Romantic One Shots & Imagines

One Shot #15: Memory Loss part II

                 It was time to go home. Its been almost a week since I woke up. Nurses kept an extra eye on me and the doctor visited more often. Ben came by everyday. I didn't get any other visitors. They deemed me too "unstable" and "unpredictable". I didn't want to be hostile, but what do they expect from someone who has no memory at all of the past 7 years!

                 I've learned a lot since I've been awake. The nurses and my T.V has caught me up. Gay marriage is now legal, Beyonce came out with a new album, apparently Kimye is a thing, The war with Iraq ended? The US and Cuba are friends again? I still have a lot to catch up on but they've all warned me to not overwhelm myself and to take things slow.

                 Ben has been distant. I don't blame him after what I pulled earlier. He is pretty dedicated though. The me that knew him was pretty lucky, I guess. Some days, I wanted to appologize, but I didn't know how to say it. We would only talk about little things. Eventually, I got the courage to ask him about my parents. I was scared of what he would say. He told me that my mom had no choice but to put my dad in a nursing home a few months after I moved in with him. My mom moved to be closer to the home. I asked him why they didn't come visit me and that was when he told me we weren't even in the same country as them. I moved with Ben after we got married to his home town in Alberta, Canada. He has, however, called my parents every day to update them on me. I couldn't thank him enough for that. He even promised to set up the webcam so I could skype them.

                 They wheel me out the hospital, much to my protest. Everyday when they weren't looking, I would walk around my room. I wanted to get my legs up and working since they had me bedridden. I've been skeptical with everything that they've told me, but I can't help but trust Ben, even a little bit. He's been nothing but helpful and loving. But me? I've been a bitch to him. He didn't deserve that.

                                                            We pull up to a driveway. "Your...our house is beautiful." I look in awe.

                                                            "This is actually my parents' house." He says as he rings the doorbell.

                                                            "Oh my dear, Lana! Its so great to see you!" A plump older lady exclaims as she hugs me.

                                                            "Mom..." Ben complains as he makes gestures.

                                                            "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to bombard you." She faintly touches my cheeks before backing off completely. 

                                                            "Hi, I'm Ben's dad, Allen. Nice to meet you, Lana...again." He says more calm.

                                                           "Mommy!" I hear the squeals of a little girl say. The petite, olive skinned beauty pushes past the legs of Ben's parents and grabs onto mine. My head immediately pops up to Ben, then to his parents. I telekinetically send a distress signal to them. Ben was with me for a week but failed to tell me that I had a daughter!

                                                            He picks her up. "We'll see you this week. Thanks for watching her." We wave bye to his parents. More like he does while I try to focus on how to move my own hand.

***********

                      She was tired. Ben put her to bed while I stayed downstairs. I rush to the bathroom to vomit. Butterflies started to form in my stomach, but they weren't the same butterflies you get with a crush. A whole fucking kid? I lay back and catch my breath before washing out my mouth. I stare at myself for the first time in...years. Physically, its been a couple of months, but the last thing I remember was getting ready for my first career interview. He told me I graduated in 2008 and met him later that year at a New Years party.

                      I open the door only to find him standing on the other side of it. He gazes at me apologetically. I don't even know how to start. I push past him and go back outside. Fresh air always helped tame my stomach. He follows close behind me.

                                                        "Its cold out here. Lets go back in." He pleads.

                                                        "'Its cold out here'? Thats all you have to say?" I try not to shout. "You didn't think me having a daughter was important enough information to tell me before?! God! I felt...I felt so stupid. How could I not know my own child. She was probably wondering why I didn't even say hello to her! I've had one week to catch up on years worth of information..."

                                                         "Thats why I didn't say anything." He takes a deep breath. "I didn't expect her to come running. When I called my parents, they said she fell asleep waiting up for us. I wanted to tell you gently when we went to pick her up." He lets out a heavy sigh. "I would have told you earlier. You have no idea how many things I wanted to tell you! The doctor told me to be careful about how much to tell you at a time. Your brain might relapse if you get too overwhelmed..." He looks down. "I was also afraid of how you might react. You didn't exactly take it too well when you learned I was your husband. I was afraid you might react worse. I don't want her to question why her mother hates her."

                                                          "I'm not a monster. That wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry that I acted that way. You have no idea how it feels right now for me. I have no memory of ever meeting you and I learn within the same day that I'm married to you, a total stranger. I over reacted, but of course I didn't take it lightly. I've missed so much! Its not even certain that I'm ever going to get that back!"

                                                          "You're right." He shakes his head. "I should have told you earlier. I'm sorry. You know, I was scared too. I still am."

                                                           "...Well, I guess we'll be scared together." I move toward him. "What's her name? Tell me everything about her."

                  We walk back into the living room. He pulls out a scrap book, he says I put together, dedicated to her. Her name is Adeline Rose. She's three years old, but would always say "three and a half". She was born February 9th, 2012. Her favorite color is purple and is obsessed with cats. I smile as I watch Ben proudly go on about her. The more I stare at her pictures, the more I see parts of him and I in her. Its weird for me to call her my daughter and even weirder to call her "our" daughter. I pray that I start to get my memory back soon.

                                                                                       The End.