The Time Traveler's Wife

The Beginning

April 1990

A baby is born to Lilita Morgan and Samuel Karnstein, an upper-class family. Lilita is a hot-tempered woman, passionately in love with Samuel.

Samuel is a calm, warm man.

He is also a time traveler, a carrier of a genetic disorder that causes temporal displacement, mostly beyond his control. His mother before him had it, and taught him from the age of six how to use mindfulness and inner peace to prevent jumps from being as frequent and erratic. When he began displaying symptoms of his condition during puberty, his traveling was merely a small nuissance.

Samuel and Lilita agree that when their child reaches the age of six, he will pass on this knowledge.

~*~

January 1991

Laura Hollis is born to Sherman and Eileen Hollis, a middle-class family living within their means. Eileen is a woman who chases adventure and treats everyone she meets with kindness. Sherman is a devoted, open man who errs on the side of overprotection but recognizes one's ability to depend on themselves.

Hours after being born, Laura bursts out of her swaddle and rolls out of it, leading her shocked parents to declare they're definitely going to have their hands full.

~*~

December 1995

A small girl, five years old, sits in the passenger's seat beside her father, who is smiling fondly as his beaming daughter belts out a classic rock song with him.

"I love rock n' roll," he sings, pretending to hold a microphone in his hand. He lowers it and turns it towards her.

"So put another dime in the jukebox, baby!" she belts out, a forceful voice coming out of her small body.

"I love rock n' roll," he sings along with the radio.

They both do fist pumps and she does a little air guitar move he taught her as soon as she could stand. "So come and take your time and dance with meee!" they continue together.

He starts laughing and she giggles, hugging her with his free hand before he returns it to the steering wheel to make a turn.

It's a cold winter night, but the roads are clear and an earlier rainstorm has cleared all the clouds in the sky. Stars are shimmering and the moon is full and as the girl glances up through the windshield, it feels like the world is just meant for this moment, for her and her father to share.

After all, they're on their way to their favorite spot to watch the meteor shower. A love of the galaxy was one of the many things that bonds her with her father.

Suddenly, she hears a ringing in her ears. It quickly grows in intensity and she winces, clutching it in pain.

"Cupcake? Are you okay?" her father asks, keeping his eye on the winding road.

"Ow, the sound hurts," she whines.

He frowns. "Buckle up, creampuff. I'll pull over and then we can--"

The car hits a patch of black ice as he's going through the turn and the tires skid, sending the car through an awkward spin and slamming it front-first into the giant metal divider.

But before the skidding even occurs, the high-pitched ringing grows louder in the girl's ears and her body tingles. She clamps her eyes closed and it feels like her entire existence has been pulled apart and instantly put back together.

When she cracks her eyes open, she stares around her in confusion.

I'm at home?

And I'm naked?