I Never Realized How Hard Choices Were

An Excerpt from The Tomorrow Paradox (Book Two in The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer):

“There’s only one option: we use the watch, but not to freeze time. It’s time for me to say goodbye to my father and Alex, so I can bring you home with me where you’ll be safe.”

Gemma looked conflicted. “I can’t go, Kenzie. Not now, not yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve just met my original. There’s so much I want to learn about her. I’ve been looking forward to seeing Brandy again, today. I have an opportunity to get to know her… I can’t walk away from that.”

“It’s too dangerous, Gemma. You’ve escaped twice; if they recapture you, they’ll make sure you never escape again. You need to stay hidden until we can travel back to my time.”

Gemma flashed him a bittersweet smile. “Do you remember the day we met? I told you I didn’t have any family and you said that wasn’t possible. You couldn’t understand being alone in the world, without ever having had a family or friends, and I couldn’t comprehend why it puzzled you. I didn’t get it: the whole concept of family. Sure, I had watched it in holo-vids, but I never appreciated that special feeling of being connected to another person. Clones lead a solitary existence. We don’t have friends, and we don’t socialize. We’re not raised by parents and we don’t grow up with brothers and sisters. But yesterday, when I came face-to-face with Brandy, I felt it. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. We shared a connection; and it was stronger and more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt. I don’t want to lose that bond.”

Mackenzie frowned. “All right, I’ll take you to meet Brandy today so you can spend some time with her. But I have family back home that I miss and need to get back to. It’s been great seeing my father again and meeting my son, and it’s good to know that one day I’ll get to see them again when I’m grown up. But this isn’t my time and I don’t belong here. I can’t stay here forever. I’m going to leave soon, and you’ll have to choose whether to come with me or stay here.”

“All my life, as a clone, I was never allowed to make any choices.” Gemma pouted. “I never realized how hard they were.”

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Time is running out… fortunately, Mackenzie Mortimer has a few more minutes than anyone else!