Page 61 of From Rivals to I Do

“That would be lovely,” I say as I try not to cry, feeling immensely relieved that the nightmare is over.

“There may be a problem. . .” Noah says.

“Why’s that?” I ask.

“Well. . . remember when I said he doesn’t remember stuff?” Noah begins, and immediately, it hits me.

“He doesn’t remember me, does he?” I ask. “That’s why when I helped him drink last night, he didn’t say anything to me about it.”

“Unfortunately, it’s true,” Zack confirms, and I feel a new sense of grief. “Did you still want to try?”

I stood there for a moment, trying to shuffle through the new sense of loss I’m feeling. To be in love with someone and to watch them die was already a cruel fate. But to love someone and be forgotten is still painful, just a different kind.

At least this way, there’s a chance we can make it work, I think to myself, trying to stay positive. Maybe he will remember me again. Or, if need be, I can get him to fall for me again. Hopefully, if the new Eli and I click. Anything is possible.

“Yes, I do,” I say.

“Well alright then, let’s take you in.”

***

Quiet whispers wake me up as Zack and Noah walk through the door, putting a smile on my face. Even though things are still a bit odd for me in the brain department, I hate being here in the hospital. However, the two of them visiting as much as possible almost makes it tolerable.

“Hey there!” I call out to them cheerfully, yawning loudly before blinking my eyes to try to get rid of the lingering haze. I then notice that there’s someone lingering behind them, but much to my surprise, it’s not Jeffrey.

It’s a woman, but not just any woman. She’s far different than anyone I recall seeing before. I mean, even with amnesia, there’s no way I could forget someone who looks like that.

When she finally steps through the doorway, the morning light glimmers across her skin, making her look like an angel even though she’s teary-eyed and in scrubs. She’s got big, beautiful, doe-like brown eyes that are easy to get lost in. Her long lashes brush against her porcelain skin, which contrasts greatly with her vibrant, ruby-red lips, but she makes it work to her advantage.

I feel a fluttering in my chest as she comes out from behind them and begins fussing with the flowers by the window, a bouquet of something in her own hands. She seems nervous, and frankly, for some reason, so am I. Who wouldn’t be. . . in the same room as her?

“Hey, Dad,” Zack says as the mystery woman continues to play with the get-well cards and flowers near the window. “We’ve brought a friend with us.”

The woman turns toward me, and is now more composed, beaming big and bright.

“Hello, Eli,” the woman says, and her voice is such a sultry, smooth tone that it gives me goosebumps.

“I’m sure I’m supposed to remember you,” I say with a sigh. “But sadly, I don’t.”

“That’s alright,” she replies as her eyes open wider for a second. She scampers back to the window and places the lilies she brought into a vase. I stare at them for a moment as the morning sun gleams across their petals. There’s something about them that’s familiar.

“You know. . . I feel like I knew a girl who liked lilies,” I say.

“Yeah, that’s me,” she replies with a nod, her eyes welling with tears all over again. I try to think hard, but still, nothing. “Lilies are my favorite.”

I feel horrible, but the woman in front of me doesn’t even register in the limited number of memories I now possess. It’s a real shame. I hate that she seems so upset; I want to comfort her in some way, but I’m not really sure how.

“What’s your name?” I ask, giving in to the fact that I’m completely stumped.

“I’m Darla,” she says, and I begin to study her even more closely. So, this is the girl that everyone has been whispering about. . .

“You’re gorgeous you know,” I say, and I can see a blush blossoming on her cheeks as a smile pushes through the tears. “I’ve been told I’m pretty good looking myself, though you wouldn’t know it what with me being half wrapped up like a mummy.”

She laughs, and the very sound of it gives me butterflies in my stomach and fills me with this odd, happy feeling. After all the days of being stuck in the hospital and all the pain, it makes me feel human again, filling my AC-chilled bones with radiating warmth.

“Well, I can say with confidence that you certainly are, with or without the bandages,” Darla says with a wink. “I just hope in time you’ll remember me, or at least that we can become friends.”

“I hope so too,” I say as she offers me her hand to take, deciding to be bold and kiss it. “Because I cannot imagine a world where I could forget a pretty face like yours.”

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