Aurora

41

Aurora jumped to her feet as it dawned on her, "I'm not happy." She repeated out loud.

Eric watched her speculatively,

"I only endured because of Mia, and now Mia is grown, and clearly doesn't need me anymore. . What do I do with the rest of my life?"

"You have Emily."

Aurora laughed,

"She's not mine." Aurora blamed her sudden outburst on the alcohol, "I'm going to die alone in this house." She said, then sunk to the floor in sadness.

"Or you can find love again?"

Aurora laughs out loud,

"Yeah, that's very unlikely."

"Because of Jack?" Eric asked.

"Because of Jack." Aurora repeated to herself,

"Were you these unhappy in Lockwood?" Eric asked again.

"Yeah, at first, I was so worried about Mia being out here by herself."

"And then what happened?"

"And then I got to know the real Jack Hyde, his friends, and family, I got to witness Lockwood in a whole new stream and it became this peaceful place, but by the time I realized it, it was too late. ..I was back here."

"Do you know how to go back?"

"No, I wish."

"Do you want to go back?"

Aurora took a moment to answer,

"There's nothing here for me anymore."

"What about Mia?"

"She's happy, even if it's without me. .. I'm just glad she's happy." Aurora threw her head back on the floor and stared up the ceiling, to stop the tears.

"I think my mom might help," Eric muttered suddenly.

She turned her weary eyes to him,

"Your mom?"

"Yeah, she's a parapsychology professor, she's studied mysteries and mystical facts her whole life, I grew up listening to these crazy stories as a kid, which probably explains why I am able to digest this whole thing."

"You think she might know something?"

"It's worth the shot. ..If Lockwood is really out there, someone must've written about it. You can't be the only whose traveled."

"Can I meet her?"

"Yeah, of course. You'll have to give me a heads up first, preferably when you're sober." They both laugh shortly,

"Yeah, of course. Thanks."

Silence.

"They've been wanting to meet... I mean Sarah, this might be the best time.."

Aurora is confused by the statement,

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"I never got the chance to take her home."

"Never, not even once?" Aurora said hoping she understood wrong.

"Yeah, um, I just never caught the chance to introduce her. I know it sounds crazy, I truly regret not introducing her to my parents when I had the chance."

"And your parents both live in this town?"

"Yeah, they've lived here their whole lives."

"And yet they've never bothered to met the woman that had their granddaughter?"