I opened my eyes. It was too sudden and my eyes hurt from the sunlight. I was in a small warm unfamiliar room. The air from the open window next to the bed felt good and refreshing. My head was wrapped in bandages and I felt a slight pang of pain on my right knee. My eyes wandered around the room and somehow the atmosphere made me feel relaxed and comforted. Despite that though, I felt an unexplainable emptiness inside. Like a void in my heart I couldn't quite understand. What was going on?
Then, a man came in holding a tray with a cup of what seemed like hot tea and a plate of cookies. He smiled as he moved slowly towards me. He placed the tray on the bedside table and sat on the chair next to the bed. He had a gentle smile on his face and his eyes were kind. He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers lightly on my cheek. His fingers were as warm as his soul.
"We're safe now. They won't find us here." The man spoke. The question marks formed in my head. I couldn't understand him. "I'll always protect you. I promise."
I was confused. I swallowed the lump on my throat and gathered the courage to open my mouth. "I'm sorry but, who are you?" I finally asked. His smile faded and his eyes filled with worry.
"What do you mean?" The tone of his voice also changed. He sounded sad and lonely.
"I don't remember anything. Do you know me? Do I know you?" I asked. I was an empty shell with no memories of who I was. The fear slowly got to me and tears escaped from my eyes. I started crying. He came closer and pulled me to a tight hug. I cried on his chest as that deep feeling of hopelessness weighed down on me.
"Don't cry. It's alright. I'm here for you." The man said. His honey voice was soothing.
I felt groggy and eventually fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes, an old woman was wiping my arms with a hot towel. She did it so gently like she was caring for a baby. Another kind-hearted soul, I thought. She didn't notice me waking up and continued with what she was doing. Then I noticed the blanket was different from what I had covered on me earlier. She must have replaced it while I was sleeping. There was also a vase of small pretty flowers on the bedside table that wasn't there before.
"Thank you." I said softly.
She turned to look at me and smiled. "You poor thing. You have nothing to worry about. You're safe here, and your baby is fine."
"My baby?" I instinctively put my hand over my belly and felt the bump there. "My baby…" For some reason, I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
"You're awake." The man from earlier came in with a tray of food. "You should eat something."
As if in agreement, my stomach made a sound. "I think I should." I said jokingly. The man helped me up and seated me comfortably on the bed.
"How do you feel? Are you still hurting anywhere?" He asked.
"No. I feel good." I answered.
"You really don't remember anything?"
"No. I'm sorry. I really don't."
The man turned to the old woman. "Will you please leave us to talk alone for a while?"
"Of course. If you need anything, just call me." Then the old woman left, closing the door behind her.
He looked at me with desperate eyes. He took a deep breath before talking. "Your name is Annie and I am your husband, Adam." He said.
"What happened? Were we in some kind of accident?"
"Yes. We were driving through the storm and met an accident on the way. I'm sorry. It was my fault. I was careless." He truly sounded apologetic.
"It's alright. I'm alive, aren't I?" I reached out and held his hand. "But earlier you said they'd never find us here. Who are they?"
For a moment I thought I saw panic in his eyes, though it disappeared as quickly as it came. "To tell you the truth, we were running away from your parents. They were against our relationship. You said you wanted to leave and have a peaceful life together away from everybody."
"Then this baby…"
"Is ours." He said with a wide smile. "I'll always protect you. Both of you."
I didn't know what to make of it. He sounded sincere, but there was something amiss. My instincts were filling me with doubt. I stared at him. His eyes were full of love and compassion. Surely he wouldn't lie to me. He saved me, after all. He was my angel.
"Thank you." I said. "Let's live a happy life. As a family." His smile grew wider and I was once again wrapped in his embrace. It must be true. That warmth I felt from him must be true. His love was real. But it was frustrating not to remember about mine.
After a few days, I finally recovered from my injuries. I never recovered my memories though. The town doctor told me to take it easy, that my memories will eventually come to me when they're triggered by something. I doubted it. We were two lovers who eloped. My memories were obviously of my family and friends back home, wherever that is. It was impossible to have any trigger in that quiet peaceful little town. Despite the doubts and fears that crept into my thoughts from time to time, I genuinely wanted to be happy. I brushed them off and went on positively.
Days turned to weeks and weeks to months. My belly grew bigger and bigger as the months went on. It was exciting and scary at the same time. I was excited to finally see the angel I've been caring for inside me. At the same time, I was scared that something might go wrong. I couldn't even remember my own mother, so I kept wondering if I could actually be a good one. I feared I wouldn't be as good as everyone expected me to be. The people in town were kind and welcoming. They were all so friendly with us. Everyone in town was more than just part of the community. It was like being a part of an extended family. My heart was filled with love and warmth. We were lucky to be surrounded with such positivity. I wanted it to last forever, that peace I was feeling.
The day came and the only thing I was thinking of was that I would soon be able to hold my baby in my arms. I told the doctor not to tell me of the gender. I wanted it to be a surprise. I was in labor since that morning. It was painful and I felt like my body was getting torn apart. But the happiness I felt overshadowed them. I was finally going to start my own family. For me, specifically, it was a fresh start. After losing my memories and creating new beautiful ones, it was like I was reborn. Having my very own child to love and treasure, in addition to all those amazing things that have happened, was filling me with a sense of contentment.
"Almost there. Push!" The midwife said.
"You're doing great, child." Grandma Teresa said.
"You can do it. I love you." Adam said, with his hands holding mine tightly.
After that one last push, I fell back on the bed. I was exhausted. It was like all the energy was drained from my body. Then finally, I heard my baby's cry.
"It's a boy." The doctor said.
"Let me hold him." I held out my arms and the midwife handed him to me.
He was tiny. He fit perfectly on my arms. He stopped crying when he felt my touch. I looked at his cute little face and tears of joy fell from my eyes.
He slowly opened his eyelids and I was surprised to see bright red eyes looking back at me.