After Olivia

7

The melodic voice of Emily's uncle Tom could be heard as he sang on his staggered walk toward the taxi that waited in front of the house. Neighbors and friends had said their farewells and departed. Time had slipped by quickly and after most of the guests had left the party, Emily saw Bill to the door to say good-bye. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in to a warm hug.

"I overheard what my mom said about, you know... about moving on. I think she's right," Emily said before she kissed Bill on the cheek. "Call me, if you want, and we can talk."

Bill looked into Emily's eyes and nodded. He stepped away then turned back to ask, "So, this new job, when is it official?"

"They're announcing it on Monday."

"Okay, we'll have to do something to celebrate. Maybe next weekend."

Billdashed across the street and waved before slipping into the driver's seat ofhis car. As he drove home, he turned his attention towards seeing Olivia again.

A warm afternoon stroll through the park lead Bill to the white gazebo where he found Olivia waiting. He paused at the bottom step before letting her know he was there. He watched her for a moment as her fingers caressed the wooden handrail on the pond side of the structure.

"Hello, have you been waiting long?" he asked.

Olivia turned to see him, "Hey, that's what I'm supposed to say. Aren't you going to come up?"

"Let's go for a walk."

"Just a minute, I'm watching a bird," she said motioning for him to join her.

Bill stepped to the rail beside Olivia and looked out on the pond. A duck floated amongst the ripples that reflected the bright sunlight. Overhead, a ballet played out with a cast of dragon flies and weightless clouds as a backdrop. The dream was alive with activity and sound.

"I've heard birds before, but this is the first time I've seen one," she said. "You're getting good at this!"

Bill looked out and watched the duck for a moment then turned his head to look at Olivia. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail as it was most days while she was in high school. He then noticed she was wearing the white blouse and skirt of her school uniform.

"Okay, let's go for that walk," she said suddenly. "I like what you've done with the dream."

"You're welcome, but I should be the one saying thank you. After all, you're the one that inspired the changes."

She smiled and tipped her head down slightly before she said, "I missed you last night. What happened?"

"Friday, oh, yeah. Work. The guys in Atlanta kept calling me. All night. I hardly got any sleep. Oh, the slippers were perfect, by the way. Mom loved them," Bill replied. "She's keeping the last pair you gave her, but she's wearing the new ones now."

"Good. You see, I told you, didn't I?" Olivia remarked. "I see some people in the park this time. It's perfect."

Bill looked around the park at the other people that enjoyed the leisurely day. He was sure Olivia had noticed the park goers were generic and faceless, their cloths bland white and grey, but it didn't matter; their presence was all that was needed to bring a new life to the park.

"You'll have to tell me about the party. Who was there? How's Emily?"

"Emily, she's great," Bill started as they stepped away from the gazebo. "Roger is being an idiot, but I don't think that would be a surprise to you."

"It isn't that I didn't like him so much. I just don't think he's the right kind of guy for her."

Bill nodded his head as he watched the cobble stones pass under his feet. He looked at Olivia's hand, swinging gently past her body as she walked. His gaze widened and took in the view of the woman he loved. She was a little different than usual. She still resembled the woman that would forever be twenty-four years old in his memory but wore the cloths and mannerisms of a younger version of herself.

"So, why are you wearing your school uniform?"

"It's your dream, you tell me," Olivia said as she stopped and posed.

Bill looked at her. She played with her ponytail with her hands, blinking rapidly with a coy look on her face. Her right leg was bent supported on the tips of her toes as her knees rubbed together. She acted like a young schoolgirl flirting with an older man.

"What's the matter, mister, don't you like what I'm wearing?" she joked.

"Well, little girl, where's your mama?" Bill replied in a pompous voice and an exaggerated look of menace.

"Sicko!" Olivia laughed as she continued walking.

"What? You started it! I was just playing along..." he laughed. "How was that impersonation?"

"Pervy Mr. Finley? Pretty good, the voice was spot on, but he would stroke his beard when he was creeping on the girls."

The walk through the park brought Bill and Olivia to a blanket that had been spread out on the grass of an open field. A crowd of people materialized around them as they settled onto the blanket. Bill's question about the school uniform Olivia was wearing was answered by the dream itself when a page from their lives formed around them.

A local band began a cover of the first song on the soundtrack of their lives as a couple and brought back memories of that evening in the park. Bill looked towards a hot dog cart at the edge of the field. He could see a figure that represented Emily as she waited to place an order. He looked back at Olivia and saw the image of her as she was twelve years earlier.

His dream had taken him back to a spring evening a few days after Olivia's fifteenth birthday. She had taken a bus to the city's downtown core to meet Bill and Emily for a concert in the park and still wore her school uniform with her hair tied up in a ponytail. They had spread out a blanket and claimed a small portion of the field as their own. The warmup band was already playing when Emily announced she was getting food and drinks and refused Bill's offer of assistance. She rushed away to the hotdog cart and left Bill and Olivia alone.

Bill leaned back on his arms, his legs stretched out in front of him and his attention fixed on the stage. The band performed a reasonable attempt at the Rolling Stone's classic, Paint It Black. Just as he had started to sing along to the lyrics, Olivia turned towards Bill, rolled her body over top of him and quickly brought her lips to his. The kiss lasted only a moment but changed their relationship forever.

"Nope, doesn't feel like kissing a brother to me," Olivia said with a wide smile.

Bill was awake in bed with his eyes open. The park and Olivia had been replaced by the shadows that traced across the ceiling above him. He hadn't dreamt of Olivia kissing him. He didn't feel her lips pressed against his or the fibers of the blanket under his arms or the warmth of her body against him. The dream had given way to memories of the past that could be recalled just as easily during the light of day. He took in a deep breath then smiled before his eyes closed again.