The Future in a Glimpse

The day after accepting my crush's confession, I woke up ten years in the future.

A pair of grape-like eyes stared at me timidly, and the little boy called me Mom.

Later, in a dusty storage room, I found a wedding photo.

To my surprise, the groom in the picture wasn't my crushit was him.

1.

I woke up ten years in the future, sprawled on a bed I didnt recognize.

As I lay there, utterly bewildered, a tiny figure burst into the room. I immediately played dead, pretending to still be asleep. Soft footsteps approached, then a delicate hand touched my forehead. A childs voice, sweet and innocent, prattled on about what theyd eaten and played with lately.

I was still trying to figure out my connection to this child when their next words jolted me awake.

Mommy, youve been sick for days now. Why arent you waking up? You dont like Tommy, but Tommy misses you so much. Mommy, please wake up!

Mommy?!

This kid called me Mommy!

My eyes flew open. A cute little munchkin, with big eyes and a small mouth, was staring at me in wide-eyed terror. Before I could even utter a word, the child dashed out of the room.

Oh, my God! Just last night, Id accepted a confession from the guy of my dreams, and now, I had a child this big!

2.

After the child bolted, I immediately grabbed my phone and called my best friend, Quinn.

I had no idea what Id been through in the last ten years; my phone was strangely barren of messages. Old contacts had vanished without a trace. The phone rang for several moments before Quinn finally picked up.

What do you want?

Her voice was colder than Id ever heard it. I scratched my cheek, her sudden aloofness leaving me speechless. When I didn't respond, Quinn grew impatient.

Anna Yao, say something! Didn't you say youd never contact me again?

Wow, what in the world did I do in those ten years? I thought for a moment. Quinn, I know youre playing hard to get, but cut it out for a sec. I just want to ask you something important: whos my husband? That was my most pressing concern.

Quinn paused. Anna Yao, did you forget to take your meds today?

Huh? Ten years later, Quinn was calling me crazy in a roundabout way?

Im serious, Anna! Did you seriously forget your meds? Fine, just wait at home. Im in line for a COVID test; Ill be right over! Quinns tone was surprisingly grave. Was I not time-traveling, but actually, well, unwell? And what was a COVID test, and why did she have to wait in line for it?

3.

Just as I hung up, a housekeeper-like woman knocked, cautiously asking if I felt better and if I wanted something to eat. It seemed my unseen husband was quite wealthy. I nodded, and soon, an array of exquisite dishes appeared before me. It turned out that in ten years, Id achieved the life Id always dreamed of.

I cautiously tried to pry for information about my husband. The housekeeper looked a little surprised, only saying he was away on a business trip and wouldn't be back until next month. That was good news; by the time he returned, Id probably have adjusted to my new reality.

I picked up my chopsticks and started devouring the food. I had to admit, it was all my favorite. Suddenly, I caught sight of the child peeking around the doorframe. Realizing this might be my son, my eyes lit up. I waved him over. Hey, kid, come here.

He startled, then timidly walked to the bedside. Why did this child seem afraid of me? Had I married a rich man and become a stepmother? I scratched my head, trying my best to sound friendly. Whats your name, little one? How old are you?

The childs chubby face crumpled with a hurt expression, as if he couldnt fathom a mother forgetting her childs name. Mommy, Im Tommy Fischer, and Im four. Fischer? So, I definitely didn't end up with my dream guy. I continued, Tommy, Im going to test you. Whats your daddys name?

My daddys name is

Tommy! There you are. Time to go downstairs for your lessons. Don't bother the madam while she rests.

The housekeeper, who had suddenly appeared at the doorway, cut Tommy off. Madam, Im so sorry. I didn't keep an eye on Tommy. Ill take him downstairs now. The housekeeper nervously pulled Tommy away. I was completely confused and could only nod. Since I woke up, the housekeepers attitude had been strange, as if I were some kind of monster.

Since I couldnt get his name, I decided to look for clues myself. The bedroom was luxuriously decorated, but there were no wedding photos, no signs of another person living there. Was this one of those situations where the husband just sent money every month but never came home?

4.

When I stepped out of the room, I realized it was a two-story villa. Downstairs, Tommy was quietly playing with a puzzle by the floor-to-ceiling window. Sunlight streamed in, highlighting his long, downcast lashes. He looked like such a well-behaved child, completely melting my heart.

I practically pounced, startling him. Hey, buddy, what are you playing? Mom will join you! Tommys eyes widened, and he immediately stood at attention, mumbling, Mommy. I pulled him closer and planted a big kiss on his fair little cheek. He touched his face, looking a bit surprised.

Seeing his reactions, I could pretty much guess that the me of ten years in the future probably wasn't too fond of this child. Thankfully, Tommy was young and didn't hold grudges. I played with him for a bit, and soon he was happily sharing his puzzle with me.

Buddy! Is this all you have to play with? Kids his age should have tons of toys. Tommy carefully glanced at me and said, Mommy used to get mad if other toys were too noisy.

What?!

Okay, the ten-years-later me really had issues. Just then, the doorbell rang.

It was Quinn.

5.

When Quinn walked in, I almost didnt recognize her. Was this really my tomboy best friend? She had grown out her hair, styled it in soft waves, and her eyes were meticulously made up. I exaggeratedly widened my eyes. Who are you, gorgeous?

Quinn rolled her eyes at me. Tommy, however, seemed very familiar with her, rushing over to hug her and calling her Auntie Quinn. Quinn gently patted Tommys head and said to me, Lets go talk upstairs.

I quickly led her back to the bedroom. Before she could speak, I blurted out everything that had happened. Quinn listened, a frown on her face, then looked me over and posed the million-dollar question: How do you know you time-traveled, and not just lost your memory?

Uh

I remember the last meal before I time-traveled was beef stew with tomatoes in the school cafeteriadelicious!

I remember taking an exam two days before I time-traveled, and I still recall the questions. If I really had amnesia, I wouldn't remember such specific details for ten years, right?

Quinn raised an eyebrow but remained silent. She knew me like she knew herself. I awkwardly pressed my lips together. Okay, fine. The day before, I had just accepted Tristans confession.

Quinns lips immediately drooped, and she let out a cold laugh. Then she launched into a detailed account of the last ten years.

6.

Turns out the ten-years-later me really did have a problem: bipolar disorder. The reason for my illness was Tristan, my ex-boyfriend, cheating on me. Quinn said that after Tristan and I got together, he acted sweet on the surface but was secretly gaslighting me. By the time Quinn noticed something was wrong, I was already too far gone.

Later, Tristan falsely accused Quinn of trying to seduce him, and in my confused state, I cut off all ties with her. Then, at 27, I was dumped by Tristan. His new girlfriend was my college roommate, and I couldn't handle it, which is when I developed bipolar disorder.

Holy crap, thats just awful, I said, rubbing my forehead. This was basically Anna Yaos tragic early life story. So, whos my husband now? That was still my most urgent question.

Quinn looked at me, paused, then said, Its Julian.

What?! I never in my wildest dreams imagined that ten years later, I would be married to Julian.

7.

Julian, Quinn, and I had practically grown up together. We lived in the same apartment building as kids and went to the same school. Julian was always that perfect kid everyone talked aboutgood-looking, smart, and genuinely kind. Hed help old ladies cross the street and give up his seat to elderly gentlemen.

Back then, when I was small, the more my parents praised him, the more he annoyed me. But being a sucker for good looks, I couldnt help staring at him, often making him blush. After we grew out of our kid phase and started having crushes, I even fantasized about him a little. But there were just too many people who liked him, so I kept my distance. Even if he showed me some special attention, I just thought it was childhood friendship, especially since he went abroad later.

Now Quinn was telling me that Julian had married me. The shock was akin to the national soccer team winning the World Cup. In a flash, another question popped into my head.

Quinn, Tommy is four and a half. Tristan and I broke up when I was 27. So, Tommy is?

Quinn gave me a troubled look. We had cut ties by then, so I only heard snippets about you from others. I heard you and Julian were caught in bed by Tristan. As for Tommy, honestly, I don't know.

The information overload was crushing my CPU. So, it meant I might have gotten pregnant with someone elses child and then married Julian. The thought made my vision swim. No wonder there were only traces of my life in the room; Julian must really resent me. If thats the case, why would he marry me?

Wait, Quinn, Tristan cheated on me, so how could he catch Julian and me in bed? Even if I was capable of such a thing, Julian wasn't that kind of person.

Quinn said, Im not clear on the specifics. It seemed Tristan first tried to break up with you, but you refused to let go. Then he somehow caught you and Julian together, and used it to turn the tables on you.

8.

The plot was too wild. I touched my face. I feel like Im experiencing a beautiful case of brain stem missing right now.

Quinn patted my shoulder. Accept it, sis. After being gaslighted, you turned into a total mess. But Anna, honestly, whether you have amnesia or time-traveled, I only have one thing to say: be good to Tommy. I cant interfere with your and Julians business, but that child is truly pitiful. Julian is busy with work and is away from home half the year. And you, the old you, never liked Tommy and barely paid him any mind.

I wanted to cry. His dad might be a fake dad, but his mom was definitely a real mom. My little angel, Tommy, get ready to feel your mommys fiery love!

9.

I had just finished my motherly love to-do list. In just a couple of days, little Tommy went off to kindergarten. Turns out hed been on summer break. Normally, private kindergartens like Tommys didn't have breaks, but most of the kids came from well-off families, and many parents wanted time to take their children on trips.

Thinking of Tommy playing puzzles alone downstairs that day, my heart felt like it had swallowed a lemon. I promised myself Id take Tommy out to play in a couple of days.

That evening at dinner, Tommy sat on his chair, swinging his little legs, telling me about his day at kindergarten. After a few days together, he wasnt so scared of me anymore. At bedtime, Tommy uncharacteristically asked to sleep with me. He lay beside me in his dinosaur pajamas, a perfectly well-behaved child.

Mommy, tell me a story.

I picked up a book and improvised, Once upon a time, there was a Snow White Prince

After the story, Tommy giggled, Tommy is Snow White Prince! Mommy is the princess! Someday, Tommy will marry Mommy.

I teased him, But Mommy has a Daddy, you know. Tommy cant marry Mommy.