Re-entry into the alternate dimension was turbulent. When I penetrated the overcast, dissent became unbearable and I ended up in a tailspin.

"Incoming!" Someone shouted from the island below. Everyone hit the dirt in anticipation of a meteor-like impact.

Instead of smashing into the populated area, I plunged deep into the salt filled ocean. Once I surfaced, I began to swim to the shoreline as a crowd of Genies gathered studying me with curiosity.

Granny appeared front and center. "Now move on everyone!" She snapped, waving her hands. "The show is over!"

I swam to her and with the wonders of magical power, every kick propelled me forward like a steam engine. I touched ground on the beach in record time. The flight and the awakenings from my past filled me with exhilaration.

Granny smirked as I lifted myself from the water. My legs felt wobbly as I struggled to catch my balance. "I see you’ve survived your little holiday."

"Yes. It was quite enlightening." I managed as I collapsed downward into the water break.

"Your balance will return in no time Elizabeth."

Just then, Robert appeared within a crowd of arrivals. A genie with a gold ear ring and a baseball cap and he were engrossed in a heated discussion. As if by instinct, he glanced in my direction and grinned with warmth. Ignoring my instability, I took off in a sudden sprint.

"Elizabeth!" Granny called after me.

Disregarding her alarm, I rushed through layers of travelers until I stood face to face with Mr. Wright. Without hesitation I wrapped my arms about his shoulders and plastered a much anticipated kiss upon his lips.

Chuckles and roars of laughter became audible from every direction around us.

I put my heart and soul into the show of affection and when he finally pulled back, his face reflected shock.

"Robert!" I said overflowing with love. I found myself grinning, something that I had never found reason to do in either dimension. I was now reborn in a sense, reborn as a love sick fool.

"Elizabeth?" He questioned, his expression revealing concern.

Granny appeared, tugging at my arm. "Elizabeth I need a word with you!" She demanded.

"Not now!" I snapped shooing her away.

"Yes, now." She replied with persistence.

"Robert, we’ve got so much to catch up on!" I said bursting with energy.

"I just saw you a week ago." He stammered, his confusion apparent.

"I don’t understand." I said as my gaze shifted from Robert to Granny.

"I need to speak with you immediately!" Granny said tugging me away by the lace of my wedding gown.

She grasped my arm and as the warmth of her fingertips became noticeable, the island began to fade. We disappeared somehow, somewhere....dissolving. The air was thick and a fog-like humidity surrounded us. It was as if we were standing within an outer dimensional closet of some sort.

"What the heck?" I questioned.

"Robert doesn’t know!" Granny announced in an aggravated tone.

"Doesn’t know what exactly?"

"He doesn’t realize you and he were once in love."

"I don’t understand." I said as my happiness began to sink.

"You didn’t know either until you returned to that era. It goes with the territory, the amnesia. If we allowed everyone full reign of their memories, nothing would ever get accomplished in our line of work. Things come to everyone on a need to know basis." Granny explained.

"So am I to understand, he doesn’t suspect?"

"That is correct." Granny managed.

I stomped my foot in frustration.

"You mustn’t tell him either." "He has to earn his knowledge, just as you did....now if you feel this is going to be a problem, we have a few options to make this transition back easier on you."

"Oh?" I questioned.

"Yes. We can transfer you to another team, which in my opinion would be an injustice since you are currently the team leader! Or... we can simply eliminate the knowledge from your memory. The only drawback with that is the fact that you would loose all experiences, including the ability to conquer ghosts."

"This really stinks!" I said.

"Sometimes the rules are not easy." Granny said in a matter of fact tone.

"I have so many questions for Robert. For instance, what happened to him after the accident? Did my mother and father ever recover from me not marrying Donovan Winslow and dying the way that I did?"

Granny sighed. "Some questions go without answers. In fact, you would never have known about Robert had you not decided to go back as you did. It’s all by will. You chose to return to that time, but even if given the opportunity, Robert may not wish to relive those particular moments."

"So he may never come to realize?"

"I’m not saying that. Even in this dimension he has taken a liking to you, but it can never lead anywhere. Relationships such as you experienced in life, simply don’t exist in this world."

"He proposed to me and we were running off together. What you’re saying then is it's forever lost?"

"Exactly. It’s just the way it is." Granny said.

I stomped my foot and fell into a pout. "I can’t accept that!" I said with determination.

"Oh you will, since you have no choice."

"This is not fair to Robert nor to me." I snapped.

"Maybe not, but there isn’t anything you or anyone else can do to cheat certain aspects of death."

I nodded feeling the sudden weight of loss.

"So, are you ready for your next assignment?"

"Can I see Robert to try and explain my odd behavior? He must really think I’m a lunatic."

Granny chuckled. "Well it did seem a bit strange to him as well as everyone who witnessed it." At her statement I felt a surge of embarrassment reminiscent of my awkward teenage years.

"I don’t see the harm in you smoothing things over with Robert as long as you obey the rules here. I’m warning you though, if you mess up, I’ll not only erase your memory, but his as well."

I nodded, not appreciating the threat.

In an instant I materialized a few yards from Robert. Others had scattered and he was pacing with nervousness. "Elizabeth?" He questioned as I smiled a half hearted smile.

"I’m sorry about that thing I did before. I don’t know what came over me, maybe it was the excitement from experiencing such a wonderful holiday."

Robert eyed me with suspicion. "Are you sure that’s all there was to it?"

"Yes, absolutely." I managed feeling intense pain at the non-truth.

Robert grinned. "I’d be an idiot not to admit that it was rather nice, you know, to do something so utterly human for a change!"

I nodded.

"So what was your holiday like Lizzy?" He asked as I darted my gaze, trying to mask the agony of him calling me Lizzy.

"It wasn’t all bad, but it wasn’t all good either...isn’t that how life is?"

"I suppose so." Robert admitted.

"What did you do for your week off?" I inquired directing the conversation away from my experiences of life.

"I traveled to one of my favorite beaches in the earthly world. It’s a small strip of sand along lake Michigan called Three Corners. Ever since I’ve been eligible for time off, I spend a great deal of time there. I don’t know, there’s something about that area that draws me back.... an attachment of some sort."

I nodded shifting my gaze to Granny who was hanging on our every word.

"Any idea why you choose that specific stretch of beach?" I asked.

"No, nothing I can put my finger on exactly, but it must be important."

"What’s it like, this Three Corners?" I said praying some remembrance would click.

Robert smiled. "It’s a small dune area surrounded by condominiums. The outer area is rather congested, but Three Corners is a national park and protected from development. Although people have become rather careless with litter, I can’t help but have a great appreciation, especially on the mammoth dune overlooking the lake."

"Robert...." I whispered as Granny stepped forward interrupting.

"I’m sorry Elizabeth, your time is up."

My narrowed gaze darted to Granny and she could sense I was about to break my promise.

I touched Robert's fingertips and attempted a quick transfer of memory. I wanted him to see my last moments in his presence....I wanted him to feel the intense connection that we shared. I wanted to give him a gift, the gift of us alive. Unfortunately, my attempts were in vain. The surrounding currents of air thickened and in an instant I was whisked away. "Shame on you for trying!" Granny’s voice echoed through the pressure filled transport.

Once the whirlwind diminished, I fell into a state of claustrophobia as I became melded into a bottle submerged at the bottom of a fish tank. Bubbles and Angelfish bombarded me within a ten gallon enclosure. When I peered outside the glass, elderly people were gathered in all directions. Dozens of needy eyes stared at the tank and an overwhelming feeling of purpose neutralized my heartache. I realized my focus had to be on the task at hand, Robert or no Robert, there was work to be done.