chapter 2

I drew a steady breath, hesitated for a few seconds, then dialed Jason’s number.

I listened until the call dropped. Jason did not answer. My heart jerked. In the previous life, he had picked up at once. Has he traveled back in time with me?

That possibility thrilled me. To test it, I called again and again. Every attempt went unanswered, and the last was cut off mid-ring.

I fought the urge to smile and forced a worried frown. “Judith, Jason isn’t picking up. He’s probably busy. I’ve texted him. Let me call an ambulance and get you to the hospital. He’ll meet us there as soon as he sees the message.”

Any reasonable person would have agreed to that, yet even without memories of the previous timeline, I would have known Judith never yielded. She loved turning everything into a competition, treating me as though I were some rival for her own son.

She knew her episode was minor, but melodrama was her sport. A sprained ankle meant sitting on the ground until Jason carried her home; a fluttering heart was far too precious an occasion to waste on mere paramedics.

Judith stiffened her neck. “No. I’m not going anywhere until Jason gets here. I’d rather die on this couch than climb into an ambulance without him.”

I sighed and tried my most earnest tone. “Judith, you’re over fifty. You cannot lean on Jason for everything. If something truly happened to you, how could I face him? Now isn’t the moment for tantrums. Even if he can’t accompany you this time, you’ll have plenty of chances to be doted on later. Please listen to me. Let’s go to the hospital first.”

Judith had never tolerated such lecturing. Her hand slapped across my cheek. “Rubbish! Are you out of your mind? I won’t budge until my son gets here, and no argument will change that.”

I pressed a palm to the sting. “But Jason isn’t answering. What else can I do?”

She jabbed a finger at me. “This is all your fault, you worthless woman. You pester him so much he ignores every call from you.”

Pressing a hand to her chest, she thrust her phone into my hands. “Use my phone. Jason will answer.”

Watching her color drain, I put on a frantic expression and dialed again, certain that if Jason had traveled back in time as I had, he would never return.

The call connected after only two rings. I didn’t wait for the greeting. “Jason, come home. Your mom’s having a heart attack. It’s serious—”

Wendy’s laugh cut me off. “Charlotte, it’s me, Wendy. I got thirsty, so Jason went to buy water. His phone wouldn’t stop, and when I saw Judith’s name, I picked up. What’s up? I can tell him.”

“Wendy, please tell Jason his mother has collapsed with a heart attack. We need him home now,” I said urgently.

Wendy laughed harder. “Charlotte, Jason and I are just on a night ride. Stop using Judith’s health as a trick to drag him back. If she really were sick, you’d call an ambulance, not her son. Don’t push a man too hard—it only backfires. Jason’s face turned dark with your constant calls, so I’ll spare him the annoyance and keep this to myself.”