Chapter 95 - Talking (2/2)

”I'm so grateful you came here so I could meet you. I always wondered if there was someone out there who would truly understand me…and there was, in a completely different world. Can you tell me more about your home? I want to know everything about your life there.”

With that invitation, I ended up talking for hours (with occasional breaks for Al to ask questions) about my life back in Arizona. Everything from my childhood exploits with Abby to my parents' deaths to my health problems and social isolation.

I tried to explain technology as best I could but there weren't proper equivalents to most of the things I was describing, like TVs and cell phones. He was intrigued by how different things were, especially based on the foods I had attempted to have made here already.

Without even having to bring it up myself, Al said he wanted to help me recreate as much here as we could. That made me fall even more in love with him. He had always understood me better than anyone else here but now that understanding was complete.

Like Mariela had been when I told her about the fashion differences, Al was sympathetic to my plight. Suddenly my strange fashion choices for when we lounged about the castle made a lot more sense.

”The clothes in your world sound nice. If you really don't like wearing skirts all the time, we can find someone to make you some pants when we get out of here. You did say that you usually wore pants, didn't you?” he asked.

I laughed. Usually? I hadn't worn a skirt in about two years before I came here. Pants were my life. I wore jeans or slacks at work but when I was at home it was pajamas or gym shorts all the way.

”I never wore skirts before coming here! I miss pants. The only time I wore them in this world was when we played in the snow. Let me tell you, coming up with snow clothes that would work here was a challenge. Back home we have a special waterproof material with insulation made especially for…”

And that sparked another long tangent about my life back on earth. Al listened intently, soaking up all of the information like a sponge. I could tell he was sincerely interested in my world, as Mariela had been.

That was to be expected. Earth was so different from wherever this was.

We ended up talking for the rest of the night. The conversation was a mixture of things about my past and plans for our future. Having someone else in on my secret made planning for a proper life here a lot more fun.

Eventually I nodded off in my husband's arms on the couch. He sighed and pressed a kiss to my forehead before speaking to no one.

”Your world sounds amazing, Katie. As much as I wish you hadn't struggled so much here…as much as you have wanted to go home…I'm glad you're stuck here with me in Annalaias. I'll do my best to make sure you want for nothing as soon as this is all behind us.”