Chapter 68 What The Universe Wants

Bess’s eyes widened and her mouth hung open in shock. “So this is like Seven and Janeway trying to fix the timeline in the “Relativity” episode of Star Trek Voyager?”
“I think I got half of what you just said, but yes I was given a second chance.”
“After you were killed?” Bess asked with shock in her eyes.
“Yes, I could feel the pain as the attackers hit me and I knew something was really wrong the minute one of them hit me in the head, there was a crack and a burst of pain, then my body started to go cold. I knew when the blackness overcame me that I was dying. I remember praying for another chance and I guess I got it.”
“So five years, you get a do-over on them all?”
“Apparently, but much good it did me, It’s worse now than before.”
“John didn’t cheat before?”
“I thought he did at our anniversary party and left him. I filed for divorce and lived alone in Los Angeles for five years. It was miserable. How are you so okay with this? If it wasn’t my own story I wouldn’t believe it.”
“Come on, I watch every sci-fi show there is and you think this shakes me? I think most of us would love a chance to have a do-over.”
Anna wiped her eyes wearily “ I was at first, but it seems like no matter what I do, it gets worse.”
“It’s his family and Isabel, you know that right?”
“Bess I caught him with her in MY BED, I’m not sure how much more his fault this could be.”
“He sounded desperate on the phone, maybe you could talk to him and see what he has to say.”
“What for, he’s just going to lie again.”
“It sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”
“I think I have but it’s just having the strength to do it that’s the problem. Bess, I love him even though every time I close my eyes I see him with her.” Anna said as her eyes flooded with fresh tears. Her heart was cracking more every minute and it felt like a black hole had opened inside her.
“I know you do honey, you did travel back in time for him. Did you ever tell him that?”
Anna sniffed shaking her head “I traveled back in time to fix my marriage not end up in an insane asylum.”
“Honey I wish I knew what to tell you to do.”
“You being here is enough,” Anna said through her tears as she cried harder, wondering where her beautiful second chance had gone wrong.

***
John sat behind his desk as the day went on. He and Nate had spent the last several hours calling every hotel in Asheville to try and find Anna. Her credit cards had not been used and he’d even checked Bess’s name at the hotels on the odd chance that she was under Bess’s name. It was like Anna had disappeared.
“Nate what am I going to do?” John asked as he raked his hand down his stubble and begged him with bloodshot eyes for the answers.
“I don’t know man, what else can we do?”
“That’s the thing I don’t know,” John said as he looked out the window. Anna had disappeared hours ago. The only way he knew she was okay even remotely was from Bess’s call, but that had been hours ago now. John could feel Anna slipping through his hands and there was nothing he could do about it.
“I have to find her though, I’m not sure how but I can’t let her go.”
“Listen, we will find her somehow, I can call the hotels again or maybe there is another card it might be under?”
“Maybe... John said at a loss for words. He wasn’t sure what to do now as the universe pounded on him and made him feel hopeless. His mother was calling every hour and he eventually had her sent to voicemail. He couldn’t deal with her right now, he had too much on his mind. His whole universe was collapsing around him and he had no way to stop it.