In Her Sleep

A Different Face

"So who is Caleb Young?"
Layla's question snaps Caleb out of his thoughts before looking at her stunned. It's a very simple and innocent question but he is still stunned by her choice of question either way. They are seated on one of the rocky ledges that faces the city enjoying the cool air. She could have asked anything else apart from that. And instead of answering he just stares at her wondering if this is just a terrible case of déjà vu. He is already trying to figure out how in the world he decided to bring them over here and her question just adds to the puzzle he needs to figure out.
The first time he came here that was the first question he was asked and he can't help but really feel this is déjà vu.

He looks away from her before his own mind decides to explore more of his memories that he would rather not be focussing on right this minute. He instead decides to take in the beautiful scenery that brings a calmness to his soul.
He hasn't wanted to be here in so long and yet this is the only place he thought of bringing Layla. And surprisingly, he doesn't feel like chocking up the way he did the last time he was here. On the contrary, a sense of happiness is enveloping him. It's as if he has travelled back in time, to a moment before his life forever changed. Except this time, she's a different face, a different beauty that's got him stepping out of his comfort zone and walking into places he never thought he would ever walk again. 

"What would you like to know?" He replies while still looking away in the distance. The city down below doesn't seem to have changed much, if anything it pretty much looks the same as last time he was here. And he gives the same answer to the same question just to test his déjà vu theory.

"I don't know… I guess I would just like to know you a little bit more. Maybe something more than being my perfect doctor?" She chuckles nervously. 

A totally different answer that makes him grin inwardly. Which is kind of weird because what could he expect when she is different in every way.

"Not that there is much to tell but…" he begins before she cuts him off.

"Oh please...anything…like are you an only child? Mom? Dad?" She bumps him with her shoulder unaware of his now rigid self that is already feeling tense about this particular topic. While he really appreciates that she is only interested in knowing him, the entire story of his origins is not a subject he wants to be narrating just yet.
"Just yet?" He mentally questions himself. That's a first...usually that's a no go area even for his own mind but to have him thinking 'just yet' is a big surprise to him.
He turns to her and finds her smiling and looking so innocent, something he would want her to hold on to for as long as she can.

"Well if you insist." He grins in her direction. 
"I am Dr. Caleb Young. The only son of my mother." He flashes her his pearly whites after deciding to end there.

"Is that all?" She frowns.
"No father? No place where you grew up from? Friends?"

He balls up his fists instantly at the mention of his father again. There is a reason he refuses to venture into that part of his life, and he doesn't wish to get into it with her now.

"Nope, no father at all." He replies trying to sound calm about the whole thing.

"Oh okay.." she replies even though he can clearly tell it's not. It's almost as if she just said okay because she can tell he doesn't want to get into it.

"There is nothing to tell really." He takes her hand and she just nods.
"I would like you to meet my mother though."

At that she lights up instantly and fully turns to him with eyes full of expectation, while his mind is busy screaming, asking him what he is doing. He tries to convince himself that he is only doing it to make her happy for the moment but he knows it's not true. A look at the twinkle in her eyes is enough to convince him that he really wants to do this. He drops his hands as they shake a bit when he realizes what all this means. He didn't really think that…

"What is she like?" Layla cuts him off of his thinking with a question about his mother. He looks at her trying to figure out the best way to describe the woman who has made him who he is. The light of his world and his anchor in life. It's still a sore subject for him but he finds himself willing to get into it just for her sake. 

"She is beautiful. You would like her. But most importantly, she would love you Layla." He brushes his fingers on her jaws lightly and he grins inwardly at her flushed face. He can't deny that he loves seeing how he affects her so everytime. It's like taking peeks and glimpses of her innocence. And he has no doubt his mother would instantly fall in love with her. 

"She would?"
Again he is snapped out of his thoughts by her question and he smiles without thinking about the action.

"She would, very much." He replies as his thoughts linger a little longer on his mother, suddenly getting the urge to see her and tell her about everything going on with him. Tell her about this beautiful woman that has him wanting things that for so long where a no no for him.

"Then I want to meet her too." She replies and he is surprised at her answer. He didn't really think she would agree to it when he said it, seeing as she wasn't even  ready to hear how he feels about her.

"You would?" He can't help but let her know how surprised he is at that.

"Of course. If that smile on your face is any indication of how beautiful she is, then I want to meet her too."
"Yes that's all you have been doing ever since you mentioned her." She adds after his frown at her answer. 
He didn't even realize he was smiling until she mentioned it.

"What about you?" He regrets his question the moment it leaves his mouth and he mentally slaps himself.  In wanting to escape the heavy emotions surrounding his mother, he just ended up asking the dumbest question that popped up in his mind. 

"Am sorry." He finds her eyes but surprisingly she is smiling making him frown. 

"I would love for you to meet her too. I think she would have loved you too." Her voice suddenly breaks and he pulls her in for a hug. His own heart is aching for her and he mentally slaps himself for being an insensitive jerk. 

"Am sorry." She tries to apologise between sobs. 

"Shhh...no need for you to be. If anything I'm the one who should be sorry." He rubs her back trying to calm her down. This is not what he had in mind when he thought of them getting some fresh air. It's safe to say he messed everything up. 

"Am scared." She suddenly says after a moment of silence and he immediately pulls away to face her.

"But why?" He is confused and her face is not giving anything away.

"Am afraid I'm forgetting her." She takes a deep breath to ease her grief no doubt. He is easily choking up too with everyone of her sobs.
"My mother." She adds when he looks at her confused.

"It's been so long and I'm scared that I won't be able to remember her anymore."

"Oh Layla." He pulls her in for a hug and just holds on tightly as more sobs escape her. A lone tear escapes his eye too and he quickly wipes it afraid to have her see him cry. He is supposed to be strong for her after all.

"She's walking away from me."
He pulls back and studies her face wondering what she is on about. She is full blown crying now and he doesn't know what to do.

"In my dreams..In.. In all my dreams she is walking away from me and I'm scared she will go so far I won't be able to tell it's her anymore. What if I forget her Caleb?" She looks up at him and he is met with her face drenched in her tears that won't stop falling. 

"Oh God Layla." He picks her up and places her on his laps. 

"I don't think that would ever be possible." He presses his lips on her head as he tries to calm her down.
'I don't think that's how it works."
He should know, because he himself hasn't been able to forget.

"We could never forget the people we love even if they are gone. We sure do miss them, but we would never forget them." He tucks away a few lone locks of her hair while she looks at him quietly.
"And I'm sure your mother knows that too." He adds when she stays quiet still. 
"Life has to go on but am sure she knows you would never forget her."

She holds on to him tightly surprising him and he hugs her back just as tight. His face and eyes focussing further away from the ledge they are sitting on. And he hopes he is right about the departed loved ones knowing that there is no way to forget them.