Siobhan was driving not her usual practical car, a Volvo, but a brand new Porsche painted the brightest shade of fire engine red I had ever seen. I almost tripped down the red brick stairway as I was walking out of the house. On my way down I looked back over my shoulder at the house that I now assumed was mine. It was a contemporary marvel, the house of my dreams. It was a two story brown with a full glass foyer, the lawn was perfectly manicured and the flower beds fresh, full and clear of all weeds. The house, the grounds, and the Lexus SUV in the driveway were all things that I had envisioned when I did some dreaming about how I would live if I ever hit the lottery.
I was just dazed. My life with the other Kevin was perfect in its simplicity. We loved each other, and our adopted daughters; our house was modest and cluttered, but it was ours. When I first walked in the door of my real house, I knew I was home and even though it was slightly out of our price range Kevin immediately made an offer. We spent months painting rooms and hanging picture to make it perfect. I couldn’t imagine who cleaned the huge mini-mansion behind me that I seemed to be living in, but I knew it wasn’t me. I was not born to do housework in any version of my life. Housework was like my kryptonite and I stayed away from it religiously.
Siobhan and I drove into the heart of Boston and started hitting all the boutiques that were there. I was amazed to find out that many of the clerks knew who I was and greeted my by name. It was obvious that I had been there before, and when I pulled out the American Black Obsidian card I knew that I had the funds to be there as much as I wanted to. I was feeling impressed with myself, Kev and I were living large and by the greeting I received that morning we were in love as much as our poorer selves. I know felt that I had fallen into a wormhole or something and I was no living one of my alternate live, in one of those timelines that split off of a regular live because of a choice we make. I couldn’t think of a decision that could have brought us this kind of wealth, but I was planning on living it up for as long as I was here.
We shopped for the better part of the day and followed it up with a late lunch at a bistro that Siobhan declared was our favorite. It must have been because we were both greeted by name and we had drinks on the table before we even asked. The lunch was delicious and I made a mental note of the name so, if I was here for a long time I could come back often. I was starting to feel tired when Siobhan took me home, and when I walked in the door I was delighted to find a slight, middle-aged woman cleaning the house and I could smell something divine cooking in the kitchen. Looked like Kev and I had a housekeeper as well, all the better for me and my housework phobia.
I took a nap, and while I was sleeping I started to dream. The dream, if it was a dream, started with Kev, the girls, and I opening presents on Christmas morning. It was the live I thought I left behind the night before. I was clearly happy and the girls were ecstatic with all their gifts. Kev’s present to me was a beautiful locket, on one side a picture of him and on the other a picture of the girls.
I was sleeping deeply and was torn between what I now saw as the two perfect lives I was leading. I started to come slightly awake when I heard Kev’s voice calling to me from somewhere in the room. I slowly opened my eyes wondering where I was going to wake up
