FIA
A laugh bubbled up from me. It came out half-choked with crying. "I don't know if this is in my head or you're actually here from another time."
She stepped forward. Her hand reached out to touch my face, but a membrane stopped her. The barrier shimmered between us, marking the boundary between past and present.
"Ah… so this is real, and you are visiting from another time."
She nodded.
"So we can peek into the future physically," I said.
"If you beg the goddess enough." Mother smiled. The expression looked exactly as I remembered it. Warm, knowing, and full of love. "You look so good."
More tears formed. They felt different now. Lighter somehow. "I guess I got one of my wishes. So it's only smooth sailing from here."
She nodded.
"I'm so happy you're here."
"I'm more than elated that I got this opportunity." Her voice carried the weight of certainty. "To see with my own eyes that all the risks I took worked out in the end. Happy birthday, baby."
