it's your day: Aliyah

October 7, 2086. Aliyah Sylvester is 26. Angelo Shaw is 24, Devon is 14. Aldous is 15. 

* note: I know for us it’s been months since Aliyah took that pregnancy test, but in the story, it’s only been about a week or two. OMG how is that even possible!?!


For Aliyah's birthday dinner, Angelo was taking her to his mom's house.

"I wish I could take you somewhere awesome. Sorry, babe, I am broke as a joke. You know how my client stiffed me?"

Aliyah knew. It was all he'd been ranting and raving about for weeks.

"I can't believe that douchebag," he said. "I worked all summer on that case. I got nothing."

"I know it's not your fault," she said. "But you know I get an employee discount at work?"

return to dust, part 3

October 2086. Zach Harris is 8, Nathan Lind is 36, Keri Riley is 25, Dominique Beech is 27, Samir Peroit is 31, Amaya Hadley is 8. 


"Can we stay out a little longer? Can we please, Uncle Nate?"

How do you say no to that face? Zach looked up to Nathan with the kind of ravenous hope in his eyes that suggested he hadn't had any fun in precisely one year and fourteen days, which was likely true. Night was Nathan's favorite time in the city, too, when everything became so vibrant and exciting. So he said yes.

"What do you wanna do? See the street performers? Buy some sparklers?"

In the end, they decided to do it all.

return to dust, part 2

October 2086. Aurora Harris is 40, Zach is 9, Rebecca is 3. Meadow Lind is 71, Brady is 72. Clarice Miller is 40. 


The story of how Aurora ended up in California with the kids was a complicated story. If she had to summarize it, it would be that she ran and ran until she hit the ocean and could go no further, contemplating whether she should just keep walking out into the sea. No, she decided, she would not walk out into the sea. She had children to raise for fifteen more years. The sea could come for her later.

Of course, there were a few more steps between that moment and now.

Fall Festival at Coolidge House Country Inn

October 2086. 


Here is where the girls went while the boys were left home alone. Sharon asked Stephanie and Maria to bring their kids into work today—they have a very important job to do. They need to brainstorm ideas for the fall festival. Sharon doesn't have any kids of her own, so she needs to borrow her employees' children for this task.

when you grow up...

October 2086. Justin Kim is 26, Benji is 7 weeks old. 

obituary: Tad and Tosha Harris

Tad Harris: December 29, 2009 - February, 2084, age 74

Tosha Harris: January 26, 2010 - March, 2084, age 74

return to dust, part 1

October 2086. Lucy Harris is 20. Dallas Deppiesse is 21, Cassie is 14 months.


"Be careful," Dallas's parents always told Lucy when she took little Cassie out to practice her walking. "She looks very blue. We don't know these neighbors yet. We don't know what kind of people they are or what they'll think. People might be afraid."