Page 106 of Amnesia

Eddie leaned down and kissed my forehead, a gesture I’d almost come to rely on. It was probably the most comforting thing I’d ever felt.

“When do you have to be at work?” I asked.

He groaned. “I have to open.”

Pushing up into a sitting position, I reached for the hot chocolate he’d brought. The warmth of the cup against my palm made me smile. “Thank you for the cocoa.”

“Anything for my girl.” He smiled.

I glanced at the clock and frowned, sticking out my lower lip in a pout. “You don’t have time for a shower with me.”

“Sorry, baby. My dad would be pissed if I was late.”

“I know,” I said, understanding. “It’s okay.”

“Lunch?” he asked.

“Definitely.”

He smiled, tugging on the ends of my hair. “I’m doing some scheduling this afternoon. How about I put you on starting next week?”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Can we work the same shifts?”

He grinned. “Duh.”

I smiled widely, so happy in the moment.

Laughing, Eddie slipped out of bed, kissing me on the cheek on his way past. “Drink your chocolate, baby. I gotta get dressed.”

I made a sound of sadness, and he laughed more. I watched him pull on his clothing, a pair of jeans and a Lock Gen hoodie, and slip his feet into his Adidas. He patted the front pocket of his jeans, making sure his keys were still there, and then held out his hand to me.

Slipping mine into his, I let him tug me to my feet and collided with his chest. I felt swallowed whole when he wrapped his arms around me. Burying my face into his hoodie, I tried to soak up as much of him as I could, enough to last me a few hours.

“What are you going to do this morning?” he asked, still holding me.

I shrugged. “I’ll go upstairs and see what Maggie’s doing. I don’t have an appointment with Dr. Kline for a few days.”

“Call me if you need me,” he said, finally pulling away. He pursed his lips. “We need to get you a phone, Am.”

“Once I start working, I’ll be able to.”

He frowned. “You need one now.”

“It’s only a couple weeks.” I pointed out.

He grunted as if he didn’t agree but wasn’t going to argue (at least not right now) and leaned down to kiss me softly. “See you at lunch.”

“I’ll meet you at the store.”

I went with him to the door. His lips lingered over mine before he finally groaned and walked away. Inside, I smiled to myself, carried the hot chocolate and some clothes into the bathroom for a shower, and got ready for the day.

The scent of coffee wafted down the steps when I opened the bathroom door a short while later, and I knew Maggie was up. Instead of going straight upstairs, I put away my pajamas and went back into the bathroom, plugging in the blow-dryer Maggie let me borrow.

Since it was cold out, I didn’t want to let my hair air-dry, and I wanted to look nice today since I was meeting Eddie for lunch. It didn’t take long to dry my short hair using a brush and the high heat setting. When it was done, I smoothed my hands over it and admired the way it shined beneath the light.

It was less wavy today because of the brush, and I found myself pondering a style as I looked it over in the mirror. The idea of a braid popped into my head, and I wondered if I even knew how.

On impulse, I picked up the brush again and sectioned out a piece in the front, not really knowing what I was doing. The feel of the silky, thick strands between my fingers sent me spiraling back into a memory from the past…

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