and jumped in the shower. I so loved having the instant warm water raining down on top of me. It was such a nice change from the not-so-fast plumbing in Thailand.
When my skin was all wrinkly, I turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping myself up in a bathrobe, I walked back into the bedroom, where I found a steaming mug of coffee waiting for me. I smiled at the little smiley face someone had drawn onto the mug in black nikko .
“Just what I needed.” I picked up the mug and downed half the contents in one go. I sat down on the sofa, turned on the TV, and sipped at the rest of the coffee.
“Glad you’re enjoying it,” Aiden said.
I turned around, but the room was empty. I guessed I should learn to trust the feeling I got when he was nearby, and the emptiness I felt when he wasn’t.
Aiden appeared by my side. “Missing me that much?”
I looked over at the door, which was still closed.
“Guess who’s finally able to transport properly.” Aiden had a grin plastered across his face.
“That’s awesome.” I leaned over and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
“Yep. Gone are the days where I have to rely on you or mum or dad to transport me overseas.”
“So what? You’re planning on doing some travelling without me, huh?”
He brushed a strand of my wet hair behind my ear. “Yeah, I was thinking about sneaking away with Georgia for a few hours,” he said with a straight face.
I slapped him playfully on the arm. “You do that, and let’s just see what happens to you.”
“ Oooh , I’m scared.”
“You should be,” I said with a laugh. “You better hope that she isn’t somewhere in this house listening and already planning that time away with you.”
Aiden laughed. “Even if she was downstairs, she wouldn’t be able to hear our conversation. You and I seem to be the only ones that are able to hear each other’s thoughts at any distance. We would have to be in a neighbouring room for her to overhear what we’re saying.”
“You’re lucky then,” I said, then finished off my coffee.
Aiden’s expression turned serious. “Kai came to see us just after you went to bed.”
“Yeah, and?”
“He said that he found out that the guy in the photo, Anthony Grey, died two years ago.”
“Oh.” It wasn’t as if I knew the guy, or his wife, for that matter, but my mother did, and I was guessing that his death would have meant something to her. “Did Kai say what he died from?”
“Cancer.”
I looked down at my empty cup. It was so unfair how many lives were ripped apart by cancer. The statistics were way too high, even if the survival rate was ever increasing. “So Elizabeth Grey is still alive?” I asked.
“She’s fine. Old, but fine.”
“Did he say how old she is?”
“Eighty-two. That picture of your mother’s was taken about thirty years ago.”
“Well, I hope she lasts 'til tomorrow,” I joked nervously, hoping the picture wasn’t about to turn into a dead end.
***
At three o’clock Australian Perth time, Aiden and I transported to the address Kai had given me. The house that stood before us was a quaint little sandstone cottage. It was well presented and had kept its original charm.
“I’ll be waiting over there for you.” Aiden cocked his head towards the bench seat at the bus stop one door over from Mrs. Grey’s house.
“You’re not coming with me?”
He shook his head. “I think it will be a little less intrusive for her if you approach her by yourself.”
“Okay, you’re probably right.”
Aiden squeezed my hand. “You’ll be fine.”
A faint squeak came from the wrought-iron gate when I pushed it open. I followed the old red brick pavers up to the green wooden front door and knocked twice. I didn’t know what to expect, and I wasn’t sure what exactly I was going to say. I figured I would just play it by ear.
A frail old lady opened the door. She looked to be about five-foot-two, with white hair that had a slight tint of
When my skin was all wrinkly, I turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping myself up in a bathrobe, I walked back into the bedroom, where I found a steaming mug of coffee waiting for me. I smiled at the little smiley face someone had drawn onto the mug in black nikko .
“Just what I needed.” I picked up the mug and downed half the contents in one go. I sat down on the sofa, turned on the TV, and sipped at the rest of the coffee.
“Glad you’re enjoying it,” Aiden said.
I turned around, but the room was empty. I guessed I should learn to trust the feeling I got when he was nearby, and the emptiness I felt when he wasn’t.
Aiden appeared by my side. “Missing me that much?”
I looked over at the door, which was still closed.
“Guess who’s finally able to transport properly.” Aiden had a grin plastered across his face.
“That’s awesome.” I leaned over and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
“Yep. Gone are the days where I have to rely on you or mum or dad to transport me overseas.”
“So what? You’re planning on doing some travelling without me, huh?”
He brushed a strand of my wet hair behind my ear. “Yeah, I was thinking about sneaking away with Georgia for a few hours,” he said with a straight face.
I slapped him playfully on the arm. “You do that, and let’s just see what happens to you.”
“ Oooh , I’m scared.”
“You should be,” I said with a laugh. “You better hope that she isn’t somewhere in this house listening and already planning that time away with you.”
Aiden laughed. “Even if she was downstairs, she wouldn’t be able to hear our conversation. You and I seem to be the only ones that are able to hear each other’s thoughts at any distance. We would have to be in a neighbouring room for her to overhear what we’re saying.”
“You’re lucky then,” I said, then finished off my coffee.
Aiden’s expression turned serious. “Kai came to see us just after you went to bed.”
“Yeah, and?”
“He said that he found out that the guy in the photo, Anthony Grey, died two years ago.”
“Oh.” It wasn’t as if I knew the guy, or his wife, for that matter, but my mother did, and I was guessing that his death would have meant something to her. “Did Kai say what he died from?”
“Cancer.”
I looked down at my empty cup. It was so unfair how many lives were ripped apart by cancer. The statistics were way too high, even if the survival rate was ever increasing. “So Elizabeth Grey is still alive?” I asked.
“She’s fine. Old, but fine.”
“Did he say how old she is?”
“Eighty-two. That picture of your mother’s was taken about thirty years ago.”
“Well, I hope she lasts 'til tomorrow,” I joked nervously, hoping the picture wasn’t about to turn into a dead end.
***
At three o’clock Australian Perth time, Aiden and I transported to the address Kai had given me. The house that stood before us was a quaint little sandstone cottage. It was well presented and had kept its original charm.
“I’ll be waiting over there for you.” Aiden cocked his head towards the bench seat at the bus stop one door over from Mrs. Grey’s house.
“You’re not coming with me?”
He shook his head. “I think it will be a little less intrusive for her if you approach her by yourself.”
“Okay, you’re probably right.”
Aiden squeezed my hand. “You’ll be fine.”
A faint squeak came from the wrought-iron gate when I pushed it open. I followed the old red brick pavers up to the green wooden front door and knocked twice. I didn’t know what to expect, and I wasn’t sure what exactly I was going to say. I figured I would just play it by ear.
A frail old lady opened the door. She looked to be about five-foot-two, with white hair that had a slight tint of
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