“Of course,” I dismiss. “Are you kidding? The cute, older boy next door challenged me to a tree climbing contest. I had to say yes.”
His smile, so big and bright, is like a Band Aid across my heart. “I feel like there’s going to be a big but in there somewhere.”
“No childhood story is complete without one.” Twisting in my seat, I angle my head so I can almost see the top branch. “I made it to the top in no time, but once I got there. Well, let’s just say getting back down was a little bit of a problem.”
“Afraid of heights, huh?” he jokes, squeezing my hand in his.
“No way,” I defend adamantly. “I’m fine with heights, but falling—yeah, that’s high on my list of fears.”
“So what happened?” he asks. His genuine interest in the story is both endearing and difficult to bear. On the one hand, he’s still very much the same David—kind, loving, caring, compassionate. But on the other, he doesn’t remember something that’s imprinted in my mind so vividly.
That was the day I knew David Andrews would always be there to keep me safe. Long before he rescued me from the wreckage of my destroyed home, he plucked me from the top of a tree and soothed away my tears.
And now, he remembers none of it.
Charged with the task of helping him remember who he is and what he means to me is something I’m determined not to mess up. “Well, I was stuck. And it didn’t take long for panic to set in. You said you were going to go get my dad, but I wouldn’t let you leave. When I told you my legs were starting to shake, you climbed up and helped me get down safely.”
“But.” He drags out the word, knowing that there’s more to the story.
Pulling my hand from his, I trace the thin white line on the side of his knee. The contact startles him again, but much less than when I held his hand minutes ago. His skin, warm under my fingers, reminds me of when they touched more than just a scar on his leg. “You cut your leg on a branch. Brushed it off as nothing big, but you needed five stitches. Your parents were pretty angry at you, too. Thought you put me in danger so they grounded you for a week.”
“I’m sure you were pretty angry at me, too.” Looking out the window, I can tell he’s trying his best to recreate the memory in his head, to find a piece of it that’s his own and not from my words. But the tone of his voice suggests that’s not happening.
“I was in awe. I still am.”
And before I can say anything else, his mom steps out onto the porch, waving us to come around back. “Ready?” I ask as I turn off the car. The final words of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” fade away as the engine silences itself.
“As I’ll ever be.”
After unloading his crutches from the back seat, I help him out of the car. I’m far too short to unlatch the gate at the side of his house, but luckily, his father is there waiting for us. “Hey, you two,” he greets us happily, a beer in his hand.
David takes a deep breath as he hobbles into the backyard. John pulls me into a warm hug. Keeping his voice low, he tells me, “Thank you again for helping us take care of him.”
Nodding, I kiss him on the cheek and let out a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
David scans the yard, surely trying to pair up the location with what should be in his brain. His shoulders sag, and I know he’s struggling. Thankfully, his mom cuts in, wrapping her arms around him as if she hasn’t seen him in years. She escorts us over to a table which is already set up with some bottles of water and chips.
“How are you feeling?” she asks, a hopeful lilt in her question.
“Fine,” he deflects. When he sees that he’s going to need to give his mother more than a one word answer, he explains, “I have another therapy session on Tuesday. It went well last week so hopefully this week will go better.” Penny eats up the little tidbits he’s offering her as if it’s her last meal.
“That’s fantastic. You’ll be out of that cast before you know it.” She smiles, and for the first time since his attack, her smile is lighter, less forced. “I’ll let you two get settled.”
“Can I help you with anything in the kitchen?” I ask, moving to stand from my seat. Penny simply drops a hand to my shoulder, gently pushing me back into my chair.
“No, dear. I’m just fine.”
“Okay,” David huffs. “Let’s get the awkward part over with.” Eyeing him carefully, I’m not exactly sure what he’s getting at. “What do I need to know about everyone coming today?”
There’s no sadness or pity in his voice, only the sheer determination to be a part of the life he used to live. Before I have to start the uneasy process of telling him about my own family members, we’re interrupted.
“What, you don’t remember me?” Ian chimes in. Jade pushes him up to us through the freshly cut grass.
“Hey, man,” David greets him, twisting in his chair. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Wheeling himself right next to David, Ian situates himself at the table. “We weren’t sure we’d be able to get the van from the rehab facility. And I sure as hell couldn’t drive myself. You kinda need feet for that,” he jokes. “Didn’t want to let you down if I couldn’t make it, so I didn’t say anything in the first place.”
“Luckily for him, I was free to drive that Scooby-Doo van.” Jade pulls a chair up next to Ian and he smiles at her, proud and warm. She leans in and kisses him on the cheek. David’s eyes fall to their joined together hands on the table and I would pay money to know what’s going through his head.
As David and Ian get lost talking about rehab and what will come after that, Jade and I excuse ourselves to get a drink. “How’s he holding up?” Jade asks with caution in her voice.
“He’s good actually. He remembered something the other day.”
Jade nearly chokes on her wine. “That’s amazing. Tell me about it.”
So I tell her about his memory of the beach and how I cut my foot open. When I tell her about cooking breakfast with him that morning, she gets that dreamy look in her eyes. “What’s that for?” I point to her lost and faraway dark brown eyes.
“You two are adorable, that’s all.”
“I don’t know about that. I mean we’re living together, but it’s not like we’re together. I can’t force him into being with me if he can’t remember me. That’s not fair.”
“Who said anything about forcing anyone? Memories aren’t only in the head. They’re in the heart too. I would risk everything on the notion that you are still very much a large part of his heart.”
Just as the tears sting my eyes, the side gate pops open, revealing my parents and sister standing on the other side.
John and Penny beat me to the punch and nearly race to them as they walk through the gate. “Meredith,” Penny greets, wrapping her arms around my mom so tightly I wonder if she can even breathe.
My dad and John pump hands and do that weird back slap thing. They’d seen each other once or twice in the hospital, but that was obviously not the most ideal of situations.
“Thank you so much for having us here,” my mom says, looping her arm through my dad’s.
“This can’t be Dani!” Penny hugs my sister with tears in her eyes.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She’s polite as ever and it makes me so proud of her.
“Hey, girl” I pull her into a tight hug myself. “How did you get away for the weekend?”
She wraps her arm around my waist, explaining, “Classes are canceled on Monday for Columbus Day so when Mom and Dad said they were coming here, I wanted to join. Plus I haven’t seen you in forever.”
With the group of us together, Penny looks like she’s about to burst. “It’s so surreal having you guys here. It’s been a lifetime.”
“Definitely,” my mom agrees, looking over the fence at what used to be our home. “They added an extension.” Pointing at the top of our old home, I can’t imagine what she’s thinking. But when she pulls Dani closer to her side, I have an idea.