Livia told me later that my mind would not be able to assimilate the whole future, so what I saw was bits and pieces, beginning with me wishing that Haley would age as slowly as I. I saw us growing to maturity together as a female couple, getting married with both our families--even Ruthie!--beaming with happiness, I saw myself pregnant with Haley's and my baby (what the heck, couldn't the ring do that?). But then I saw different pictures, I saw Haley and myself--somehow I knew it was us--as a gay male couple in a naked, sweaty, passionately masculine embrace. I saw myself female again, making love to a handsome, virile man I knew was Haley. I saw a pregnant, female Haley holding the hand of a man who looked like my old male self grown up.
My visions ended, and I looked back into Luvia's face. She was smiling. "Looking into the future is a bit of a strain." she said, and offered me some hot tea.
"I saw Haley and me, Haley and me as guys? What's that about?" I asked.
"If you're going to have a relationship over centuries with Haley, or with anybody" began the sorceress "You're going to need variety. Anything can get boring after a few centuries. Do you think I spent the whole however many years as a woman? Although I must say all in all I prefer being female, it's still nice to have other options."
I was still a little stunned--I had never really imagined myself or Haley as a gay man--but the logic of Luvia's statement was overwhelming. I felt good, knowing that Haley and I had a long-term, possibly very long-term, future together.
Luvia and I chatted briefly and then, without any real sense of transition, I found myself back in the classroom.