As they talked, Brian glanced out the window and noticed a homeless man sitting on the curb, eating from a can while their car climbed the steep hill.
"Even though my retirement pay for the past year hasn't been much," Brian said, "I still believe it's not too late to restore people's trust. With the younger generation growing, we've got to work even harder. People are getting smarter with the times. And when they get smarter… how should I put it?"
Adeline snapped her fingers as if something clicked. "They'll want to push the boundaries of freedom even further?"
"Yeah, something like that. And it's fueling the rise of new religions. Atheocetists—people who never believed in religion to begin with—are forming cults of their own now. And don't get me started on that idiotic digital-world faith. Woo! This world is incredible. So many options. It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet." Brian's comparison made Adeline laugh sweetly.
"Haha, true. But for someone like me, I'd rather stick with atheism. Freedom from everything without attachment… though I'm not always that confident. Wow! Those flats are gorgeous." She pressed closer to the window, eyes lighting up at a row of buildings with curved designs.
Brian looked out too. "Those? Apartments."
"They're flats! Wait—are apartments and flats not the same thing?" she asked, clutching her head in confusion.
"They are the same, except Americans don't call them flats." Brian smiled at her, knowing she wasn't fully American by birth.
"I am one hundred percent American! I—I just inherited my mom's accent… Ugh. Sometimes I feel insecure about myself." She sighed loudly.
"Insecure how? You seem perfectly fine. No obstacles like mine."
"It's just… I've been time-looping a lot lately. I keep revisiting old memories. And when I do, it hits me with these pounding headaches. The problem is—I have a vivid imagination. Whatever I'm thinking of always feels like it's right in front of me."Adeline let her worries spill out.
"I've been there too, a lot actually. But not in the artistic way you have. Some people choose to leave the past behind—like me. But if you want to do better, you have to face it first. I choose to walk past my past. You can choose to walk straight into yours. As for… the rest, I don't really know how to explain. Never experienced it."
"Let the past pave our present toward the future… Is that right?" she asked.
Brian nodded slowly. The red car continued up the hill until it came to a stop in front of her mansion.
"That was a great talk. Thanks, Brian," Adeline said as she stepped out.
"No, I should be thanking you. Your home is amazing, by the way." He shot her a bright grin.
"You know… if you've got nothing to do on your day off, you can hang out at my place." She shrugged casually. "Just saying."
"I don't know… I'm afraid your husband might mind." Brian teased.
"Keep dreaming. I don't have a hus—" She froze, realizing she'd fallen into his trap. "Ha… ha… achoo!" She faked a sneeze to cover it. "Uh, where were we again?" She clasped her gloved hands tightly.
"You're too kind, you know that? Too kind. See you around." Brian smiled at her, looking oddly relieved as the car pulled away. Adeline smiled faintly too, feeling a strange warmth inside.
She looked down at her shadow stretching across the sunlit pavement. She stood there, lost in thought for a moment, then shook her head and walked through the mansion gate. A holographic message shimmered above the entrance:
'I have gone to help the church prepare for the sacrament.
Might be back in the evening. Eat something first if you're hungry.'
Cillecia Mays,