The Blooming Flower (on hold)

Chapter 14

Allison blinked a couple times to ensure her eyes didn't deceive her, and they definitely didn't. But it still felt like a dream. She dreamt of this woman so many times before that it must be. No way in hell could this woman be her counselor. The world was small, but not that small. What were the odds that she would meet her again and so close to her hometown after they met all the way out in Stamford? She wondered how close this woman lived to her or even if she lived right in Southington. Southington wasn't that big though so she would have seen her around before; she and Todd knew almost everyone in Southington although not friendly with all. The point though: the fact that the woman worked here meant she couldn't live ridiculously far, which would mean that her baby wouldn't be far away.

And what was she saying? She already went through this this afternoon at the grocery store. It was a ridiculous notion. No way in hell could this woman be her baby's future mother.

But the fact that they met again so far away from the initial location and so close to her home screamed: "no coincidence!" She didn't believe in them anyway, and this incident just proved her right (in this situation anyway, but she never encountered a situation that disproved her theory). This must mean what she thinks it means, but it sounded so crazy all at the same time. But this couldn't be a coincidence. No way!

"Allison?" a voice called, interrupting Allison's racing, conflicting thoughts and she looked up to see Debra still standing in the door way, a puzzled and concerned expression on her face, and Allison suddenly remembered why she was here with this woman.

"Sorry," said Allison, still lost in her bewilderment and struggling to come back to reality. "It's just I'm surprised to see you. Remember me from the adoption agency?"

"I'm sorry?" said the woman, the perplexedness not leaving her face. "I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about."

This response caused Allison to feel even more baffled. How could she not remember her? It had only been a few days ago.

"The adoption agency. On Thursday morning? We saw each other from across the room," Allison explained, hoping to jog Debra's memory. Maybe she just had a lot on her mind and forgot. Although that would be highly unlikely for someone to forget going to an adoption center considering they want to adopt a child; you don't just go for the fun of it.

"I never went to an adoption agency," said Debra.

Oh no! What was happening? She was going crazy! Maybe she was seeing things and this was not the woman she saw on Thursday. But it had to be; she looked just like her!

She was at a loss for words; she didn't want to argue with this woman who, whether she was in fact the woman from the adoption agency or not, technically was a stranger.

One thing she knew for sure though-- that she and this woman (or the woman from the adoption center)--shared a connection that day. But somehow it vanished in the fact that this woman, for whatever reason, held no memory of the incident.

"Maybe she has amnesia," she thought, desperate to make sense of this confusing situation.

"Allison are you okay?" Debra asked, concerned, clearly observing her obviously ridiculous expression as she absorbed all of this.

She came here to get counseling and so she needed to put this out of mind. It would be hard, but she needed to try. So she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked Debra in the eye.

"Yes," she said. "I'm fine. I just thought you were someone else." But even as she said that she knew that that couldn't possibly be true. It's not exactly like she got a glimpse of Debra or even the woman on Thursday. Debra stood here for probably a whole minute ("of your appointment," she reminded herself) and she and the woman at the agency locked eyes for most likely thirty whole seconds, enough for her to take in her features and recognize her even though they were at least three feet apart, and Allison did recognize her. But she couldn't fathom why Debra didn't hold the same recognition. Oh boy, this would be an interesting appointment.