Plot Summary misleading

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2006)

I have no idea why the plot summary says it's a story spanning one thousand years.
The Spanish story is just that... the story she wrote while she was dying of cancer. He was her warrior out on a quest to save her (or Spain.)
The tree bubble scene is his subconscious dealing with trying to save her, not wanting to give up on her. "Finish it" is what she asks of him... finish the story she started and finish the grieving /fighting. His subconscious doesn't want to let go. He keeps looking at the rings of his arm... like the rings of a tree - and all the years they have spent together. As he's tattooing himseslf with another ring she keeps saying FINISH IT.
Once he can let go both consciously and subconsciously he ends the story she started, and keeps her dying wish.
There was no past / or future to it. There was a story she wrote... the present tense of him trying to save her then planting the seed of the tree for her... and his subconscious fighting though all of it.