Every Moment of You is a Copy

“If I were to meet a thousand copies of you, I might go mad for joy.”

Gene Wolfe, Interlibrary Loan

I was lying on my bed. It was 2006. Lyme’s disease had totally broken my grip on reality when the sun set. I would lie on my bed, wracked in pain to almost hallucinogenic levels. Lying there, I felt an exhaustion I couldn’t begin to tell a soul. My very core was tired. Exhausted. Spent. The woman I had forgotten I loved had been gone for years, and with it so had beauty and meaning.

It was 2023. I was making dinner with my wife, the woman I have loved since I was a child. I'm still scratching my head as to how I wound back up with her. Our kids were screaming at each other over some new invented conflict; The Second Gulf War would have been proud. It was pretty stressful, and I sarcastically thought about how all the pain and suffering I had brought me to this moment.

Wait, what is this? 

2023 stopped. He knew what this was. Or near enough. Hey, we probably don’t have much time. Take a look. 

That’s not her, 2006 balked. That can’t be. 

It is. 

Can I… can I watch? Please? You sure this is real?

If I told you would you believe me?

No.

Will you look anyways?

For the next thirty minutes 2006 looked, and 2023’s eyes watered. There were children! They were beautiful! They were noisy and a bit rude at the moment, but they were really there. 2006 reached out through 2023’s hands and touched them, marveling.

This happens, declared 2006. 

2023 said nothing. 

Is this real?

You touched them, did you not? Would you like to see the wife again?

There was a moment. And in she came back in, like a whirlwind. The children were driving her nuts. 2006 couldn’t handle it. There she was, and 2006 couldn’t handle the truth of it. It was too much. 2023’s body trembled. The link was beginning to break. 

Can I come back?

2023 smiled. Anytime you like. We’ll be here.

2006 trembled in the dark. Promise?

Promise.

2006 passed out in yet another Lyme’s funk. He woke up the next day, unable to remember the amazing dream he had. But he knew there had been one. Despite not feeling human, his step was lighter that day. Why couldn’t he remember that dream???

2023 turned to face the delightful chaos with a chuckle. He had asked for it, after all.