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wasn’t the most popular person in her world at that moment I decided it was time to get moving. I’d wait until I was alone to finish my nervous breakdown. For the moment I’d pull from every ounce of acting ability I didn’t posses to appear calm, cool and collected. I’d figure out what had happened later when I could cry, babble and drool on myself in private.
    Obviously I wasn’t having spaghetti. I changed to the hamburger line. It took longer to get it grilled, but less chance of a mess if dropped. And water to drink, please.
    Stina approached as I was finishing with the condiments.
    “I was hoping to eat with you, but I just remembered I have to run back to the room for the right notebook,” she said. Then she turned back to look at me really hard. “Are you okay? You don’t look so spiffy. Maybe you should sit down.”
    “No I’m fine,” I lied. Not ready for the little men in white coats to come take me away yet. First I had to meet Mr. Gorgeous Of The Granny Panty Fiasco But No Longer Spaghetti Crotch Incident and then I could go bonkers.
    “If you’re sure. I’ll talk to you later.” And she was gone.
    Food finally prepared, I was off to meet Mr. G.O.T.G.P.F.B.N.L.S.C.I., possibly soon to be shortened to Mr. Right. Turning to where he had been, my hands firmly on my tray, my heart dropped.
    He was gone. I guess I had been in line longer than I realized. The moment had passed. Or perhaps in my redo reality, it had never been.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    -9-
    Mental Melt Down
     
    “Mom are you sure you don’t know Crazy Aunt Charlotte’s phone number?” Yes, I had called my mom as soon as I returned from the cafeteria to the safety of my dorm room. I know I was a college student, an adult, but be real. No matter how old I got, when in a crisis mom was always who I called.
    My first thought was to tell my mom everything that had happened, or maybe didn’t happen after all. Maybe I was just going crazy. Too much stress. Too much frozen cookie dough. I must have shared too much of Aunt Charlotte’s DNA. I hadn’t had anything strange to drink. No weird pills. And no way I could explain over the phone to my mom the last thirty minutes of my life. I needed to come to terms with the situation. I had always had an excellent imagination. Maybe it had temporarily taken over. I desperately needed to talk with Aunt Charlotte.
    Mom was talking. I tried to listen. My brain was racing and it was so hard to focus.
    “I really don’t have any idea how to get in touch with her. To be honest I don’t remember ever calling her or writing to her. She just seems to always know when we’re having a family get together. Must be another family member that contacts her.” Then my mom gave a confused little laugh. “I hadn’t thought about it much, but your dad and I were talking years ago and neither of us even know how she is related. Isn’t that funny? She’s always just been there. But she’s not my mom’s nor my dad’s sister or aunt or cousin and your dad says the same. Maybe she married into the family? Except, I can’t remember her ever not being there. So I guess she must come from my side of the family. Except your dad says the same thing.” Mom could have gone on for hours on the topic of our family’s genealogy, but I was having a crisis and it was taking every ounce of sanity left in me to sound coherent. I thought it best to get off the phone before I started to worry my mom.
    “That’s okay, Mom. If you should think of some way to contact her, could you let me know? I just wanted to thank her for a gift she gave me last summer.” That sounded sane, right? It would please my mom that I was using my manners and thanking people, right?
    “Oh, that’s nice Lottie. What did she give you?”
    It wasn’t working. I had momentarily forgotten that my mom was a snoop. She wouldn’t let it rest until she knew.
    “My goodness, look at the time. I’m going to be late for class. Gotta go.