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Rain struck Max’s eyes as she felt Chloe’s hands shake her shoulders.
“What happened?” Chloe asked, her voice trembling in shock and desperation. “Why didn’t you go back?”
Max froze. She stared in disbelief at the soaking wet girl in front of her, and at the photo in her hands. “I...I…"
Max stared at the date she had written in the corner of her diary. October 7, 2014. Tuesday. Exactly one year. Well, not quite; it would be one year at 3:11 pm that afternoon, and that was still about nine hours away. Her stomach turned just thinking about it, and she found herself unable to write anything beyond just the date.
Well Max, this is it. Today is the day. And I swear to god, you are NOT spending all of it in bed.
She closed her diary and gently rolled herself out of bed. The bed seemed to be getting larger and larger every day, but this morning, it seemed to be bigger than ever. How could a twin feel so much like a queen? She took another moment to stand up, stretch, and rub her eyes, before looking at herself in the mirror.
Blugh. That was about the only word that could go through Max’s mind. It wasn’t even a word. It was just noise. She stretched her cheeks to examine the dark circles forming under her eyes, and frowned. I guess that’s what not sleeping does to somebody. Max was never the type to primp and preen, but as she looked at her reflection, she couldn’t help but feel that if she were one of her own subjects, she’d have thought she’d caught herself on a bad day and consider scheduling a reshoot.
She sighed heavily as she picked out her clothes for the day.
“Jesus. Look at all of this.” Chloe kicked some debris out from in front of her.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Max, visibly shaken as she crouched by what was left of a wooden sign. “Un-fucking-believable. To think that all this happened in one night, and all of it…all of it…”
“Hey! None of that,” Chloe snapped. “Remember what you said?” Chloe put a hand on Max’s shoulder.
Max took a deep breath, and stood up. “You’re right. You’re totally right. I’m sorry.”
“Besides,” Chloe began, turning Max to face her. “It’s not like everyone’s gone. Mom made it. So did everyone else who was in the diner.”
Max smiled and lifted her head, staring into Chloe’s eyes. “More and more people keep checking in,” she said. “And, most importantly…” Max let her words trail off.
Chloe leaned in, placing a hand underneath Max’s chin. “We made it,” she said, just above a whisper.
Max closed her eyes as she pressed her lips against Chloe’s, and felt her hands move away from her face and around her neck. She savored the gentle taste of her girlfriend’s lip gloss, and breathed in delight as she felt her tongue slip through her lips. Not to be outdone, Max’s tongue slid against Chloe’s before moving into her mouth. She allowed herself to be lost in the moment, to forget about the devastation all around them, to simply be with this wonderful person that held her in her arms.
Finally, Max pulled herself away. “We made it,” she repeated.
Hayden popped his earbuds out from his ears with one hand as he reached for his towel with the other. “Hey, Max…” he said, his voice somewhat more somber than usual.
“Good morning, Hayden. How was your run?”
Hayden averted his gaze. “Oh, you know, same old sites as always. No different today than any other day.” He forced a chuckle as he sat across from her at the dining table. He noticed that Max had two uneaten pieces of dry toast in front of her. “You, ah, hungry, Max?”
Max blinked. “Hm? Oh. Uh, no, I guess not. You can have it if you want,” she offered, lifting the plate closer to him.
Hayden shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Um, no thanks. Why don’t you make it into a sandwich or something for lunch after you head?”
“Sure. I’ll do that,” said Max absently as she put her plate back down.
Deafening silence hung in the air. Hayden took a few swigs from his water bottle.
“Hey, I see the Portland Tribune bought your photoset of the new museum exhibit!” Hayden did his best to sound enthusiastic. “Think they’ll hire you on as staff?”
Max, still somewhat startled by the break in the silence, blinked a few times before answering. “Uh, I guess.” Recognizing the effort to make conversation, she mustered the will to at least try to sound interested. “The Tribune pays really well, but there’s a part of me that’s still holding out to get a spot on the Mercury”.
Hayden laughed. “Of course you are. Well, ‘good luck’ is all I’m gonna say.”
“Thanks,” Max smiled. “Maybe not as glamorous as your internship at The Oregonian, but hella way more fabulous.”
Hayden forced another chuckle.
Another deafening silence. Hayden tapped a short rhythm on the table as he stretched his legs out underneath. Max was staring out the window, and still hadn’t done anything with her toast.
“Max, listen,” Hayden began. “I know what today is. And I ain’t gonna pretend I know what you’re going through.” He paused. “But I want you to know that I got your back. Think of it as repayment for putting up with me as a roomie for the last 5 months.”
Max turned from the window. “Thanks, Hayden. I’ll be okay. I promise,” she assured him.
“I believe you, Max. There’s a lotta people looking out for you, and you better believe that I’m one of them. Just don’t be afraid to give me a buzz if you need anything, ‘kay?”
“Sure thing,” said Max. Taking the cue, she fished her phone out of her bag. 23 new texts, 3 voicemails, and some Facebook notifications. At least half of them are from Dad, I bet. She put her phone back down.
“I bet it’s gonna be blowing up all day long,” Hayden remarked.
“Yeah…” Max sighed in agreement. “I don’t think I’m ready to read them just yet.”
“Can’t say I blame you. Just take care of yourself, alright? And text me when you make it to Arcadia Bay. I’m old. I worry.”
Max smirked a little bit, standing up from her seat and picking up the toast. “You’re barely older than me.”
“See? Older than you,” Hayden joked as he also stood up. “I’m gonna hop in the shower before work. See you tonight?”
“See you tonight,” Max confirmed. As Hayden headed away to the bathroom, she grabbed a jar of peanut butter from the cupboard and quickly made her breakfast into a future lunch. I doubt I’m going to want to eat this later either, but I can’t stand wasting food. She put the sandwich into a plastic bag and slipped it into her bag, taking the opportunity to check to make sure that she had everything.
Phone, camera, keys, diary, scrapbook, scraps…yep, looks like I’m all set. She made her way to the front door.
Chloe waved as she honked the horn of her old pickup. Max jogged toward the passenger side, pulling the door open with one hand and swinging her bag behind the seat with the other hand in one smooth motion. She took her seat, and leaned in to Chloe for a quick kiss.
“Good morning, dork!” said Chloe.
“’Morning, loser,” grinned Max in return. “So what’s this ‘big surprise’ you’ve been texting me about all morning?”
Chloe’s eyes lit up as she immediately reached into her purse. She pulled out a newspaper clipping, barely containing her excitement as she grabbed Max’s wrist and slammed it into her open palm. “Ta-daaaaa!”
Max lifted the piece of paper to read it.
APARTMENTS FOR RENT
Apartments available for rent IMMEDIATELY in new development in the Pearl District.
$1,200/month, 1 bed 1 bath, shared laundry, small pets allowed w/deposit.
Perfect for new residents looking for a fresh start in a new city. Call today!
Max looked up, mouth slightly agape, to see Chloe’s toothy grin agleam with anticipation. “Max, we are NEVER going to find a place this cheap in fucking PORTLAND. This is it! This is our chance!”
Max felt the corners of her mouth lift involuntarily. She was still a little bewildered, as this was a lot to take in all at once. Her breathing became slightly labored. “Portland? We could…we…but, wait, what about your mom?”
Chloe giggled. “What about her? I’m an adult now, I bet she’s hella sick of me hanging around anyway, and the restorations of the old neighborhood are almost done. She’s got David, she’ll be fine.”
Max’ expression softened. “…You called him ‘David’.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Ever since he got to be the big hero that put Jefferson away, he’s settled down a lot. Plus, you told me that he saved your life once. Started feeling kinda silly to keep calling him ‘step-douche’ or whatever.” Chloe frowned. “Doesn’t mean I like him. But he makes my mom happy.” She smiled again. “And, if we go to Portland, it doesn’t matter WHAT I call him, he won’t be my problem anymore!”
“Hell yeah!” Max chirped. “Also, one bedroom…?”
Chloe’s voice cracked, and Max saw her cheeks redden ever so slightly as she laughed a little nervously. “W-well, come on, Max, do you know how expensive a two bedroom place would be?”
Max said nothing, choosing instead to enjoy this rare opportunity to see Chloe squirm.
“Uhh, I mean, if you’re not ready, we can always get a big couch, o-or…” Chloe tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, turning away. If Max didn’t know better, she’d swear she saw a bead of sweat just below her beanie.
Max leaned in and kissed her cheek. “One bedroom sounds awesome,” she breathed softly into her ear.
Chloe smirked and turned to face her. “You asshole, you just wanted to see me blush.”
“Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t,” Max teased. “So. Tell me you already called this place.”
“Uh, yeah, no shit I did! We’re set to check it out this afternoon. So buckle your seat belt, Max Power, because soon we’ll be saying ‘goodbye’ to emergency housing and ‘kiss my ass’ to Arcadia Bay!”
Max shifted into ‘park’ and took a deep breath. Here I am. Again. Come on Max. You can do this. She grabbed her bag and stepped out into the street. How many times have I walked these steps? How many times have I rung this doorbell? I doubt even Warren would have kept track. She took another breath, and pushed the doorbell.
Before long, Joyce opened the front door. Seeing Max, she smiled warmly. “Max Caulfield. Come on in.”
“Hi Joyce,” Max said meekly, stepping inside. “How are you?”
“Holding up, as always, Max. Let me take your coat.” Without waiting for Max to respond, she started shuffling Max’s coat off of her shoulders. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“Coffee sounds great,” Max lied. Since her time in Portland, she’d become much more partial to tea, but she could never say ‘no’ to Joyce. She made her way to the dining table behind the living room couch.
Joyce made her way to the kitchen. “I had a feeling you’d be dropping by today,” she called out, pouring some coffee into a mug. “Do you still take it black?”
“Yes, please.”
Joyce’s voice softened as she walked up to the dining table. “Good to see living in the big city hasn’t affected your manners,” she joked as she put a mug in front of Max. She leaned against an adjacent wall and lifted her own mug close to her face. “How are you doing, Max?”
Max evaded the question. “It’s been a hell of a year”.
“Mm. That it has. No argument there.” Joyce took a long, thoughtful sip of coffee. “Never realized just how big this little ol’ house was.”
“I know the feeling,” agreed Max. “Is David around?”
Joyce frowned. “No, David’s not around. And he won’t be coming around either.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“S’not your fault, Max. Don’t go taking the blame for this.” Joyce sipped her coffee. “Guess it’s kinda funny. Turns out that without Chloe around to keep us on our toes, we just…started getting on each other’s nerves, I guess.”
Max nodded and took a drink from her own mug.
“It’s for the best, Max. After all this time, I guess I’m finally startin’ to realize Chloe might have been right all along about him.” She drank. “David’s a good man, but he was just a bandaid for the hurt I was still feeling over William. God, I would never believe how long a pain like that could last.”
Max could see tears welling up in Joyce’s eyes. She stood up and hugged her.
Joyce closed her eyes and returned the hug. “Shit, I’m sorry Max. This isn’t a conversation I should be having with someone as young as you.” She pulled away from Max. “I’m sure you got plenty on your mind without me adding to your plate.”
Max forced a smile. “I used to love it when you’d add to my plate, especially at breakfast.” She blinked back a few tears of her own. “Don’t worry about it.”
Joyce did her best to return the smile. “You’re sweet. Always were.”
“Come on,” said Max. “It’s almost time.”
“Psst!”
Max stirred. Oh, that’s right. It’s six-thirty in the morning.
“Pssssssssst! Max!” Chloe’s whispers were becoming harsher.
“Mmm?” Max shifted slightly. “What is it?”
“Happy six months!” Chloe squeezed Max from behind.
Max smiled lazily, keeping her eyes closed. “It’s the seventh. We didn’t officially start dating until the eleventh.”
“But the seventh is when you came back to my life. So it’s where I start counting. And I got you a present.” Chloe kissed Max’s cheek. “So there.”
“A present?” That got Max’s attention.
“Uh-huh!” Max noted that Chloe was unusually spritely this morning. “But first we have to watch the sunrise.”
“The sunrise? Wh-why the sunrise?”
“Because, dork, it’s a surprise. Now get up!”
“Alright, alright, geez.” Max yawned, pulling the covers off her body.
Chloe scooted herself from her side of their bed. As soon as her feet found the floor, she moved quickly to the dresser and retrieved something Max couldn’t see. Max, taking some initiative, wiped some of the sleep from her eyes before pulling open the curtains. Outside the window was an all-too-familiar shine of orange, bathing everything in the distance in its brilliance.
Chloe returned. “Okay, Max. Close your eyes.”
Max smiled, doing as she was told. She heard Chloe fumble with what sounded like a small box. Then, silence. Suddenly, beams of light shone at her eyelids, and even though her eyes were closed, Max could tell that the beams were colorful. Slightly startled, she opened her eyes.
The sight that greeted her took her was breathtaking. The entire room was covered in dazzling beams of light, each containing every color of the spectrum. As Max looked around, she saw the source of the light, a crystalline gem, held up against the rising sun, attached to a brilliant chain, held aloft by a positively beaming Chloe.
Chloe lowered the necklace and skipped gingerly to her girlfriend’s backside. She wrapped her arms around Max’ shoulders and pulled the necklace closely around her neck. With a bit of effort, she fastened the chain. Max looked down at the pendant, lifting it closer to her face to examine it. At the center of the triangular gemstone was an etching of a butterfly.
“Do you like it?” Chloe moved to face Max again.
“I love it,” Max answered, still admiring the pendant. Her gaze shifted to meet Chloe’s eyes, wide open and alight with affection. “And I love you.”
Chloe inhaled deeply, and held it. “I love you too, Max.” She threw her arms around Max and laughed.
Max also laughed, returning her embrace, and wondering how obvious it was that she was crying at the same time. “Looks like I’ve got a lot to live up to.”
“For the last time, Max, don’t worry about it!” Chloe showed no signs of releasing their embrace, and was now rocking side to side. “You’ve already given me so much. Just promise me one thing?”
“Anything. Anything at all.”
“Promise me you’ll still be here for our one-year.”
“I promise,” Max said. And with all her heart, she meant it.
The distant screeching of seagulls was the only reminder of the outside world. The sound of Max’s shoes scraping against the path was deafeningly loud in comparison, as were the footsteps behind her. She wondered if this path would ever feel shorter. As it was, it felt as if they’d been walking for hours. She still hadn’t texted Hayden yet, but she was sure he’d understand. After all, he was probably busy with his internship.
One year.
That was the promise.
That was the reason she had come back here.
Joyce was following behind, and hadn’t said a word since they’d stepped out of the car. As the pair drew near to their destination, however, she finally broke her silence. “Not much further now”.
Max said nothing. She solemnly bowed her head as she continued walking. She knew that if she tried to speak, all that would come out would be incomprehensible sobbing. In any event, she couldn’t think of anything she particularly wanted to say anyway. She just wanted to get there. Words could wait.
More screeching in the distance. Max felt a certain affinity for the gulls. At times like these, the ocean seemed to call to her, and she’d wish for nothing more than to be able to spread her wings and fly out to answer its call. But as much as she may have wished to fly away, there was something more important that she absolutely needed to do first.
Today was the day.
“It’s a beautiful day out,” Joyce tried again to break the silence. “In a way, it seems appropriate. It was a beautiful day the first time we were here too.”
Max swallowed hard. “I barely noticed,” she uttered, voice trembling.
“I remember it very clearly,” Joyce mused. “I always find it helps to focus on the weather. Something about the weather, y’know. It’s a reminder that there’s so many things in this world we can’t control.” She was rambling, but neither she nor Max seemed to care. “Some things just are what they are. We can be mad about it, we can be sad about it, but in the end…” she trailed off.
“In the end, every storm will pass.” Max slowed her pace.
“Exactly.” Joyce’s own pace slowed to match.
They had arrived.
Max pulled her camera out of her bag and pointed it downward. She snapped a photo, and immediately set about shaking it.
Slowly, the image came into view.
Golden letters painted on polished obsidian rock.
CHLOE PRICE
Her Spirit Free In Rest As It Was In Life
March 11 1994 – October 7 2013
For the first time that day, Max finally allowed herself to weep. Joyce wrapped one arm around her, weeping quietly beside her.
Joyce had taken them both back to her house, and now Max was on her way back to Portland. She heard her phone vibrate yet again, and yet again she ignored it. She saw a sign for a pit stop off the highway in just a mile.
I’ve waited long enough.
She signaled her exit, and eased off the gas. This place would be as good of a place as any.
Max didn’t even bother entering the rest stop. She parked her car, walked just off the side of the road, and opened her bag, dumping the contents completely askew. Even hearing her camera strike the ground harshly, she didn’t care. All that mattered were the photos. And sure enough, there they were.
One year. That was the promise that she made to herself.
She fished around for the photos, arranging them just as she had done 59 times previously. Each one labeled with the date and time it was taken. Each one a picture of the growing collection of all the previous photos.
All except for one.
The one that she had only labeled “Where it all began”.
This was it.
She gave herself a year. And now, she had made up her mind.
She picked up the last photograph in the arrangement, and began to focus.
“You don’t know who the fuck I am, or who you’re messing with!”
Nathan’s voice was as panicked and grating as it ever was.
Max wasted no time. She didn’t even search for the hammer. She struck the fire alarm through the glass with nothing but her bare fist.
Rain struck Max’s eyes as she felt Chloe’s hands shake her shoulders.
“What happened?” Chloe asked, her voice trembling in shock and desperation. “Why didn’t you go back?”
Max froze. She stared in disbelief at the soaking wet girl in front of her, and at the photo in her hands. “I...I…” She had rehearsed this so many times, but seeing Chloe, looking into her eyes for the first time in what felt like a thousand eternities, the words just weren’t coming. “It didn’t work!”
“What do you mean, it didn’t work?”
“The storm still happened, Chloe. It didn’t work.”
Chloe gripped Max’s arms. Max could see a strange mixture of relief and horror in her eyes. “Then this is really happening? You can’t stop it?”
“Chloe, listen to me!” Max finally remembered. She was shouting above the howling wind. “I think…I think that this is how it has to be! I’m always rewinding and rewinding and trying to undo everything, and maybe that’s what started all of this, but what if rewinding again to fix it will only make it worse?”
“Max!” The tears streaming from Chloe’s eyes were lost in the rain. “I don’t…I don’t know what to say!”
“I do!” Max responded. “Chloe, I love you!”
“W-what?” Chloe blinked, but couldn’t stop a smile from creeping on her lips.
“I love you Chloe! This week has been so fucking insane, we’ve been through so much, and it feels…I mean, I need…”
“Max!” Chloe was laughing. She released her grip on Max’s arms and pulled her in, hugging her tightly. “You’re such a dork!”
Max wrapped her arms around Chloe’s waist. “I mean it! I don’t care what happens, I just want to be with you!”
“Max, if we make it through this, I’ll always be here for you!”
“Do you promise?”
“I promise!”
That was all Max needed to hear. Without a second thought, she twisted her head and pressed her lips forcefully against Chloe’s. The screaming wind and tireless rain drowning out everything else. The two women were soaked to the bone, their clothes clinging as tightly to their bodies as they did to each other. The embrace was anything but tender; Max acted with passion and determination, utterly set on making every microsecond of this moment count for all its worth. She could feel that Chloe was struggling to keep up, and Max could only imagine what was going through her head.
Around her, she felt the orange glow start to close in.
Max’s phone alarm sounded. She looked at the clock. 3:11 pm. She reached into her purse, relieved as she found the small box with her fingers.
One year.
That was the promise.
The End