Her favorite mare recognized her immediately and stretched her head over the gate, hoping for a treat. Bette felt tears swelling in her eyes at the familiar sight and she quickly grabbed an apple from the bucket that was left nearby. While the mare chewed on the apple and made soft noises, Bette rubbed horse’s head affectionately, whispering her usual words of love and care.

After they got reacquainted again, Bette put the saddle on and led the mare out. It felt so good to be riding again and Bette felt free and wild. She let the mare set her own pace as she directed her towards Christina’s house. The sun was climbing higher and air was getting warmer. Bette was quickly getting hot and flustered but that didn’t bother her in the least. She used to enjoy horse riding and wished she could resume her favorite pastime back in the future.

The road was getting wider and Bette could now see behind the trees the first glimpse of Christina’s house. Her heart jumped wildly in her chest and she got more flustered, which had nothing to do with the riding or the sun, Bette realized. Just the thought of seeing Christina again, alive, after all this time, made Bette’s pulse racing.

Bette realized that she had to be careful because nobody knew what had happened to her and she definitely couldn’t tell anyone about the time travel. She wasn’t even sure that she should see her parents or Katie because it would only complicate things. She only wanted to be seen by Christina for now; she would figure out the rest later.

Bette stopped and tied the horse to the tree, making sure that she was hidden from anyone around. Bette walked slowly towards the house, pulling the cloak tighter around her face to prevent anyone from recognizing her. She watched as the servants were going in and out of the house, carrying on with their usual work. Suddenly, Bette’s heart began beating faster and the heat spread all the way down to her toes. Christina just walked outside and was looking at her, shielding her eyes from the bright sun.

Her long blond hair was pulled up and she was wearing a blue muslin dress with a simple string of pearls around her neck. Bette couldn’t breathe. She remembered that dress all too well. It was one of her favorites. She felt numb as her mind froze in time and space. Christina was also heavily pregnant and absolutely breathtaking.

Bette’s hand automatically went to the locket that Tina gave her for her birthday. Her fingers caressed the metal and she thought of the picture that was inside. She knew her heart belonged to Tina but the mere sight of Christina, so beautiful, so alive, made her knees go week.

Suddenly, Christina’s hand went to her mouth as she gasped in recognition. Bette put a finger to her lips and motioned to Christina to follow her back behind the trees. Christina slowly walked after Bette, seemingly in shock. As soon as they reached the safety of the forest, Christina leaned her back against the big sequoia and stared at Bette in silence, trying to understand her sudden reappearance. Bette lowered her cloak and smiled shyly.

“Elizabeth…is it really you or just a ghost that came to torment me?” Christina’s voice was shaky and her eyes filled with tears.

“It’s really me,” Bette moved closer and reached for Christina’s face, gently wiping her tears. That simple gesture crumbled the last remains of Christina’s strength and she fell into Bette’s arm, sobbing uncontrollably.

TBC…