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I kissed him and whispered, “We can’t do that with Hudson in here.”
Vince rolled with laughter. “Not what I meant. But now you’ve got me thinking.” When I pulled back the shower curtain, I gasped. My amazing husband installed a brand-new showerhead, waterspout, and handle. “I thought we could go shopping this weekend and get a new shower curtain, mat, rugs, and towels.”
His excitement surprised me. “You want to go shopping? What on earth is going on with you, mister?”
“I’m fucking bored, Hailey.”
“And you want to go pick out new stuff for the bathroom.”
“I don’t care what we do as long as we get out of the house.”
“Well, you’re in luck. Take a shower and get dressed. I’m going to change and get Hudson a snack.”
“Where are we going?”
“Out of the house.” I kissed him.
“You sure you don’t want to try the new showerhead with me?” His words shot straight through me and stirred up delicious memories from the other night.
“You can show me how it works after we put Hudson to bed.” We locked lips again. Hudson squirmed between us. “Hurry up, Vince. I’m hungry.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I walked away, chuckling as I thought about how happy I was to be home with my men.
Vince’s excitement about driving was electric. I had to direct him where to go, but finally getting clearance to get behind the wheel was one thing I knew that made him feel a step closer to life getting back to normal.
Dinner went differently than I had planned. I took Vince to our favorite pizza place. For me, tonight was all about recreating our first date. It wasn’t the same place, but it was so similar it might as well have been at Vito’s back home. Sitting across from Vince at Luigi’s brought back so many great memories for me. Vince didn’t remember it at all.
I hid my disappointment, heeding Dr. Farris’s words. We ordered a pepperoni pizza with sausage, olives, and extra cheese. With our root beers, the checkered tablecloths, and loud noise, it was just like our first date—and several other date nights we had over our time together. The only difference was our mini companion sitting in his highchair at our table.
Our conversation flowed easily, but it wasn’t the night I hoped for.
Chapter 16
Vince
Hailey’s disappointment wasn’t lost on me.
I couldn’t hide my own either.
I pet Chewie as I thought about last night. When Hailey finally told me what she’d been trying to do, taking me to get pizza to see if I remembered our first date, she cried. It was emotional for both of us because all we wanted was for my memory to come back.
While we lay in bed, Chewie asleep on my side and Hudson in his crib, I told Hailey that her idea was good and we should keep trying. If she could help recreate these memories with me, maybe something would spark.
We went to a frozen yogurt shop the next night. Apparently, that’s where we went on our third date after going to see a movie. When I asked Hailey what movie, she didn’t remember. We laughed when I made a joke about probably dragging her to see aStar Warsmovie.
I raked my hands over my head. The buzz cut reminded me of Boot Camp, and I hated it. I couldn’t wait for my hair to grow in. It was the least of my worries, though. I’d keep my head shaved for the rest of my damn life if it meant I got my memories back.
Lost in my own thoughts, I jumped when the laundry machine buzzed. Another load done. Another chore completed. I folded Hudson’s clothes and put them away. I went through Hudson’s baby book again. I looked at every picture on the wall for the thousandth time. I was a zombie walking through this damn maze, trying to recollect one single shred from my past. All I did was think, think, think. The fragments that were missing didn’t take away from my life, but my mind was like one of those pickleball toy balls Hudson loved to play with. They were just regular kinds of balls except for the holes in them. That’s how I felt—a man with holes in his brain. I was glad Mom and Dad had taken Hudson to the park. I didn’t need them to see me surly and feeling sorry for myself again. I knew they’d be back soon. And Hailey would be home from work in a couple of hours. I needed to snap out of this funk before that. I didn’t want more questions or counseling. I got that enough from my physical therapist and Dr. Farris.
Figuring some fresh air might do me some good, I headed out front. The swing on the front porch was in bad shape. It went unnoticed because this was the first time since being home that I chose to sit on it. The chain showed signs of rust. It would need to be replaced. I disregarded the dust covering the seat and back. The paint was chipping away in several spots. I flicked at several lifted flecks and watched as they fell like confetti.
As they flitted to the ground, a vision of Hailey flashed like a movie playing in my head. She was wearing a bright yellow top and was smiling. It was the day I had installed the swing. She thought it would be the perfect addition to the porch and told me how we could sit out here and watch the sun set. The movie panned out. Now, she was sitting where I was currently seated. She was talking animatedly, gesticulating with her hands and laughing at something.
I looked up at the bolts and screws holding the swing in place. The movie was over, but the memory remained. “Holy shit. I remember.” I couldn’t wait to tell Hailey that something finally clicked.
I was overjoyed that I finally remembered something new. Even if it was an old memory, it meant there was hope after all. I swayed in our swing and tried to recall something—anything else. Ten minutes must have passed without another memory coming to mind. Still, I was happy.
