Page 84 of Echoes

“I’m older than you, my love. It was likely always going to be me going first unless something happened to you. And, God, I hope that’s not the case.”

“And we had daughters?”

“We had twins. They had children already. I didn’t see them or their significant others, though. I don’t know much beyond what I’ve already told you. But I saw them, and they looked like you, sweetheart. They were beautiful. They were strong and there for you after I’d gone. I remember feeling proud of them, even though they’re not even born yet.”

“Yet?”

“You said you wanted to talk about kids soon.”

“Babe, you can’t think I’m actually going to have these kids?”

“Yes, I do. Do you know why?”

“I know it was a vision, and you think it’s–”

“You named them,” Violet interjected.

“I what?”

“Two years ago, we were lying in bed, and you brought kids up seriously, not in passing, for the first time since we’d gotten together.You pulled an app up on your phone and wanted to play a game about names.”

“I remember.”

“You went to a Greek section of the app saying your mom would kill us if we didn’t give them Greek names or, at least, middle names.”

Rachel covered her mouth with the hand that Violet wasn’t holding.

“You said you liked Dora,” Violet added. “And I turned to you and looked–”

“Shocked,” Rachel finished for her. “Your face went pale. I thought you might have hated the name.”

“So you checked the app again, trying to give me a different name, and said Daryn.”

“It was just on the list. I–” Rachel paused again. “I hadn’t even heard of that name with that spelling before, but I liked it. I liked how it sounded. And you said you liked Dora, too. It reminded you of your grandmother.”

“Her name was Doreen,” Violet said.

“And you’re saying that these twin women have these names?”

“You put the app away then. I think you interpreted my reaction as not being ready to talk about kids, but it wasn’t that. It was that you’d said the two names I heard in that vision. Twin girls named Dora and Daryn. The names both meant–”

“Gift. I remember. It’s why I liked Dora, to begin with. I saw the meaning and thought what a gift it would be to have a baby with the love of my life, and I said it out loud. I–” She shook her head. “Violet, you couldn’t have actually seen this thing, you think, right?”

“I did,” she replied.

“And you’re telling me now because?”

“Because you proposed, and we’re getting married. I picked out an engagement ring for you, and it matches the one on her hand in the vision, Rach. I went ring shopping, not even thinking about the ring from the future, and at the first store I walked into, there it was – that exact engagement ring with the wedding band that went with it. I had to buy it because I knew it was yours. Then, we were talking about getting married here, and I realized that I had to tell you before we did. I needed you to know because it’s been unfair for you not to. That whole first year about killed me. I meant what I said to you the night we got together. I was dying because I loved you, and I knew you were the only one for me. It was unfair for me to put that on youthen, though. You said you needed time to focus on work, so I waited. Then, it was perfect. You and me, our life together, and I wanted nothing more than to be with you forever.”

“But how much of that do you know is because of whatever you saw? Maybe we–”

“No, don’t,” Violet stopped her. “Trust me on this. What I saw in the future is how it’s supposed to be, yes, but my love for you has nothing to do with what I saw there. That vision was maybe a few minutes, and it was a glimpse into what could be, but nothing was set in stone, Rachel. Had you andthat womanlasted, I never would’ve said anything. If you loved her, I would’ve wanted you to be happy with her. As much as I wanted a life with you, I wasn’t going to try to force it just to get to that vision. Everything we’ve had has been because we love each other. And when I marry you, that’s because you’re the only woman I ever want to be with. I want every lifetime with you and every alternate reality or timeline; all of them, if there are more out there, are for you and me.”

Rachel teared up a bit, and Violet worried that she was about to tell her that she couldn’t marry her now.

“I also told you because, in that vision, you said that I told you about this. I still remember your words almost exactly.‘I know we said we’d remember that we were gifted this life. We knew that this would happen. We’d end up here, with you in this bed and me sitting in this chair, wishing for more.’You said that and more to me before you kissed my hand and let me go.” Violet teared up herself, unable to control her emotions. “And I don’t know what would’ve happened had I not seen this vision. Maybe we still would’ve ended up together. Maybe not. All Idoknow is that it was real, and it led me to you, my love. It led me to you, and it led us here.”

“Do you still have it, the device thing?”