I was beside her in an instant.

"I'll go with you."

"No, that's not possible, Jon. It's extremely important that you stay right here with C.I. and learn as much as you can, as fast as you can. C.I. can help you do that much better than I."

"When will you be back, then?" I asked.

"I won't be back, Jon."

"What do you mean? You can't just get up and go when we've only just met. I'll come with you," I insisted.

"As much as I'd like that, it's neither practical nor possible," was her reply.

"I don't understand, Lea. Why can't I go with you?"

"It's critically important that you stay here and grow as fast as you can. My presence would be a distraction, and we can't afford that risk.

"Let me try to explain, Jon, but I must be very brief and you must wait for further details until our next meeting, should there be one."

"What do you mean, 'should there be one'?" I interrupted.

"Please, Jon, trust me. Believe me when I say that we must use our time as best we can. I want to stay with you as much as you want me to stay, but that's not at all practical.

"I don't know whether I will see you again, or, if so, when. We will attempt another time translation, but we don't know whether it will succeed or not. So you can see that there is no way for me to tell you whether or not we will meet here again.

"This I do know, that the more time you spend talking with me, the less time you will have with C.I., and the less chance we will have of completing another successful time translation," Lea explained hurriedly.

"How can you be so calm about it?" I said. "How can you just say goodbye and walk away knowing we may never meet again?"

"We are together always, Jon. I am never far from you. Your dreams of me are real-a valid reality-not just fantasy or wish fulfillment. Believe me, Jon, I am always with you. True, I miss your touch, your voice, the joys shared on a physical level, but they will be there, if not in this lifetime, in another," she added. "What is, is perfect for its time and place. Accept that joyously, Jon, and enjoy growing your way toward what you desire."