I found myself in a child's bedroom.
The walls were painted a soft yellow, and all the furniture was white. The four-poster bed stood in the center of the room, framed by two windows. A yellow lamp rested on the bedside table.
In front of the bed stood a white cupboard with a mirror. To the right of the door, a notice board was covered in pinned drawings, and beside it stood a desk with built-in shelves filled with books. On the left, a tall bookshelf held rows of books and plushies on its upper shelves, while the lower section had drawers. Next to it, a white toy trunk decorated with painted flowers sat half-open. A sunflower painting brightened one wall, and a My Little Pony poster added a splash of colour to another.
For a moment, I felt like I had stepped into a stranger's room.
Then Erica's memories rushed through me all at once.
The foreign bedroom shifted into something strangely familiar.
It was familiar.
It was mine.
I grew up here.
It felt as though we were one, as if I had always been meant to be Erica Sinclair and Erica Sinclair had always been me.
At the same time, two lives pulled in opposite directions inside my mind. One belonged to a lonely orphan from the 21st century. The other belonged to a curious girl from the late 20th century, cherished by loving parents and an older brother.
Both were mine.
Both were real.
Before I even saw them, the people I had only known through a screen had already become something more. They were no longer characters. They were family.
I touched a framed family photo on my shelf with a hesitant hand. The family I had always wished for in my previous life existed here.
Warmth from Erica's memories wrapped around me. I felt her entire childhood and I cared for them with a depth I did not expect.
Charles Sinclair was a dedicated father who loved his family deeply. He always came home smiling, even on the days when life had been cruel to him.
Sue Sinclair was a confident woman who took no one's nonsense. She taught her children that confidence was not arrogance, and kindness was a strength. She was the role model Erica admired, and I could feel how much Erica had wanted to be like her.
Lucas Sinclair was the annoying and nerdy older brother who always argued with me, yet I knew he would have risked his life to protect me. The series had shown that much.
My family.
I had a family.
In that instant, I promised myself that I would protect them. Whatever monsters came to this town would not touch my family.
My thoughts were interrupted when Lucas burst into my room.
"Erica, breakfast," he called. "We need to go to scho…"
He stopped speaking as I ran and hugged him. Affection had never been something the old Erica gave freely, so his confusion made perfect sense. I just needed to confirm that this was real. Somehow, this felt even more unreal than fighting aliens.
He hugged me back despite looking confused. "What are you doing? Mom and Dad are already at the table. We are going to be late to…"
I did not let him finish.
I ran downstairs with the energy of a child on Christmas morning.
I threw myself at my father as soon as I saw him by the door.
"Dad!"
"What made you so excited this early," he asked with a warm laugh.
"Nothing. I am just happy to see you. I missed you."
I missed a lifetime beside you.
"You saw us yesterday before going to bed," he said, puzzled.
"I just love you."
He looked surprised, since the previous me had not said that often.
"I love you too, my little queen."
"Always?" I asked quietly. I was not the same Erica he had tucked in last night and I was different now.
"Always." He hugged me again and kissed the top of my head.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment, then heard someone cough behind us.
"I am almost jealous," my mother said with a smile. "You are not going to give your mother a hug too. You have not been this affectionate since you were small and kept insisting you were a big kid."
"Mom!" I hugged her tightly. "I am sorry. I love you too."
She looked concerned by my reaction but crouched down to hug me and kissed my forehead.
"I love you, baby. It is all right. You will always be our little girl."
"Now let us go eat breakfast or you will be late."
We sat at the table just as Lucas arrived.
"Mom, I think something is wrong with Erica," Lucas announced. "She is being kind. It is suspicious. I think she is trying to bribe us with affection. Maybe she is sick."
"Nerd, I was being kind and loving," I replied.
"Good. She is not broken," Lucas muttered. "Although now I am even more certain something happened."
"Idiot," I snapped. It felt natural, since I now was Erica, with her memories, instincts, thoughts and feelings.
"Stop provoking your sister, Lucas," Dad warned.
"Father," Lucas complained. "But she…"
"Yes, stop being annoying, Lucas," I repeated.
"Stop, you too, Erica," Mom said, grabbing the eggs.
Lucas slumped in his seat and I made a face at him behind her back.
This was so much fun. 🤩
I did not have to be sensible or responsible.
I could simply be myself without hesitation, and my family would still love me.
I already loved this new life.
This house and this family were a home.
My home.