Arturo walked beside David Mallory up the front walk. David's eyes were wide and his walk unsteady with excitement. It was his first time seeing a double other than Quinn, and Arturo knew from experience that it could be quite nerve-wracking.
They climbed the front steps. David clenched his fists, looking up at the others in turn before reaching out and pushing the doorbell.
After a moment, the door was opened by a woman. It was Quinn's mother. She smiled out at the five people on her porch.
"Oh," she said, "hello. It's wonderful to see you on this lovely day. Do I know you?"
Quinn pointed at himself. "You...don't recognize me?"
Mrs. Mallory shook her head. "Why, no, I don't think I do. I'm sorry if we've met before, I have a terrible head for faces."
David swallowed, then pointed at himself. Wade nodded, saying, "He wants to know...if you know him?"
Mrs. Mallory looked down at him. She blinked. "I'm...I'm sorry. I don't. But I take it you know me."
David nodded, then gestured quickly. Wade translated, "Yes, he's...your son."
Mrs. Mallory blinked. A look of confusion swept across her face that was quickly replaced by a softened smile. She spread her arms. David rushed into them, allowing himself to be wrapped in his surrogate mother's hug. David's eyes were tightly closed, but a tear broke free to trickle down the young man's cheek.
"I don't know what's going on," Mrs. Mallory whispered. "But...you seem to need someone to love. Please, come in. That goes for all of you."
"Thanks, Mrs. Mallory," Wade said. "Oh, and uh, David can't hear you. He's deaf."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Mrs. Mallory gently disengaged David to hold him at arms' length. She spoke clearly so that he could read her lips. "You're welcome in our home, my child. Come in, please."
David sniffled, then signed, "Thanks."
Mrs. Mallory put her arm around him and led him into the house as he wiped his cheeks. Arturo sighed, feeling at last that bringing him into this world wasn't a mistake after all.
The house was decorated differently than usual. Flowery curtains sheathed each window, thin enough to allow sunlight to fall on the ornate furniture. The whole color scheme was of blues and yellows and pinks that gave the
house a light, pleasant feel. Muzak was playing somewhere, but Arturo couldn't trace the source.
Mrs. Mallory still held David close as she walked down the hallway, calling out, "Dear? We have guests."
A sturdy man emerged from the basement door, wiping off his hands on a cloth. It was Michael Mallory, David's father. He gave the visitors a wide smile that Arturo was getting used to seeing on people in this world.
"Oh, howdy," Michael said. "Always nice to have company. Do I know you fellows?"
"No," Mrs. Mallory said. "But this sweet young man says he's our son."
Michael tilted his head, his smile still firm. "Really? Well, I'd have thought I'd have remembered having one." He laughed heartily.
"It's kind of complicated," Quinn said. "You see, he's your son...from another dimension. A parallel Earth where everything is the same, except that there, he was your son. So was I, although from a different world, and there...well, you were dead."
"Ah," Michael said. "Well, that explains it. We never had children in this world. I'm afraid my wife and I were unable to have them, but we've managed to fill the void with love. Would you people like something to drink? We weren't expecting visitors, so I'm afraid all we have is lemonade, but it's homemade, ice-cold, and the best you'll ever taste on this or any other Earth."
"Uh, sure," Quinn said. "Sounds great."
Wade and Rembrandt agreed. David nodded cautiously, still focused on his loving parents. Only Arturo declined, still struggling with what was happening. Michael Mallory strode off into the kitchen as his wife gave David another squeeze.
"Well," she said, "if you're our sons, then I guess I don't have to tell you to make yourself at home. All of you, please sit down."
They all headed into the living room. As Arturo sat down on the couch, he addressed Mrs. Mallory. "Madam, I don't mean to sound rude, but...I find it hard to believe you accept our story so easily. You truly understand that we are from another reality?"
"Of course," Mrs. Mallory said.
"And you believe it?"
Mrs. Mallory blinked, then shook her head as her smile remained constant. "Why...of course I believe it. Why would you lie?"
Michael Mallory emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of glasses. "Besides, I've been tinkering with some concepts of alternate realities myself. I've got the basic ideas down, and it doesn't seem too unrealistic."
Everyone took their glasses from him, except for Arturo, who was deep in thought. A moment of silence passed as everyone brought their glasses to their lips. Arturo watched the Mallorys. Their smiles were as solid as everyone else's in this world. Miss Welles was right. These people were deliriously happy for no apparent reason. Or at least no reason Arturo had yet seen.
Mrs. Mallory sat down on the couch with David on one side and Quinn on the other. She wrapped her arms around them and pulled them close to her.
"An instant family," she sighed. "I feel like I know you already. Have you come to stay with us?"
"Uh, no," Quinn said, "actually we're kind of just stopping by on our way to another dimension. David wanted to see you. His parents were really abusive to him in his world, and he wanted to see another side of them."
Mrs. Mallory's jaw dropped, breaking her smile for the first time. "I...I can't imagine that. Me and Michael...cruel to our own children?"
Michael sighed. "I...suppose that they must have had their reasons. Broken homes, difficult childhoods, these things bring out the worst of humanity. But rest assured that we would never treat anyone with anything other than love."
David smiled as he signed to Wade. She translated, saying, "He knows. He's never been held by his mother before. It's like a dream. He'd like to know if he could see the rest of the house?"
"Of course," Michael said. "Come on, son. I'd be interested in seeing how this place was decorated on another Earth, because I always felt the couch should be over there."
Wade caught David's attention and signed while speaking aloud, "Do you want me to come with you to translate?"
David shook his head, then made more gestures across his face and arms.
Wade nodded in understanding. "Okay. You'd like to be alone with your family."
David grinned up at the other Mallorys as he nodded. Michael headed off through the house with his wife and David in tow. Quinn gave the others a thumbs-up, then hurried to follow.
When they were gone, Wade exhaled with a broad smile. "That was so sweet. Did you see Dave's face? It was like he was alive for the first time."
"Yeah," Rembrandt said. "Wouldn't have missed that for the world. Poor little guy. Can you imagine what it's like to live your whole life without being told you were loved or held?"
Arturo stood and clasped his hands behind his back. "Yes. And I for one am glad we were able to give him this second chance. In this instance, I believe our meddling has borne sweet fruit. But I'm also concerned about this world. Why are these people so happy?"
Wade sprawled on the couch. "Still? Come on, professor, it's no biggie."
"Yeah," Rembrandt said. "Maybe they're more religious in this world."
"Or maybe they just never developed the cruelty and selfishness we did in our world. Quite frankly, I prefer it this way. This place is wonderful. Everyone makes you feel right at home."
"Yeah, I get a nice feelin' from this place."
"Well, I do not," Arturo said. "But even so, we have learned by now that no changes occur without a reason. Something has turned these people into virtual hippies, and I am very curious to find out why."
He noticed the TV against the wall and flicked it on. "Ah, ha. Time for the five o'clock news. Perhaps that may shed some light onto this world."
The TV set glowed to life with an anchorman who wore the same persistent smile Arturo had come to recognize.
"Good evening, San Francisco," the anchorman said. "Today was a beautiful day, wasn't it? A brisk wind, clear skies, the kind of day that makes you feel alive. Well, in the news, the president declared war on Kuwait for their refusal to recognize the No-Fly Zone. Protesters created a mob outside the White House that crushed fifteen hundred people. A disgruntled postal worker killed eight people at a shoot-out inside a McDonald's in Seattle. And serial killer Richard Speck was sentenced to death for the murder of fourteen nurses last August. But first, here's Joanie with a report on the baby white tigers born at the San Diego Zoo."
The camera cut to a smiling woman in front of a cage who began to describe the birth of three white tigers that morning.
"Incredible," Arturo said. "Well, at least we know one thing. The persistent joy and hospitality of this world does not extend outside this area. If these reporters are any indication, it seems to be localized to San Francisco. How very odd."
The Mallorys returned from the stairs, laughing over some unheard joke. Michael and his wife had their arms around Quinn and David.
"Guys?" Quinn said with a broad smile. "We've made a decision. Dave wants to stay with these people in this world. And so do I."
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