The Time Capsule

James

The instant I walked away from her at the airport, I regretted it. I should have tried harder, said something more, done anything to make it so that she didn’t leave. But she did, and I did. And now I’m back at my mothers house, wondering if I’ll ever be able to sell it in this economy. Because honestly, keeping my head in that makes the suffering of a broken heart hurt that much less.

Greg had called me a lot to check up on me. Almost everyday. And each time he’d once again ask if I read the letter yet; Selena’s letter. I haven’t. it’s tucked away on my coffee table, waiting for that one stormy day where I’m stuck inside and have absolutely nothing new to read except for that letter.

But as days passed I couldn’t resist it. I had to know what Selena wrote in that. So I tear it open and sit in front of the fire to read it.


Dear Future Selena,

How are you? I hope all is well. I don’t really know what to write to you. I mean, you know about your past just as much as I do. You’re currently dating James Watson, which, if all goes well you should be married to him and have kids by now. That is, after all, your dream. It wouldn’t hurt to be living in that cute little house just out of New York City. You know the one I’m talking about, where we went while visiting James’ mom.

I hate to say it, since it sound so much unlike me, but honestly there’s not much on my mind besides James. Is it too soon to call it love? I’d say so if I weren’t feeling these feelings. It’s just I can’t stop thinking about him and whenever he’s around I’m just instantly happy. I currently can’t stand how I’ve become one of those girls obsessed over a boy, but honestly, he’s just so amazing that I can’t not be obsessed with him.

Moving on…are you married yet? With kids? It doesn’t even have to be with James, I understand that that may not work out. But still, I’ve always wanted to have a family and so I hope that by the time I’m 30 I have one. Oh, and I can’t forget about being a lawyer in New York. That’s what the ultimate dream would be (With James of course). Yeah, see? I can’t exactly move on from the topic of James. That’s how much I love him.

Hope my life doesn’t suck that bad.

-Selena


I chuckle, reading the last few lines. It was like she was trying not to write about me but ended up writing about me anyways. Sadness covers me when I realize I’ll never get to see her again. Our little argument back at the airport was the last I’d see of Selena Lawrence.

I still can’t believe I had actually tried to propose to her. What was I thinking?! She obviously was in no position to say yes to me. And I don’t blame her. It’s all my fault. I just it wasn’t. I wish I’d never done anything so idiotic, so crazy. It would have been a lot easier on all of us if I had just left that day and said absolutely nothing about my feelings towards her.

And of course, she’s having her office down in Florida say she’s not in. That’s the only phone number I can get ahold of and it’s useless at this point. I’m almost tempted to go down there myself and do…something.

That’s just it, I don’t have any more big gesture to use. I did them all over the week and now I’m out. I can’t even propose without looking like an idiot once again. I guess I could just go down and show that I’d give up my job and life up here to be with her. Girls like that type of thing, right?

I decide to take a break from thinking about her and go chop up some wood. There was supposed to be a storm coming this way and chopping wood always helped me relax. I found myself starting to mutter random bits of hatred out about myself, and others, as the thick pieces of tree split into multiple parts.

What I wasn’t expecting in any bit of this was to glance up and find the one girl who wouldn’t leave my mind. It took me a couple double-takes to actually realize that it really was Selena standing there, staring at me.

I blink some to make sure she was real and not just a bit of my imagination. When she didn’t disappear I assumed she was real. “uh, what are you doing here?” I ask, dropping the axe and taking a few steps toward her.

“I-I could ask you the same thing.” She replies, a look of pure-shock still plastered to her face.

“simple. This is my house.”

She holds up the catalogue that the house just got posted in to try to sell, “since when?”

I step a little closer and take the catalogue out of her hand, knowing that she was just using it as an excuse not to look at me. “Since the day my mom passed away. This was her house back when we visited in elementary school and it was still her house until she passed away. It as given to me in the will and-” I cut off short, not really knowing how to explain the next part.

“And?” Selena asks, her breath warm against my cold skin.

I grab her hands in mine, wrapping them with in mine to keep them warm in this freezing cold, “and I’ve been waiting for you to stop by for awhile now.”

She glances at our hands and then back up at me, “since July?”

“no, since I moved up here and realized this was the same house. Before this whole trip, the house was the only thing I could think of that would bring us together once again.”

“and it worked,” she whispers.

“what are you doing here Selena?”

“my flight got cancelled. Well, actually it got delayed but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was cancelled. I saw the ad and thought I’d stop by to see the house. You were definitely the last person that I thought I’d run into here.”

“I can tell. Now, how about we go back inside before the both of us freeze out here?” she nods and allows me to lead her into the kitchen, “hot chocolate?”

“yes please.”

“You know, you could have called me. I wouldn’t have minded you staying the night.” She gives me a confused look since obviously I was here, “I mean before you realized this is my house. Like if you had decided to stay at the airport.”

“oh, yeah…uh, I was thinking that. But I figured it might not be the best option since what happened.”

I set the mug of hot cocoa in front of her at the table and take the seat across, “well, do you want to spend the night? Since I’m pretty sure the flights are going to be cancelled for awhile.”

She nods, taking a sip of her drink, “that would be great.”

“all of your luggage is on its way to Florida I assume?”

“something like that. I don’t have it with me.”

“that’s fine. I have a couple boxes of my mom’s clothes, I’m sure something will fit.” We sat for a couple minutes in silence.

“why did you keep this house all these years, James?” she asks.

I smile politely, “I already told you, I was waiting for you.”

“and you decided to sell it, why?”

“because I realized that there was never going to be a you and I, so I just gave up.”

“That doesn’t exactly sound like the James I know. Just giving up on a girl.”

I take a deep breath, “people change.”

She slips a paper out of her purse, “now, I’m not allowed to quote this, if I remember the rules, but the gist of it is that the past you will come beat up the current you if you don’t marry me and have kids with me.”

I jump across the table, making sure to be careful of the cups, and reached for the letter I’d written years ago. “come on Selena, just let me read it!”

“uh-uh, where’s mine?”

I slip the folded up piece of paper out of my back pocket and hand it over to her, “I don’t think you’re going to like what fourteen year old you had to say.”

“and I think you’re going to hate yourself.” She responds, taking the letter from me and handing me my own. I sit back down and read the short piece of paper.

Selena was right, as always. I did hate myself. Not only did I predict I’d do something wrong but I didn’t want to do something wrong. I was oddly smart and confusing in this letter, but it all made sense in the end.

I notice Selena taking her time on reading her letter, and even then reading it a couple more times.

I grab our empty cups and set them in the sink to be washed later. It was probably best to give her time to think about the letter, so I went to find her clothes for later tonight. When I find the smallest items I could, I head back downstairs to find her waiting for me at the bottom of them.

Before I had the chance to say anything I was pushed up against the banister and she pressed her lips against mine, making me drop the clothes in my hand. I loved the feeling of her being pressed up at me like that. Plus it was kinda hot the way she just shoved me against the banister.

“just once, can I initiate a kiss?” I ask in a joking manner, pulling her closer to me.

“nope.” She replies, kissing me once again, but this one a lot shorter than the last. “I was right back then. This is my dream. You, me, this house, kids running around in the backyard…this is what I’ve been waiting for. Well, except for the fact I won’t have a job.”

“I already got you a job. I was going to head down to Florida and beg you one last time to come with me. And this time I had it all prepared for you.”

“I bet you did, but now you don’t have to make a trip down the coast.”

“That’s true.”

“So, I think you can take the house off the market.”

My face brightens up like a kid in a candy store, “you’re staying?”

“I’m staying.” She says, returning my smile. For the first time since middle school, I lean in and kiss Selena Lawrence, without get injured somehow. With my history, this is quite a surprise.

Selena pulls back a little and looks up at me, “one request.”

“what is it?”

“please get rid of that bachelors pad.”

If it were physically possible for my grin to grow any wider, I’m sure it would have. “finished,”

“Then we have nothing to worry about. And with those last words I pull her into another kiss. This was definitely something I could get use to quickly.