Carnations for Emily

Chapter 8: Who are you?

"Ah!"
Emily awoke from another dream with a gasp.
"Another dream... about him..." she said quietly.
The morning light peeking through her bedroom window was bright enough to make her rub her eyes.
She rolled over on her side and grabbed her phone from the nightstand next to her bed.
"9:00 am, huh?" Emily said.
"I guess it's time to greet the day." She got out of bed, stretched a little bit, rubbed the rest of the sleep from her eyes and walked into the kitchen.

A few moments later the smell of bacon, eggs, and toast filled the apartment which was like a call to Mary, who would typically sleep in well into the afternoon.
Not when Emily is cooking though.
"Ah Hell yeah!
You made breakfast." Mary said as she practically rushed into the room.
Emily, in her mother's old apron lightly jabbed at Mary for fun. "Do you even know how to cook?"
"Hmph, I know how to cook.
You know I do...I'm just not as good as you are at it." Mary replied in a huff recalling that she pretty much ruins everything she makes.
She then grabbed a plate and piled a lot of the bacon, a few pieces of toast, and a some eggs too.
Emily leaned back on the counter behind her and spoke.
"Well... I did have a pretty good teacher."
The image of a woman with brunette hair and blue eyes with a little girl clinging to her side flashed through her head.
Emily couldn't help but wear a smile on her face from the memory.
With a mouth full of toast Mary asked "Oh yeah? Who was it?"
"A woman that lived next door to my family.
Remember?
I used to go over and babysit her daughter all the time back in high school." Emily said.
"Oh yeah, you said her name was..." Mary trailed off and Emily filled in the answer.
"Hellen.
Her daughters name was Jill."
"Oh yeah. I think I remember them. What are they up to these days?" Mary asked.
"Well I think Jill is still in school.
And of course Hellen is taking care of her. Though every time I call, Hellen sounds so sad.
I don't know why." Emily answered again.

Mary noticed Emily was in a better mood this morning and couldn't help but ask why.
"So what's got you in such a good mood today?
I could hear you singing from down the hall and you normally just fix cereal for yourself."
Mary wasn't wrong Emily was in a wonderful mood today.

Emily's dream last night showed her more about this boy she's been trying to figure out.
The boy spoke in this one.
Emily recalled the dream:
In the dream she had reverted to the age of about 10. She could tell because of the yellow dress she was wearing. Around that age yellow had become her favorite color so a lot of her wardrobe had that yellow in it.
The boy was sitting across from her, but she still couldn't see his face. It was blurred out.
Since she was able to recall his hairstyle and color, that was in view.
She couldn't help but ask:
"Who are you?"
The boy didn't respond.
"I feel like we know each other."
No response.
"We were close weren't we?"
No response again.
Emily started to get sad.
"Say something."
"..."
"Please talk to me."
"..."
"I want to remember you so bad!"
Emily began to cry now.
"It's making my heartache so much!
I don't know why.
I just feel a strong connection to you.
I know you were someone important!"
Not a word passed the boys lips.
Emily was bawling now.
"Please... can you at least tell me your name?"
The boy smiled then and with a light chuckle he spoke.
"You don't remember my name Emily?"
Emily perked up at the call of her name.
"Huh?"
The boy chuckled again.
"Alright, I'll give you a hint."
The boy leaned in and poked her on the nose.
"It starts with a J."
And as soon as the boy said the letter the dream began to fade.
Emily started to panic.
"W-Wait! I don't want to wake up yet!"
She reached out and tried to wrap the boy in a hug but the dream ended as soon as she was close enough.
That's when she woke up in her bedroom.

Coming back to reality Emily wore her smile and said:
"I know his name."
Mary cocked her head to the side in a questioning glance.
"Huh?
What are you talking about?"
Emily giggled.
"The boy I can't remember.
Jack."

After breakfast Emily got dressed in a yellow top and black pants.
Since it's a little cooler out she threw on a black coat too.
She wasn't off today so it was time to hit the streets.
"Maybe I'll find something good to write about today." Emily said.
With the dream still in her head Emily walked the Seattle streets with a little bit of a pep in her step.
"Jack. Huh?
That's his name." She relayed the name in her head over and over again.
The smile on her face being ever present.
When she made it to the Seattle Gazette a few of her co-workers could see the happiness in her eyes.
They were too busy to speak to her but they were glad she was wearing a smile today.
For whatever reason it may be.
Emily walked up to the board in the back of the office and looked to see areas for possible scoops.
"Nothing good..." Emily said to herself.
"I guess I'll go out and look around for myself" she said as she tightened the grip on her bag and took off back into the streets.

Emily couldn't keep her head out of the clouds.
Finally knowing the boys name has kept her blissfully happy since she woke up.
The thing about Emily being happy is that she tends to sing and sometimes dance even if she's in a good enough mood.

When she was younger she'd sing all the time as well as dance and while she wasn't the best at dancing back then she could sing so well it attracted all sorts of attention.

Before too long Emily felt her phone ring in her pocket.
It was her mom.
"Hi mom!" Emily spoke in a cheery voice.
"Hi Emily, you sound like you're in a good mood." Her mother, Valerie replied.
Emily couldn't hide her joy.
"Yeah! I finally remembered the name of that boy!"
Valerie grew kinda quiet then.
"You don't say?" She said.
"His name's Jack!" Emily nearly squealed.
"Well that's good."
Valerie knew of this boy Emily desperately wanted to remember, but she didn't have the heart to tell her about him.
Not yet.
After all it was his fault she got into the accident that night and lost her memories.
Emily's voice pulled Valerie from her thoughts.
"I want to see him mom."
"Huh? You do?" Valerie asked.
"Yes! Do you happen to know anything about him?" Emily asked.
"L-lets not talk about This right now Em." Valerie begged.
"Huh?! Come on you and dad always do this!" Emily cried but then took a breath.
This always happens when she talks about Jack.
Her dad says to not worry about him and her mom tries to change the subject every time she bring him up.
Breathing a sigh Emily continued.
"Okay so what did you call about?"
"Oh I wanted to tell you that the fall festival will be starting up again soon here.
If you aren't busy up there It'd be nice if you came down to visit." Valerie said.
"It has been a few years, it couldn't hurt to come home and see everyone again.
Oh, how's Hellen and Jill doing?" Emily asked.
"They're doing just fine.
Jill goes to school and Hellen works all the time now.
And as you know Jill is in her teenage years so she's a bit moody these days too."
"Hah, I can remember when she was a little girl."
When Emily was a kid Jill was a little younger than her.
When her family moved to her home town she had met Hellen and Jill.
Jill was only three at the time.
When Emily left for Seattle at the age of nineteen, Jill was fourteen.
She should be sixteen now.
"When is the festival?" Emily asked her mom.
"It's starts next week, do you think you can find a way to come home for about a week?"
"I think I can, I haven't been getting a lot of scoops lately.
Maybe I'll write a story of our town when I come back home." Emily said.
"I look forward to it sweetheart.
I gotta go, love you!" Valerie said.
"Love you too! Bye." Then Emily hung up.

"The festival is in a week.
I need to take time off by then."
Emily said to herself as she looked up to the sky.

"I wonder if he'll be there..."
-Emily.

Chapter 8: End