Tomorrow is another day

No guts, no glory

That night Anna went to bed early and I went to my room to read for a while before sleeping. She had been acting strange all afternoon, clumsier than usual, louder than usual, and more absent-minded than usual. I assumed that she was worried for the pass of the time with neither of us finding a job. We were already going through the windy days of October and if things continued like this, by the time she left in less than two months, my financial situation would be quite precarious. But, to be honest, that was what worried me the least. If she wasn't going to be by my side, having comforts was absolutely secondary.

It was almost one in the morning when a couple of knocks on my bedroom door took me out of my reading.

"Kristoff? I see light inside, are you awake?"

"I am. What do you need?"

"May I come in?"

"Gimme a moment."

I used to sleep in my boxers, so I pulled on some pants as fast as I could and opened the door.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I just needed to talk."

Anna seemed distressed for some reason, so I rested my hands on her shoulders and guided her to the bed where she sat flopping down.

"Have you had a nightmare?"

"No. I would have to sleep for that."

"And what is what keeps you awake?"

"You know that movie I saw this morning?"

" 'About time?' "

"That one."

"What with it?"

"If I go back to the past and change things... do you think you could disappear?"

"I guess it's a possibility, yes."

"What I thought..."

"But don't worry, it wouldn't be a personal matter against me. I mean, the future would be a different place. Who knows how much. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Not that this one is a wonder, you know? Put the news on for a while and you will understand what I mean. If you change it... it might become a better place."

"Or a worse one..."

"It's hard to make it worse."

"A place without you."

"Maybe."

"And, do you say it so easy? Don't you have any reason to want to live?"

"Meh... I will lose my reason for wanting to live anyway."

Anna lowered her gaze and clenched her fists. I didn't mean to make her feel bad, but there was no point in lying either.

"But I don't want you to disappear," she muttered without looking up.

"Hey, really, don't worry about me. If I really disappear, I don't think I would notice. I wouldn't suffer for it."

"No! You have to exist! You are my first and only friend!" Ouch... "You are sweet, brave, kind, considerate, smart, funny, and insanely attractive!"

Hit.

"And I think... I'm in love with you."

And sunk.

My eyes bulged and my muscles froze. That was more than I expected to hear in this life. She... Hey, wait!

"You think?" I asked, noticing the nuance.

"I do," she said firmly raising her head to hold my gaze and completely flushed.

"To think it?"

"Loving you!"

"You... love me?" I babbled in disbelief.

"How many times are you going to make me repeat it to you?!

"For life if I can."

Anna laughed sweetly and stood out of bed; she gently took my hand in hers and bit her lip.

"What now?" she asked then in a whisper.

"You think I should kiss you?" I said finally putting words to the demand that my whole being had been making me since the moment I met her.

A soft and tender smile was painted on her lips and one of her hands went up to my cheek, letting all her warmth seep through it.

"Do it, please."

Without ever releasing her hand, I used my free hand to brush a lock of hair from her face. An inevitable smile was carved out on my face and I wondered if I would be able to erase it one day. Her eyes, smiling and warm, flooded my thoughts. I touched her lips with my finger, savoring the moment that I never imagined I would live and, finally, I slowly brought my face closer to hers until our lips melted and our bodies connected in time and space in the most powerful of feelings.

"Come with me," she said at the very moment our lips lost the touch of the other.

"Where?"

"To the past. Come with me! I can't abandon my sister, but I refuse to lose you. Perhaps... perhaps if you travel to the past and change the future with me, you cannot disappear because by doing so the change that causes the disappearance would disappear and you would reappear or something like that, right?"

"I'm almost sure that I follow you..."

"God... there is no good option, isn't it?"

"Anna..."

"Maybe I should still stay here and leave things as they are. Anyway, I'm not sure that I can fix the past and, that way, I would keep you safe."

"And you would never live in peace with yourself again. It doesn't seem like an option to me."

"But you would still be here. I want you with me."

That was so hard to believe and I wanted so much to do it at the same time... That crazy, brave, scandalous, sincere, intelligent, funny, adventurous, pure, dedicated, generous woman... that wonderful woman loved me. I didn't know what she had seen in me or if I really deserved her, but, if it was in my power to make her happy, I would give everything for it.

"Listen to me, Anna. We don't know what the good option is or if there is one, so let's just follow our hearts, okay? So far we've been doing so and it hadn't been a bad time."

"I've been frozen for two hundred years."

"And thanks to that we are together and we're going to save your sister."

"And will you stay with me?"

"I will always be by your side. No matter what the times or the life change. I will always come back to you. I can feel it."

"So..." she said with her puppy eyes. "Are you coming?"

I laughed, plunging her hard into my arms.

"I'm coming."

Anna hugged my body even tighter and rubbed her head over my chest wiping some tears away from the fabric.

"Alright, Bjorgman. Ready for the past?"

"I don't think so."

We both laughed together and enjoyed the moment until sleep made its appearance and Anna returned to her room.

That night, before sleeping, I realized the fearful adventure that lay ahead. It wasn't going to be easy to get out of this unharmed. And, on the other hand, I thanked heaven for how lucky I had been to find Anna and be loved by her. That time, life mattered; that time, I would go all out.