"Sorry to say it, but I quit. I can't stand your kitchen."
I said it Julienne's face, and she wasn't exactly impressed. I just walked away after that, and into my new home.
No one used the fire station anyways. I would be in total isolation, never having to see the faces of those Twinbrookians again. Safe. Sound.
Sigh. Time to shower. Walking in as normal old Journeyman.
When I changed, I noticed my skin lost its tanned glow. Maybe the water was cold; no one's paying for heat here, after all.
It was more than that. It was time to slip into a more comfortable form. If I needed an excuse to never leave the station, those forces gave it to me. No one wants to see a blue man roaming around Twinbrook. Thanks.
But then I heard the footsteps.
I screamed, which probably wasn't for the best when I was trying to hide.
"Hello? It's Julienne. I know you're here, Journs."
I couldn't refuse to answer her. She was my boss for the longest time, and I always swooned at the way she deftly diced garlic (though it still couldn't distract me from sauteing).
Yet she helped to thwart my third attempt, perhaps unwillingly, but she did. Julienne was edging 50 then, but miracles could happen. I let her live with me. I wanted her to have a child for the purposes of the dynasty. And time ran out for her while the house was full. My plan was at a stalemate, and I started again.
I couldn't stop falling for her when I started again, even considering that. Perhaps she could still be a part of this new life.
But my new skin. Would she just run away?
Only one way to find out.
"Yes?" I answered meekly.
"Are you okay?" she asked me.
"Yeah, the new look-"
"It's not that. The screaming?"
"Oh. I thought it was someone else."
"What has gotten into you, Journs? You loved your job so much, and I was a little worried that you left. Maybe we can talk?"
I expressed my problems. "Oh Jules, I failed again. You know that mission I told you about? I failed it."
"Again?"
I nodded.
"How about I stay for a bit."
I led her into the bathroom.
"Since you're staying, chop off all this hair for me."
"Why let go of it?"
"If I changed nearly everything, might as well."
It looked fine.
When we walked out of the cramped bathroom, I was expecting her to leave. But instead, she seemed a little flirty. Typical Julienne.
And she pulled me in for a kiss.
"I can't let you live here without love."
"Thanks, Jules."
And so, a new chapter of my life began. I grew old in a fire station, only comforted by my Julienne. She still wanted to live in her mansion and work at the bistro, but she visited every day. In the mean time, I ran off my extra weight and watched TV. It was a little stale, but bearable.
Decades passed, and nothing changed. Julienne and I were still in love. One night we cuddled on the loveseat while watching the cooking channel. It was something we both loved, and I still envied how cleanly the chefs chopped onions into even rings. I didn't want that to change.
"I think you should start over," she whispered.
"No, I can't."
She wriggled free. "Why? You always wanted to complete it."
"Immortality? I couldn't do that now."
"Why not? You were able to start over before."
It wasn't that I didn't want to pursue immortality, and I still kept the thought on my mind. I just had it in me that I wasn't fit for the task. The superiors have countless others. I didn't need to matter.
"I'm just a failure. I'm not cut out for the job. Besides, I wouldn't want to live without you now."
"Journeyman, I don't want to die and see you fail at your lifelong dream. I think you should focus on those goals, like the Journeyman I love."
She walked out the door without a good-bye. I hoped that we could iron that out.
The next morning, I heard a strange sound.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" I yelled into the air. It was just my phone. The number wasn't Julienne's.
"Who is this? Go away."
"I thought you would care about this." It was Gala. I hadn't spoken with her in ages, but I always worked beside her in the kitchen. In spite of our failed marriage eons ago, she forgot about everything when I restarted. We weren't enemies. But I didn't want to hear from her.
"Make it quick."
"Julienne died. Made it quick. Bye."
No. She couldn't have. She couldn't leave me on such a bad note.
"Why?" I sobbed. "I didn't mean it that way."
I couldn't just ignore what Julienne said. It was her dying wish, or close enough.
Real lovers don't ignore dying wishes.
Even if I was a failure, perhaps I could try again for my dearest Julienne. She was worth another failure, as long as I tried. And if I returned to the old Twinbrook, she would be there again. That was reason enough to try.
I rushed to the escape hatch, as we called it. It was a weird machine that could transport someone to a set time and place, and restore the traveler to a certain point in their life. For me? Twinbrook, first week of the 2057th year. Me, 21 years old. All skills erased.
I would be undoing a lot, but it was worth it.
Worth it to leap out to the old Twinbrook. It was good to be back.
