Page 31 of She Found Me

“We went to St. Mary’s. That’s where we met. It’s a big school, primary and secondary. In primary school we didn’t really know each other. It was secondary when we were made lab partners in science,” Eric explains while eating his sandwich with his mouth open, and bits of egg mayo shoot from his mouth as he speaks.

I’m trying so hard, but I just can’t see what I ever saw in him.

“It was love at sight for both of us.”

That has me barking a laugh, much to Eric’s annoyance. But I mean, come on. I’ve looked at myself in the mirror, and even with these scars, which are thankfully fading now, I am so far out of his league.

Trying to defend himself, he adds, “You had a mouth full of braces and a face full of acne, but I loved you anyway.”

I roll my eyes at his comment and continue questioning him. “And what about my friends? I know I had two who died in the accident, but I must have had more. Am I still in touch with any of them?” I continue hoping someone else might be able to help me.

“No. You don’t keep in contact with anyone from school.”

“Let me get this straight. I don’t have any friends from school, and I haven’t worked since I left school. My parents died when I was a baby, and I was brought up in care, where I had a terrible time. I have no other relatives?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Eric confirms, spitting a piece of egg across the room.

“Do you think the family of my friends—what were their names again? Alice and Brooke? Do you think they might speak to me?”

“No, not for a while, anyway. It’s too soon, what with you surviving and them not,” Eric explains.

I suppose that is understandable.

“So all I have is you?”

“Yes, it’s all we’ve ever needed. Each other.” He smiles, showing his teeth, which have food all stuck in between them.

I’m just not buying it. I can’t for a minute believe I would have a life that only consisted of him. I can’t wait to get out into the world to be free. I feel trapped in here, only seeing the same faces. Surely I must have felt like that before my accident. Unless the event has completely changed my mindset.

“Arianna, Eric, great—I’m glad you’re both here. I have some good news.” my doctor announces while tapping the file in his hand.

“Brillant. I could do with some good news, Doc,” I confess.

“I’ve been speaking to your physios, and they are really impressed with your progress. I think we can start arranging for you to go home.”

“Excellent news,” I agree.

“There are some things we need to arrange to ensure that you will be safe and comfortable at home, but that will only take a week or so. And you need to be able to walk up and down steps safely, which the physios assure me you’ll be able to do any day now. If we aim for a week’s time, will that be okay for you both?”

“That’s good for me. Is that okay for you, Eric?” I ask, trying to read his expression.

“Yes, wonderful. I can’t believe I actually get to take you home,” Eric says enthusiastically, as if he can’t believe his luck.

“Ahh, yes, Eric, it’s been a very worrying time for you both,” the doctor sympathises. “Any development with your memory, Arianna? Has looking at photographs helped at all?”

I look at Eric in annoyance. Every day, he has had an excuse as to why he hasn’t brought any. “I still haven’t seen any.” I glare at Eric.

“Like I keep telling Arianna, we were in the process of moving when she had her accident, and all our belonging were in storage, so I haven’t been able to get hold of them.”

The doctor looks at Eric in confusion. Then he opens his file and turns a few pages. “So you no longer live at this address?” The doctor shows the file to Eric.

“No, we’ve moved. Well, I’ve moved us.”

“Ahh, that’s a shame. I was hoping when Arianna returned home, she would recognise it. Never mind. Having all her things around her should have the same effect. Let’s get your new address down, and then we can start arranging for Arianna to go home. Do you not have any photos on your phone, Eric?”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you,” I reply for Eric. “Only Eric has a brick of a phone from the medieval era, by the looks of it. It doesn’t even have a colour screen.”

“How unfortunate,” says the doctor. “I’m sure once you’re home things will come back to you.”

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