Chapter 1924
Alec and | sat there, trying to act cool, but you could feel the tension in the air. When the door finally creaked
open, | saw my mom standing there. Sophie had on this neat pair of jeans and a crisp white blouse, her hair
pulled back in a sleek ponytail. She looked like she had it all together.
"You, cwith me," she said, motioning forto follow her.
| pointed to myself, a bit surprised. "Me?"
"Yes, you."
With that, Sophie turned and left the room. | glanced over at Alec. He gavea reassuring nod, signaling that
he didn't think Sophie was out to get us.
| trailed behind Sophie as she ledinto an empty room nearby. My stomach did a little flip of nerves.
"Mrs. Costello, what's up? Why did you callout here?" | asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"| did schecking. There aren't any students named you or Alec at Eastwood College."
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Her fingers drummed a steady beat on the table, filling the silence with a rhythmic tension. | held my breath
without even realizing it.
She studiedclosely. "You're not from Eastwood College, are you? Why the fib?"
"We are students there, we didn't lie, it's just..." | hesitated.
"Just that you're from the future?" she interjected.
Her words stoppedcold. | stared at her, trying to process what she'd just said.
My mind was racing with a mix of disbelief and surprise.
"I had a hunch," she said with a knowing smile. "The moment | saw you, something clicked. You felt like my own
kid."
"Mom..."
"Hold on, let's stick with Mrs. Costello for now," she interrupted with a slight chuckle. It seemed she was still
wrapping her head around the idea of being a college student's mom at this point in her life.
"The boy with you, is he Adler and Jenna's son?"
| nodded eagerly. "Yep."
"That makes sense. He's the spitting image of Adler."
Sophie paused, pondering for a moment. "So, why are you guys here?"
"We were dreaming," | said. "We just kind of ended up here by accident."
"A dream, huh," she mused, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "I've had my share of those."
"Really? What kind of dreams?"
"Nightmares, sweet dreams... you nit," she replied. "But this place is no playground. It's dangerous. What's
your plan here? How do you get back?"
"I honestly don't know. | just wanted to see what my parents were like back then."
"And now you have?"
"Yeah..."
| used to think grown-ups were
always exaggerating, but now it yet
made sense. They were just so
happy back then. The contrast with
today was stark.
I'd never imagined that Devonport, twenty years ago, was as wild as they said. It
was like danger was lurking around every corner.
Curiosity got the better of me. "Mrs. Costello, why do you believe me? Most people would think I'm lying."
"Because I've been through it myself. | believe people can get second chances,
scan even go back," she said, givinga playful wink.
| was taken aback. I'd always seen my mom as gentle and smart, but in that moment, | realized just how
extraordinary she truly was. She wasn't just my mom. She was a queen, a powerhouse in the corporate world,
winning every battle she faced.
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