Page 37 of It's a Date (Again)

Tyler jerks up, hitting his head on a pipe. “Ouch,” he says, crawling out from beneath the sink, holding his head.

“Are you okay? Let me get you some ice.” I scurry to the fridge and pull a bag of frozen peas from the freezer.

“I’m okay,” he says, but I’m already bending down and locking eyes with him. He gives me one of those half smirks, the flirtatious kind, and I can’t help but return it. I bring the frozen bag of peas to the corner of his forehead where a red mark has already begun to blossom. He winces slightly when I press it against his skin.

“Is that better?” The question comes out flirty in a low, raspy voice.

“Yeah,” Tyler says, still grinning.

Bacon sizzles in the pan and a meaty, intoxicating smell permeates throughout the kitchen. I glance up at Debbie. She lifts a brow before turning away to slice up a tomato and slather the toasted bread with mayo. My eyes go back to Tyler, who hasn’t taken his off me. The color of his cheeks match the red bump on his head.

“How’s that feel?”

“Amazing.” Tyler clears his throat. “I mean, much better. I think I’m good to keep working on this.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he says, briefly glancing over at Debbie. “Otherwise, I don’t get my BLT and my time with you.”

“That’s right,” Debbie says.

I chuckle and pull the bag of frozen peas from his head and get to my feet. Tyler leans back, careful not to hit his head again, andshimmies under the sink. I put the peas in the freezer and stand next to Debbie. She playfully bumps her shoulder into me.

“I think I’m in love with him,” Debbie whispers, letting out a tiny snicker.

“So, you want NashandTyler?” I whisper back.

“Just for the cooking and the fixing.”

I let out a laugh. “Can I help with anything?”

“Yeah, grab the lettuce from the crisper and four plates from the cupboard next to the fridge.”

She tells me exactly where everything is, remembering I don’t remember. It’s thoughtful, and I can tell that’s just who she is.

“You got it.”

I retrieve the items for Debbie, and she immediately begins assembling a sandwich on each plate. Tyler climbs out from under the sink and turns the faucet on, then off, then on again, double-checking that it’s in proper working order. The water gushes out and then stops abruptly. No leaks.

“All fixed,” he says, dusting off his hands. He places the cleaning supplies back under the sink and closes the cabinet.

“Thank you, Tyler,” Debbie says, extending two thick BLT sandwiches, each set out on a plate. “Here’s my end of the deal. Why don’t you go on out to the back courtyard?” She winks at me. “I’ll eat in here and bring one up to Maya.”

“Thanks, Debbie,” Tyler says.

She nods and shoos us away. I lead Tyler out to the courtyard. I didn’t even realize it was back here. Well, I guess I did before. A large privacy fence surrounds the grassy area. It’s beautiful, with strung-up lights, a round table, and six chairs. There’s a gas grill, an outdoor firepit, and a heat lamp. Like the front courtyard, the plants and flowers are starting to wither and die, but they’re alive enough to appreciate.

Tyler and I take a seat at the table and immediately sink our teeth into our sandwiches. They’re delicious, comforting, and familiar—atleast to me. The BLTs are tangy, meaty, salty, and refreshing. I know I’ve had them before. They taste like something I would eat when I was going through a hard time. I don’t know how to describe it, but they taste like home feels, in a way.

Tyler wipes his mouth with a napkin and looks to me with those mossy green eyes. I feel like I could lose my way in them, and maybe I have.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

I move my mouth side to side, deciding on the right word. I land on, “Confused. But just taking it one moment at a time. I figure that’s how I navigated life before I lost my memories, so that’s how I’ll find my way again.” I bite into my sandwich and chew slowly, savoring it.

“Have any of your ...?” He pauses, swallowing so hard his Adam’s apple rocks up and down. “Memories come back?”

“No.”

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