Remember? A Harry Styles Story

Chapter 3

We walked in the house silently, all of us feeling somber. I looked around to see a large staircase and a kitchen, some stools, and then the dining room. I walked in to the living room and saw a fireplace, television, and a rack that held a book and cd collection. I stood still and sighed, “Wow.” 

Mum came behind me and patted my shoulder, “Why don’t you have Lia show you the house?”

I nodded and smiled at Lia, waiting for her to walk down the hallway. It was strange to have her with me. I felt incredibly remorseful that I couldn’t remember a thing about her. She seemed very kind to me, though. We got along well, she's been visiting me every day for the last two weeks since I've been in the hospital. My mum and Lia came every day. Gemma, Jack, and their son, Pheonix, came once a week. I had to be introduced to Pheonix again. I guess my memory didn't stretch enough to remember him being born.

Lia broke my train of thought and pointed at the first door, turning to me, “Spare room. We used it as an office. Here’s another spare room.” She pointed to the right, “We workout here.” She walked further into the hallway and opened a door, “Toilet.” One more door and she opened it, as if I was supposed to walk in. “Our bedroom.”

I stepped inside to see that the wood flooring continued into the room. There was a shaggy rug on the floor that felt nice to walk across. The bed was enormous with a fluffy white duvet and lots of pillows. 

I sat on it, sinking into it. I tapped my head where the bandage was, covering my “ginormous gash,” as mum put it. I was a bit disappointed that the nurses had to shave my head in order to fix my skull, but maybe it was time for a new hair style for Harry Styles.

Glancing around the room, there were picture frames filled with photos of Lia and I, Gem and I, Mum and Lia and Gem, my family, and what I assumed was Lia’s family. The cutest picture was me, Lia, and mum holding a newborn baby who I guessed to be Pheonix. 

I stood and stepped into the closet, looking at the mixture of my clothes with Lia’s clothes. I have lots of shoes, ripped jeans, and plaid shirts, I thought. 

"You can look around as much as you like." Lia said quietly. "I’ll be out talking to your mum." 

I nodded, “Thanks.” As I heard the door close, I reached into the hanging shirts and picked out one that I wanted to wear, one with some kind of printed design on the front. I ruffled around in the drawers of my trousers and jeans, dress pants and swim shorts. I pulled an ugly pair of red jeans out and laughed to myself. 

Why would I buy these? I set them down and felt something small in the pocket. 

I heard myself gasp but it didn’t fully register in my mind. This shocked me more than losing my memory. I was planning to propose to her. I hid a ring in here. 

One million questions filled my head, but the scared little boy in me tossed the box into the jeans and the jeans back into the drawer before exiting the room and pretending nothing suspicious had happened at all.

Lia and mum were smiling about something as I walked into the front room. I sat at the dining table with them, running my fingers through my hair and sighed. “Can you guys tell me some things about me?”

Lia smiled and looked at mum, who smiled and looked at me. “We might need some dinner before that, love. Who wants Thai?”

I listened to Lia talk, watching the way her face lit up when explaining some of her memories to me. She would talk with her hands, laughing and smiling when she would describe a funny part. 

"And then after the show, I brought cupcakes out for everyone backstage. They loved them and I shoved two of them in your face and you had frosting all over." She laughed, making both my mum and I laugh. "And so that was your nineteenth birthday." 

I got up to put our dishes into the sink. I heard my mum whispering to Lia, “He’s doing good, I think.” I stood in front of the fridge, pretending to look for something. I wondered if I was going to be doing good, or doing better. I wondered if I’d ever feel like my old self again. Not that I remember my old self anyways. 

"I’m going to head off to bed. You guys make yourselves comfortable." Lia said, "There’s piles of sheets and duvets in the hallway closet." She smiled and walked down the hall. 

Mum looked at me and smiled, “Come and talk.” 

I sat down and brought Lia’s blanket over my legs, “I feel weird.” 

"Why?" 

I shrugged my shoulders, putting my thoughts into words, “I’m in my own home. But I don’t feel comfortable here. I don’t remember my girlfriend or any friends I’ve made in the last five years.” I rubbed my face, so overwhelmed with this, “I don’t remember my nephew.” 

Mum placed her hand on mine, “It’s going to take a lot out of you to be able to get used to. This won’t be easy. But this is your life now. You are still able to do whatever you please.” She smiled and paused to prevent herself from crying. "You’re still a great man but you’ll always be my little boy." She pulled me in and kissed my forehead. "We’ll get through this together." She whispered.

I let it out and just cried, hugging my mum as though it would make everything better.