Don't Forget Me

That night, Zack and I took Laney out to eat to her favorite restaurant, it served the best hamburgers I've ever tasted. We all sit down in a booth and waited for our server. We all ordered hamburgers with fries and milkshakes. While we waited, I decided to see if Delaney remembers anything about this restaurant, granted it's her favorite.
"So, Delaney. Do you remember anything about this restaurant? You always loved coming here with me every Friday night. We would order our usual and just sit talk, remember that at all?"
She looks at me with confused, but sympathetic stare. "No...I don't remember this place at all," she said as she shook her head. I sat there in distress, but I did have more things to show her so it's not the end of the world. The food comes and Delaney goes right for the burger and takes a big bite of it.
"Mmmmm, this is so good! I can see why I called it my favorite before," Delaney said and takes another bite. Zack and I chuckled as we begin to eat our burgers as well. It was an enjoyable evening and it was great having Laney around again, despite her not remember anything.
After dinner, we head back to the house where Delaney will now be living with us again. We pull up to the driveway and the porch lights flickered on as we exited the car. Zack opens the door and we all walk inside and Laney and I sat on the couch while Zack went to go grab some photo albums.
"Okay, now that we're home, we're going to try something with you. Zack is going to get some photo albums and we're going to see if you remember anything about the life you had before your accident, okay?"
"Alright, that sounds fun actually. Was I always a fun person?" she asked.
"Oh yes, that's what made me fall in love with you! We were suppose to get married, Laney," I said, feeling kind of sad after I said that.
"Wow, really? Well, I made the right choice then didn't I? You are pretty cute, even when you almost ran me over" she said with a smile. I blushed a little bit. She doesn't even know who I am and she made me blush!
"Why, thank you, Laney," I said as I cleared to try and not make my blushing obvious.
Zack comes back with some photo albums, ready to try and make something click in her head.
"Okay, Laney. Here is a photo album of just us and our parents. Remember, Mom and Dad are no longer with us," explained Zack.
"Yes, I remembered that in the hospital. I cried for people I don't even know. Funny, huh?" said Delaney.
"Was there anything in your head that clicked when you were told Mom and Dad were gone?" asked Zack.
"Not at all," said Delaney. "I just cried for people I don't even remember. I only knew them as Mom and Dad in the present. I don't remember though what they looked like or anything."
"Here, this album will help, it's full of pictures of you, me, Mom, and Dad. Are you ready?"
".....yes, I'm ready."
Delaney and Zack scavenged through the photo album, looking at pictures, answering questions, trying to remember anything. There were pictures of vacations, Christmas photos, birthdays, Thanksgiving, but nothing triggered that poor girl's memory.
About an hour later, something sparked a memory in Delaney's head when she saw a picture of her mother. Delaney was with her mother in the hospital, her mom laid in her hospital bed, hair gone and looking ever so pale.
"Woah....that was Mom?" she said.
"Yeah," said Zack. "She died two days after that was taken."
Delaney sat there for a minute, then puts her head down. Zack and I then heard sniffling.
"Laney.....Laney, are you okay," Zack asked.
She looked up, mascara stained tears ran down her face. She looks at the both of us with her lips quivering.
"I remember her,' she whispered through the tears. "Mommy's gone...." And it clicked. Zack grabs ahold of her and hugs her tight as I rubbed her back gently. We had to let this poor girl cry her heart out after what she just had to remember, and she is so brave for that.
After ten minutes had gone by, Delaney gathered herself together and calmed down.
"Do you want to continue looking at pictures?" I asked.
She dries away the last of her tears. "I wanna try and remember anything about Dad. If I can remember Mom now, maybe there's some hope now in remembering him now," she said, and grabs the photo album and continued to look. Zack and I agreed and we continued.
About fifteen minutes went by when Delaney comes across a picture of her dad, buried up to his head in sand at a beach.
"Oh gosh, look at him! How did we ever do that?" asked Delaney as she laughs at the ridiculousness of the picture.
Zack laughed along with her. "We dug a huge hole for him and just buried him with all that sand and we left him there for a half an hour!" We all laughed at the silly memory, when suddenly, Delaney's head popped up and we both looked.
"Oh Daddy...." she whispered as tears rushed down her face again and onto the picture of her father. We grab ahold of her and just held her for a while after that.
"I think that's enough pictures for one night," said Delaney. "I'm glad though that I remembered my parents, maybe it'll be the key into remembering who you guys are again because I really do want to know who the both of you are to me."
"We promise to make that happen for you," I said.
"Thank you both," she said as she hugs us both really tight.
"I think it's time we head to bed, yeah?" Zack suggested as he yawned.
"That sounds great," she agreed.
"Alright, how are the sleeping arrangements going to work?" I asked.
"Shit. You know, I didn't even think of that. How are we going to do this," said Zack.
"Um....I have an idea!" said Delaney.
"Sure! Go ahead," I said.
"We can camp out here on the floor. Put some blankets and pillows and all that, it'll be great! Besides, I still don't remember anything about the house, so I'm a little....well....scared."
Zack and I smiled at her. "No shame, sweetheart. We can definitely arrange that," Zack smiled. We all gather a ton of blankets, pillows, anything soft so we can be comfortable.
We all change, brushed our teeth, and snuggled into our little fluffy fortress. Delaney slept between us just so she can feel a little safer. She gave us both a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you guys for everything. I hope to remember more soon. I love you guys."
"We love you too, Delaney," said Zack and I as we all drift off to sleep.

Notes