Amnesia

Chapter 17

                      Evan

I swung Sam's hand as we walked out if the café on Sunday morning. I snook glances at her constantly, just to see her smiling mouth and wind-messed hair.
It was time to tell her.

"Sam, you're my best friend, you know that, right?"

Sam looks back at me with dark blue eyes.
  "Evan, I'm your only friend. Let alone best."
  A light chuckle slips out of my lips.

"True. So as you are my only friend, best friend, and girlfriend, I can tell you anything, right?"
  "Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's wrong," she replies lazily.

I take a deep breath in, calming my nerves for what I was about to say, and what her reaction would be.
  We have only been dating for a month or so, but I've liked her for a year and she's liked me for a very long time.
  I think it's time to say it.

"I love you," I say quietly.
Sam's head jerks to attention.
  "What?" She gasps in shock. I can't tell if it's a good shock or a bad shock.

"I love you." I repeat, my voice more confident this time.
  "Really?" Sam says, her eyes sparkling.
  "Why wouldn't I?"
"Like, are you serious? This isn't a prank or anything?" Sam asks anxiously, cracking her knuckles.
     I flinch at the noise of grinding bones, trying to make my irritation unnoticeable, as to not make our conversation go off topic.

"Yes, Sam, I'm serious. As serious as seriously possible."
  My tummy starts to get butterflies. I look down at my feet, nervous that she doesn't love me back and it will be awkward.

"I love you, too." Sam grins. I reflect her expression and we embrace in a hug.
  Sam lifts her face from my shoulder and brings it to face mine. She presses her lips against mine, her arms wrapped around my neck. Our lips stay attached for several minutes.
  I wish I could freeze this moment, and stay kissing her until I die.

"So you meant it? Really?” Sam asks with a grin, her arms still around my neck, just the kissing finally stopped.

"I said what I mean and I meant what I said." I reply, quoting Horton the elephant from her favourite movie, Horton hears a Who.
  She kisses me once more, then unwraps her arms from my neck.
"Let's go to your mum's."

∞

Once we reach Mum's house, I open my bag, taking out the cough medicine.

"Let's go," Sam encourages, taking off her seatbelt and getting out of the car.
  We walk past the cherry trees, a smile spreading on my lips as we walk by them. We reach the end of the path and knock on the door.

  "Hey, Erin." I grin at my sister. A red polka dot bandana is in Erin's wild curls, an attempt to tame her black hair.
  "Hey, little bro. This your girlfriend?" Erin teases, expecting me to groan and protest that Sam's just a friend.

"Yup." I reply confidently. A look of surprise washes over Erin's face.
  "Oh! Bravo, Evan!" Erin smiles. She turns to Sam. "I'm Erin. Lovely to meet you.
"Sam. You too." The pair hug.
  
"Come on in! Alfie and I came up here for a day trip with the kids, and I made toffee cake, so we can all feast on that." Erin beckons us in. The second I enter I slip off my shoes and put them on the rack.

We follow Erin into the kitchen, where Alfie, Rubin, and Kazia are sitting, munching on cake. Rubin and Kazia come running towards me, screaming my name.
   I pick up their small bodies and swing the twins around.

Though they are twins, they're very different. Kazia inherited Erin's black curls, whereas Rubin has Alfie's brown hair. Kazia has freckles, Rubin has glasses. Kazia is very small, Rubin's very tall. When Erin says they're twins to people they are surprised, as they thought Rubin was 7 and Kazia 5.

"Come on guys," I say, walking with difficulty as Kazia and Rubin are sitting on my feet. Alfie sees and laughs fondly, picking up the six year olds.

Sam attempted to sit beside me, but gets a firm push away by Rubin, who demanded he sit beside me. I chuckle and give a sympathetic look to Sam, who laughs and shrugs.
 
Mum comes down, coughing into her sleeve.
  "Hello, darling." She croaks, hugging me. I hand her the cough medicine.
  Once she's taken some, she hugs me again, thanking me.

"Hello, Rubin and Kazia!" Mum says, her voice clearer. "And Sam, how are you?"

We make small talk while eating toffee cake, Mum getting to know Sam. Kazia climbs onto one of my knees, Rubin perched on the other.

After tea, Mum, Erin, and Sam disappear outside to go for a walk, leaving Alfie and I to watch TV with the kids.

"So, what movie do you want to watch?" I ask Kazia and Rubin. They slide off my lap and take Ratatouille out of the cabinet.

"I want this one!" Rubin demands.
"Rubin," Alfie says sternly.
"May we please watch this movie, pleeeaaasssee?" Rubin begs.

"Yes, of course. Kazia, do you want to watch it too?" Alfie asks, pulling Kazia onto his lap.
"Yes, daddy. I like the rats. They're cute." Kazia smiles.
  Alfie smiles back at her and Kazia leans back into Alfie's stomach, using him as a sofa.

I start the movie, Rubin sitting impatiently beside me. He swings his legs and makes obnoxious noises for the first hour, but then settles down finally.

Once the movie ends, we hear a sharp knock on the door. I look out the window to see an ambulance and police car.

I open the door to see a paramedic.
"Erin Coleman, Clarissa Coleman, and Sam Ross have been hit by a car. We would like you to go with them to the hospital. They are badly injured, but will survive."