“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m…overwhelmed, to say the least.”
“I bet you are. Man, of all the crazy things.”
Tess heard someone talking in the background. “Is that Mike?”
“Yeah. I’m at his place. We’re doing wedding stuff. Can I tell him?”
“Yes, of course.” Tess listened to Emma’s muffled voice as she relayed the story to Mike. She heard his “No way!” and had to laugh. When she first moved from San Diego to her parents’ town house on the beach along the Central Coast, Mike introduced himself right away and they became fast friends. He invited her to church with him and Emma and they took Tess under their wing. The only people in her “new” life who knew her story, they were supportive, and the epitome of true friends.
“Hey, Tess.”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Mike has an idea, but we want to make sure you’re okay with it.”
“At this point, I would love any and all advice.”
“He’s willing to have Ben stay here with him until you can figure out what to do.”
Tess stopped pacing. How could they think that Ben living right next door to her could be a good idea? “Is Mike insane?”
“Look, I know your brain is spinning right now over that plan, but hear him out.”
She heard a shuffle as Emma handed the phone to Mike.
“Hey, Tess.” Mike’s baritone voice came through the phone. She could see him in her mind, his surf shorts hanging low on his hips like always, with a Hurley T-shirt and flip-flops. His shoulder-length blond hair tucked behind his ears, he was a surfer who happened to also be a phenomenal pediatrician. Childlike himself, he lived to be in the water. He and Ben were a lot alike. “I know you probably aren’t too excited about this idea, but from what you’re saying, this poor guy’s completely alone in the world. Maybe being near the beach and near you will help him remember. I’ve never worked with anyone with amnesia, but I would imagine it’s better for people to come around on their own, suddenly or gradually, however it happens for them.”
“But what if I don’t want him to remember, Mike? He left me a week before our wedding day. How am I supposed to forget that?”
“I can only imagine how hard this must be for you, T, and I’m not saying you should forget. But I know you. There’s no way you’re going to walk away and leave him without anywhere to go.”
She hated to admit it, but he was right. Her heart was damaged, but not completely gone. Her head said to hate Ben, her heart said something else; she just didn’t know what yet. A deep breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in escaped her lungs. “Are you sure you’re willing to have some stranger stay with you?”
“He’s not a stranger. I know plenty about him because of you.”
She snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, and most of it me raging about what a jerk he is.”
Mike chuckled. “True. But I know you. You never would have loved him if he were truly awful. Maybe you can get him to remember, and find out why he really left. Maybe there’s more to the story than you know.”
Tess unclipped her hair and let it flow loose down her back. It still didn’t help relieve the headache building.
“I think that’s what I’m afraid of the most.”
“Look, I’ll head over to the hospital. I know the social worker well. I can talk to her, tell her I’m willing to claim responsibility for Ben and we’ll go from there. Sound good?”
Tess nodded as if Mike could see her and squeaked out a “Sure.”
“Listen, T. It’s going to be okay. Let’s just take this one step at a time.”
***
Tess ended the call with Mike, tucked the phone to her chest, and thanked God for such good friends. Without Mike and Emma, she didn’t know what she would do. When Ben called off the wedding, Tess had packed up her things and moved to the beach. She wanted a fresh start away from the gossip and staring eyes of everyone who knew her before. Scared and
“I bet you are. Man, of all the crazy things.”
Tess heard someone talking in the background. “Is that Mike?”
“Yeah. I’m at his place. We’re doing wedding stuff. Can I tell him?”
“Yes, of course.” Tess listened to Emma’s muffled voice as she relayed the story to Mike. She heard his “No way!” and had to laugh. When she first moved from San Diego to her parents’ town house on the beach along the Central Coast, Mike introduced himself right away and they became fast friends. He invited her to church with him and Emma and they took Tess under their wing. The only people in her “new” life who knew her story, they were supportive, and the epitome of true friends.
“Hey, Tess.”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Mike has an idea, but we want to make sure you’re okay with it.”
“At this point, I would love any and all advice.”
“He’s willing to have Ben stay here with him until you can figure out what to do.”
Tess stopped pacing. How could they think that Ben living right next door to her could be a good idea? “Is Mike insane?”
“Look, I know your brain is spinning right now over that plan, but hear him out.”
She heard a shuffle as Emma handed the phone to Mike.
“Hey, Tess.” Mike’s baritone voice came through the phone. She could see him in her mind, his surf shorts hanging low on his hips like always, with a Hurley T-shirt and flip-flops. His shoulder-length blond hair tucked behind his ears, he was a surfer who happened to also be a phenomenal pediatrician. Childlike himself, he lived to be in the water. He and Ben were a lot alike. “I know you probably aren’t too excited about this idea, but from what you’re saying, this poor guy’s completely alone in the world. Maybe being near the beach and near you will help him remember. I’ve never worked with anyone with amnesia, but I would imagine it’s better for people to come around on their own, suddenly or gradually, however it happens for them.”
“But what if I don’t want him to remember, Mike? He left me a week before our wedding day. How am I supposed to forget that?”
“I can only imagine how hard this must be for you, T, and I’m not saying you should forget. But I know you. There’s no way you’re going to walk away and leave him without anywhere to go.”
She hated to admit it, but he was right. Her heart was damaged, but not completely gone. Her head said to hate Ben, her heart said something else; she just didn’t know what yet. A deep breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in escaped her lungs. “Are you sure you’re willing to have some stranger stay with you?”
“He’s not a stranger. I know plenty about him because of you.”
She snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, and most of it me raging about what a jerk he is.”
Mike chuckled. “True. But I know you. You never would have loved him if he were truly awful. Maybe you can get him to remember, and find out why he really left. Maybe there’s more to the story than you know.”
Tess unclipped her hair and let it flow loose down her back. It still didn’t help relieve the headache building.
“I think that’s what I’m afraid of the most.”
“Look, I’ll head over to the hospital. I know the social worker well. I can talk to her, tell her I’m willing to claim responsibility for Ben and we’ll go from there. Sound good?”
Tess nodded as if Mike could see her and squeaked out a “Sure.”
“Listen, T. It’s going to be okay. Let’s just take this one step at a time.”
***
Tess ended the call with Mike, tucked the phone to her chest, and thanked God for such good friends. Without Mike and Emma, she didn’t know what she would do. When Ben called off the wedding, Tess had packed up her things and moved to the beach. She wanted a fresh start away from the gossip and staring eyes of everyone who knew her before. Scared and
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