Page 115 of Amnesia

“Bomb,” she echoed.

“Really good. Best ever,” I explained.

Pride shone in her eyes. “Maggie helped, but I’m glad you like it.”

“Did you already eat?” I asked, scooping more into my mouth.

She nodded. “With Maggie.”

I propped my feet on the desk, leaning back in the chair. Amnesia’s legs hung over the side, but the rest of her cuddled into my chest. “Tell me about your day,” she said.

“It was boring,” I muttered.

“I just want to hear your voice.” She sighed, pressing a little closer.

Far be it from me to deny this woman anything. I told her about my day, about the stock and the boring spreadsheets, how someone spilled milk in the dairy aisle, and how Ms. Scarlet wasallegedlyalmost crushed by rice.

She giggled when I talked, and the sound filled me up in a way no food ever could.

After I was finished eating, she stayed in my lap while I finished up some computer work. Then I showed her next week’s schedule with her name on it.

“Two hours ‘til close,” I said. “You sure you want to hang out that long?”

“Definitely.”

“Everything okay?” I murmured, stroking her hair.

“It’s been a weird day.”

“The memory threw you for a loop?”

Am nodded and sat up. “Yeah. And ever since, I’ve had this weird sense of… foreboding.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to make her feel better. I wasn’t sure anything could. I kissed her temple and asked, “Still want to stay at my place tonight?”

“Of course,” she retorted.

“Good! Come help me downstairs in the stock room so we can finish up and get out of here.”

I sent Brian home an hour before closing, and it took nearly the entire two hours to finish up the inventory in the back. Of course, some of that time was spent making out between stacks of boxes… but I wasn’t really counting.

At five ‘til nine, I turned the open sign to closed and locked up the store. Am and I left out the back entrance, where my truck was parked.

“You can see the moon’s reflection in the lake.” Her voice was hushed as she gazed down at the water.

“When I was in high school, my English teacher was a real romantic.” I scoffed. “She said something one time that made all the girls swoon and all the guys roll their eyes. But even so, I still think about it sometimes when the moon is low in the sky.”

Amnesia looked away from the water and the moon and up at me. “What did she say?”

“The sun sees your body, but the moon sees your soul.”

“That’s beautiful.” She contemplated the words. “Do you think it’s true?”

Thoughtfully, I nodded. “I think darkness is far more revealing than sunlight.”

The drive back home was quiet and short. I parked close to the house. The only light when the headlights went off was from the moon. She waited inside the cab for me to come around and lift her down. I knew she didn’t need the help, but it was just one more reason for me touch her.

As we walked along to the back door, Am caught my hand. “Let’s walk down by the shore.”

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