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Wish Upon a Dandelion
WHAT IN THE world was I going to do? I didn't know anyone, including myself, and I didn't have any mode of transportation, and too much alone time with my thoughts would surely spell madness. I slumped back on the couch and stared at the fireplace. The mantel was barren and in desperate need of some family pictures. The whole house needed warmth. I chewed on my fingers as I scanned the room. I could pick flowers. Surely, he had a vase somewhere. That would bring a little life to the place.
I rummaged through the kitchen cabinets. It was only stocked with the essentials, but I found a glass pitcher that could serve as a vase. I took it out and placed it onto the island, a proud smile covering my face, because for the next few minutes, I had a purpose.
I slipped on the only shoes I owned—the ones I wore home from the hospital yesterday. They were brand new white and pink running shoes. I wondered if I was a runner. I lifted my arm and tugged at the skin hanging off my tricep. I was in serious need of muscle definition. Maybe I would start running. It would get me out of the house and would give me a chance to get to know the area around my new home. And a chance to see Brandt again, I thought, making my heart flutter.
After scoping out the garage and coming up empty for gardening tools, I settled on a pair of scissors that were in a kitchen drawer. I went out into the yard to another beautiful summer day. Grady had informed me that he lived in a coastal community off the beaten path on the outskirts of San Diego.
I headed out past the fire pit where the ground was a combination of dirt, rocks, and weeds with an occasional dandelion. I bent down to one, remembering that dandelions held the magic of wishes come true if you could blow off all the seeds in one breath. I could use all the wishes in the world to get my memories back, so I pulled it from the stem, stood up, and held the dandelion in front of me. A breeze threatened to take the seeds off before I could blow, but I couldn't formulate my wish. I wanted to wish for my life back and my memories, but I was also afraid of what I might remember. The ache in my chest flared as I stood and stared at the dandelion, contemplating what was worse.
"You're supposed to make a wish."
I turned, nearly jumping out of my skin and dropping the dandelion to the ground. The jostling loosened a few of the seeds, blowing them in Brandt’s direction. He caught one in his fist as he walked toward me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you lose your wish." He opened his hand to reveal the seed in his palm.
I reached out and swept it up, feeling a tingle his presence elicited in my body. "It's
okay."
"You speak." He smiled genuinely.
"Yes."
It was limited with him, though, and almost as if he caused mini seizures in my throat that restricted words from coming out. I shifted, not entirely comfortable with the way he studied my face. His eyes were intense, filled with an emotion I didn't understand, but we were close enough now that I could make out their color. They weren't quite green or hazel, but rather a swirl of both. The color was intriguing, and the way my body came alive in his presence, I imagined I liked his staring just a little. The magnetism was building between us, and when he raised his hand, I braced for his touch, but instead, he rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he stepped away, giving us some distance. I released a breath, not even aware that I was holding it in.
"That was…odd," I blurted out.
"Sorry...I didn't mean…I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." He looked at the ground. "That's the last thing I would want to do." He stumbled on his words.
He was nervous, too, and somewhat vulnerable. We had only just met, and I hadn't even spoken enough words to signify a coherent exchange, but I liked the idea of him and me.
"That probably wasn't the best choice of words. It wasn't a bad thing. It's just, I mean, I don't know you, and you definitely don't know me, and is this what they consider love at first sight?" I clamped my mouth shut. I could die right here and right now. Did I just say “love” to a complete stranger?
He started making this nervous little chuckle, that damned if it wasn't the most endearing sound I had ever heard, but I was mortified, nonetheless.
"I…uh…I didn't mean to say we were in love. I don't even know why I said that. I think I just need to be quiet now." I twisted a lock of hair around my finger, which grabbed his attention more than me saying we could possibly be in love.
A painful look consumed his eyes, a stiffness stole his carefree stance, and the curve of his smile vanished. It was the single most horrible thing I had seen and reminiscent to a similar reaction I witnessed in Grady. Why did I have that effect on them? It made me feel like crawling under the sheets and hiding away. Not to protect myself, but to protect those around me. I seemed to break them without even trying.
I stopped twirling my hair and tucked my hands into my pants pockets. I could tell he was torn between running for his life and saying something.
Please, just say something.
My stomach was knotting so tightly that I fought the urge to ball over.
He masked the expression consuming him. "Have you been down to the beach yet?"
"No!" I shouted awkwardly. Apparently, I wasn't as good at this quick, awkward-moment transition thing. And just like that, his laughter filled my heart and it was like the last minute had never happened. The knots loosened cautiously, ready to tighten again at a moment's notice.
His laugh further cut through the tension. "If you're not too busy making wishes, maybe I could take you?" His voice was back to turning my bones into molten cake.
"I like cake," I blurted out on accident. I covered my face with one of my hands, stunned by my behavior. That was it. I figured it out. I was crazy before I lost my memories. I had to be mentally insane. Why else would I act this way and tell a complete stranger it was love at first sight and declare out of nowhere I liked cake? My face was twenty-five shades of red, and my eyes were certainly about to pop out of their sockets.
"I like cake, too." He chuckled as he took my hand casually.
I liked that he took my hand as if he had done so a million times before, but I wasn't sure if all my crazy talk had him considering to throw me over the cliff as he led me closer to it.
