How Many Lifetimes?

Josie wanted to believe what she thought she was seeing in Jebediah's eyes. It was as though there was an invitation to be real – to tell him the whole story... but he was a complete stranger. How could she expect him not to laugh her out of his house and off his property if she told him the truth?

Weighing her options, Josie realized that she didn't have much to lose. There was a feeling as though she had spent her whole life trying to get to this very moment. A fleeting thought crossed her mind, if she didn't take the chance, she might be wasting another lifetime...

Not quite sure what that thought meant, Josie looked directly into Jebediah's eyes. She willed her voice to speak but nothing came out. She realized that her eyes were pleading with him, trying to make him understand how hard this was for her.

When Jebediah broke the gaze and turned away from her, Josie felt almost as though he had hit her physically. She wasn't sure what was going on in this room, but it was way more than the words being spoken. Josie saw Jebediah pull open one of the few drawers in his cabinet. His big hand reached in and took out a small box.

Bringing the box over to the table, Jebediah sat back down across from Josie. Josie recognized the box as an old matchbox. Jebediah slowly slid it open from one side. Then he poured out the contents into his other hand. With painstakingly slow movements, Josie watched as Jebediah untangled a necklace, laying it on the table in front of her.

Quietly, Jebediah said, "I made it for you."

It wasn't physically possible for Josie's eyes to get any bigger. "When we were five," she whispered.

Jebediah's head jerked up as his eyes searched her face. "You do know. You do know who you are and why you are here. I knew you had to know," he said passionately.

Josie couldn't believe her ears or her eyes. All her life, she had been searching, waiting, looking. Yet she had never really believed it could possibly be true. Things like this just didn't happen in real life. But right there in front of her was the proof. It was a necklace he had told her about years ago, when they were just kids. He had found a dime in a dumpster and an older neighbor had helped him make it into a necklace for her. He had promised to keep it for her. And here it was. It wasn't all in her imagination!

Without thinking, Josie jumped out of her seat and grabbed Jebediah around the neck. "I've missed you so much," was all she could think of to say.

Jebediah didn't seem to mind as he held her close, maneuvering her body so he could rest his head on her chest. At first she didn't realize what he was doing. Then she recognized it. As kids, in that world where reality ended and they walked in a different plane of existence, he had often laid his head on her chest, her heartbeat comforting him that she really was real. It made her smile that his first reaction to her touch was to make sure, once again, that she was really real.

Time passed as Josie stood there, with her arms around Jebediah's neck, stroking his hair, remembering so much. Finally, Jebediah leaned back his head and looked up at her. "I've been waiting for you so long. I couldn't believe it when I saw you out there today. What took you so long to get here?"

Sitting down on Jebediah's lap, it was Josie's turn to rest her head on his chest. "I didn't know where you were. You forgot to leave me an address!" Then the whole story seemed to rush out of her. She told him about how hard it had been when he had stopped visiting her "fantasy" world. She told him how much she had missed him, how driven she had been to find him.

Pulling her head up from his chest, Josie looked Jebediah directly in the eye. "I didn't believe I would find you though. I was coming to believe that you were just imaginary."

Holding her face in his hands, Jebediah lightly brushed her lips with his. "Josie, I was never imaginary. I don't know what kind of fluke of reality allowed us to be together back then, but I knew you were real. As much as I wanted to find you, I knew I had to wait for you to find me. It seems like I've been waiting forever." Then he bent his head and kissed her again.

Josie smiled up at Jebediah, "I know... it seems like it has taken a lifetime to find you..."

Jebediah smiled. "Maybe more than just one," he whispered.

________________________

Josie watched the beautiful little girl sitting on the floor nearby. It seemed amazing to Josie that ten years had passed since she had climbed up on Jebediah's porch that day. It was even more amazing that the child in front of her had borne out of their deep and abiding love. But the birth of their daughter, Lizzy, had made their family complete.

Jebediah walked into the kitchen where Josie was working on making supper. He glanced over at Lizzy and smiled broadly. After kissing Josie on the forehead, he nodded over toward their five year old princess. "What's she doing?" he questioned.

Josie smiled up at her husband. "She's doing what she always does. She's playing with Jack."

Jebediah narrowed his eyes as he looked back over at his daughter. Almost as soon as Lizzy had started forming words, they had heard her talking to someone named Jack. Lizzy loved to sit in the floor for hours, coloring or playing with her toys, sharing them with someone only she could see.

"Well, what can I say?" Jebediah said, shrugging his shoulders. Kissing Josie again, he went over and sat down on the floor next to his daughter. Lizzy jumping up and hugged her daddy, instantly drawing him into her game as well. Since her parents had never questioned her belief in Jack, Lizzy always seemed to assume that they accepted Jack as real.

Several weeks later, as Josie fixed supper, she once again pondered her daughter. But this time, Lizzy wasn't playing. Jebediah was out back working on their new shed but Lizzy was staring intently out the front door.

Wondering what Lizzy was looking for, Josie's mind wandered. This year, Lizzy would start kindergarten. Although they had more contact with the people in the town now, they still kept mostly to themselves. Lizzy liked other children when she had the opportunity to play with them, so Josie wasn't too worried about her.

Josie was wondering how she found out what school supplies Lizzy would need when she startled out of her thoughts. She heard a car stop out on the nearby road. Since the wind was blowing just right, she could also hear several of the car doors slamming in quick succession. Looking out the front door, she saw a man running toward her house, through their chest high corn field.

Somewhat alarmed, Josie called through the backdoor to Jebediah. Then she stepped out onto the porch – just in time to catch the bundle of motion that was making a bee line for her front door. Staring down in confusion, she held her arms out and looked intently to see what had thrown itself into her arms.

She smiled as she realized that it was a little boy. He was a bit bigger than Lizzy, but not too much, maybe a year or two. Josie barely had time to take in the boy's deep blue eyes and black hair before he pulled out of her arms and walked up to her front door.

Josie watched in amazement as the boy went directly over to the screen door. It had closed behind Josie. On the other side stood Lizzy, intently watching the action, with her little hands pressed against the inside of the door. The little boy raised his hands as he spread them against Lizzy's through the screen. Then they just stood there staring at each other.

By this time, the man following the little boy had cleared the corn field and was standing in Josie's yard, breathless. Jebediah came around the corner of the house at about the same time. Josie didn't have to look to hard to see that her husband had his pistol in his waistband. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew Jebediah would take care of her and Lizzy – and whoever this little boy turned out to be.

Turning to face the man, Josie said, "Can we help you?"

The man grimaced as he tried to catch his breath. "We were... we were driving down the road... and the little shit... he just jumped out... Said something about her living here." As his breathing became less labored, he continued. "Said something about a girl – some girl. But I don't know what he is talking about."

Josie had a real good idea, after seeing the child's face, what was going on, but she couldn't be positive. "He's ok. Who ever knows what kids are talking about?" she said, seeking to put the man at ease. Then she continued, "I've never seen him before. Do ya'll live around here?" Josie asked.

The man shook his head. "No. We are moving. Well, kind of. I guess. I lost my job back up in Oklahoma City. Me and the wife and kid were just sorta driving around. That's when that damned boy jumped out of the car and started running away. I'm real sorry to have bothered you people. Come on, boy. Let's go," the man said gruffly.

But the child wasn't paying the man any attention. Instead, he was still standing at the door, intent solely on Lizzy, who was babbling happily to him.

Josie suddenly realized that she needed to do something here. Looking at Jebediah and willing him to understand what she was about to do, Josie said, "Why don't ya'll come in and stay for supper?"

Jebediah gave Josie a strange look, but she just nodded her head to him, hoping he would trust her. The stranger standing in the yard gave her a similarly strange look. Somewhat taken aback, he said, "Well, thank you ma'am, but we can't intrude on your family that way."

"No, we insist. Please, bring your wife in and stay for supper," Josie pressed him.

The stranger looked over toward Jebediah who nodded in agreement, even though his face didn't look completely convinced. The man turned back to Josie. "Are you sure ma'am?"

"Yes, we are sure. And my name is Josie. This is my husband Jebediah. And this is our daughter," Josie said, gesturing to her husband and child. "Now, go get your wife and come on in. Jebediah, will you show him where to park?"

Jebediah nodded as he stepped forward. The man stuck out his hand to Jebediah, "I'm Bobby Simpson, sir." Josie watched as the two men shook hands. As Jebediah showed him where to park, Josie overheard Jebediah telling the man about a job that was available on a nearby farm. She smiled in relief that Jebediah had understood.

But Josie was far more interested in what was going on behind her at the moment. She turned around to watch as Lizzy and the little boy continued to communicate with one another. As the boy's father got to the edge of the field, and started back toward his car, he called out, "Boy, come on now!"

Josie quickly brushed him off, though, "No, he can stay here while you park. He's fine." Then she put her hand on the boy's shoulder. He raised up his blue eyes, eyes that were mirror images of her husband's, to look at her. She smiled down at him and opened the screen door, letting him the house. He timidly stepped under her arm, as she held the door open.

Before he was even through the door, though, Lizzy grabbed him by the hand and took him over to her toybox in the corner of the room. They happily started taking out toys and talking excitedly about all the things children love to talk about. Josie smiled.

Calling out to them, Josie said, "Sweetheart, my name's Josie, but I didn't catch yours."

The little boy pushed his long black bangs off his face and said, "My name's Jack, ma'am". Josie's smile grew even wider. She had known it before she had even asked – this time, it wasn't going to take them a lifetime – they had already found each other...