The white light faded into a dull yellow and then a brilliant blue, and Cadence realized she was staring at the sky. It looked different somehow, though different from what, she wasn’t completely sure. She had no idea what there was to compare it to. Whatever it was she was doing before she awoke on a field of velvety green grass, she couldn’t remember.
She sat up, her hand feeling the back of her head. It seemed like there should be something there—an ache or a cut, maybe. But all she felt was soft brown hair, so she shrugged it off, pulling herself up off of the ground and noting that the blue dress she was wearing was unfamiliar but very comfortable.
A large Victorian style house stood behind her, and in the yard, she could see two people sitting on a bench chatting. Their laughter reached her though she was far away, the sound of it pulled a giggle from inside of her as well. They sounded so happy. There was something familiar about the way the woman tittered when she laughed, so Cadence decided to go over and see who she was.
Confusion puckered her forehead for an instant when she realized whose face she was looking at, but it soon faded away as her grandmother took her in, rising from the bench with her arms open wide. “Cadence! How are you, darling? It’s so nice to see you! Don’t you look beautiful.”
Hurrying her pace, Cadence wrapped her arms around Grandma Janette, the familiar scent of warm vanilla and floral perfume taking her back to when she was a little girl, though those memories were foggy. She held on tightly for several moments before Janette let her go and pushed her back to arms’ length. “You look wonderful. How do you feel?”
“Great,” Cadence admitted. “In fact, I can’t remember ever having felt this good in my whole life.”
“Isn’t that lovely?” Janette said. Cadence didn’t bother to mention she actually couldn’t remember anything else in her whole life, aside from the faint memories of being in her grandmother’s arms before. “Look, Jordan, it’s Cadence.”
The man stood and turned to face her, and Cadence looked into the familiar eyes of her grandfather, a man she thought she’d never seen before, although she definitely recognized him. “Well, if it isn’t our little Cadeydid,” he said, laughing. “It’s so lovely to see you. Come here, darling.”
She didn’t hesitate to step into his embrace. He smelled of leather and aftershave, a wonderful scent that made her feel safe and secure. “We’re so glad you’re here,” Grandpa Jordan said patting her on the back.
“I’m so happy to be here.” She smiled up at him. “Where are we?”
“Where are we?” Janette tittered. “Why, we’re here of course. Everyone is. You’re going to love it here.”
Cadence nodded, accepting her grandmother’s explanation as if it made perfect sense. Of course they were here. Where else could they be? “Where is everyone else?”
“Oh, they’ll be so happy to see you.” Grandma took her by the arm. “We’ll take you through town, show you around.”
“That would be wonderful.” Cadence latched on to her grandmother’s arm and they headed through the garden, across another velvety expanse of grass, to the sidewalk. Not too far in the distance, Cadence could see what looked like a main street with lots of older buildings on either side of the thoroughfare. There was a park, and a baseball diamond where some folks were playing ball. The town continued past the hub with houses of all shapes and sizes as far as she could see. Grandma was right. Everyone was here.
They walked along, arm in arm, with Grandpa Jordan behind them, and Cadence took in the beautiful scenery. Every lawn was perfectly manicured with beautiful flowers and cute little touches—like bird feeders and fountains. Bunny rabbits hopped beneath sculpted, round shrubbery, stopping to wrinkle their noses adorably in her direction. Every house was well-maintained, and everyone she came across had a smile for her. What a wonderful place.
Something still didn’t seem right, though. It seemed as if she was forgetting something—or someone. Grandma had said everyone was here, but was that true? Where had she been before, right before she woke up in the grass? She couldn’t remember, and her grandparents didn’t seem to think it odd at all that she’d suddenly appeared from nowhere.
Ahead of her, she saw a woman pushing a baby carriage in their direction. She was beautiful, with flowing red hair, and a perfect smile. Wearing a green dress that came down past her knees and brown leather boots, she seemed to not quite go with the rest of the folks around her, but then who was Cadence to question anyone’s appearance? She was just about to ask her grandmother who the woman was when a voice in her head gave her pause.
“Cadence, come back. Please. You can’t do this to me. You have to come back.”
The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Her forehead crinkled as she contemplated where she knew it from and how she could be hearing voices in her head.
“Is everything all right, dear?” Grandma Janette asked, and Cadence realized she’d actually come to a stop on the sidewalk.
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry. It’s just... did you hear that?”
“Hear what, honey?”
“That voice. I think... well, maybe it was just in my head.”
Her grandmother twerked an eyebrow at her. “I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t hear anything.”
“Me neither, sweetheart. Maybe it was just the wind carrying noise from the baseball field.” Grandpa Jordan patted her lovingly on the shoulder.
Cadence didn’t think that explanation was likely the case, but she nodded and they continued as the woman with the stroller came close enough for her grandmother to call out to her.
“Good morning, Aislyn. How are you today?”
“Janette, Jordan, it’s lovely to see you.” The woman with the red hair spoken in an Irish brogue. Cadence thought her accent was lovely—and familiar. “And who’s this.”
“Why, this is our granddaughter, Cadence Findley,” Janette said, gesturing in Cadence’s direction.
Her hand went out automatically, but that wasn’t right. Something her grandmother said was wrong. She wasn’t Cadence Findley—was she? “Actually, it’s Cadence McReynolds,” she said, certain of that fact, though she couldn’t explain the mix up.
