Max typically woke up, sometimes hours, before her partner. She would grab some coffee, maybe a bowl of cereal, and perhaps take a shower. At least once per week, she would finish most of her blog entry and post it even before her lover got out of bed. Today was different. When she awoke, she bent down to kiss Chloe’s cheek but found the spot next to her vacant.

As she scanned the room, she noticed her best friend standing at the window staring into the yard and down the street. The street lamps were still lit, as the sun had not yet fully ascended to illuminate the landscape. Dim shades of orange and peach had begun to stretch across the room from the window, creating an intriguing atmospheric scene.

“Chlo, stay right there.” Max hopped out of bed and located her camera. She lined up the shot and captured the early morning’s essence, as her soulmate was bathed in the early dawn’s colorful embrace. “That one is a keeper.”

“Good morning, Max,” the girl at the window casually stated, turning around facing the inside of the bedroom. “How did you sleep?”

“I slept so well, babe. I can’t remember a time I slept so hard.” From across the room, Max noticed something was not quite right. “Chlo, what’s wrong?” She walked over and wrapped her arms around her partner’s waist and kissed her chest, just below her chin.

“Something… happened last night, Max. A dream, or a vision, or…” The blonde pivoted around and continued to look back out the window.

“Chloe Price,” The petite brunette huffed. “Don’t pull away from me. Whatever it is, we can handle it together. I can’t even remember how many times you’ve nursed me back to sanity from a nightmare. Let me be here for you and do the same.”

“It’s different, Max. I… I just need time to think. I’m sorry.”

The photographer stepped back and incredulously looked at her fiancé. “Whatever you need, babe. I love you.”

“Love you too…”

“Can I at least go get you some coffee? It might help you feel better.”

“Yeah, that’ll be good,” Chloe softly spoke.

“Okay, when I get back, please tell me all about it. We have to be open and share everything with each other, Chlo. Yesterday, I realized it helped me a ton to talk with you about it, and I don’t plan to ever keep anything to myself again.” Max was concerned. Even when Chloe was in a deeply depressed state after the second storm week, she still never pulled away from her the way she just had. Max tenderly kissed her favorite person on the cheek from behind and left the room, heading downstairs to retrieve a couple of cups of fresh coffee.

“Good morning sweetheart,” her mother grinned, greeting her at the coffee maker. She was thankful she convinced her parents to get rid of that dreadful Keurig. “This is where we spend the most time together these days, huh? How are you two doing?”

“Morning, Mom. I think Chloe had a nightmare or just isn’t feeling real well today, but we’ll be fine. We have a photo shoot this morning, gotta get going soon.”

“You girls are always running off. You’re all grown up now, but I can’t help still see you as little pirate girls running around exploring and going on mysterious adventures.” The woman looked down and smiled into her coffee mug. “So, how’s the wedding planning going? Anything else I can help with?”

“You’ve helped enough already. It’s pretty much planned and ready to go. Chloe just wants me happy and doesn’t really get concerned with the details. I only want to be with her; the details aren’t very important to me either. I just love her so much, Mom.”

“I know you do. She’s a special girl… you both are. We love you two with all of our hearts, and can’t wait to see you walk down the aisle together. Sweetheart, we’re so proud of you.” Max realized this might have been the most openly she had spoken about her love for Chloe with either of her parents. They clearly accepted the pair as partners, but they had never verbalized their support so transparently.

“Thank you, Mom. It means everything to have your support. Dad too.” Max, with her hands full, leaned over to give her mother a sideways hug, having just finished brewing and suiting both coffees. As she was about to head back upstairs, the door to her bedroom opened and Chloe stuck her head out.

“Max, can we talk?” the older girl asked.

“That’s my cue. Talk to you later, Mom.”

She took the coffees up the stairs and entered her room. Chloe closed the door behind her and retrieved the second mug from the freckled girl. She took a sip and sat down on the edge of bed near the footboard. “Thanks for the coffee, love.”

“It’s great to hear you call me ‘love’ again. I’m worried about you, Chlo. You haven’t pushed me away like that since… well… since we were reconnecting during the first storm week.”

“I’m sorry about that. Come sit with me, Max, please.” She patted the bed on a spot beside her. “I need to tell you what happened last night.” Both girls stared into their beverages sitting shoulder to shoulder. Max looked up and was greeted by a pair of worried yet magical blue eyes.

“Whatever it is, Chlo. We will get through it together just as we always have.” She slightly bumped her best friend’s shoulder careful to not spill either mug, then took a slow sip.

“I know. It’s just… I dunno. The wedding is so close, and I don’t want to ruin anything for you… for us. But you’re right, I need to just tell you everything. This is very important.” She paused and took a deep breath, loudly exhaling at the end. “So, I had a vision last night. I guess you can call it that. Rachel came to visit me in my dream.”

“You dreamed about Rachel, is that it? Chlo, I would never hold a dream against you. You can’t control dreams.”

“It’s not really like that,” the taller girl responded. “Rachel came to me to warn us about something terrible that happens in our future.”

“Geez. And you know it was a vision, not just a dream?”

“Well, it was definitely a dream. She somehow created it and used it to show me… something. She was like a ghost, or a spirit, I think. It was strange to see her there like that after… you know.”

“Yeah, I bet. Damn. What did she show you? What are you holding back?”

Chloe took her best friend’s coffee from her and walked over to place both beverages on the dresser. She sat back down and pulled the little brunette into her chest in a tight hug. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. We’ve enjoyed such a wonderful life together the last couple of years, and I didn’t know how to tell you what I saw.”

“Chlo, you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry, but something both beautifully fucking amazeballs and absolutely terrible is in our future. What Rachel showed me equally made me happier and more terrified than anything I have ever experienced.” A single tear slid down the blonde girl’s face. Her partner placed her hand below the girl’s chin and used her thumb to wipe it away, kissing her other cheek in the process. “You wondered if there was a reason things could change? Well, this is the only reason now.”

“I’m confused. What could change things? I refuse to believe that. We deserve to be happy, and we’ll make our own goddamn future like we always have! We’ve come so far…”

“Max, I don’t know when the vision takes place. I could tell we were a little older, but not much else, and I didn’t recognize where we were. I just know there’s nothing more important now than doing whatever we can to change what I saw. We must… I must… fast-forward.”

“Chloe, NO! I don’t understand. Isn’t your power gone?” Max lowered her eyebrows in frustration. “There’s nothing in this world that could convince me to jeopardize what we have now. Everything is so fucking perfect.”

Chloe’s mouth went dry. Having to force the words out she whimpered, “She has your freckles, Max.”

“What? Who?”

“She looks just like you.”

“Chlo, please… who looks ju…”

“Our daughter, Max. I saw our daughter… and we have to save her life.”

She watched as Chloe struggled to find the words. “You got this, girl,” she said, knowing the words that just left her lips would never actually be heard. “It’ll take all three of us; she has to know everything, just tell her. I know it’s tough, but you must.”

Rachel walked around and in front of her friend, then attempted to place her hand on the girl’s shoulder, watching it pass directly through. She hoped her words in the dream were enough to help initially guide them on their new mission. She didn’t know how she knew, but her moving on to her next reality hinged on making things right for these girls, whom she loved entirely. The only concern that remained in her heart was guiding these lovers towards their future, hoping they could change the terrible circumstances she knew would eventually be upon them. If everything worked out, she would be able to help give them the complete happiness their love deserved.

“Max, it’ll be fine,” she whispered in the brunette’s ear, remembering how cute the girl was, and that Chloe was as lucky as Max for being able to be together at such a deep level. At the taller girl’s words, the room grew silent.

“Talk to each other! The only way now that we’ll get through this is if you stay connected.” She knew they were Max and Chloe and they would always be together, but that “together” would be much darker if they didn’t find the strength and power to push through. Rachel smiled as the girls started speaking again, navigating their way through the rocky current.

She followed them to the restaurant and listened to their plan. She liked what she heard and was fully on board.

“You’re welcome, Max.”

The ghostly girl understood she could help them now. The dream she pulled Chloe into was her first test in finding out what was possible in her current state. Realizing her job there was done for the moment, she decided to head towards her next destination and give the pair some privacy. Sometimes it was hard to leave when she checked in on them, as witnessing their love for one another was such an amazingly beautiful sight.

“Love you girls, see you soon… laters!”

After the shock wore off, Max gathered her thoughts and attempted to wrap her brain around the information she just learned. Joyful tears streaked down her face for the better part of half an hour. The idea of her and Chloe having a child together, a daughter, overflowed her heart with love. “So, we have a daughter in the future, and she looks like me? I guess that means I’m the one who carries,” the brunette hypothesized, imagining what it would be like to have a child growing inside of her. “But, Chlo, you still haven’t told me what terrible thing happens. You said we need to save our daughter… from what?”

The former punk wrapped her arms around her soulmate once again and just held her. After a moment, she released her grip slightly. “I wish I hadn’t seen it, Max. It was very disturbing. Imagine being filled with this intense joy for it only to be ripped away and replaced with shock and terror. It was fucking awful. I’m feeling a little better now, though, holding onto you.”

“I’m sorry, babe. I hate that you had to see it, but maybe you needed to so the magnitude would sink in.” Max rubbed her partner’s arm and kissed her shoulder as they remained sitting on the bed. “Tell me more about the dream.”

“Well, when we first met,” Chloe began, “we spent a lot of time together. We shared a moment in her room after she and her dad had a huge fight at dinner. That’s where Rachel took me in the dream. It was a time when we were beginning to realize we might not actually leave Arcadia Bay like we had hoped. I was also finally feeling comfortable around her. The nervousness had worn off, and all I wanted to do was make her feel better. I think she brought me to that location on purpose, maybe to make a point.”

Max kissed her partner on the cheek, “Go on, babe. What did Rachel tell you? What did she show you?”

“She showed me a scene where you and I were together in some place with our daughter, and… we were all very happy…” Her voice caught before she continued, “… and suddenly… a bullet went through her fucking head.”

“Shit, Chlo. Fuck!” The younger girl began to tremble and was forced to take a few deep breaths, as she wiped her eyes on the bed comforter. “Dammit!” She placed an arm around her partner’s shoulders and squeezed tightly.

“I have no idea where we were or when it happened, but we have to do something. She looked like she was maybe two years old.” Chloe wiped her face and stood up, seemingly needing a bit of space. She turned back towards her freckled partner and continued. “Max, she’s so beautiful. She had a rebellious side to her… like me, but she looked like you, with stunning blue eyes, dark hair, and your beautiful fucking freckles. We have to save her…”

“Oh, we will. There’s no question about it.” The brunette’s confidence was swelling and radiated from within her. “We’re Max and Chloe… there’s NOTHING we cannot do together.”

“Rachel told me she saw a hundred futures and, in all cases, the same outcome happened.”

“Then we’ll just have to create number one hundred and one and save our daughter. We will, I swear.” Max stood up and grabbed the older girl’s face with one hand on either cheek. She looked deep into her dazzling sapphire eyes, “Do you hear me, Chlo? We are going to save her.”

She marginally nodded in belief and confirmation. “Rachel made a point to tell me three things. She said time doesn’t exist in dreams, she can hear our thoughts when we think about her, and the power is still within me. I think I need to fast-forward to that time to save our girl, but I don’t really know how and I’m not sure I can. The last time I checked, there was no sign of the power. But more importantly… fuck, we would shoot past so many amazing moments together. Max, we’d have to go past our wedding. I mean, we could wait until after the wedding, but how could we enjoy it with this looming over us? Shit!”

Concern continued to build in Max’s heart, as her confidence was depleting. “Do you even think you still have your power? I know it was connected to my rewind, but I’m pretty sure mine’s gone. To tell the truth, every once in a while, it feels like there might be a crumb left in there, but it’s more like just a scar, and I haven’t dared explore it. Like you, the last time I tried it… nothing. I might have an idea, though, but I’m terrified.”

“Me too, love. I’m terrified too.”

The couple stood holding onto each other peering out the window. It felt like it could be the last time they would have a calm moment to themselves for a while. Things felt like they were about to change and both girls were clearly panicked. Thoughts about their daughter, their love for each other, and their future whirled around inside their heads.

After several minutes, Chloe’s stomach rumbled from hunger. “Let’s go get breakfast,” Max suggested upon hearing the empty grumbles. “Since the… uhm… event will happen in the future, and our daughter is around two years old, I think we have some time to form a plan and not rush into this.”

“Food sounds really good, Max. I could definitely eat right about now.” The girls released each other and started getting ready to go out. They shared a shower with a bit of playfulness, but focused mainly on helping each other wash. This new adventure was their top concern. They found solace in the fact that they were still together and would be each other’s strength as they always were. Max grabbed a notepad, put it in her bag, and the pair departed the house.

They arrived at the restaurant and were seated right away. Brunch was being served, and Max was especially happy to see Belgian waffles on the menu. She secretly wished she would have ordered chicken and waffles the day before. The girls placed their orders and briefly sat in silence, listening to the clanking and clinking of silverware and dishes.

“Okay, we need to come up with a plan,” the photographer said cutting through silence. “I’m thinking we need to try your power first. Maybe we can spend this afternoon working on it.”

“Max, what if I actually do it and begin going forward, but I can’t cut it off? We would skip out on moments we should be sharing together. I don’t wanna speed past our lives. What’s the point then?”

“So, I have an idea. What if you didn’t actually fast-forward, but you jumped like I used to when I photo-jumped? You wouldn’t use a photo since a future picture wouldn’t exist yet, but what if you could jump forward using the thought of that vision Rachel showed you? Tom called it… uhh, what did he say again? It was… mental… uhm, shit. I can’t remember.” She ran her fingers through her own brown hair in frustration. “Anyway, he never used a photo, that was just me. OH!! Mental shifting is what he called it. Maybe you could try that.”

“She said the power is still in me, but I really don’t even remember how I did it. Guess it couldn’t hurt to try if you’re with me.” Chloe shrugged at the idea. “I’m hard-set on trying whatever we need to save our precious little girl!”

“Yeah, same, Chlo… of course. You said Rachel pulled you into the dream last night, and you said she can hear when we think about her, right?” The blonde nodded. “Then maybe we could ask her to pull you in again tonight and give you more details. I wonder if she could pull me in too.”

“It seemed like she was still sorta experimenting with her dreamspace abilities. But, yeah, I’m willing to try anything. You should have seen her Max. Fuck, our daughter is gorgeous!”

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Good. Now we have a plan. We experiment and we ask Rachel for more help. Oh, by the way,” the older girl began, “Rachel said one thing that made me fall in love with you just a little more, if that’s even possible. She said you thank her daily for being there when you couldn’t be.”

“Of course I do, babe. She saved you. Without her, you might not be here with me. THEN, she saved both of us and countless others when she sacrificed herself. I’m so glad she can hear that. She deserves it, and so much more. Thank you, Rachel. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

A plan had been made; an agreement had been reached. The perfectly matched couple would not wait for the future to come; they would meet it with four middle fingers in the air daring it to challenge their love. They didn’t know the exact path, they just knew how much they loved each other, and they knew how much they loved their future daughter. Nothing would get in their way, the future better be fucking ready.