The start of something new

Liam and Alma: Memories forgotten

Alma walked in the front door of her apartment, she could hear the TV playing so she knew her father was home.

Beside her walked her best friend Sofie. Together this duo could do almost anything.

If Henry didn't know better he would say that they were deliberately trying to give him a heart attack. This day was no different.

Sofie had recently gotten into theater make-up and she needed someone to practice on. This time it wasn't something big.
She just had to get a bald cap to look realistic.

As the good friend Alma was she would happily contribute.

The girls thought the bald cap looked so realistic that they had to annoy Henry with it.

As the two sixteen year olds where walking into the living room they tried hard not to laugh. This was just to hilarious.

"Dad!" Alma played the role as being fanatic extremely good. "Dad! Where are you?" She yelled out again.

She heard the volume on the TV being turned down.

"We're in the living room." Her dad replied.

Alma looked at Sofie. She mouthed a quick 'we'. Wondering who the other person was. Sofie just shrugged.

"Alma?" Her dad yelled out again, wondering what took her so long.

Both Sofie and Alma had to take a few deep breaths before going in. They couldn't laugh. That would give it away.

"Dad..." Alma said sadly as she stepped into the living room reviling herself. She tried to fake a few tears as well.

Henry stared at his now bald daughter. He was speechless.

Martin who was sitting next to him fell into a coughing fit.

"Is it that bad?" She started crying.

Henry stood up and walked over to his daughter. His eyes rapidly moved between Sofie and Alma. Sofie looked down at the floor, almost ashamed.

"Sofie was supposed to give me an under cut, but the shaver slipped." Alma cried more. Henry wrapped his arms around his upset daughter. He had never in his wildest dreams thought that this was going to happen.

"It was an accident. I promise." Sofie looked up at him with glossy eyes.

"It's okay. Accidents happens and hair grows out." He told them both. "Just wished it wasn't right before the wedding." He mumbled slightly.

"But my hair. It's gone." Alma exclaimed. Even more tears seeping out.

"Does it look bad uncle M?" She asked her uncle who had finally gotten rid of his cough.

"No, baby. If  someone ever did look good being bald it's you." Martin let out the biggest belly laugh anyone of them had ever heard before.

This got the girls to get out of character. They started laughing with him. Henry looked extremely confused until Alma took of the bald cap.

Henry had to sit down for a bit. He was so reviled that it was just a joke. Of course if it wasn't that would've been okay too. But he knew his daughter, if she didn't do it on purpose she would've let him hear it every day.

"Well. This was fun, but now I got to go. See you later." Sofie said as she ran out of the apartment.

Alma chucked her bald cap at Martin before she sat down on the couch. Henry had stood up from his spot on the floor and was ready to watch the rest for the soccer game that was playing on the the TV.

"Where did you even get this?" Martin asked holding up the bald cap.

"Sofie is getting into this weird theater make-up thing at school. She needed someone to practice one. This will not be my last time coming home with weird stuff in my hair or on my face." Alma warned them.

"Hey, dad. Remember when I almost gave you a heart attack by coming home bald?" Alma asked, theoretically.

"Vaguely, what a bout it?" Henry loved that they had the same sense of humor.

"You said something about a wedding. Who's wedding?" Henry looked at Martin and then at Alma. He didn't realize he had said that out loud.

"Liam and Sara is getting married soon. They just sent me and updated today." Martin said, eying Alma carefully. It had been a while since she had even heard those names and to be honest she needed time to find out who they even were. She had no idea why her dad and Martin was so subtle about it.

"Cool, when?" She asked. Henry was kind of surprised by the way she acted so indifferent about it. The last time the duo was mentioned she cried for a whole week. That was seven years ago, but they thought she would have a more intense reaction.

Maybe them not mentioning Liam and Sara actually was a good idea. She didn't seem bothered now.

"They're on their way home as we speak. So the wedding will be in three weeks." Martin explained, he also was a little surprised by her reaction, or the lack of it.

"This will be the first time they're in the US in seven years. That's a long time." Henry looked at Alma, he hoped maybe that would get a reaction from her, but it didn't.

"Sara also wondered if you wanted to be one of her bridesmaids." Alma looked at her dad. Her brows furrowed.

"Why? Didn't think I was invited." This got Henry and Martin's attention quickly.

"Why wouldn't you be invited?" Henry asked utterly confused by her statement.

"I don't know these people, I can't remember one thing about them. Why would I be a bridesmaid to someone I don't know?" Alma shrugged.

"Oh shit." Martin mumbled. Both the men had now seen where it had gone wrong. The last time she saw them she was ten. She should remember them.

It was just one minor thing. Alma was in a pretty bad car accident with one of her teachers. The teacher didn't survive. Alma got out with a concussion and memory loss. One of the things she forgot was small events that had happened long ago. Stuff that wasn't really important, but nice to remember.

Alma recognized the names, she had always been good at names. She knew Liam was Martin's son and Sara was Liam's fiancé.

She also knew that Liam used to babysit her a lot in the past, but she never seemed to remember any of that.

Martin always explained Liam to be one of the most important people in Alma's life, and she was one of the most important in Liam's life.

Still she couldn't seem to remember this important guy at all.

"Alma, don't you remember Liam?" Henry asked carefully. He knew that if Alma didn't recognize him Liam would be crushed.

"I remember the name and the face, but I can't remember anything other than that. Like things that happened. But it can't be that important right? I've never forgoten the important things."

"Let's find something to help jog your memory. I think I have a photo album with you and him somewhere." Henry didn't answer the girls question. He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to scare her either. This was a big deal. Even a huge deal. Alma noticed her dads lack of answers.

"Here it is." Henry came back with a photo album in his hands.