I’d thought she was joking and played it off as such. But hearing her ask the same question again caught my attention. My heart raced as I realized what was happening. Calla was forgetting every single aspect of her life outside of Judaculla. It was bad enough she’d totally forgotten her family, her friends, and any other person who lived in our world, but now even the smallest details of her former life were disappearing.

Fading.

Judaculla would be the only thing Calla knew. This made me question if she would be willing to leave with me when the time came. I didn’t care. I’d take her out by force if I had to.

Calla stared at me expectantly.

“A rehearsal dinner is a fancy supper right before you get married,” I said.

“Never heard of it,” Calla said, adding small canapé to her plate.

“I guess it was just something we did where I lived.”

“How do you remember these things?” Calla asked. “I haven’t given two thoughts to the old world since I’ve been here.”

“Guess I’ve just been trying to take my mind off what’s happening tonight,” I said.

“Feeling nervous?” Calla asked. “About the ball, The Joining, or the after?” She grinned wickedly.

“All the above,” I said, throwing my napkin at her. “Don’t tell me you’re not the slightest bit nervous.”

Calla nodded solemnly.

I stood, holding my arms out to her. And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, we stepped into each other’s arms and began waltzing in the absence of any music. We’d been encouraged to constantly practice the waltz so we were ready for the ball, and we’d done so tons of times over the last few days. Being close had a calming effect on Calla.

“I’d say I’m more excited than nervous,” she said. I could tell her anxiety level had decreased. “I trust Haden completely. Why else would I have left my world to be here with him?”

Why else, indeed?

I could tell her so much about how all of this works. But given her state of mind and how long she’d been here, she wouldn’t believe me. We danced for a few minutes before breaking apart.

It amazed me that Calla seemed to have forgotten as much as I remembered about our former lives. I wondered why it was I had remembered everything. And it wasn’t just me. Ever had also remembered the details of her time in our world. Maybe it had something to do with the way we’d come into Judaculla. No, that wasn’t it. Calla also came willingly.

Knowing Calla and I would soon be out of time, I felt a sense of urgency to understand what had caused her to forget all about her life back home. But her next words told me the subject was closed.