A Deceiving Passion

Giving Up

"Lindsey, what happened this morning?" Sharon asked, being ever so gentle with her words considering he looked upset.

Nothing would ever compare to the year of torment he went through without Stevie, but knowing she was alive and knowing she simply just didn't remember him, it hit a different kind of nerve.

"We didn't even see her leave," Lori claimed. "Everything was going so well... What happened?"

"She just doesn't remember," he shrugged. "I tried so hard and she told me that everything was familiar and she was crying so much," he shook his head. "If she would have let me, I could have probably brought on some more memories but she ran out when I accidentally called her by her name. I called her Stevie. I wasn't thinking and-- she was really upset with me."

Lori rose her brow, knowing it couldn't possibly been his fault; he was not to be blamed.

"I'm sorry, Lindsey," Sharon sighed.

"I kissed her... She responded," he explained.

"Well, that's good... If she responded," the redhead mentioned.

"But she stopped me, she said she couldn't do it... because of her kids. She didn't want to be unfaithful..." he sighed. "If only she really knew." He brought his hand up to his head.

"Hasn't that been the biggest thing?" Lori added. "I mean, getting her to remember who she is, it's really a lot harder than we thought. We thought she'd have an instant connection to us and she did but she doesn't understand why she feels so close to us."

"It's really something, "Sharon agreed. "I did read, a long time ago, that people who develop amnesia, obviously it's due to a hit to the head, but if she would have woke up and saw you first, she could have been gone for five minutes and then suddenly remembered everything," she snapped her fingers. "But she woke up being told she was somebody else and though it didn't feel right, she got comfortable with her new normal. There's just a lot from her past self that speaks to her. Now that it's been so long, she's not remembering because now she has a new sense of self. Not to mention she's a mother either way so she probably felt motherhood at her fingertips and just stepped up as Stevie would, not necessarily as Samantha would and it just felt right."

He nodded. "Do we know anything about Samantha? I mean... Where's she at if not with her husband and kids?"

"Karen said it seems she's residing somewhere in Florida. She suffers from mental health issues and I guess she had really bad postpartum depression after having one of the kids; I assume after having the baby, Sofia. And I guess she took off and left then so she and Brian are probably still married."

"That's terrible... I don't know how some women can do that."

"She might not have wanted help," Lori added. "I was on a mild dose of medicine after having Jessica and as soon as I was better, I got off of it and I was fine. I know Stevie rejected any medication due to not wanting issues getting off and she was always good and just made the effort to make herself better. Some people don't have that kind of control and some people just aren't nurturing like others."

"A dad on his own, I'd imagine Stevie coming along was probably a shock but a form of help... Circumstances aren't right, but you know it's hard doing it alone," Sharon added.

"Yeah... I do. I don't blame the kids and I certainly don't blame his intentions if that is the case, but couldn't he have just hired a nanny? Perhaps, met somebody else?"

"I feel like he really thought it was his wife..."

"I don't," Lori disagreed.

"I don't know if I believe that either..." Lindsey shook his head. "Anyway, how old is the baby?" he wondered.