Remember When

Part 7

I will always remember your love for your family and we both promised that we would work it out together as we start our own…

Richard watched as Maine gave him a look of surprise – and then, more of confusion. And it pained him to see her like this. It pained him to see her look at him as if everything was a first time for her. It pained him that gone was the loving look in her eyes, and in return was a blank face. She would look at him and there was nothing. He missed seeing her face looking at him as if the sun rose and set on him. He missed her loving embrace and her passionate kisses. He missed Maine so much that it hurt.

And now, he learned that their one night together has brought this adorable boy in this world. It felt good to have Arthur in his arms, and his son seemed to know that he was with his father. Richard knew that this child was his. Arthur looked like him when he was young, except that this little angel has dimples on both cheeks, a pair of beautiful eyes and that distinctive cleft chin like his mother.

“I don’t understand. Give me Arthur.” Maine said. He gave her their son. This time, Arthur no longer hesitated and she received him with trembling hands. Richard noticed her eyes welling up with tears. Their son looked at her and traced her face with his little fingers and giggled. With another playful jump in her arms, he leaned and rested his head on his mother’s shoulder. He watched as she closed her eyes and hugged her baby tighter, tears were still flowing down her face.

“I’m sorry.”

Maine looked at him. She did not say anything as she left them and walked towards her room. Her mother tried to offer to take the baby from her but she shook her head. She was now crying and as if the baby sensed his mother’s distress, Arthur cried as well. Everyone watched Maine go up to her room. They heard the door close.

Richard turned to everyone. Maine’s parents were only looking at him, so did Paolo. He cleared his throat.

“I came here with good intentions, Sir, Madam.” He started. He also nodded at Paolo as acknowledgment. “I’ve been looking for her since she left. I didn’t know that she lost her memory until that day when I went to her place of work and she took my order. She never recognized me.” Yes, he could still remember that first day he met her again months ago. He sat on that corner of the café and watched her approach him.

It was the most painful feeling he ever had. She looked at him and never recognized him, as if everything that happened between them were only in his beautiful dreams. Pain gripped his heart every day since she was gone and he could not do anything because he was afraid that he might scare her. He took his time out from his work and duties and spent a day with her every month, trying on different ways to make her remember: her special coffee, the man and his violin, the paper roses... He was surprised to see Hunter who looked like his dog and heard from her mother that she was never a dog person before. Probably in her subconscious, she remembered the bond she had with his own dog, Jill.

And then their son. She named him Arthur, after the name of his late father. He wondered on how much she remembered now. He wanted to talk to her but he knew that he had to wait patiently until she was ready. He didn’t want to force himself to her because right now, he was a stranger to her. When would this end, he didn’t know.

His musings were interrupted when Maine’s father asked. “What happened?”

“I ordered her specially brewed coffee because I know she likes that –“

Jaime shook his head. “Not that. What happened to her? What happened to the both of you? Because all we knew was that someone found my daughter on a beach, and they only recognized her through an identification they found in her pocket. The police traced it and found us. Can you even imagine how it made us feel?”

Richard didn’t say anything. Maine’s father was in pain, too. All of them.

“Can you imagine what it felt like to see her helpless in the hospital?” Jaime continued, “She was in a coma for a short while and when she finally woke up, she didn’t remember anything about what happened to her. She remembered us, and then a few weeks later, we found her pregnant. It scared her because she could not remember who the father was, until now.”

“I just learned now that we have a son.”

“So, what happened?” Lynda asked him. They both turned when Maine came out of the room. It disappointed him that she did not bring Arthur. He wanted to see him and hold him again. He watched as she went down the stairs. She was still as beautiful as the first day he met her. His heart swelled at the beautiful bittersweet memories they had together.

Maine looked up to him. “Who are you?”

“My name is Richard –“

She shook her head immediately. “Who are you in my life? Help me remember you because I tried to rack my brains for the people I met, for any event that has happened before the accident. Imagine my surprise when I woke up from coma and learned later that I’m pregnant. Arthur was a strong baby and he lived through it with me.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Richard wanted to reach out to wipe it but he knew that she would not let him do that. At least, not for now.

“Maine, I’m your love. We met in Tuscany where you worked in my cousin’s house.” He came from a very elusive yet influential family in Europe. His life was all planned out and it all changed when he met her. She was the sunshine that brought the brightest days in his life. He loved her so much that he endured the pain since the day she was gone. And he never stopped looking for her because he knew, in his heart, that she would not just leave without a trace. She didn’t drown in the ocean. He knew she was a survivor and he was right. He knew the reasons now and he would not stop until she was back in his life. Now, with their son.

Maine still could not remember.  “Did you know how I ended up on a beach in Greece?”

“We were together in Greece. I have a house there. I went out to prepare a surprise for you. When I got back, you were gone. There was no letter or anything. Even your things were gone. I tried looking for you.” He stared at her and he longed to have her back in his arms. “Nobody knew where you were, until my hired investigator found you in a café. It has been months, Maine. I am trying to make you remember. I always go to the coffee shop once a month because that’s the only time I am permitted to leave everything and be with you. Today is one of those days. I don’t want to give up. I won’t give up, Maine.”

Maine looked down as she continuously wiped her tears. Richard wanted to hug her and soothe her cries.

“Maine…”

She covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember.” She cried.

He understood. He would not push things further. She needed the time. Now that he found her again, and she already knew who he was in her life, he would not go anywhere, especially now that he finally got through a workaround in their once forbidden affair. He would do anything to get her back and he would fight his family, against all odds, just to be with this woman.

“I hope you will remember us after reading this,” he said. He took something from his bag. When she looked at him, he was holding out the notebook that he always use. “Take this, please.” She did not hesitate and received the notebook. “Read it, Maine, and I hope you will remember that I love you. I will always love you.”