
I had many questions for her, as well. And so much to think about.
“And I long to hear about 1927,” Hope said. “My twin sister lives there. Her name is Grace. She chose to stay with her husband, Lucas.”
I frowned, remembering those names. “Lucas and Grace Voland?”
Hope’s mouth parted at the name. “Yes, how do you know her?”
“Grace Voland is a time-crosser?”
“Yes.”
“I met her in Washington, DC, when Charles Lindbergh returned after his flight over the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Someone finally made it over the ocean?” Hope asked with a grin. “I was the first woman to fly an aeroplane over the English Chanel in 1912. I wondered how long it would take to get over the ocean.”
“You’rethatHope?”
She grinned. “I am!”
Now it made sense why she looked familiar. Her identical twin sister was Grace Voland.
Hope’s face was shining. “Oh, but it feels good to meet someone who understands!”
“Grace has two daughters—”
“I know.” Hope smiled at her husband. “Lydia and Kathryn.”
“You know her daughter’s names? But how?”
Hope laughed. “I have much to tell you. And though I’ve already said a lot that is hard to understand, there is one thing thatIdon’t even understand. You see, Grace and I are identical twin sisters. Both our mother from this path and the one in the future were time-crossers, which is probably why there are two of us. But even more miraculous is that we both gave birth to the same daughter. Lydia was born to me and Isaac in 1694, but she was also born to Grace and Lucas in 1914. From the moment she could talk, she told me all about Grace’s life in Washington, DC.”
“You share the same daughter?” I could hardly believe it. “When I met Grace and Lydia, I had no idea. What about Grace’s other daughter, Kathryn?”
“She is also a time-crosser, but she had a different second family. I believe she was born in England in the 1860s.”
