years, his solitary bachelor’s life had kept him living in a vacuum of his own making. He preferred his introverted lifestyle because not having to interact with others left him more time for reading and for his studies. Over the years he had become the foremost expert on time-travel theories. He’d written a few books on the subject, and many students interested in the field of quantum physics sought after his knowledge. He recognized that his whole life’s work could be attributed to the events coming up and the related events that had happened forty-three years before.
Now that this day had arrived, he was glad he had kept his body fit and strong and stayed in good health so that he would be here to see the exchange of Jake and Jenna with his own eyes once again, only this time he would witness them being replaced into their own bodies.
He still lived in his family home, situated close to the vicarage, and every six months or so he would read again the extensive files he’d kept for forty-three years. They explained why it was so important that these events be allowed to happen in sequence, how the young people involved benefited so greatly from knowing each other, and how enriched their lives were from the shared experiences they had lived through. No one must interfere or change the past or the future.
He had arrived at the scene just in time to help the young secretary Marnie with two body shells that needed to be looked after. For the next week neither of them had a moment to spare, because the nursing duties had taken all their time, but now the week had passed and it was the next Saturday, coming up to the noon hour. They were pushing the wheelchairs with Jake’s and Jenna’s bodies in them towards the bench.
“First we’ll prick Jake’s finger. Then I’ll take Jake’s right side if you’ll take his left, and we’ll swing him over to sit on the bench,” Dr. Andrews said, taking charge.
“Right. Put the brakes on, and ready—heave,” said Marnie. Her voice stressed from Jake’s dead weight. She’d never realized what a tall man he was, probably because Jenna was a little over six feet and when the two were together they fit so well. He’d always insisted on dressing formally while at work or at social functions with Jenna; maybe that was his way of remembering she was his livelihood, not that she didn’t remind him often enough. One never did realize that the man in the suit had the body of a Rocky Balboa.
Curls attacked his hair, which had grown longer and framed a strong face with magnificent, deep-set, golden-tiger eyes. Larger-than-normal lips, with the top one somewhat protruding, added a sexy pout to a smile that would start at one side of his mouth and work its way across when he was amused.
The last week had been grueling, and Marnie didn’t know what she would have done without Dr. Andrews’ help. At first, when she had to face the fact Jake had somehow disappeared, leaving the empty shell of his body for her to collect, she just wanted to sit and howl.
Dr. Andrews had calmed her, supported her and coerced her into going along with the swap one more time. He’d spent hours describing how Jenna had joined with Lucy and how both girls had benefited by the change. Outwardly Lucy showed the greatest difference, but in getting to know Jenna during the lengthy counseling sessions they’d had, he’d realized that Jenna had gained much more from the time they were together.
Because Lucy was such a sweetheart, some of her sweetness had rubbed off onto her complete opposite and, vice versa, in all fairness it could be said that many of Jenna’s strengths were lessons Lucy needed to learn. Lucy had lost over thirty pounds, gained oodles of self-confidence, learnt how to dress and apply makeup, and switched from a frumpy old-maid-in-the-making into a lovely modern young woman.
Jenna’s lesson, on the other hand, was to learn that the best way to keep people near her was not to
Now that this day had arrived, he was glad he had kept his body fit and strong and stayed in good health so that he would be here to see the exchange of Jake and Jenna with his own eyes once again, only this time he would witness them being replaced into their own bodies.
He still lived in his family home, situated close to the vicarage, and every six months or so he would read again the extensive files he’d kept for forty-three years. They explained why it was so important that these events be allowed to happen in sequence, how the young people involved benefited so greatly from knowing each other, and how enriched their lives were from the shared experiences they had lived through. No one must interfere or change the past or the future.
He had arrived at the scene just in time to help the young secretary Marnie with two body shells that needed to be looked after. For the next week neither of them had a moment to spare, because the nursing duties had taken all their time, but now the week had passed and it was the next Saturday, coming up to the noon hour. They were pushing the wheelchairs with Jake’s and Jenna’s bodies in them towards the bench.
“First we’ll prick Jake’s finger. Then I’ll take Jake’s right side if you’ll take his left, and we’ll swing him over to sit on the bench,” Dr. Andrews said, taking charge.
“Right. Put the brakes on, and ready—heave,” said Marnie. Her voice stressed from Jake’s dead weight. She’d never realized what a tall man he was, probably because Jenna was a little over six feet and when the two were together they fit so well. He’d always insisted on dressing formally while at work or at social functions with Jenna; maybe that was his way of remembering she was his livelihood, not that she didn’t remind him often enough. One never did realize that the man in the suit had the body of a Rocky Balboa.
Curls attacked his hair, which had grown longer and framed a strong face with magnificent, deep-set, golden-tiger eyes. Larger-than-normal lips, with the top one somewhat protruding, added a sexy pout to a smile that would start at one side of his mouth and work its way across when he was amused.
The last week had been grueling, and Marnie didn’t know what she would have done without Dr. Andrews’ help. At first, when she had to face the fact Jake had somehow disappeared, leaving the empty shell of his body for her to collect, she just wanted to sit and howl.
Dr. Andrews had calmed her, supported her and coerced her into going along with the swap one more time. He’d spent hours describing how Jenna had joined with Lucy and how both girls had benefited by the change. Outwardly Lucy showed the greatest difference, but in getting to know Jenna during the lengthy counseling sessions they’d had, he’d realized that Jenna had gained much more from the time they were together.
Because Lucy was such a sweetheart, some of her sweetness had rubbed off onto her complete opposite and, vice versa, in all fairness it could be said that many of Jenna’s strengths were lessons Lucy needed to learn. Lucy had lost over thirty pounds, gained oodles of self-confidence, learnt how to dress and apply makeup, and switched from a frumpy old-maid-in-the-making into a lovely modern young woman.
Jenna’s lesson, on the other hand, was to learn that the best way to keep people near her was not to
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