My heart beat picked up, my eyes feeling with hot tears. My lips parted slowly as the memory came flashing back, painfully.
I rushed down the stairs once I heard that clatter, my eyes rolling a little as I passed by the large kitchen door without even turning back.
"Karla?"
I rolled my eyes and turned, a deep exasperated breath escaping my lips. "Yes, Luke?"
"Well, I...."
"I have work to go to."
He looked at me, his expression unreadable. Like he was trying hard to understand me, to tolerate me, but he was finding it too hard.
"Karla, I was hoping...I was hoping we could.."
"I know. You are still finding it hard to adjust to this. So am I, really. I don't understand why I have to wake up. To you. Everyday. That stare. Everyday."
His lips parted, and his hands lowered, but I never looked down to see what he was holding.
"Karla, it's not..."
"I am tired of it too. I have things to do at the office. Later."
"Karla."
"I'm busy!"
He flinched, but said nothing as I walked away through the door. 
"Karla?"
I bit down on my lip, then turned slowly, my eyes lifting to the large clock on the adjacent wall of the room. 
8:48. My eyes lowered to the smaller, digital date reader, and my heart clenched.
13/11/2022.
I turned fully, and Luke, God, my Luke...he was standing there, his eyes a little conflicted.
My eyes widened and my hand came to cover my lips.
"Are you...okay?" His eyes scanned me, a little with concern.
His hair was a little different, and I just realized when he was younger, he had let his hair short, while now, he had his hair long, and under his hair dyed dark brown.
"Karla?" he said again, then slowly walked to the large center table. I figured he was a little too far from the dining, and he opted for the center table instead.
He walked slowly to me, knocking the breath out of me, my lips trembling hard with every step he took towards me.
"Are you okay?" he asked again, then put his hands on my shoulders, his fingers slowly tightening, as if to comfort me.
I shook my head slowly. "Luke, you are...you are...."
"I am? Yes, talk to me."
"You're alive."
His brows furrowed. "Of course, I am. Did you have a bad dream?"
I took a step backwards, my chest threatening to explode. His hands fell to his sides again, but he did not come after me like the Luke in the past would have. 
That was what made me sure. I have gone out of the past...and by some stroke of luck, by some miracle, by some light of the heavens bestowed upon me...I came back to the future, just a few days backwards. Back enough to give me that hug I had craved so long. Long enough to offer me that one last taste of him.
"Luke...." 
"Yes?"
I lowered my head a little, my hands coming to cradle my face.
"You are scaring me, Karla."
I looked up to him, his eyes thinned with worry. Slowly, I walked back to him, my trembling hands going up to his face. His eyes followed the direction of my hands before he came to focus on my eyes again.
"You are really here. You are here, Luke." 
He didn't say anything, his eyes holding confusion. I leaned forward, my tears flowing freely, my heart clenching hard at the thought that I had the chance to do this twice, and I could only take one. That I have been given two lives to live, but I could only love him in one. That I could only kiss him in one.
I propped myself up on my toes, and my lips slowly touched his. 
"Karla?" his voice was a small, breathless whisper and it caused my tears to flow even harder.
I said nothing more, and just leaned in further, my lips taking his in, my breath faltering dangerously.
He didn't hold me back, but I pushed further, my tears rolling hard, my chest filling up with his essence, my heart feeling like all the pieces were coming together.
He stepped away from me, his eyes conflicted. Like he wasn't sure what to feel, what to say or what to do.
He brought his fingers to his lips, and his eyes widened a little. "You just...kissed me."
"Let me do more," I said simply, covering the distance again, this time wrapping my hands around him, bringing my head to rest in the crook of his neck, his subtle scent of vanilla had stayed the same through the years.
Slowly, like he needed time to melt into me, he wrapped his hands around my neck too, his hands opening up to my back.
"I missed you, Luke. I missed you so much. Hell, I missed you."
He said nothing, and I knew he wasn't sure of it. He wasn't sure why I suddenly missed him, why I suddenly was so affectionate, why I suddenly wanted him that bad.
But I knew. And I have never made a choice so bad like my first life with him. I had never made a choice I regret as much as my first marriage to him.
"Is everything alright?"
"I hope it is, Luke. I hope it is."