ELEMENT

Chapter Thirty-Five: By Any Other Name

The royals returned to the past today, looking for more answers.

The wind grazed carefully through the grass on a warm July afternoon, at a nearby park and playground that Sage recognized as the location for the present's kingdom library. Four-year-old Cole was playing on a swing set while Peter pushed him, and our heroes sat under a tree with Eileen.

"I can feel them kicking!" Eileen put a hand on her stomach, smiling to herself. "It's really any day now."

Ethan smiled. "It's so exciting!" Exciting because he knew it was Meadow, but he left that little detail out.

Sage nodded. "Very exciting." Their eyes met Ethan's, and they both smiled at each other.

Eileen squinted. "There is something about you two. Something's going on here."

Sage's eyes widened, turning to Eileen. "What do you mean? There's nothing going on."

"Don't be silly, I can smell it." She grinned. "You two are in love."

Robin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "You'd be right, they're just in denial."

Meadow nodded. "Very much in denial. There's so much denial going on."

"Alright--" Ethan laughed embarrasingly. "We're not—there's not—"

"Have you kissed before?" Eileen asked. "Tell me you've kissed before."

"Nine times." Meadow grinned widely.

"NINE??"

Robin twirled a lock of blue hair on their fingers. "In the span of a year."

"Shut up, I knew it!" Eileen giggled. She sounded identical to Meadow.

Sage rolled her eyes, leaning over and kissing Ethan swiftly on the cheek. "There, that makes it ten." She lightheartedly slumped next to Ethan, smiling. "Happy?"

"Yes, that's satisfactory." Eileen nodded. "I'm very happy with that answer. Now be dating."

Ethan covered his face in his sweater, completely engulfed inside.

Robin laughed. "Ethan?"

"Ethan's not here right now," he responded, his voice slightly muffled. "He's in sweater town."

Eileen looked to the street, and she looked closely before smiling brightly. "Oh, good! She's here!" Her face whipped around.

"Who's here?" Meadow asked.

A woman around Eileen's age with pale skin and blushed cheeks, and two bluish-green shoulder braids, came running through the park gate, clutching her purse.

Looking at her, Meadow felt something off.

Crumbling buildings, the sky falling, and the woman running off. Running far away.

But it was just a flash. Gone in an instant. She still couldn't shake the feeling afterwards.

"Eileeeeen!" She wrapped her arms around Eileen, sitting next to her, and noticing the royals. "Oh, hi! Who's this?"

"Rose, this is Sage, Ethan, Robin and Meadow!" Eileen pointed to each kid as she spoke. "Kids, this is my lifelong best friend, Rose Terry."

"Nice to meet ya!" Sage smiled.

Robin glanced in Meadow's direction, noticing her expression. Something's off, and she won't say what.

"Sorry I'm so late, honey." Rose removed her purse, setting it against the tree. "My brother needed my help."