“I really thought you guys were engaged.”
“I had thought about it a long time ago, before I met Louise, but I knew that I could never remain with Monique after our day together.”
“You really love her huh?”
“Yeah, I really love her.”
For some reason, this made Louise smile and she fell back asleep again.
***
About two weeks later, Louise was awake and alert and she immediately knew whom Richard was when she spied him sleeping in a chair. She lay there and remembered being in the hotel and hearing about him being engaged to Monique and she felt a sharp jab of pain run through her. She groaned out loud and immediately saw Richard open his eyes.
“Hey.” He looked at her hopefully.
“Hi.” She answered him briefly and turned her face away from him. “Is the doctor near?”
He looked disappointed at her words and went to the door to call the doctor. “She’s awake again doc, but I don’t think she remembers anything.” He sighed. “I’m going to go and get a coffee.” He walked out of the door and left Louise with the doctor.
“How are you feeling today Louise?”
“I’m okay.” She frowned at him. “Will I be able to leave here soon?”
“I think so.” He smiled gently at her. “You were hit pretty badly. We want to make sure that all the internal bleeding has completely stopped before we release you.”
“Oh okay.” She frowned. “I guess I did get hit by a taxi.”
“You remember?” The doctor looked at her carefully.
“Yeah.” She spoke slowly, not sure if she should admit that she could remember everything. She knew that Richard was engaged to Monique and she knew that her heart was broken. She didn’t want to relive that pain. She could also kind of remember Richard telling David how much he loved Monique and she knew that she didn’t want him to gush to her about that love. It may be easier for her to pretend for a bit that she couldn’t remember much, just so she could get away from Richard with as little pain as possible.
“Kind of.” She paused and then made her choice. “I only kind of remember what happened. I want to go home to my parents in Florida. When can I leave?”
“If you promise to stay home on bed rest for the next month, I think I can release you in a few days.” The doctor sighed at her words. He had felt sure that her memory would have come back by now but he figured that a personal trauma was blocking its return.
“Thanks doc.” Louise tried to smile her happiest smile at him but she fell short in its delivery. Now that she could remember everything, she realized she had nothing to smile about and it was all she could do to stop from crying.
***
Four days later, Richard drove her to the airport and she sat there looking out of the window, pretending to not know who he was. She was worried that she would slip up and tell him something that would alert him to the fact that she had her memories back. She felt panicked that something would happen in the last few days or that the doctor would tell him that she was pregnant. She was scared that he would try and take the baby and raise it with Monique and she knew more than ever that she couldn’t let him know that she remembered anything. She rubbed her belly as she sat in the car. She was overjoyed that she was carrying his baby. She would always have something to remind her of the man she loved with all of her heart.
He pulled up to the curb and held the door for her as she stepped out. “Are you sure you don’t want me to fly with you to Florida Louise?” He looked at her searchingly.
“I’ll be fine thanks doctor. Oops I mean Richard.” She smiled at him causally, remembering to stay in her role.
“Promise me you will call me when you arrive.” He looked at her in anguish. “You won’t know what I’m talking about now Louise but I want to thank you. You made me believe again.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled at him while ignoring the pain in her heart.
“You made me believe in true love. In the purity of a woman’s heart and soul. I never thought that there were soul mates before I met you.”
“I see.” She didn’t want to hear anymore. She couldn’t stand to hear about him and Monique.
“I’ll never love anyone like I love you Louise.”
She looked at him in confusion, unsure if she had heard him right. “Huh?”
“I know the doctor told me not to tell you for fear of confusing you more than you are. But I can’t just let you fly away without telling you. I love you Louise and I hope that one day you remember me and allow me a chance to win your heart.”
“But you love Monique.” She whispered to him in shock, all thoughts of her role forgotten.
“You remember Monique?” He looked at her in shock.
She slowly nodded her head and swallowed. “I remember that you and Monique are in love and that you are engaged to her.”
He looked at her like she was crazy. “What are you talking about Louise?” He held her in his arms and looked at her carefully. “I never proposed to Monique. At one point in my life I thought it would be a good idea to marry her but then I met you. And you swept me off my feet with your beauty, honesty and trust and I knew that Monique never meant anything to me.”
“But you never broke up with her.” Louise cried out in pain.
“I was going to call her the day she arrived to tell her I couldn’t see her anymore. I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend.”
“You were?” She looked at him in shock. “But you didn’t say anything that morning. When we were at breakfast.” She paused as she saw the shock on his face.
“You remember?” He looked at her with narrowed eyes. “Do you remember me Louise?”
“Yes.” She spoke softly and waited for him to shout at her. Instead he saw a bright light in his eyes and she gasped as he grabbed her into his arms and kissed her.
“Oh thank God. I love you Louise.” He kissed her lips and her nose and her cheeks and she felt tears falling from his eyes. She looked at him in shock.
“You love me?”
“Yes, you little wrench, I love you and I want you to marry me and never leave my side.”
Louise felt her face flush with happiness and she started to grin. “I love you too my Lord.” She delighted at the look of pure pleasure that crossed over Richard’s face and she almost fainted with pleasure as he kissed her deeply once again.