You Can't Change the Future

I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. They always asked, there was nothing I could do to stop it. So I had to come up with something on the spot, or else tell them the truth. Which, obviously, I couldn't do.

"I have a photographic memory. Really." I said, half-closing my eyes.

"But you weren't even there, Kaleb. How do you know about that time?" She asked.

"I saw it happen as I was walking by. Trust me, I remember."

She furrowed her brow. "Seriously? You remember seeing me buy flowers for Jane fourteen years ago? How is that even possible?"

Tired of saying the same thing I said to everyone else, I sighed again. "Trust me. It's possible."

She got up. "I think I'd better go. I have a meeting in ten minutes. It was nice seeing you again."

I sighed. "Okay, Mary. I'll see you later."

***

Back home, I reflected on the day. How could I have been so stupid to bring it up? "Photographic memory." Please. She probably thought I was a stalker. That's not quite true. I can see people's memories, relive them even. Sometimes it just slips out, I mention things that they hadn't told me, and then they think I'm a weirdo. Which is true on some levels. But I'm really just trying to be normal.

It sucks having this "power" or whatever you'd call it. Some people probably wish they could, and some people are probably smart enough to use it to their advantage. But I'm not. I forget what I know and don't know and suddenly I've told someone their deepest secrets.

Mary, however, was different. It was hard to see into her past. I could barely get a glimpse of her latest meal. And for that, she was my best friend. I didn't have to worry about slipping up. But as we became better friends, it became easier to read her memories and experiences. She was telling me a story about her cousin, Jane, whom she bought flowers for when she was little with all of her savings. And I said, "Oh, I remember that."

How stupid was I? I didn't remember that. I saw it in her memories. So now, she thinks I'm a freak. Oh well, what can I do? Nothing.

***

I walked down the alley, taking a shortcut to my favorite place in the city. The small Italian coffee shop on the corner. I didn't know its name, it was written in Italian. But the food and coffee were amazing, and I spent most of my afternoons there. There, I didn't have to worry about slipping up because no one bothered to talk to me there.

Once I arrived, I ordered a black coffee and a biscotti. The waitress handed both to me, and I mumbled some incoherent sound as thanks. She smiled and turned back to her coffee machine. As I sat down, I couldn't help but admire her beauty. The way her sleek black hair flipped as she turned around, the glimmer of her jade eyes when she smiled. I knew I'd never have a chance with her, though. I'd probably tell HER about how her childhood dog didn't actually go off to a farm, but he was hit by a car. And I couldn't stand to lose another friend after I'd grown to like them.

Despite this, I walked back up.

"Thanks for the coffee," I said shakily. "This is for you."

I dropped a five into the tip jar. Before she could respond, I walked back to my table and began to eat. When I glanced up, she was looking right at me, smiling. I smiled back. She slipped the five into her apron and turned around again.

A few times over the next few days I'd come in I'd catch her staring at me, or whispering to her barista friend while looking at me. I hoped this meant she liked me, not that she thought I was strange or something. At this point, I didn't know her name. She didn't wear a name tag. And luckily, I couldn't read her memories. I decided right then that I would never, and I mean NEVER, read her memories. They were hers, not mine.

The next day, I finally got the courage to talk to her more. I walked up to the counter confidently.

"Hello. Hi. I just wanted to say you make coffee very well."

I cringed at myself. It sounded so dumb.

However, she responded "Aww, thank you. What's your name?"

"Kaleb. Kaleb Whittaker. What's yours?" I asked, smiling.

"Jane Lance. It's nice to meet you, Kaleb. Forgive me, but my cousin is coming in later, and I may not have time to talk. So can I have your number?" She said smoothly.

Jane? Was she Mary's cousin? If she was, I couldn't face Mary and have her tell Jane about my slip up. I quickly wrote my number on a napkin and gave it to her.

"That's okay, actually. I'm leaving now. It was nice seeing you!" I said cheerily and walked out the door.

***

Jane texted me later that night.

"Hey, thanks for talking to me today. You're really nice, by the way. We should meet up sometime."

I responded:

"Yes, that sounds great. Would you like to get dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

For the rest of the conversation, we chatted about things like work and hobbies and stuff we just liked to do in general. She brought up her cousin, which indeed was Mary Lance. I pretended like I didn't know her. I signed off around 10:30 p.m. and promptly went to sleep.

I didn't visit the coffee shop the next day, but I did see Jane. I took her to a fancy restaurant on the other side of town, and we spent the night talking about our pasts. I managed not to say something about her past, though it was becoming easier to read her memories. I really liked her. I thought that I might be able to tell her my secret, that maybe she would keep it safe.

Over the next few months, between coffee shop visits and avoiding Mary, I got to know Jane very well. We talked about our pasts. I talked about mine and only mine. She knew a lot about me after just a few months. She began bringing things up about me I didn't think I'd told her, but I didn't question it. I tended to babble, especially when talking to her.

One day, while chatting with her in the coffee shop, she brought up a situation of mine that I didn't think I mentioned.

"Ha, do you remember that time you slipped up in front of Mary? Relatable. Honestly."

"What?" I said, shocked.

Her face turned pale in realization. "I... Mary told me about it. I just thought that..."

I looked away. "I know." I looked back at her.

"Wait. What do you mean? Do you..."

"Yes, I can read memories," I said, revealing myself.

She looked shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?" She practically shouted.

"You can too! Don't lie. I know that 'cover-up' look."

Jane spoke softly. "I didn't want to say anything, but now I have to I guess."

"It's fine, honestly. So we both can?"

"I guess so."

***

Years passed. We stayed together, becoming fiancees and then we moved onto husband and wife. We had a perfect life. Jane was pregnant, and when she told me, it was the happiest day of my life. I started to read memories from the future, too. I saw that our child would be a boy, and I saw that his name would be Gage. We were fully prepared for him, with a nursery prepared and everything.

I was sitting at the dinner table with Jane, while we were eating. Involuntarily, I began to see the future. I saw what Gage would look like. But it began to change, too. His name changed in my visions. It became Alex. As our life progressed and different decisions were made, the visions changed too.

We began using this to our advantage. If we had a new idea or something new to try, I looked and saw if it would turn out well. When an outcome was bad, we simply changed what we did to affect it. Our life was perfect.

One day, while looking at the outcomes of different living situations, I found a scenario that would change our lives for the worse. No big deal, I started to change the houses we were looking at.

It didn't change. No matter what I did, the outcome was the same. Staying in the same house would cause it. Moving would cause it. There was nothing we could do. I would have to endure it.

I saw the terrible outcome one last time before it happened.

Then, suddenly, the world faded to black, and I was gone.