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Walt
NowthatI’msure Everie can see again, I leave her to finish getting ready for the day and go back to my room. I turn my attention back to my brother. “I don’t know why, but I feel like making pancakes.”
Whit flashes me a brilliant smile, like I told him something revolutionary. “It was your favorite thing to make for Rowe.” I smile as I think of the hundreds of pictures I looked at of him growing up once I found my way here. When I couldn’t sleep, I’d stare at the albums to see what I could remember.
“Sounds like Otra Dada needs to get to work.”
Whit laughs and pulls me into a hug. I know he’s happy that we’re falling back into our groove. So am I.
“You remember that?”
I nod proudly. “Some of him as a toddler is coming back. That’s one of them. I’m happy because I want to remember all of our moments. Good and bad.”
Whit looks at his hands and I know what he’s thinking about. I’m still blank on the night we fought, but I remember his summary.
“I’m still blank there, but based on what you told me. I understood why we fought. I didn’t get anyone pregnant on purpose and I know I didn’t set you up, but I internalized it for a year. Considering what I know about myself, the idea of telling you was probably a painful thought, but I should’ve figured out how to tell you earlier. If I didn’t say it then, I’m sorry.”
Whit looks at his shoes, then back up at me. It’s still weird knowing we have the same face, but I feel like I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
“You took responsibility. That’s why you were slow to tell me. You blamed yourself for ruining my life.” He swallows as he looks at the ceiling. I realized earlier that I can’t wait until I have my full memory to discuss some of the hard topics. “I don’t ever want you to do that again. Only one person is to blame for my headaches, and she’s in jail. My hell with her wasn’t your fault. It was by her design.”
I pull him into a hug because it’s overdue. We’ve been busy with the ripples my returned caused that we haven’t had time to just be us.
“Now let’s talk about you kissing my girlfriends.”
Whit pulls back, surprised. “You remember?”
“That I dated, Moonlight? No. I overheard you when I went looking for my cupcake.” His face crumples with worry, but I shake my head. “None of that, little brother. You two are perfect for each other. I’d really like to get my memory back to figure out why I’d date someone like that.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Like what?”
“Whit compatible.” He laughs at my assessment. “I’m serious. Did I say I was trying something new?”
He tilts his head. “Not exactly. You said she was a sweetheart, and I’d love her.”
We walk out of my room, heading for the kitchen. “Sounds strategic. I’ve had to analyze myself as an outsider looking in and I’m guessing I tried to be grounded like you and do what you’d do, then found myself halfway in a relationship wondering how I got there.”
“Possible. She thought I killed you because she saw us fight, not knowing we sparred our entire life, almost. She almost felt like she didn’t recognize the Walt I wrote about in my journal.”
We’re descending the stairs, but I stop to look at him. “Not know me? After a year?”
He shrugs. “She didn’t know about the sparring or the boy bands.” I nod thoughtfully and bite my lip as I think. “I didn’t share core parts of myself with her. Interesting. Well, if some part of you needed to hear it despite you two obviously being in love, you have my blessing.” I move my hand through the air like I’m the Pope while Whit chuckles. “Good. That’s settled.”
We hear laughter from the kitchen as we approach. Rowe must have shown her and Sparrow something funny on his phone. I’m disappointed to find that they’ve already eaten. I make a mental note to make pancakes tomorrow.
Moonlight’s eyes find mine and she gives me the look she’s been giving me since I’ve arrived. It suggests that she doesn’t quite know what to say to me. The more I study her, the more I’m convinced that she wasn’t the woman in my flashback.
I still have to ask. After the greetings die down, she attempts to pass me to sit down.
“Moonlight?”
“Yes…Walt?”
“How long has your hair been like that? Like it was the same way when we dated, right?”
Her mouth falls open along with everyone but Whit’s. I pull one loc through my fingers while I wait for her answer. Moonlight doesn’t know how to handle me being in her space anymore. Good. Her eyes better only be for Whit.
“Yes. I’ve had locs for at least ten years.”
