3, 2, 1…
The clock was ticking toward midnight and I was itching to start the New Year and get rid of the old. I’d hoped to be happily coupled when the New Year rolled around, but the right guy never materialized. I hoped to be promoted at work before the clock struck midnight, but new leadership changed everything. I hoped to not lose a parent, two friends and a neighbor to cancer, but I did. And I was ready to start fresh, to make new plans and dream new dreams. I was ready to hear the fireworks ringing in the New Year and I was ready to make the next year mine.
I was standing on the balcony of a friend’s apartment holding a glass of champagne as the crowd behind me started the countdown.
I joined them midway. “5, 4, 3…” But I was the only one who said 3 and something was absolutely not right. All the noise stopped and when I turned back everyone was frozen in place. “What the…?” I looked down at the street and all the cars were stopped too and when I looked at my phone a few moments later it was definitely midnight and the clock was still moving, but when I looked at the clock in the living room once I walked back inside, it appeared that time was only moving for me. I glanced at watches and other phones that people had in their hands and they were all still reading 11:59.
“I must have passed out,” I said to absolutely no one.
“Then I must have passed out too,” a man said as he walked toward me. “Or maybe we’re both dead and this is heaven.”
“No,” I said. “I am most definitely not dead and if this were heaven there would be choirs and angels and things. Do I know you?”
“Don’t think so,” he said. “But it looks like we’re all we’ve got so we might as well be best friends or possibly lovers, maybe both. James Kelley.” He put his hand out and I took it.
“Zeni Davis.” James was cute and funny but his charm was doing nothing to shake the feeling that something very bad was happening.
“So, Zeni Davis, you wanna get out of here and see if we can figure out what’s going on?”
“Sure. Let me just get my coat and find my purse.”
“Or just take someone else’s,” he offered. “Clearly they won’t be needing them for a while.” He started looking at the men and checking out their dress coats, then actually took some photos of people, as they stood frozen.
“Really?” I asked then shook my head and wandered to the back room where I was certain our hosts had put everything.
“It’s not like they’re going to know or care!” he yelled behind me but I kept walking. He followed a minute later and we both found what we’d come with. “I guess this will have to do,” he said as he slipped into the black dress coat and tied his black and grey scarf around his neck.
“Uh huh,” I said as he helped me into my dress coat, also black, then watched me tie my own black and grey scarf around my neck.
“We’re a match!” he declared as he looped his arm through mine and we stood staring at a mirrored closet. We actually did look pretty good together and I managed a little smile.
“Come on,” I said and slipped my arm away and walked toward the door.
It appeared that the elevator still worked and since we were apparently the only people actually moving it arrived quickly and took us from the 35th floor to the 1st in record time.
The lobby was more of the same, people stopped mid-motion, phones and glasses of bubbly in hand, a few even poised to kiss the person they were with. James took more pictures and then pulled me close and took a double-selfie with me. “I have to capture the moment, right?”
“Come on, smile just a little,” he begged and I obliged so that the moment could be over and we could move on to the part where we figured out what was going on.
“Give me your number and I’ll send this to you.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. Just because we’re quite possibly the last two people alive or moving or whatever, doesn’t mean we’re going to be together.”
“But we’re together now,” he grinned then put his arms behind his back and just smiled as he walked toward the main door.
“Really, universe?” I said toward the ceiling. “This is who you stuck me with for whatever trick you’re playing?” As if in response all the lights went out and all I could see were the lights from the cars in the street. “You can just bite me, universe. Really.”
I walked out the door and met James on the sidewalk and after a short discussion about where we should go first we headed toward my apartment. I had no interest in risking the subway system so we walked the 16 blocks to my building and by the time we arrived it had started to snow.
“Perfect,” I grumbled as we walked up the stairs and to the elevator, which by some miracle was also working. I pushed 22, the top floor, and James leaned back against the wall as we rode.
“I don’t understand why you’re not embracing this,” he said.
“And I don’t understand why you are.”
“I’m not saying it’s not the tiniest bit weird what’s happening but I’m just choosing to accept it and move forward until I can figure it out. And the fact that I can do that with a beautiful woman? Well, how lucky can a guy get?”
I blushed and might have smiled a little.
“Sorry,” I said. “And thank you. Maybe once I get in my own place and can refocus a bit I’ll have a better attitude, okay?”
The elevator arrived and we turned down the hall toward my apartment. I opened the door and found that all the clocks were ticking and time was actually moving forward. “Okay, this is just too weird. Make yourself at home. I just wanna change into more comfortable and warmer clothes.”
“Take your time,” he said. “I could make us some coffee or something.”
I wandered into my bedroom and didn’t even bother closing the door before changing out of my dress and into jeans and a sweater. Until I sat down on the bed to pull some socks on I hadn’t noticed the bright blue envelope on my pillow. I finished with the socks then opened it carefully. I dropped it almost immediately when I recognized my father’s writing. I took a deep breath then picked it back up and read.
I know finding a letter from me in the midst of what’s happening must be a great shock but they thought it would be easier coming from me.
“They?” I had no idea what he was talking about but kept reading.
It seems that when two people who are destined to meet keep missing each other the universe steps in and makes it happen just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. This happens every year but the rest of us never know because when time kicks in again it’s as if it never stopped. The only ones that know are those that kept moving, kept going forward.
Anyway…it’s all very scientific and there are formulas and such but I will just give you the bottom line…this is your chance at love, sweetheart. Your real chance. The one you’ve been waiting for since you were a kid. It may not seem like he’s the right one — it didn’t at first to me either — but trust me, James is it. And honey, he’s going to love you like you’ve never been loved before. You just have to let yourself be open to it. Promise me you’ll do that.
“I promise,” I breathed and felt tears in my eyes. Oh come on, how could I not promise my dead father?
The amount of time you’ll have before the world starts turning again is unknown. It could be a few hours; it could be a few days. They told me once it took an entire year before the two parties finally figured it out. Don’t let it take that long, Zeni. Life is too short and you of all people know that very well.
I miss you baby girl but I see you every day and I want you to be happy, extraordinarily happy. Now go find James because he’s just read something very similar from his sister, who died earlier this year too, far too young. I love you, Zeni.
I looked up and saw James standing in my doorway holding a letter and an envelope of the same color and his face looked as pale as mine felt. I could also see that he’d been crying and already felt closer to him.
He sat down next to me and for several minutes we just stared at my wall.
“I think I’m gonna need something a little stronger than coffee,” I said and stood up and walked toward my kitchen. I heard him follow and pulled out the tequila someone had brought over for a party a year or two earlier. I had no idea if it was even still good. I never drank much more than a glass of wine or a little champagne but this seemed like an occasion to throw a little caution to the wind.
I actually owned shot glasses, only because that same friend had given them to me, and I pulled them out, rinsed them off and sat them on the counter. “You in?” I asked as I pushed a pourer into the bottle.
“Why not?” he smiled and I poured.
We learned rather quickly that whatever freakish time warp we were in allowed us to drink a lot without getting even the slightest buzz. It was rather disappointing and after four or five shots we resorted to the coffee and carried our mugs to the living room where we settled into my couch.
“So, I guess, um, tell me about yourself.” It sounded ridiculous but I figured we had to start somewhere. Just sitting around wasn’t going to get us back to reality any faster.
“My sister was 14 years old when she died,” he started and I gulped. “She was my world. Our dad died when she was barely five and I, being her much older brother — because my parents thought they were done but they got a little surprise — basically raised her. It just about broke me this year. I almost didn’t go to that party tonight but I remembered something she said just before she died. ‘Jimmy,’ she said. She always called me Jimmy. ‘Jimmy, don’t you dare mope around after I’m gone. You go find the love of your life and live and have a baby and name her after me. And if it’s a boy, well, just keep having them until you have a girl so there can be another Amelia Kelley running around the world.’”
“She sounds amazing,” I said and instinctively reached for his hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to know her.”
“Me too,” he smiled and squeezed my hand and leaned back into the couch.
“My dad was my best friend,” I said. “And he was sick for a long time and I thought he’d outlive cancer for sure. I thought he’d be the one to beat it. It was always just us. My mom left right after I was born, having no interest in raising a kid, and I have no idea what happened to her. But my dad was the best. He always had time for me, no matter what, and it’s been a rough year without him. I lost two close friends to cancer this year too, as well as the little lady that lived across the hall from me, and basically I’m pretty done with that horrible disease. I wasn’t going to go to that party either but one of my friends that I lost, Lois, well, it was something we always did together and I couldn’t dare break that tradition just because she wasn’t here.” I wiped a tear from my eye then looked into the very sympathetic, very green eyes staring at me.
“Amelia and I always watched When Harry Met Sally… on New Year’s Eve even though she wasn’t technically old enough to see it.”
“Weird. That’s what Lois and I always did after the party.”
“Then I think we must,” he smiled and I nodded then stood and found my DVD.
He got us more coffee while I readied the movie then we settled in as the credits started to roll. It was too easy really but it was like once we knew we were meant to be together we just made it happen. I inched closer, he put his arm around me and that was that. Before the movie ended we were transported back to the party right at the moment things stopped.
I was speechless as everyone around me cheered and started to kiss and all I could think about was finding James. I pushed my way through the crowd and started calling his name then heard someone calling my name and smiled when I recognized his voice.
“Hi!” I beamed when we reached each other.
“Happy New Year!” we said at the same time then without any further thought we leaned toward each other and shared a New Year’s kiss and moments later I awoke on my couch next to my friend Lois just as Harry and Sally got together at the end of the film.
“What the…where am I? Where’s James?”
“James!” Then I realized that I’d clearly had some sort of crazy dream. “Wow,” I sighed. “I’ve never had a dream so real.”
“Are you okay? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’m fine,” she said then leaned over and felt my forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“Confused.” I grabbed my phone and checked the date and it was exactly one year earlier than it had been before I’d fallen asleep. I tried to hide my shock but it was clearly evident on my face.
“Sweetie, you’re scaring me a little here. What exactly happened in this dream?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I smiled then threw my arms around her. “You’re here and it’s a brand new day, a brand new year!”
“I think you had a little too much champagne, friend. Why don’t I let you get some sleep?”
“No! Don’t leave! Stay the night. Please?”
“Okay, okay,” she said and gave me another hug. “But you promise you’ll get some sleep?” I nodded like a little kid and felt extremely happy.
“Wait,” I said, realizing that if she was still alive my father might still be alive too. “I should call my dad to wish him Happy New Year.”
“Are you kidding? Did you forget he was on that cruise?”
“Oh right,” I sighed. “I forgot.”
“I’m putting you to bed right now,” she said and pulled me up then walked me to my bedroom. She took a pair of pajamas out of my closet and waited while I changed then tucked me into bed and turned out the light.
“I love you, you know,” I said before she pulled the door shut.
The next day dawned just like it had the prior year only I was blessed with a new lease on my life, a new desire to make the best of every moment and a yearning to find James Kelley. My dad returned the next day and I picked him up at the airport just as I had the first time and it was a little overwhelming to see him.
“Hi, Daddy,” I said and felt the tears in my eyes. “I’ve missed you so much.” I threw my arms around him as though I hadn’t seen him in months, which in my mind, I hadn’t.
“I’ve only been gone for a week,” he said as he hugged me back. I started to sob and he pulled me a little closer. “What’s all this?”
I laughed through my tears as I pulled away. “I’ve been a bit emotional the last couple of days,” I said. “I guess I’m just reevaluating my life and wanting to make the most of every moment and never stop telling the people I love how much I love them.”
“Well, I love you too, sweetheart.” He kissed my forehead and we got in the car and I took him home.
I wandered through my childhood house picking up photos I hadn’t looked at in years and remembering many good times. I nearly fell over when I picked up a photo of my dad and a group of men on a golf course because one of the men was James Kelley.
“Daddy?” I asked and picked up the photo and walked toward the kitchen. “Daddy, who is this?”
“Oh, James,” he smiled and took the picture. “He’s an up and comer on the pro tour. Great guy. He’s had to take some time off though because he’s got a younger sister who’s sick.”
“Oh, nothing,” I said and took the picture back. “How did you meet him?”
My father went on to tell me that they’d met the day the photo was taken and it was just a random thing. He was practicing at the course and when one of my dad’s friends couldn’t make it they asked around for a fourth and he took them up on it. They became friends on the course and had played together several times since then.
“Fine,” I smiled as I ran my hand over the picture. “He’s pretty cute,” I added. “I’m surprised you didn’t try to set me up with him.” I winked and took the picture back and wondered just how the universe worked.
My dad had tried for years to play matchmaker but I’d only accepted a few of his offerings and while they hadn’t all been disastrous they hadn’t panned out either. I was thinking back on a few of the dates when my phone rang and I answered without thinking that it was the same call I’d received a year earlier that told me my friend Erika had succumb to the cancer she’d been fighting for more than a year. It hit me just as hard as it had the first time and I collapsed into a sobbing heap on my dad’s couch.
After I got home later that evening I did a major Internet search for James and found an email address that I figured went to his agent and not him but I had to try.
You don’t know me, or maybe you do, I’m not sure about much of anything right now. I just know that I woke up from a dream, or some sort of alternate reality, last night and the first thing on my mind was you. I learned today that you actually know my father, Adam Davis. It’s turning out to be a very small world today. If you have any idea what I’m talking about or even if you don’t but are intrigued enough to find out more, meet me at the Hamilton Retro Theatre on 17th at 11:45 on Friday night. There’s a midnight showing of When Harry Met Sally…hopefully that means something to you. If you’re terrified of what this might all mean and don’t wish to meet me, I completely understand. I just felt like I had to ask.
I pressed send then sat back and wondered what I’d done. It was Wednesday night and I’d have to wait two full days before I knew if he had the same experience I did. I wasn’t sure I could do it and busied myself around the house cleaning, of all things. When that didn’t distract me enough I took a shower and got dressed to take a walk and get some fresh air. I slipped on my black coat and tied my black and grey scarf around my neck and actually screamed when I opened the door.
“We’re a match,” he smiled, standing there in his black coat and black and grey scarf holding up his phone with the picture of us he’d taken.
I practically jumped into his arms as I wrapped mine around him and I knew without a doubt that he was experiencing exactly what I was as he spun me around.
“Were you heading out?” he asked after he put me down.
“Just for a walk,” I said. “I trust you got my email?”
“I did,” he smiled. “Mind if I walk with you?”
“Not at all.” He took my hand in his and before I knew it we were back at the New Year’s Eve party, but this time we were together and our coats were being taken by the host.
“This is getting stranger by the minute,” he whispered as he gripped my hand.
I pulled out my phone to discover it was actually a year later than the first time we were at the party and when I looked at my hand I noticed a diamond on a very important finger. “James?” I said and held my hand out to him, first to show him the date and then the ring.
“Well,” he smiled. “I wish I remembered giving that to you.”
“Me too,” I sighed and leaned into him as he put his arm around me. “But I love it just the same and I do want to marry you.”
“And I you,” he whispered then kissed the side of my head as we were handed glasses of champagne.
We walked out to the balcony and looked out on the city as we awaited the countdown to midnight. We didn’t start counting until we hit just the right moment. “3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year, Zeni,” James whispered as he slid his hand through my hair and rested it at the back of my neck.
“Happy New Year, James,” I smiled and ran a thumb across his cheek as my hand rested on the edge of his face. “I love you.”
As his lips met mine I saw the last year of my life speed by. I remembered everything from the moment I fell asleep against him while we were watching When Harry Met Sally… to the moment we stepped out of the elevator for the party. I remembered falling in love and I remembered him proposing and saying yes and being as happy as I’d ever been. As our eyes connected it seemed clear he’d remembered everything too and after we toasted and downed the champagne he took our glasses then took both of my hands in his.
“Let’s go get married,” he smiled and I nodded and kissed him again.
We wed at sunrise surrounded by friends and family and I knew Amelia, my dad and Lois and Erika were all watching over us, smiling at the happiness we’d found.
“You may now kiss your bride,” the minister said and James stepped toward me and took both of my hands in his.
“Did you ever believe we’d be standing here like this after our first meeting?”
“Hardly,” I grinned. “I never believed we’d survive that night.”
“But survive we did,” he smiled then leaned in and kissed me. “Happy New Year, Mrs. Kelley.”
“Happy New Year, Mr. Kelley,” I replied then kissed him again as our friends and family clapped.
“Happy New Year, everyone!” he beamed then scooped me up into his arms. Before he carried me down the aisle he smiled and whispered, “3, 2, 1…”
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