my sweetheart #2: this wanderer is not lost

July 2088. Jordan Graham is 28, Milo and Felix are 9. Colette Marin is 31.

previously: Jordan doesn’t want to rock the boat?

The big wedding had been postponed, so the entire staff at Coolidge House Country Inn got a surprise two weeks off. Why did that make Jordan feel like an animal whose cage had been left open? The boys were on summer vacation and he had an idea. He also had a nagging suspicion that two weeks would not be enough to scratch this itch. But it was what he had, so he posed the wild idea to their mom.

 
“I want to take the boys backpacking in Canada.”

And Colette replied, with a patronizing chuckle, “Good luck with that.”

The boys were nine, and their mother was a snobby, opinionated, control freak. But she didn’t say no.

obituary: Robert Randolph Kim

born: May 16, 2034

died: July 13, 2088 (heart attack)

He was 54 years old. 

my sweetheart #1: it wasn’t funny after all

July 2088. Cynthia Kim is 52, Robert is 54, Justin is 28, Stephanie is 28. 

It was an ordinary summer morning. The children poured themselves some cereal. Probably most of it ended up on the floor, but who cared?

“Fine, have cookies. Fine, have ice cream. Dog food? What dog food? We don’t have a dog. Just be good. We’ll be out in a minute. Mommy and Daddy are just wrestling.”

It was a slow and sweet summer morning. Their wedding was imminent, finally, after all this time, and everyone was feeling playful and light. Both of them had to work today. Justin would pop over to the workshop for a few hours—he loved being his own boss and making his own hours—then Steph had dinner to serve tonight at the inn.

It was a charming summer morning that was about to take a terrible turn.