“Wonderful. I thought tonight you might like to help me make dinner, and then we can be ill-mannered and eat it in front of the television.”
“I didn’t watch much TV in the hospital. The nurses took the remote control. I think they were afraid I’d see the news reports about me and the fact no one came forward with any information.”
“Well, you’re in for a treat. Reality TV is absolutely horrible.” She leaned over the table. “I’m totally addicted to it.”
I giggled at her confession. “What’s reality TV?”
Maggie laughed. “Oh, honey! You think you have problems? Just wait until you see the way people behave for all the world to see. It’s downright trashy.”
“And that makes it fun to watch?” I asked, sort of intrigued yet sort of horrified.
Maggie beamed. “Exactly!”
Maggie was right. Reality TV was horribly addictive. I’d never seen such a thing before, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to again. Yet I knew we would probably watch it again tonight, and I was looking forward to it.
Opening my eyes in my new room for the first time was slightly disorienting. It took a moment to realize where I was, but when I did, I couldn’t help but smile. I was going to like it here.
Don’t get too comfortable. This isn’t where you belong. The thought crashed into my happy mood, threatening to abolish it. Frankly, it was quite rude.
I did my best to ignore the haunting thought and sat up, leaning back against the headboard and all the colorful pillows tossed around the bed. I hadn’t had a nightmare last night, which was a welcome reprieve. The bed was comfortable and warm, and I’d felt safe, something I didn’t really realize I’d been missing.
Tucking the blankets around me, I yanked a bright-blue pillow into my lap and hugged it to my chest. Maggie said a lot of these pillows were for decoration, but I couldn’t bring myself to toss them off the bed. Having this many felt luxurious, and I liked it.
Even though I tried to ignore the previous thought, I couldn’t. It was there and it would remain until I acknowledged it. Maybe I didn’t belong here, but I didn’t know where I did. This seemed like a good place to be while I figured it out.
Anyway, who said I didn’t belong? I was invited and I wanted to be here. That counted for something. Right?
A scraping noise caught my attention, and my body stiffened. Fear flooded me so fast it made me dizzy. My first reaction was to dive back under the covers and pull a pillow over my head. The scraping didn’t stop, though, and I felt my hands begin to shake. Lifting the pillow just slightly, I glanced across the room to the French doors. Curtains were drawn across them, keeping out the light. I imagined someone standing on the other side, trying to pick the lock, trying to come in.
He’s coming for me.
A high-pitched bark made me jump. “Ah!” I gasped, not expecting the sound at all. Then I started to laugh.
“Elmo!” I said, flinging back the covers and pillows to jump out of the bed. The second I opened the door, the little dog rushed inside, circling my legs and jumping up so I would pet him.
I laughed and picked him up, sitting on the bed with him. He rolled around in the blankets and rubbed against the pillows. “I guess I’m not the only one who thinks this bed is comfy,” I said and rubbed his belly.
His tail wagged against the sheets, and I smiled.
“Elmo!” Maggie gasped, poking her head into the room. “I’m sorry, Amnesia. Soon as he came in from outside, he ran off to find you.”
“It’s okay. I like him.”
“You’re a naughty thing,” Maggie told Elmo. He wagged his tail some more, as if it were a compliment. “Come on now. You come with me and leave Amnesia alone.”
“Oh, he’s fine.” I assured her as he poked me with his nose for a pet.
“I’m making breakfast if you’d like some. Just come up when you’re ready.”
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I think I may take a shower first, if that’s okay.”
“You don’t have to ask. This is your home now. Do what you want.”
Elmo ran after Maggie when she disappeared, and I gathered up some clean clothes to take into the bathroom with me. I thought longingly for a moment of picking out my own things to wear, of shopping and trying on clothes, seeing what I liked. I didn’t have any money, though, something I was going to need.
The entire time I showered, I pondered getting a job and wondered if any places in town were hiring. After deciding to ask Eddie about it, I toweled off and slipped on my pair of jeans, the white T-shirt that went with everything, and tugged on a pullover sweater in a color that reminded me of pumpkins. The sweater had a wide neckline and was slightly too big, so it slid down over one shoulder, revealing the T-shirt I had on beneath it.
I stared at my face in the mirror, my freckles, pale skin, and brown eyes. To be honest, I hadn’t thought much about the way I looked until now because it seemed there were so many other things to worry about. There still was, but eventually, a girl had to look in the mirror. Eventually, I had to get to know myself.
“Who are you?” I whispered to my reflection.
My face wasn’t quite as gaunt as it was when I first woke up. My cheekbones weren’t sunken into my face like before. Though I was still pale, I had some color to my skin. As I smoothed on some cream that Maggie gave me, I pondered the way I looked. Sort of natural, like a girl who never bothered much with her appearance before. My eyebrows weren’t perfectly shaped like the women on TV. My teeth weren’t pearly white, and there was a big chip in one front tooth. I wondered why I never seemed to care what I looked like, because I found myself caring now. The broken tooth bothered me, as if it were a reminder of something terrible. The thick, full brows over my eyes felt too untouched, and my hair… oh, my hair.
The chunks missing out of the long lengths got caught in the comb and seemed to stick out, where the rest would hang straight. I hadn’t worried much about it before, but now, knowing I was going to be going around town with Eddie, I felt self-conscious. As if my hair were a walking reminder of where I’d been. A place I couldn’t remember.
Sighing, I put down the comb and left the bathroom. Maggie was in the kitchen, making pancakes, and my stomach grumbled the second the scent hit me.
“That smells so good,” I crooned, entering the kitchen. “What can I help with?”
Elmo beat his tail against the floor when I stepped in but then went back to attacking the bone between his paws.
“Not a thing!” Maggie said. “Help yourself!”
I made a plate, then sat in the window room and watched a few squirrels gather acorns down in the yard.
“Do you need a ride into town?” Maggie asked, joining me at the table.
“No, thank you,” I replied. “Eddie said he would pick me up.”
“He’s a good boy.” Maggie smiled fondly. “And rather handsome, too.”
He was handsome. “Why doesn’t he have a girlfriend?” I asked abruptly.