The Persistence of Memory | ✔

05

The picture depicted a vineyard painted in brilliant greens and earthy browns. Pink, red, yellow, and orange tones blended into a perfect sunset. In Nina's mind, the image faded, replaced by a more familiar one. There was no scent of jasmine or spices. No faint music playing somewhere nearby. No hallway with cream colored walls or the clacking of shoes on hardwood floors. No green eyes staring intently back at Nina.

Just the autumn woods and the river. It was there for a second and gone in the next. Once it was gone, Nina felt a chill run through her.

For that one small moment in which the painting of the forest flashed through her mind, Nina thought of it as nothing more than a recollection pulled from her own memories. It made her wonder just how deeply ingrained in her mind Alice's memories were.

The thought was a fleeting one, but it was enough to disturb Nina. With a shaking hand, she raised her cup to her mouth and took a sip of the hot drink. It was a bit of normalcy—just a cup of coffee in a cozy shop—but it helped to ground Nina. She still avoided looking back at the painting on the wall.

When someone finally approached her table, Nina thought it a welcome distraction. She smiled faintly, hoping any unease she still felt was properly hidden, and looked up at the man who she'd agreed to meet there.

He smiled at Nina as he took a seat, dimples appearing as his lips curved up and brown eyes sparkling.

"You're late," Nina said, setting her cup down and not sounding the least bit reproachful. She'd long ago learned not to rely on Ben's poor time management abilities.

"Sorry, traffic was a nightmare," he said,sounding just the slightest bit frustrated, but his eyes lighting up at the drink that waited in front of him. "Makes me wonder why I ever moved to the city."

Nina's lips quirked up just the slightest bit at the usual complaint. Benjamin Valle was an easy going man on most accounts, but big city traffic would forever be his pet peeve. It was something Nina had learned well enough in the year they'd dated. Still, he was a good man, a good friend—something few could say about their ex. He hummed appreciatively when he tasted his drink. Nina might have forgotten many things, but she still remembered how Ben—an avid lover of coffee—liked his daily caffeine fix.

"How've you been doing?" he asked, eyes flickering from Nina's eyes to the scar just barely visible as it peeked out from Nina's sweater. She made a very conscious effort not to tug at her sleeve of hide her hand beneath the table. "You know, I meant to visit at the hospital. Figured it might not be the best time though."

"It's fine, wouldn't have mattered anyway. I can't even remember anything that happened while I was there." That knowledge might have still bothered Nina, but she knew she had to get used to the idea if she wanted to get over it.

"Maybe it's for the best. Things have really been going to shit lately," Ben said with a shrug.

"I take it work's been rough."

"Pretty much. Everyone at work's going crazy over the Commissioner of the FDA and then we have a whole series of burglaries lately that we're looking into." Ben sighed, leaning back in his seat. Nina had almost forgotten just how demanding Ben's work could be. How much of a toll being an officer took on him, despite him not wanting to admit it. "Then there's the protests. Been a pain with everyone arguing 'bout the memory implant thing."

"Memory implant?" Nina asked, nearly spilling her coffee as she'd been about to pick it up.

"Yeah, some doctors want to try treating people with implanted memories. They think it could help with therapy. Some people have been complaining, saying it's not ethical. Can't say they're wrong." Ben shrugged and sipped his drink.