Yours, Always....

Chapter 7:-A Lingering Memory

Emily's usual routine should have been simple—wake up, head to work, help her patients, and return home. But after the day at the waterfall, everything felt different. It had been a few days, but the memory of being so close to Daniel still lingered, making it hard to focus on anything else. She stood by her kitchen window, sipping her usual coffee, trying to shake off the thoughts that kept drifting back to him. The feel of his skin, the warmth of his body pressed against hers—she couldn't stop replaying those moments in her mind. She had tried, of course. She had told herself a hundred times to focus on work, to act normal, but it was harder than she expected.
Arriving at the office, Emily was greeted by Margaret's familiar voice. "Morning, Emily!" she called out from behind her desk, her usual bubbly self. Emily gave her a small smile, hoping she could get through the day without giving away how distracted she felt. "Morning," Emily replied, sitting down at her desk and opening her laptop. But as she glanced at the screen, her mind immediately wandered back to Daniel again. His smile, his laugh, the way he had looked at her by the waterfall. Her heart skipped a beat, and she found herself smiling softly at the memory. Margaret didn't miss a thing, though. "That's a new kind of smile," she said teasingly, leaning over her desk to get a better look at Emily. "What's going on? Got something you're not telling me?" Emily quickly wiped the smile off her face, shaking her head. "It's nothing," she said, trying to sound casual. "Just thinking about the weekend." Margaret raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Oh, come on," she said, grinning. "I know that look. It's definitely something." Emily felt her cheeks flush as she realized she wasn't hiding her feelings as well as she thought. "Fine," she sighed, giving in. "I took Daniel to this... beautiful place. A waterfall. It was just a nice day out, nothing more." But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't true. It had been so much more. The way they had swum together, the way he had pulled her closer, made her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time. Margaret was watching her closely now, her teasing grin growing wider. "Just a nice day out?" she said, clearly not convinced. "You sure about that? I mean, look at your face—you're practically glowing." Emily laughed softly, shaking her head. "It was nothing like that," she insisted, though she could feel her heart racing just talking about it. "We're just... friends. I'm helping him, that's all." But Margaret wasn't giving up that easily. "Helping him, huh?" she said, leaning in a little closer. "And how exactly are you 'helping' him? Because it sounds like there's more going on here than just work." Emily couldn't help but blush as Margaret's words hit a little too close to home. "It's complicated," she admitted quietly, her eyes dropping to her desk. "He doesn't even remember his past... and I don't want to get in the way of that." Margaret softened a little at that, nodding sympathetically. "I get it," she said, sitting back in her chair. "But you can't just pretend those feelings aren't there, you know. Especially if he feels the same way. "Emily bit her lip, her mind racing. She had thought about that, of course. What if Daniel did feel the same? What if he had been just as affected by their time together as she was? But the uncertainty of it all made her hesitant to even think about it. "It's not that simple," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's still trying to find himself. I don't want to make things harder for him. "Margaret gave her a sympathetic smile. "I get that," she said gently. "But you've got to be honest with yourself too. You can't keep pushing these feelings aside forever. "Emily nodded, knowing Margaret was right. But even though she understood it, she wasn't sure if she was ready to face it just yet.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Emily went through the motions, meeting with patients, filling out paperwork, but her mind never fully left Daniel. She wondered what he was doing, if he had thought about that day as much as she had. Every time she thought about it, her heart would race, and she'd find herself wishing she could relive those moments over and over again. By the time she returned home, the weight of her emotions felt heavier than ever. She sat down on the couch, staring out the window at the fading light. Her heart ached with the desire to be close to him, but at the same time, the fear of ruining what they had kept her silent. "I wish I could tell you," she thought, her eyes closing as she imagined him standing in front of her. "I wish I could tell you everything I feel, but I'm scared of what might happen. "The memory of the waterfall was still fresh in her mind—the way his body had felt against hers, the way he had looked at her without realizing what he was doing to her heart. And no matter how much she tried to focus on anything else, those moments always came back, reminding her of how deep she had fallen. But for now, she had to keep it hidden. She had to keep pretending, for both their sakes.