got comfortable. Magnus crouched beside Archie at the edge and they splashed their hands in the water.
Archie said, “Cold!” and kicked water at Ben, who squealed with delight. We sat for a long time watching the boys play and explore at the river’s edge, in the sort of fresh air, in the mostly clear freezing water. Their pudgy wee hands lifted rocks to expose the wonders underneath.
Fraoch and Quentin stood guard.
Hayley lounged on a rock, basking in a beam of sunlight filtering through the leaves. “Isn’t this the life?”
“It is, such a beautiful day, this shade is perfect.”
“I wish we could walk to the church to show you where I got married.”
“I’ve been before, I can imagine it, but next time, for sure.”
“Good.” She called tae Fraoch at the edge of the bank. “Weren’t we fabulous, Fraoch?”
“Och I was wet as a salmon up stream, but ye were beautiful tae behold.”
I grinned. “That was a perfect answer Fraoch, really perfect.”
Hayley peeled off her shoes and dipped her feet in the water. “We were both drenched. We said a simple — what did you call it Fraoch?”
“Twas a plight and troth, tis almost the most important part.”
“We said that, a plight and troth, it was short and quick. There was a prayer after, but the ceremony was really just the oath. And we were soaking wet, but at least we got our name in the books. We are a family tree now, aren’t we, Fraoch?”
“Aye, we are a tree, I am yer trunk.”
She giggled.
I said, “I’m glad you’re so happy.”
“Me too.”
To Fraoch I said, “You’ll have to come to Florida someday, Fraoch, meet Hayley’s family, your new relatives.”
Hayley leaned back on her arms, “Ugh, can you imagine? Mom would probably flirt with him.”
“She might.”
Emma said, “That’s awful, Hayley.”
“I know. Fraoch and I are not thinking about our parents or our ancestors, that’s the past. We’re only thinking about the future and just the fun kind of future, definitely not meeting in-laws.”
They met eyes.
I said, “That’s a funny thing, thinking about ancestors, when in reality Fraoch’s parents haven’t even been born yet, right? Or wait, let’s see... It’s 1705, when were you born, Fraoch?”
“I daena ken.”
I sighed dramatically. “He daena ken,” I teased Hayley.
Hayley shook her head pretending to be disappointed. “I know, he will not tell time like a regular person. Fraoch, how old are you?”
He smiled, “I am nae verra auld and ye call me a ‘good boy.’ I must be verra young.”
I asked, “How old are you, Magnus?”
“I hae just passed m’birth anniversary, as ye ken, twas tae mark that I am an aulder man. Yet I am nae as auld as I once was, nor as young as I might be if I live it again.”
I smiled. “Don’t live it again, time loops suck.”
Emma said, “Zachary, how old are you?”
“About to be thirty-one, old enough to know better, still young enough to want to have fun.” He crouched down and tipped over a flat rock, splashing mud on himself and the boys.
She grinned. “Cool part is now you think playing in creeks is fun.”
“I never stopped liking that.”
“So how old is Fraoch?” I asked.
Hayley said, “We’d have to chop him down like a tree to count his rings.”
He asked, “Tis a thing?”
Magnus said, “Aye. Ye can count the rings of a tree tae see how auld they are. I learned of it from Kaitlyn. Ye wouldna believe how auld the trees can be.”
I looked up at the tree canopy. “There are likely to be some trees here that are still alive in my time, three hundred years on.”
“Och, tis wondrous,” said Magnus.
Fraoch said, “These trees would be in your time?”
Hayley said, “Yes, I mean, it might be hard to find the exact ones, but there are some. I’m sure of it.”
I said, “Like the castle.”
“The castle is still there in your time as well?”
I said, “Hayley and I have seen it with our own two eyes.”
“Ye hae been here in your time?”
“I have,” said Hayley, “I crossed the ocean in an airplane and came to this castle during a storm. It was incredibly brave of me.” She joked, “Quentin was there too.”
He joked, “If I remember correctly you were hungover and bellyaching the whole time.”
“Then Kaitlyn time-jumped and we don’t talk about that. You and I went to a pub and we were freaking out and went home the following day. It was all very exciting.”