He shut his phone off and straightened up on the couch. Sarah was laying on her mat in corpse pose. She was breathing peacefully. Jim looked thoughtfully at the relaxed form of his wife, and decided to wait until after work. No need to drop a bomb like that right before leaving.

He got up and crouched down beside her. Leaning over, he kissed her forehead. “Love you, babe. I’m gonna get ready for work.”

She sat up beside him. “I’ve got to run some errands today, so I’ll ride with you, then take the car.”

“That works. Want me to catch a ride home with one of the guys?”

“Nah, I told Joseph we’d be picking you up at work. He’s excited to do that.”

“Alright, sounds good.” He stood up and looked down at her, then winked. “I guess I could wait while you shower…”

“Oh, no, sir. You’ve got work soon. I won’t be rushed.” She started rolling up her mat.

“Excuse me. I am perfectly happy to watch while you take your time. Some things are more important than work.”

Sarah stood up and placed the mat in a basket beside their dinged up TV console. That had been a wedding gift, and it had survived the early years with Joseph. Barely. “First of all, gross. I’m disgusting, right now. And, there’s no time, anyway.”

Jim checked the time on his phone, and he had to agree. “Alright, five minutes. I’ll get changed.”

He went into their room to get ready for work. His phone felt hot in his pocket. The answers it contained were burning in his mind. The question was still there in his peripheral vision. He ignored it and got dressed.

Sarah met him in the kitchen with a fresh cup of coffee for the road. “Have I told you recently how much I love you?” he asked her.

"Show, don’t tell. Isn’t that the rule?” Sarah raised her hand over her heart, then continued, “I would like a hot shower, and soon. So, let’s get moving there, Romeo.”

Jim laughed. He escorted her to the car and held the door for her. He went so far as to give a small bow as she entered their vehicle. The hinge squealed as he closed the door. God, but he hated that noise.

He started the car and pulled onto the road before noticing that the gas needle was on E. They’d have to stop for fuel on the way. Depending on traffic, he might even be late. It would be fine, he reminded himself. No one else would be there until almost an hour after he arrived.

Still, it served as a reminder that the journey he was on could use some changes. He thought about what it would be like to be rich. Definitely not going to be doing this job when I have money. I hope.

He was ten minutes late when they pulled into the parking lot. Mr. Marshall’s cherry red, 60-something, convertible Mustang was parked in front of the restaurant. Just great. Exactly what I need. Jim waved, and pulled up to the entrance before throwing the car into park.

“Bye, babe. Gotta run,” he said. Jim was a bit nervous, but he was rarely late. He was more curious about why his boss was even there.

“Love you. Good luck!” She gave him a hug as she came around to the driver’s side of the car.

He walked into the store, and saw Mr. Marshall sitting in the dining area. He was working on some paperwork, but glanced his way. “Jim, come sit with me once you’ve got the food prep started. Ok? I need to talk to you about something.”

“You got it, sir. Sorry I was late, by the way. Had to stop for gas.”

His boss held up a hand. “Relax, Jim. You’re one of the best managers I have. This store outperforms my other four, and your team is happy. I’m not worried about you being late today.”

Thirty minutes later, Jim sat down across the table from his boss. Bob Marshall was a rail-thin octogenarian who always wore a three-piece suit. He wore glasses that matched his car, sporting thick black plastic frames. His white hair was slicked straight back.

“Alright, sir. I’ve got things started, now. What’s going on?”

Bob shuffled through the papers in front of him before pulling out a brochure for the local community college. “I want you to take some business courses.”

Jim’s eyebrows rose. “What? Why?”

“It may surprise you to learn that I’m not a young man. I’m 82 and I’m not getting any younger. I’ve decided that I’m going to sell my franchise at the end of next year. Been talking to my lawyer about it.” Bob tilted his head, and peered at him over the top of his glasses.

“You’ve been working for me for almost ten years, Jim. I know your value and your potential. Prospective buyers will have their own way of doing things, and they might not. I want to make sure you have options.”

Jim was shocked. He enjoyed working for Mr. Marshall, and knew him to be fair. But this was a huge gesture. “Are you sure about this? I never thought I’d go to college.”

“I’ve made some arrangements. There is a trust that I have set up for you and a few others. A man who nears the end of his life starts to look past his death. I want to see that my money makes a difference. Just talk to Sarah about it and get back to me, okay?”

“I will, sir. Thank you!” Jim shook his boss’s hand, then got up. He needed to finish getting everything ready for lunch. He thought about what it would be like to go to college, and was struck by the disappointing realization that he wasn’t quite sure how that would really work.

Maybe online classes? I don’t think I’ve got many evenings I can just take off each week. Jim felt his mood sour. His gaze was drawn to the question that shone at him in green light at the edge of his vision. Did he really want to go to college, now? Wouldn’t it be better to just be rich?

His shift dragged by as he wrestled with these decisions. He really needed to talk to Sarah tonight. Still, he managed to be productive and finished charting out the shifts through the end of the month for the whole team. He also sent in orders to fill inventory. And, he responded to several applicants he’d decided not to hire.

Finally, he had the distinct pleasure of watching his two favorite customers come into the restaurant. Joseph ran up to the counter, almost bouncing with excitement. “Well, hello there! Welcome to Arby’s. I don’t think we’ve met. My name’s Jim, and I’ll be taking your order this evening. What can I get for you?”

“I’ll take a large chocolate shake. Extra chocolate!” Joseph ordered. Jim pretended to press buttons on the register and made beeping sounds with his mouth.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Oh, wow!” He said, “You’re our first 8-year old customer of the day! That means your shake is free!” Jim turned around and grabbed the shake he’d prepared for his son when Sarah had texted that they were getting close. He then said his farewells to the crew, and left the restaurant with his family.

Joseph was quiet on the ride home, enjoying his chocolate shake. Jim told Sarah about the news with Mr. Marshall. “Oh, love, that’s amazing news! I’m sure we could make that work. It would be tough, but that’s such an opportunity.”

“I know. And, it’s really tempting. But, I’d hate to start and not finish. Or worse, fail,” Jim responded. “Plus, there’s that news I need to tell you about my eye.” Was that really just this morning? It felt like a lot more time had passed.

“And, here I was being so patient.” Sarah smiled, and gestured quickly for him to continue.

Jim told her then about everything that had happened. From the blinking cursor, to the letters, and then to the question that still glowed in his vision. Sarah started to respond, but he held up a finger and asked her to wait. “There’s so much more.”

Then, he told her about his conversation with WhiteRabbit. He told her as much as he could remember about the messages, including the way they had vanished. When he finished going over everything, the car filled with silence. They were still several blocks from the apartment. Finally, he glanced over at her. Her eyes were closed. “Babe?”

“Thank you for telling me. I need some time to think this through.” Sarah continued, “Can we pick this up after bedtime? We’re almost home.”

“Sure thing.”

What was left of the evening flew by. They ate dinner together, and he did yet another load of dishes. But, tonight it was hard for him to really feel all that glum about it. Yes, indeed, things are finally going to change for me.

Sarah took him into the bedroom, and she asked him to lay down and hold her while they talked. He slid in beside her and spooned her. Finally, she said, "You want to begin the journey, don't you?"

Jim felt guilty. "I don't have to. I can say no, and supposedly that ends the whole deal."

"Hey, it's me. Remember me? Your wife?" The humor in her voice soothed Jim. "I'd be lying if I said I was 100% okay with this. But, last night, I went to sleep worried that you could go blind. Or that you were losing your mind."

Jim interrupted. "Wait, you thought I was crazy??"

"Well, the jury is still out on that count.” Sarah laughed. “But, I guess my initial response is that the idea of you making some changes that result in us having more money seems like a good thing. Call it a journey, that’s fine–but the fact that you can stay here with us while doing it doesn’t sound nearly as bad as you going blind or crazy.”

"Wait, so you would be ok with this?"

She said, "I know you well enough to know that you want to say yes. And, it’s important to me that we support each other.” She paused. “What happens next if you begin the journey?"

"I don't know."

Sarah said, "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I mean, I don't know! I didn't ask the guy about it."

Sarah laughed, then. Her whole body shook in his embrace. It continued until she finally turned to face him and sat up in their bed. She had to compose herself before speaking. "Babe, you are hopeless. You mean to tell me that you had a guy on the line giving you actual answers and you didn't ask what actually happens next if you actually start the journey?"

Jim sat up himself and began to wave his arms around theatrically. "Listen. The next time some kind of crazy mysterious stuff happens to you, and you find yourself messaged on Reddit by a random guy who knows waaay too much about your incredibly specific and extraordinary situation, I’m not going to..." He trailed off, hearing the words come out of his mouth. "You know what, on second thought, if that ever happens to you, I would prefer it if you called me before you kept talking to him. Who is this guy, anyway? Messaging you? I don't trust him."

Sarah let her irritation creep into her voice. "Oh, you think? Well, at least you’re doing that now."

Jim's face fell as he realized that he had gotten wrapped up in the conversation, and had not acted the way he would have wanted her to, if the roles were reversed. "Ahem. I would like to tender my formal apology."

Sarah sat up straight. "Goody."

Jim said, "Sarah, I am sorry for speaking to some internet rando before discussing it with you. I’m sorry for not involving you in that conversation with said internet rando. Your very first question reveals a font of wisdom that lies beneath your beautiful exterior. I am lost without you.”

She laughed. "Better together."

Jim said, "Always."

Silence filled the bedroom, then. They sat across from each other, in the calm harmony of a shared moment. Peace had been restored. Sarah reached over and grabbed his hand. "When will you do it?"

"I was hoping to do it now. Unless you want to wait?" He asked.

“As long as I’m with you. We can do it tonight."

Jim felt a great weight slide from his shoulders. He was going to start the journey. There was much he didn't yet know. But, Sarah was on board. “You want me to do it now?”

"Well, I was thinking that we could do something special before you do whatever it is that will start it, since we don’t know what will happen."

"Special, you say?" He grinned.

Sarah sighed. "Such a hopeless romantic, you are. Not that. Or maybe. But that's not what I'm talking about. I meant a romantic dinner. Maybe even a husband who smells less like a beef 'n cheddar sandwich."

Jim just looked at her.

"Thoughts?" she prompted.

Jim said, "Well, it's hard to accept that after nine years of marriage, you still just want me for my body. But, I accept."

Now, before we continue, I need to tell you about Sarah's eyes. They were green, and they were firmly connected to the inside of her head. This was a fortunate thing, because at that very moment, she rolled them pretty hard at Jim. "Just go take a shower."

"As you wish," Jim said. He walked to the shower, still with a spring in his step. He took a longer shower than usual, letting the heat from the water relax his muscles.

He toweled off and got dressed into his favorite blue jeans and a green polo shirt. He had owned these jeans for a decade, and they still only had one minor rip at the bottom. And, bonus, Sarah thought they looked good on him.

Jim walked into the living room. There were candles going on the coffee table, and soft music played. Sarah had thrown together an entire romantic meal in the time it took him to clean up.

His plate was heaped high with spaghetti bolognese, sprinkled with just the right amount of powdery parmesan. Instead of garlic bread, she’d given him white bread with butter. He could hear her doing something in the kitchen.

Okay, how did you manage this?” he called to her.

Sarah stuck her head out the kitchen entrance and winked at him, then fluttered her fingers toward the food. “Magic.”

“Sarah the sorceress strikes again, eh?” He clapped slowly. “This is great, babe.”

Sarah came out of the kitchen carrying a salad bowl in each hand and a bottle of wine under her arm. She turned so that he could grab the wine before setting the bowls down next to their plates.

“I’ll grab the bottle opener.” Jim started walking toward the kitchen, but Sarah grabbed his arm.

“This ain’t my first rodeo, sir.” She pulled the bottle opener out of her back pocket. “I believe you might know what to do with this?”

“Suppose I could figure it out.” He leaned in close and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him, and it was a long moment before they separated.

Then, they sat down to eat. Talking, flirting, and laughing together, they did their best to capture and condense a thousand memories into a single meal. Their relationship was strong, and it had almost always been good, ever since they started dating in high school. Now, change was knocking at the door.

Jim wanted to go on this journey, and Sarah had said she was okay with it. But, he knew that even if things went how he wanted, this would be the end of an era. He was surprised to experience some sense of grief over that.

He looked up from his now empty plate. “We’re good, right?”

“I love you, Jim.” Sarah said. “There’s nowhere I wouldn’t follow you.”

“I love you, too. Guess it’s time, then.”

“Can I hold your hand while you do it?”

“Always after my body.” He teased her, then slid closer to her on the couch, reaching out to hold her hand. “I’m gonna do it now. Okay?”

Sarah just nodded. He looked into her eyes for a moment, and squeezed her hand. Then he closed his eyes. Time to do this.