Where the Wind Carries Dreams

The night I decided to end my marriage, I met God. He gave me a chance to change the past by letting me meet my wife at eighteen. So I made two wishes. First, I wished she would stay out of that alley. Otherwise, the boy she loved would get hurt trying to save her. Second, I wished she would never confess her feelings to Ethan Lawson and would disappear from his life forever. Because by the time Claire Lane turned thirty, she no longer loved him. Chapter 1 When I woke again, morning had already come. The empty space beside me was cold. It was a familiar feeling, one that reminded me Claire hadn’t come home all night. Yesterday had been my thirtieth birthday. It was also the day I decided to divorce her. I’d finally accepted the truth that she didn’t love me. I no longer wanted to keep hoping she might come back to me. Something cold brushed the corner of my eye. I thought it was a tear. It wasn’t. A translucent figure sat beside my bed. It was Claire at eighteen, staring at me in confusion. “Ethan, where are we? “Why are you so upset? “Did someone hurt you?” Her gaze landed on the wedding photo hanging on the wall. A blush immediately spread across her fair cheeks and all the way to her ears. “Is that me in the picture?” I was just as shocked. I sat up and pinched myself several times. Had yesterday’s dream actually come true? I got out of bed and opened the bedroom door. The food in the living room remained untouched, exactly as I’d left it the night before. An elegant jewelry box had been carelessly tossed onto the floor. Inside was a watch shaped like a little dog. Yesterday had also been our wedding anniversary. Claire had taken our child out early that morning to spend the day with Jason Young. I’d waited at home all day. All I received was that hastily purchased dog-shaped watch. And dogs were the one thing I feared most. “Ethan? Why are you ignoring me?” Claire’s anxious voice came from behind me. That was when I knew this wasn’t a dream. I turned around and saw the girl she’d been twelve years ago. At eighteen, Claire was bright and innocent. Her eyes sparkled like stars whenever she looked at me. She was nothing like the thirty-year-old Claire. When I remained silent, she walked closer. The moment she noticed the peeling leather strap around my wrist, her expression changed. “Isn’t that the watch I was planning to give you when I confessed my feelings? “Does that mean I already told you? “Are you Ethan Lawson from the future? “Are you my future husband?” My fingers instinctively brushed over the watch, and my eyes grew hot. “Yes. “I’m your future husband.” That summer twelve years ago, Claire had pulled me onto the school field and handed me the watch, her face bright red. “Ethan Lawson, we’re graduating soon, and I don’t want you to forget me. So I want you to have this watch. “If you’re willing to wear it, then for every day you keep it on, I’ll love you more than I did the day before.” I had remembered those words for twelve years. I had worn that watch for twelve years too. I turned toward the shattered dog-shaped watch on the floor. Suddenly, I couldn’t hold back my tears. Her promise still echoed in my ears. But the Claire who had once truly loved me was gone. She no longer remembered that I was afraid of dogs. She no longer remembered that she loved me. My phone chimed with a message from Jason. ‘Hey Ethan, do you like the watch?’ ‘Claire was going to give it to me, but then I remembered yesterday was your wedding anniversary, so I told her to give it to you instead.’ ‘So? Are you happy?’ Chapter 2 Happy? Of course I was happy. I watched message after message appear in the chat, a bitter smile on my face. Even a gift I hated had only come to me because another man didn’t want it. My heart felt as though an invisible hand were crushing it over and over. I closed my eyes, afraid I would lose control. Eighteen-year-old Claire hurried toward me, completely at a loss. “Ethan, please don’t cry. Did I do something wrong?” She reached for me, but her hand passed straight through my body. “What’s happening? Did I somehow travel through time?” My eyes flew open at those words. I met her frightened gaze. If she had really traveled through time, did that mean I could change the past? The thought made my heart race. I touched the terrible scar on my wrist. “Claire, will you promise me something?” Claire froze for a moment before nodding without hesitation. “Of course, Ethan. I’d do anything for you.” “Anything?” Hearing those familiar words left me dazed. Twelve years ago, Claire had said them all the time. Back then, she’d been sincere and passionate. She’d loved me with her whole heart. Now she could barely spare me even the simplest word of concern. I lowered my eyes and made my first request. “School will let out early this afternoon. Don’t take the shortcut through the alley. “I’ll try to save you from a stray dog, and it’ll bite my wrist. “After that, I’ll never be able to play the piano again.” Claire stared at me. Then her gaze dropped to the wrist I was trying to hide, and her eyes immediately reddened. “Okay. I’ll remember.” A flash of white light filled my vision. Eighteen-year-old Claire disappeared, returning to her own time. The front door opened. It was thirty-year-old Claire. She walked in holding our son’s hand. When she saw the untouched food growing cold on the dining table, she frowned. “Ethan Lawson, why haven’t you cleaned up? “Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to work all day? You stay home and do nothing. What kind of husband acts like this?” Our son gave me a disgusted look. “Dad, you’re so lazy. “You’re nothing like Uncle Jason. “How can someone like you be my father?” Neither of them noticed the breakfast I prepared on time every morning. They didn’t notice the clothes neatly arranged in their closets. They didn’t notice any of the countless things I did for them every day. They didn’t notice how exhausted I looked or the tears that hadn’t yet dried at the corners of my eyes. All they saw was the untouched food on the table. I didn’t have the strength to argue. I walked stiffly to the dining table and carried the dishes into the kitchen. Satisfied, Claire headed toward the bedroom. On the way, her foot struck the dog-shaped watch lying on the floor. Without the slightest hesitation, she picked it up and tossed it into the trash. It landed with a sharp clatter. The sound shattered what remained of my heart. The watch you couldn’t even be bothered to look at was the anniversary gift you gave me. The next morning, I woke in the same cold, empty bedroom. Yesterday had also been our son’s birthday. But I hadn’t even been allowed to celebrate with him. Jason’s latest post was still at the top of my social feed. “Happy birthday to our baby!” In the photo, Claire had one arm around our son and the other around Jason. They truly looked like a family. “Ethan, are you awake? Look at your hand!” Eighteen-year-old Claire stared at me expectantly, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes. Chapter 3 “I listened to you yesterday. I stayed away from the alley.” I immediately looked down at my wrist. The scar was gone. It was really gone. Twelve years ago, Claire had taken that shortcut and been attacked by a stray dog. I happened to be passing by and rushed in to save her. The dog badly injured my left wrist. The scar never faded, and I never played the piano again. But I hadn’t regretted it. Back then, eighteen-year-old Claire had held my injured hand and promised, “You saved me, Ethan. I swear I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.” She’d kept that promise until one week ago. At a friend’s engagement party, Jason played ‘Mariage d’Amour’ for the guests. When he finished, the entire room burst into applause. One of our friends casually mentioned that I used to play too. Claire laughed. She glanced at the scar on my wrist and scoffed. “Ethan, play the piano? Please. That hand has been useless for years.” I stood beneath the banquet hall’s dazzling lights, cold to the bone. At eighteen, I never could’ve imagined that the girl I’d risked my life to save would one day turn the injury I’d suffered for her into a joke. And eighteen-year-old Claire never could’ve imagined that, twelve years later, she would destroy every last bit of love I had for her. I stared at my smooth, unscarred wrist. Then I started laughing through my tears. The past really could be changed. I turned to Claire, who still had no idea what was going on, and smiled at her. “Will you promise me one more thing?” “Stay out of Ethan Lawson’s life forever.” Claire froze. The excitement vanished from her eyes, replaced by disbelief. “What did you say?” “Don’t tell me how you feel. Walk away from me and never come back.” She stumbled back, her eyes instantly filling with tears. “Why?” “Ethan Lawson, do you have any idea how much I love you?” “I know.” I looked up at her, my eyes swollen and red. “I know exactly how much you love me. “When I forgot my textbook, you gave me yours and took the punishment in my place. “When someone talked behind my back, you got all your friends together, found the person responsible, and warned him to stay away from me. “If I had a cold, a fever, or felt even slightly unwell, you always noticed first and took me straight to the nurse’s office. “I know how much you used to love me. “But the woman you become treats me terribly. “Worse than you could ever imagine.” Claire stared at me. Then she moved closer, her eyes red and her voice hoarse. “I don’t believe you, Ethan. “I love you so much. How could I ever hurt you?” She sounded so certain that, for a moment, I could see the girl she used to be. The girl who had taken my hand on an empty school field, her cheeks burning red and her eyes shining like stars. “Ethan Lawson, I love you. “More than anyone else in the world.” She was right. She loved me so much. How could she ever bear to hurt me? How had she forgotten that love by the time she turned thirty? How had she stopped loving me altogether? We stood there in silence for a long time. Finally, I decided to show her exactly who she would become. I opened the bedroom door. The house was completely silent. Dirty breakfast dishes still cluttered the dining table. The entire room was a mess. This had become normal in our marriage. Chapter 4 She was a brilliant finance executive. I was just an unpaid live-in housekeeper to her. A notification from my son’s class parent chat appeared on my phone. “All parents, please arrive on time for this afternoon’s Family Field Day.” I stared at the message. My son had never mentioned it to me. The moment I stepped onto the school field, I spotted Claire and our son. Their faces lit up when they saw me. They immediately hurried in my direction, calling out as they approached. “What took you so long?” With every step they took toward me, my breath quickened. I was surprised, touched, and almost afraid to believe it. Ever since Jason had appeared, neither of them had smiled at me like that. Eighteen-year-old Claire stood beside me with a triumphant smile. “See, Ethan? I still love you just as much as I used to.” Then Claire and our son walked straight past me. The smile that had barely begun to form froze on my face. I turned around blankly and watched them hurry toward the man behind me. “Jason, you’re finally here.” “Uncle Jason, you’re finally here!” My foolish dream shattered. I stood only a few steps away from them, looking like a complete joke. When I raised my head, I saw the banner hanging over the field. “More precious than any gift is time spent together as a family.” Eighteen-year-old Claire froze. Then she rushed in front of the three of them and shouted, “Hey! Claire Lane! Ethan Lawson is your husband!” “You love Ethan, not this man!” Thirty-year-old Claire couldn’t see her younger self frantically waving her arms. She simply gazed at Jason with unmistakable tenderness. That tenderness cut into both of us. I closed my eyes and turned to leave. Then a car suddenly veered out of control and barreled onto the field. It was heading straight for Claire, Jason, and our son. Driven by pure instinct, I rushed forward and threw myself over my son. The car’s side mirror struck my ear. A tearing pain ripped through me. Blood ran down my neck and soaked into my shirt, but I barely felt it. All I could think about was my son. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He stared at me for a moment. Then he tore himself out of my arms and ran toward Jason, crying. “Uncle Jason, are you okay?” Only then did I realize what had happened. In that split second of danger, I had protected our son. Claire had protected Jason. Now they were both gathered anxiously around him. Neither of them spared me so much as a glance. I thought back to the moment the car had charged toward us. Eighteen-year-old Claire hadn’t hesitated. She had thrown out her arms and stepped in front of me, only for the car to pass straight through her. Her tearful voice reached me. “Ethan, are you okay?” “You’re hurt. Does it hurt?” “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.” “I’m sorry.” I wanted to tell her I was fine. I didn’t blame her. She had already done more than enough. But I couldn’t speak. My thoughts were a mess. Tears blurred my vision. When I wiped them away, all I saw was Claire helping Jason hurry off the field. Our son followed close behind, afraid they might leave him behind. Around me, parents and children stared, some openly laughing at my pathetic attempt to play the hero. My heart hurt a hundred times more than my wound. Claire, would you even remember the girl you were at eighteen? Chapter 5 The girl you were at eighteen really did love me. When I came back to myself, I looked at the young Claire, who was now sobbing uncontrollably. “Claire, now that you’ve seen everything, can you promise to stay away from me?” Her breath caught. Neither of us spoke as we struggled to collect ourselves. After a long time, she finally broke the silence. “You’re disappointed in me because of who I become at thirty, aren’t you?” “Yes.” “If I listen to you and stay out of your life, you’ll be happier, won’t you?” “Yes.” “You don’t love me anymore, do you?” Tears slipped down my face before I even realized I was crying. I tried to smile, but it looked more painful than tears. The answer caught in my throat. “Yes.” “Okay. “I promise.” My hands curled into fists at my sides. I smiled, even as my heart hurt more than ever. “Thank you.” Thank you for trying to protect me when I was in danger. Thank you for truly loving me once. And thank you for agreeing to leave me. “One last question,” she said. “You did love me once, didn’t you?” This time, a sob broke from my throat. “Yes.” I loved you once. I loved you more than anyone else in the world. Neither of us spoke again. Only the wind moved across the empty field. After what felt like forever, she said quietly, “Ethan Lawson, Claire Lane at eighteen really does love you.” A flash of white light swept over us. We returned to our own worlds. Claire, I lied to you. At thirty, I still loved the girl you had been at eighteen. After getting my wound bandaged, I returned to that cold, empty house. Nothing had changed. Claire and our son still weren’t home. No one was waiting for me. I opened a drawer and took out the divorce papers I’d printed days ago. Then I sat on the couch for a long time. I wanted to end this twelve-year relationship with my own hands. I wanted to say a proper goodbye to Claire. She finally came home at eleven that night. She walked through the door with our son and immediately ordered, “Go make dinner. We’re both starving.” Then she noticed the bandage around my ear. Her expression changed, and she stopped in her tracks. “How did you get hurt that badly?” I didn’t accept her belated concern. Instead, I took out the divorce papers and held them out to her. “Claire, I want a divorce.” Her face stiffened. Then fury took over. “Ethan Lawson, have you lost your mind? “We have a child. Why would we get divorced? “Stop being ridiculous.” That was right. We had a child. Yet when danger came, she hadn’t cared about me. She hadn’t even protected our son. I drew a deep breath and met her eyes. “I’ve already signed them. You should sign them as soon as possible.” Claire scoffed and stared at me with a cutting gaze. “You want a divorce? “Not in this lifetime. “Ethan Lawson, from the moment you turned eighteen, you were destined to stay by my side.” She snatched the papers from my hand and threw them into the trash. I said nothing. I crouched down to retrieve them. But my hands passed straight through the trash can. They were slowly becoming transparent. The clock on the wall began to chime. Its hands had reached midnight. And the lives Claire and I had known began to reset.