Kent was the last to arrive at the Heritage apartments (he thought) and he was met at the top of the stairs by Emma. She asked him to help with a tray of snacks and, naturally, he accepted.
Devon was in the middle of negotiating with Shay. “Eric Marsten is your guard for tonight?”
“Yes.”
“I know him… He drove the 1880 Shay and me to your house when you went back in time… I’m gonna get him to come up and join us. No need for him to sit in the Tahoe all alone.
“Guards don’t usually mix work and social.”
Devon shrugged and bound down the stairs.
Kent couldn’t help but read utter confusion on Tia’s face. She was looking at Hannah as if asking for answers.
Kent stepped up. “Which part? Guards or 1880?”
Tia smiled. “Both?”
“You’ll think it’s a joke. It’s not.”
Tia looked at Shay then at Hannah who was approaching. “Try me…”
“I didn’t expect this to come up so soon, but since it did…” Hannah began explaining who Shay was and about time shifting. Tia had… questions, but wasn’t rude.
By then, Devon was back with Eric. “Here… have a soda… Food’ll be heated up soon.”
Tia was still trying to sort things out and looked at Emma. “So you were born in 1861?”
“Yes. I shifted to 2024 on July 4. And Merritt was born in 1960. He shifted b’fore me.”
Tia looked at Kent. “This has to be a joke.”
At that, Eric walked up. “Ma’am, as insane as it sounds, I believe it’s true.”
He went on to explain everything he knew, particularly about Shay’s shifts back to 1880. He further explained that he was one of Shay’s personal guards—all ex-Secret Service—and went on to say that her father was skeptical, too, but had come to believe it.
“He doesn’t want the word to get out, though,” Shay added.
Tia shook her head again and laughed. “I suppose that wouldn’t sit well with his stock-holders… who would think it was a joke or that his daughter had lost her mind!”
Shay looked down and nodded.
Little by little, Tia realized that they all believed it was true, including Eric who wasn’t claiming to shift time at all.
About then, Addison announced that everything was heated up and it was time to eat. With that, Jacob approached.
“Tia… strange question…”
“Strange compared to what!” Tia laughed.
“When’s your birthday?”
“Why?”
Jacob pointed around the room. “All eight of us were born exactly on an equinox. Half spring, half fall.”
Tia shrugged. “My birthday is June 18.”
Jacob looked around. “Is that summer solstice?”
Merritt shook his head. “I don’t thinks so… close… What are you thinking?”
Jacob shrugged. “Just was wondering if Tia was going back to 1880 with us next time.”
“She can take my place!” Addison said quickly. “I can do without becoming a man again.”
Both Eric and Tia needed to have that explained to them—that Addison’s 1880 counterpart was a man. Then, Devon went on to explain that just the consciousness swapped, not the bodies.
“Oh, well then… no big deal…” Tia laughed. “I mean… shifting consciousness is relatively common, right? Compared to actually going back in time!”
Her playing off the remark, Kent thought, was a good sign.
After that, the mood was lighthearted and everyone had a good time. Of course, explaining details about time traveling took up a lot of the conversation, but eventually, the topic shifted to Shay’s housing program and her part in it.
Kent was pleased. Tia seemed like a nice woman and as it turned out, she knew her way around fixing up a run-down house, so he was hoping to see more of her over time.
As far as Kent could tell, it looked like she was getting along very well with Hannah. Enough so that Kent thought Merritt was being a little left out.
As for being left out, Kent noted that Devon and Emma had made sure Shay and Eric were included in the fun. As that was the case, he took a seat with Merrit, Hannah, and Tia.
The night was young and it looked like everyone was going to have a good time.
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