Chapter 1

"Julie Whitlock, of all the lads in the yard, who do you want to marry most?"

When I saw Father standing there, alive and strong, my eyes instantly reddened. I couldn't help but throw myself into his arms.

In my past life, Judd Garrison's mother, Eleanor Prescott, had feared Father's corruption case would implicate the Garrisons. She locked me in the house and didn't let me out until Father's funeral was over.

I never got to see him one last time. All I could do was clutch his portrait and weep until I fainted.

I quickly raised my hands to wipe my eyes and said, "I want to marry Eric."

Father blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? Weren't you the one shouting as a kid that you'd marry no one but the boy from the Garrisons?"

When I nodded frantically through my tears, Father didn't understand why I was crying like this, but he relented.

"There, there. I'll talk to Chief Grayson in a couple of days and ask what he thinks, okay? Don't cry, sweetheart."

I dried my eyes and stepped out of the yard, only to see my childhood friend, Vanessa Lockhart, rushing over.

She grabbed my arm and complained, "Today's supposed to be the day you gather everyone and paint murals. Why are you going along with Megan's idea to bury time capsules?

"Can't you see that she's always trying to steal your spotlight?"

In the past, Vanessa often expressed her distaste for my cousin, Megan Whitlock, but I never took it to heart. But now that I thought about it, she was right.

When I was 13, Megan had snapped my bra strap in front of all our playmates in the neighborhood and said with fake concern, "Julie, your bra's getting worn out. You should tell your mom to buy you new ones."

She knew perfectly well Mother had died two years ago.

When I was 18, the neighborhood hosted a countryside labor trip for military officials and their families.

During a break, Judd and some of the boys said they were going to catch fish in the river. I happily tagged along, and Megan came too.

I couldn't swim and stayed still on the bank, but someone suddenly shoved me from behind. I fell into the freezing winter water and nearly drowned.

Now that I thought about it, it must have been Megan's doing.

Today, while we were painting the murals, Megan suggested burying time capsules halfway through. Everyone would write the name of their crush in the time capsule, which would be dug up only if the wish came true, so the rest of us could share in the good luck.

I thought it sounded fun, so I agreed.

Now, reborn, I'd just written the letter "J" before quickly switching to a new sheet to write Eric Grayson's name instead.

Just as Vanessa was about to curse some more, Judd walked over. She immediately winked and scurried away.

Judd looked at me, and his voice was cold and final as he declared, "Give up on the idea that we'll ever get married, Julie. I won't marry you."

I froze, and just as I was about to explain, he cut me off. "I've always loved Megan. If you step aside, I'll even invite you to our wedding for the sake of our past friendship."

Then, his expression hardened. "But if you don't agree, we don't even have to be friends."

These were words he'd never said in my past life.

When I saw the complicated look in his eyes, a thought crossed my mind.

Was he… reborn, too?