*Sasha*
After three days of waiting for news on Stone and Morianne, I was restless. Lucas was still trying to figure things out with work, but I couldn’t take the not knowing anymore.
I needed to get my mind off the worrying and waiting.
When my work-study started, I happily threw myself into the work. I went to the bridge site where the foreman told to et him.
“You must be the new intern.” He looked out from under his hard hat.
“Sasha, nice to et you.” I held a hand out.
He smiled and shook my hand. “You can call Chuck. Co to my office and I’ll get you up to speed.” He nodded to a nearby trailer.
Chuck pulled out all the plans for the bridge. They showed the original structure of the bridge and the new structural changes had been drawn over the blueprints.
“This is what we’re working on. Have you done any structural engineering lately?”
I shook my head and lifted the blueprints, studying them closer. “The last project I worked on was the Northern Library. It sort of ended before it really got started.”
“Oh, yeah, I heard about that.” Chuck snickered under his breath.
“Are these braces ant to strengthen the bridge?” I pointed to the sketched braces.
“Yes. Once you put them on, the bridge will stand strong for another hundred years. Then, it will be up to soone else to deal with it.” Chuck winked at .
He had a round, friendly face and soft eyes. He was big and burly, definitely a lifelong construction worker. I got a good feeling from him. He’d help advance my studies and wouldn’t try to get in my way.
We spent the morning going over the plans and the three other bridges that would be part of the work-study.
“How did you know the bridges needed work? Is there a set tifra when the structures are checked?”
“After any major weather event or natural disaster within the capital, we check large structures like bridges. If there’s any damage, we address it. Otherwise, it cos down to residential reports. When we get a few calls of a bridge that’s wobbling, it’s ti to check the structures.”
“Can I see the work up close?”
“Yeah, I’ll give you the big tour.”
Chuck led to the bridge and pointed out the different crews. So of them were hauling steel, others installing it. It looked like a clean operation.
“They are very efficient,” I said.
“Check this out. It doesn’t get much cooler than this.” Chuck motioned over. He set a hardhat on my head.
I followed him under the bridge. He pointed up.
I tilted my head back and looked up at the workers suspended from cables and harnesses, putting the giant steel beams in place.
“Whoa....”
Chuck laughed. “Yeah, it’s a great sight. Now, while you’re interning here, I want you to ask questions. The whole point of this internship is so you can understand structural engineering–how to build and repair giant, stable structures.”
I spent the rest of my ti following Chuck around and listening to him talk about bridges. He told about arched bridges, flat bridges, cable bridges, and all kinds of different structures and how each one was different.
I learned a lot from him and he definitely knew how to take my mind off of things.
When my internship wrapped up for the day, I headed to afternoon classes. Right away, I felt how far behind I was. I t with my professors after each class, and they gave so makeup work to help get caught up.
I had a lot of work ahead of . Given the circumstances, that was exactly what I wanted.
Weighed down with a stack of books in my arms, I headed back to Lucas’s mansion. I got inside and dropped the books down on the coffee table with a groan.
“Sasha, is that you?” Lucas poked his head around the corner from the kitchen.
“Yeah, I’m here. Where are Brady and Phoebe? It’s pretty quiet around here.”
“They are at Phoebe’s place tonight. We have the house to ourselves.” He winked and held a hand out to .
“Oh?”
“And since you had a busy day, I took it upon myself to make dinner.”
I took Lucas’s hand and he brought into the kitchen. The lights were low and the kitchen table was set for two. White candles flickered and there was a vase of fresh roses in the center of the table.
“Oh.” I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. “This is so nice, Lucas.”
“I thought you’d like it.” He led to the table and pulled the chair out for .
Not only had he set up an elaborate, romantic dinner, but he had made one of my favorite als–linguine with clams in a white wine sauce. It was exactly the comfort food I needed.
“This looks and slls amazing.”
“Dig in, Sasha. You need to feed that exhausted mind of yours.”
I sighed and did as he suggested. It was perfectly delicious. I updated Lucas about my new work-study project and my courses. He seed concerned about how much work I was taking on.
“Are you sure you want to do all this right now?” He arched an eyebrow at .
“Right now is the perfect ti to take on this extra work so I will be caught up once I get the baby back.”
“You never stop, do you?” He smiled at . Lucas pulled his chair around the table, closer to . He reached out and took my hand.
“I’m tired.” I pulled my hand away. “It’s been a long day.”
“I understand. Why don’t you get to bed and I’ll take care of the dishes?” He started clearing the table.
“No, Lucas, you cooked. I can help with the dishes at least.”
Lucas stood at the sink and I cleared the table while he started washing.
“Have you thought about what you want to do when you’re done with school?”
“I don’t have any plans right now.”
“I was thinking we should move out of the capital,” he said. “It would be nice to get away from the madness and get a fresh start.”
“A fresh start?”
Lucas nodded and started stacking the dishes.
I sighed and walked out of the kitchen. “I’m going to bed.”
There were tis it felt like Lucas didn’t feel the loss as deeply as I did. He kept talking about the future and fresh starts. I couldn’t think beyond getting our baby back. That was all that mattered to .
He always comforted and held when I was upset, but he never told how upset he was. It bothered that he didn’t feel it like I did.
I went to the room to be alone. When Lucas ca in, I was still awake but I pretended to be asleep. He wrapped his arms around and kissed my cheek. My heart lted a little and I snuggled closer to him. He chuckled and held close.
I fell asleep almost imdiately, securely in Lucas’s arms.
I knew I was asleep but I drifted into a dream. I stood in the throne room of the palace, looking at the other Sasha across the room. The other Sasha had a decent baby bump. She held her hands over the staff Morianne had trapped my powers in.
“No!” I scread when she touched the staff.
The other Sasha looked up and saw . She actually saw ....
“Hey, you’re .” She pointed to herself.
“You can see and hear ?”
She nodded.
I realized I was interacting with the Sasha from another reality, the one that had my body.
“Why are you touching that staff? It’s too dangerous, and you’re pregnant.”
The other Sasha touched her belly and I felt a surge of jealousy.
That was my baby, my body....
“The staff won’t hurt . I’ve been learning to use my powers... your powers... slowly. I have so concerns about switching bodies again and what that might do to the baby.”
“But... Morianne....”
She smiled bitterly. “She’s still in intensive care. I suppose we have you to thank for that. She’s been a little more forthcoming since you left.”
“Then... if you can use those powers, you can help switch our bodies back!”
Hope flooded and I couldn’t help smiling. I had the sudden urge to run to the other Sasha and hug her. Rocking back on my heels, I stopped myself from acting on that impulse.
“Queen Lena and King Xander have told everything about you, our bodies, and the baby. I wish it wasn’t taking so long because I know how much you must miss your baby.”
She looked down at her growing belly.
Tears pricked my eyes and I hugged myself. I felt so empty and alone. My baby was safe and growing. I was happy to see my baby safe and healthy.
The other Sasha seed to be taking care of herself.
“I’m still learning about these powers and what I can do. I promise that I will switch our bodies back as soon as I can.”
“Thank you! I know you didn’t ask for this. It must have been a shock when you woke up pregnant.”
She chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, it was a bit of a shock. Then Queen Lena started telling all these things. She helped recover your mories and I understood everything. Actually, with your mories, I’ve been able to study and learn about my powers a lot faster.”
“That’s good.” I bit my lower lip. “Do you know how much longer it will take?”
The other Sasha shrugged and gave a somber look. “I’m sorry. I wish I did. I promise that I’m taking care of your baby though. I won’t let anything happen to him.”
“Him!?” I perked up.
She nodded. “I just found out. Sorry if you wanted to be surprised.”
“No, I... I’ve been trying not to think about it too much, which is hard. I’m going to have a son.” I smiled even as tears burned my eyes.
“I’m working as fast as I can. But I don’t want to rush it because I don’t want anything to go wrong this ti.”
I nodded. “You’re right. This is all my fault.”
“I didn’t say that. You know, I hope you’re taking care of my body, too. I’d like it back in the condition I left it in.”
I giggled and nodded. “You’ve got a deal.”
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