Adjustments

Adjustments 18

Sarah

As I look around from my position on the ground, I see nothing but blue sky, yellow sand and the blue ocean. The smell of salt water travels through my nose as I look around. In my peripheral vision, I see a woman. She looks young, mid-40's, brown hair, brown eyes. She looks like me. She takes a step closer to me as I stand up.

"Hi." I say, smiling. The woman doesn't say anything, so I try to be friendly. "I'm Sarah."

I begin to feel confused. I don't remember landing in LA, let alone going to the beach. The woman continues to walk closer to me and eventually stands in-front of me.

She holds her hand up, showing me her palm. I observe her for a minute and jump when she grasps my hand and put it on hers. I feel connected to her, almost like the way I felt with Noah when we kissed. But this is a different connection. Finally, she speaks.

"I'm sorry I did that to you." She says. This makes the gears in my brain turn.

"Excuse me?" I respond.

"Last year. I startled you, didn't I? It was my first time communicating like that."

I release my hand and look at her with a weird face.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"You don't know who I am?" She replies, stepping forward.

"I'm sorry, but, I'm late for a meeting." I say, turning around and walking towards the boardwalk.

"He was very nice young man, Sarah Marie." I stop in my tracks and stare straight ahead for a moment. "It's a shame that had to happen to him." I turn around and walk to her at a rapid pace.

"Who?" I ask. She doesn't respond. I take her by the shoulder and shake her. "Who, lady? Who?"

"Your lover." I freeze. Does she know Noah?

"Tell me who you are." I demand. She takes my hands off of her shoulders and holds them in hers. I look into her eyes.

"Julie. I'm your mother, Sarah."

I immediately pull my hands away from hers. "That's impossible. My mother's been dead for fourteen years."

"You're right, I have been. I'm sorry for that."

I am one-hundred percent flabbergasted! I must be dreaming! My mother is standing in-front of me!

"Okay... Okay, if you're my mother... what was the ornament that you and I hung on the tree every year?" Only Noah and my father knew that answer, beside my mother and I of course.

"An angel. I named it Sarah, after you. Then, years later, when your father broke it, Noah bought you a new one that was engraved." I gasped. She's my mother and she saw what Noah did! I jump into her arms and we embrace.

"You're right! You scared me in the park. I thought I was being possessed." I say. She pulls back and I don't feel her warmth anymore.

"I've met him, Sarah."

"Noah?"

"Yes. He never meant to hurt you, you know? Kissing that..."

"I know." I say, talking over her.

"I saw everything that happened to him. I wanted to step in but, I couldn't. It happened too fast."

"It's okay, Mom." I say with a melancholy tone. "Can I ask you something? This is going to sound really cliché but did you... you know... send him to me?"

"You guessed it." I embrace her again, committing her scent to memory.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"Ashley was right. He told me he wants you to be happy, to do what you love."