Lethe Vita

Chapter 43

In the week between Christmas and New Year's, it was not unheard of for employees to take a lackadaisical approach.

The week frequently contained little work, reducing employees' productivity significantly until lackadaisical seemed the most fitting approach.

This was particularly true of office workers and, he had assumed, government employees.

From federal to municipal, he didn't expect any of them to get work done that week.

He had been wrong.

They received the call from their attorney shortly before New Year's.

"Did you know Dylan had an earring?" asked Brenda by way of greeting.

"Now that you mention it, I do recall him having an earring," said their attorney. "What happened to that, McKay?"

Dylan told the attorney the same as he had told Brenda when the subject had come up.

They had been lying in bed, in their usual preferred state. Almost as if she had been compelled to do so, Brenda had fixated on tracing Dylan's arm.

"Where's your tattoo?" she had asked.

"Tattoo?" Dylan had asked, gathering Brenda's hair to kiss along her skin.

"You had one," she said. "It was a large one, here," she had tapped at his arm.

"Never had a tattoo," said Dylan.

"You did," said Brenda. "Bright and colorful. It was a dragon playing foosball, wasn't it? Or – I think it was a dragon. Maybe I'm remembering that part wrong, but there was definitely foosball involved. Did you get it removed? It was so pretty; why would you get it removed?"

"Shane," Dylan had realized. "You're thinking of Shane. That was his tattoo. He was a champion foosball player, and damn proud of it."

"Shit," said Brenda. "I was so sure it was yours."

Dylan couldn't begrudge her the memory, even if she had mixed up his body art – or lack thereof – with that of Shane's.

"Don't sweat it," he said. "Arnold said your memories may blur together as they return. What's important is that you're still getting 'em."

"I was really hoping I'd had another one of you."

A frown had hinted upon Brenda's lips, which Dylan had cut off with his own.

"Any memory is good," he had reminded her, dragging his lips across hers. "If you remembered Shane's tattoo, you'll remember other stuff. In the meantime, I'm more than happy to keep recreating, and keep answering any questions you may have."

"Did you ever have anything?" she asked.

Dylan had lifted Brenda's hand to curl upon his ear.

"I did have an earring, right here," he said. "Jimbo hated that thing. Made him think I was a thug. Something about pierced teenage boys doesn't sit right with dads."

"Would it sit right with you if Aria's boyfriend showed up with a piercing?" asked Brenda.

Dylan had reminded Brenda that Aria wouldn't date in high school.

"She'll be like Andrea," he said. "No boyfriends until college. Or girlfriends," he hastened to add.

"She looks too much like you," said Brenda. "Good luck with keeping her single."

"Too much like you," Dylan had corrected, "and we'll revisit this when she's in high school and tells us she doesn't want to date until college."

"You have some high hopes."