Unbreakable Duty

Bringing Back Memories

Fahlada stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a fresh set of clothes, a towel still hanging on her shoulder, her damp hair clinging to her neck as she quietly closed the door behind her. Her footsteps were quiet, almost hesitant, as she walked back into their shared room.

The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast a warm light over the room, illuminating Earn, who was seated on the edge of the bed. Legs crossed, still drying her hair with a towel of her own. She looked up the moment Fahlada entered. She had stopped drying her hair, the towel now draped over her shoulders as she watched Fahlada with careful eyes.

Their eyes met.

This time, Fahlada didn't look away. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a cautious step forward, her heart pounding in her chest like a soldier marching toward uncertain war.

For a moment, neither spoke. The tension that had been building since they left Lau Pa Sat settled thickly between them, a quiet storm waiting to break.

Fahlada swallowed, her fingers curling at her sides. She had rehearsed this moment in her mind a hundred times before stepping out of that bathroom, but now, standing in front of Earn, her carefully constructed thoughts crumbled.

Earn was the first to speak.

"You said we'd talk," she said, her voice calm but expectant.

Fahlada nodded. She pulled the chair from the dresser and sat across from Earn, hands folded in her lap, as if bracing for impact.

"I did," Fahlada replied.

There was a moment of silence. The hum of the aircon filled the room, soft and steady, almost like a countdown.

Fahlada's throat tightened. She had promised herself she would tell Earn the truth - at least, as much as she could. But how much was too much? How much could Earn handle? The last thing she wanted was to disrupt the fragile progress of Earn's recovery.

So she did what she always did when faced with uncertainty. She turned the question back to Earn. "Before anything else... I want to ask you something first."

Earn blinked, slightly taken aback by the question. "Okay?"

"What do you remember about me?" Fahlada's gaze softened, her voice gentler than before.

The question hung in the air, heavy and charged.

Earn blinked, slightly taken aback by the question. "What?"

"I know you want answers," Fahlada started, voice low and steady, though her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

"And believe me, Earn... I want to tell you everything." She swallowed, her throat tight, but her face remained composed. "But I also need to be careful." Her hand flexed slightly, like she wanted to reach for Earn, but didn't dare.

"Your memories... they're fragile. I can't risk flooding you with everything at once and hurting you, hurting your recovery. I need to follow your lead. I'll only tell you what you already remember... or what you're ready to remember."

She let the words settle, her gaze never wavering, even though it hurt to hold it.
"I'm not hiding from you," she added, softer now, almost like a confession. "I'm protecting you. I hope you understand."

Fahlada leaned closer towards Earn from the chair near the dresser. "You said before that some things feel familiar to you, but I never asked what exactly you remember about me." She clasped her hands together, hiding the nervous tremor in her fingers. "I think it's important to start there."

Earn is still looking down at the floor. Fahlada could see the gears turning in her head, searching through scattered memories, trying to put them into something coherent.