It was Monday morning in Barbourville, and the rain stopped hours ago. The sun was now shining for another beautiful day.
Back at the Heartfelt Care Hospital, Abby's eyes opened in her room. She looked groggy.
She looked around the room dazed and confused. She didn't have a clue where she was at the moment.
She cringed in a little pain.
The door opened, and a nurse named Mary stepped into the room.
Nurse Mary was middle-aged and wore a white nurses uniform where the skirt was down to the top of her knee caps. Plus she wore that standard white nurse's cap on her head.
Abby saw Mary walking up to her bed. "Where am I?"
Mary glanced over at Abby's monitor and was pleased with the display. "You're at the Heartfelt Care Hospital here in Barbourville," Mary replied while she looked over at Abby.
"What's today?" Abby asked and looked a little lost.
"Monday, May fifteenth," Mary replied and looked a little concerned with Abby.
Abby looked around the room and realized these were not furnishing from her time. "What happened?"
"You apparently fell and hit your head on the street last night during the storm."
Abby thought about Mary's response for a few seconds. "I remember. And some guy stopped his car. He said something to me then lightning struck close by. I got startled and slipped in the water and fell backward. That's all I remember."
"That would be Michael Osborne. He brought you to the hospital."
It took a few seconds for his name to register with her. "Did you say, Michael Osborne?"
"Yes," she replied while she back at the monitor. "How do you feel?" she asked while she looked back at Abby.
"The back of my head hurts,"
"That's from smacking it hard on the street. I'll get you something to ease the pain," Mary said then turned around and headed to the door.
She placed her hand on the door handle, then turned around and looked curious. "Are you from Barbourville? Because you were wearing a fancy pair of sandals when you came in here last night.
"Orlando, Florida," Abby replied while she glanced at Mary's uniform. She remembered her time in the time machine last night.
"People down in Florida sure wear fancy clothes. Must be that surfer lifestyle," Mary quietly said to herself while she opened the door then left the room.
"I made it to nineteen sixty-one. Cool!" Abby said while she did a little victory dance in her bed.
The door opened, and Abby stopped her little dance.
Michael poked his head inside the room.
Abby's widen the second she saw Michael's familiar face in the doorway.
He entered her room. "Hi, mind if I come in?"
"Ah, no," said Abby, as there was something about him caused her to feel good inside. She really wanted to meet him.
While Michael walked closer to her bed, she noticed that he was handsome than in his pictures. She thought he was a hottie.
"I'm Michael Osborne," he said.
"I know. The nurse told me your name," Abby replied and felt like a young girl where the boy she had a crush on finally spoke to her. She felt a little flushed.
"How are you feeling?" he asked while he walked up to her bed and looked like he was concerned.
"The back of my head hurts. The nurse is getting me something to ease the pain," she said and could not stop staring at his piercing blue eyes. But she looked away and felt ashamed knowing that he belonged with Jennifer.
"You hit it pretty hard in the rain last night," he said while he looked her.
Abby gave him a bashful smile the second the door to her room opened.
Mary entered with a small paper cup in one hand and a water cup in her other hand.
Michael stepped aside while Mary walked up to the bed.
"These should ease the pain," Mary said while she handed Abby the small cup.
Abby emptied the cup into her hand, and two white pills fell out. Abby swallowed the two tablets in the cup then Mary handed her the cup of water. She washed the pills down her throat.
Mary smiled at Michael, then headed off to the door.
Michael waited until Mary left the room.
"Thank you for bringing me here," Abby told him.
Michael looked at Abby and could not believe his eyes. "You're welcome. I thought you were someone else out there in the rain when I stopped."
"Who?" she asked but knew the answer.
"My fiancé. Jennifer. You looked a lot like her. But you have different hair color, eyes and your nose is a little smaller. And she wears glasses."
Abby looked up at Michael. "I'm Abby Austin. I don't wear glasses."
"Well, Abby, why were you walking in the rain? Do you live in my neighborhood?"
Abby looked caught. She pondered for a few seconds. "Ah, I just moved to town. I got off the bus at the station and walked around looking for a motel. I guess I got lost."
"You were lost. The bus station is on Montvale Circle across from Shumaker's Lounge. The Barbourville Motor Court is one street to the east on Piedmont Avenue. You were so close."
"New town and it was dark. I thought I heard there was a Holiday Inn over on Shady Hill Drive," Abby replied.
Michael thought about her reply for a few seconds. "We don't have a Holiday Inn here in town. Someone gave you bad information."
"Oh," Abby said while she pretended to believe him.
"So, why did you move here?"
Abby hesitated for a second. "A fresh new start. My boyfriend was killed a year ago in a car accident after he left my apartment," she replied and looked sad.
"I'm so sorry to hear that. Where did you move from?"
"Orlando, Florida."
"Why did you do? I mean for a job."
Abby hesitated for a second. "I'm a secretary full time at a hospital. And for some extra cash, I'm a swimming instructor."
"I'm a physics professor at the Barbourville College. I know that my Dean is in dire need of a new secretary. Did you bring your resume with you?"
"Ah," Abby said then knew she stepped in a little trap. "I was busy packing when I left Florida, so I think I might have left it back down there."
"No problem, we'll figure something out," he replied, then gave her a warm smile.
"Thank you."
"So, I need to be heading back to college. I'll check up on you later."
"I'd like that."
"Bye," Michael said, then turned around.
Abby watched while Michael walked to the door.
He placed his hand on the door handle and paused for a second. He turned around and looked at Abby. "Do you have any relatives here in town? I mean you really do look a lot like my fiancé."
"I'm sorry. I only have some grandparents, and they live in Florida."
Michael smiled while he left the room.
"I guess working for a few days in nineteen sixty-one won't hurt."
Her eyes started to droop as the pain pills were making her sleepy. They were soon closed, and she was fast asleep.
Outside the Heartfelt Care Hospital, Michael walked back to his Bel-Air in the parking lot.
He opened the driver's door, then paused. He glanced back at the hospital for a second and focused on the fourth floor.
He got inside his car, started it up, and headed off to work.
A little while later, Michael was at his desk in his office at the college.
He worked at grading multiple tests. He was on the last page, and all those answers had a red "X" over them.
He turned the test back to the first page then stared at his desk phone. He reached over, picked up the phone, and made a call.
"Michael Osborne here, I heard you were looking for a secretary," he said into the phone the listened for the response.
"I believe I found someone that would be a perfect fit," he replied then listened to the response.
"Sounds good. She won't be able to stop by until Wednesday morning if that's okay," he said into the phone then listened for the response.
"That great," I'll bring her by your office at eight on Wednesday morning," Michael then hung up his phone and looked happy.
He returned to grading that student's test. He frowned when he wrote "63" in red ink on the front page of the test then placed a red circle around the number.
He placed that test the completed pile then grabbed the next test.
Later that night, it was a beautiful sky with tons of twinkling stars.
Jennifer and Michael decided to take another nightly stroll around the neighborhood.
He walked over to her house, where she waited by the front door.
Michael held Jennifer's right hand while they walked down the driveway.
Back in her hospital room, Abby was feeling better while she lay in her bed. Then all of a sudden, she had this warm tingling feeling in her right hand. It was a feeling that felt good, so she did not ring for the nurse.
Back on Dorothy Avenue, Michael and Jennifer started their walk down the street.
"Oh, I didn't tell you what happened last night," he said and looked a little excited.
"What happened?"
"I was driving home from the college after doing some paperwork, and it was raining with lightning and thundering," he said.
"I know I was home and heard it."
"Anyway, I drove down Dorothy Avenue, heading to the house, and I thought I saw you walking down the street."
"Me? Why would I be walking down the street in the pouring rain?" she replied and thought that that was an odd thing to consider.
"That's the bizarre part, this girl looks, except she has blonde hair."
"I'm thinking you got pretty close to her," Jennifer said and sounded a little upset.
"No honey, not that close. Lightning struck close by, and she slipped and hit her head on the street. She passed out, and I took her to the hospital."
"Okay, so I have to worry about this girl taking you away from me?" she asked and looked a little worried.
Michael stopped her in the street. "Never, Jennifer. You're the one I love. I don't want anybody else," he said then kissed her lips.
Back in her hospital room, the warm tingling feeling left her right hand and was now in her lips. It was a tingling feeling she enjoyed but could not explain it and did not care. It felt good, and she enjoyed it.
Back on Dorothy Avenue, Michael and Jennifer stopped kissing and continued to walk down the street holding hands.
"There's something about this girl. It's as if I've known her for most of my life. But that's not possible because she just moved up here from Orlando, Florida. She was a secretary and part-time swimming instructor."
"I'll have to meet her sometime."
"You'll probably meet her tomorrow night," he said.
"Tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, I told mom about Abby."
"Her name is Abby?"
"Yeah. Anyway, when mom found out Abby just arrived in town, with no relatives, no job and was hurt, she wants her to stay in our house for a few days until she got settled. Especially since she hit her head pretty hard on the street last night."
"Where inside your house?"
"My room and I'll sleep on the couch. After all, I'll be moving into your house by next week. Or I guess I should call it our home," he replied.
Jennifer thought about this arrangement for a few seconds. "I guess that's okay. I mean, you're mom's light sleeper and would immediately sense when some hanky panky is going on in your room," she said and gave Michael the eye.
Michael chuckled. "I know. Remember when we first started dating and we in my room kissing at night?"
Jennifer thought about it for a few seconds then chuckled. "Who would have thought that her ears would pick up on that?"
"Probably our moaning," Michael replied.
Jennifer chuckled. "I forgot about that part."
She rested her head against his shoulder while they walked down the street.
"I trust you. And I know you are always there to help people when in need," she said.
They continued to walk down the street.
Jennifer's eyes widened a little when she remembered something. "I believe Doc Bowman needs a secretary."
"Already on it. I got her an interview Wednesday morning. Hopefully, she'll be out of the hospital by then."
"Like I said. You're always there to help people, and that's one of the reasons why I love you."
"What's the other reasons?" he asked with a curious smile.
"Well, you're a great kisser," she said.
"Oh yeah," he said, then stopped her and immediately planted a kiss on her lips.
Their lips separated, and they walked down the street hand in hand.
"So, when we're old and gray, will you still take me for romantic nightly strolls around the neighborhood?" she asked.
"You better believe it," Michael replied.
Jennifer snuggled against Michael while they continued to walk down the street.
Back in Abby's hospital room, she fell fast asleep with a loving smile on her face.