The theme park was a riot of neon lights, screaming riders, and the smell of buttered popcorn. In the old timeline, Ashok had been too shy to even stand close to Sony in the queue. But today, he walked with a new kind of quiet confidence.
"Boss, look!" Sony pointed toward a high-striker game and a booth filled with giant, fluffy Teddy Bears. Her eyes were sparkling with a childlike joy he hadn't seen in years. "That bear is wearing a little bowtie... it's so cute."
In the past, Ashok had tried to win it and failed three times before finally getting a small, pathetic one. This time? He knew the trick to the mallet.
"You want it, PA?" Ashok asked, stepping up to the booth.
Sony bit her lip, her overthinking brain kicking in. "Oh, no, it looks expensive to play. And what if we don't win? It would be embarrassing to just stand here and—"
CLANG!
Ashok didn't wait for her to finish. He swung the mallet with a perfect, practiced rhythm. The metal puck rocketed up the tower and hit the bell with a deafening ring.
The game operator's jaw dropped. Sony's eyes went wide.
"Choose the one with the bowtie," Ashok said to the operator, his voice cool.
A moment later, he was handing the massive, soft bear to Sony. It was so big she had to hug it with both arms just to see over the top.
"Boss... you did that in one shot!" she gasped, her face flushed from the excitement. "I didn't know you were so... strong."
Ashok leaned in closer, venturing into that "naughty" territory he usually reserved for their late-night calls in the future. "There are a lot of things I'm good at, Sony. You just haven't given me the 'shift' to show you yet."
Sony's breath hitched. What does he mean by 'shift'? Her heart began to drum a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She hid her blushing face behind the bear's fuzzy head.
"You're teasing me again," she muffled into the fur.
"Am I?" Ashok smiled. They moved toward a bench near the fountain to rest. As they sat, the adrenaline faded, and Sony's natural tiredness began to take over. Slowly, as they watched the crowds go by, her head began to tilt.
He didn't pull away. He didn't feel awkward. He reached out and gently guided her head down until it rested perfectly in his lap.
Sony froze for a second, her "Strict PA" side screaming, but the warmth of his hand on her shoulder was too comforting. She let out a long, shaky sigh and closed her eyes.
"Boss?" she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Why did you win me this? Most seniors just give their juniors more paperwork."
Ashok looked down at her—at the woman who, in another life, was thousands of miles away. He stroked her hair, his touch light as a feather.
"Because," Ashok said, his voice dropping to a low, romantic hum. "I wanted you to have something to hold onto when I'm not around. But don't get too attached to the bear, PA."
Sony opened one eye, looking up at him curiously. "Why not?"
Ashok leaned down, his face just inches from hers, the "double meaning" clear in his eyes. "Because eventually, I'm going to replace him. And I don't think he'll like sharing the bed."
Sony's entire body turned warm. She squeezed the bear tight, her heart racing so fast she was sure he could feel it through his lap. She didn't say anything—she couldn't—but she didn't move away either.
Under the glow of the theme park lights, Ashok realized that the "Past" was already becoming something much better than the "Future" he had left behind.