Time After Time || Chris Cornell

25. Part 3: 18 Years In The Making

Detroit Michigan, May 18 2017

(Andi is 29, Chris is 52)

ANDI: Sitting in the backseat of a black 2017 Nissan SUV, I flip my dark curls out of my face and try to look out the window which was completely dimmed. Chris sits beside me, his gorgeous curls to his shoulders, while he scrolls through his phone, answering different messages and what not which was also really different for me to see, considering I am coming from 1999.

I wonder how long I'm going to be here?

I look down at myself for a moment, studying my clothes, smiling at how he just knew exactly what my style is and remembering how much I love living in nothing but band shirts and ripped jeans.

My thoughts travel back, reminiscing of a time when it was just Chris and I living with Xana and Andy... how I met Chris the first time and how that first time was overwhelming that Chris had known me so much longer, I just hadn't experienced it yet. I remember everything... falling in love with Chris, writing and creating music and just always being together.

Suddenly I'm pulled from my thoughts as Chris reaches over to me, brushing my curls from my shoulder, and gently entwining his fingers through the curls at the back of my neck. I look over at him and he smiles so sweetly at me, looking so handsome and though he is so much older, he's still so beautiful to me.

"You alright?" He asks.

"Um... yea... just still a little, you know... disoriented," I say, and he gives me a half smile.

"Yea, I remember you would be that way for a little while each time you'd come back to me," He says sweetly still playing with my curls. I close my eyes for a moment and lean into his hand, feeling the warmth and comfort from him. I then move closer to him, resting my head in the crook of his shoulder as I feel his arm wrap around me. He places a kiss on the top of my head lingering there for a moment as I close my eyes and just breathe him in.

"Can I ask you something?" I say after a few moments.

"Sure,"

"What was the last thing you remember before I... um... slipped?" I ask as he continues to play with my curls.

"It was a long time ago..." He smirks and takes a moment to think. "... We were recording in Natasha and Alains studio... I remember you playing that old Gibson I stole for you and recording the last little bit of Euphoria Mourning, but I can't remember the song... I came back downstairs - I think Natasha showed up - and the guitar was laying on the floor and your clothes were just, y'know... where you were..."

He continues to explain from his view what happened and I shift myself to look up at him. I can tell that it hurt him that I ended up slipping again. After a moment he looks back at me and I give him a small smile.

"It was 'Disappearing One'..." I say quietly.

"Yea... yea it was," He says sweetly after a few moments.

"Who's Vicky?" I ask as he cups my face with his palm, brushing his thumb across my cheek and tries to offer a smile but I can tell he really doesn't want to say.

"Just... um... a bad decision I made a long time ago," He says softly, and I could feel my heart drop. Almost like the wind was knocked out of me. I hate this time slipping curse I have. I mean it's not like I expected him to wait for me but in my time we're still married.

"Are you still with her?" I say flatly, more like a statement than a question. He presses his lips into a line and I can already tell he doesn't want to say much more than that.

"Not really... no," He says calmly.

"Well at least you're up front with me about it instead of hiding it," I giggle a little and look back down and smooth out my jeans, catching the tattoo that was etched on my ring finger and quickly hide my hand, feeling the pain in my chest as I try incredibly hard to hide it. He hesitates for a moment and I glance back at him.