Nevio’s bad luck seems to have rubbed off on his daughter, Adora. Can she get her memories back in time or is her marriage to Simon doomed?
Things in the house hadn’t improved. Nevio was stuck playing referee to his daughter and son-in-law’s frequent ‘disagreements’. To his own merit, Simon hadn’t instigated any of them. He’d simply been there and giving her “a look” and she got annoyed enough to poke him. He never fought back. Nevio thought he looked a bit like a wounded puppy in those moments. He felt bad for him.
Unfortunately, Nevio didn’t have enough time left to feel bad for long. He went out in his favorite way, with one of his favorite girls. When the ambulance arrived, he was well past dead and his former love, grief-stricken and mildly horrified, was forced into therapy to deal with her unusual loss. Nevio’s family was left to mourn him quietly. The way he had gone was rarely discussed, though Nevio’s ways weren’t exactly a mystery to the rest of the neighborhood.
He’d gone out with a smile on his face, that much was certain.
In the wake of her father’s death, Adora found herself feeling even more hollow. She could almost feel the gaps in her memory, their open, empty expanses gnawing at her soul. Would she ever get her memories back? She looked down at her son, she barely knew him, barely felt the maternal connection, but even so, something told her that he was hers and he was Simon’s. She was bereft, both with grief for her father and for her lost life and memories.
Things changed in the house, but perhaps not for the immediate better. Adora’s weakness after Nevio’s death and her loss of memories left her in a delicate place. She sought momentary comfort in Simon. For Simon, it was a regretable action. He wanted his wife back, not a meaningless ‘fling’ with the shadow of her former self. At least she’d stopped mentioning Ocean. Maybe that was a step in the right direction…
Eric was growing, despite the distance between his parents. He didn’t seem to notice, usually happy and content, a goofy smile plastered on his mostly toothless face.
Isolde and Adora found comfort in one another during their time of loss. Even before Nevio’s death, Isolde had been visiting frequently in ana ttempt to get her sister to remember. She felt bad, causing all this mess. She sometimes wondered if perhaps she should have left it all alone… but the thought of being without her sister was a hard one to bear.
“You just have to let it come to you naturally,” Isolde advised softly. “You can’t force it. It’ll come to you… just have faith that it’s not gone forever.”
Adora sighed, “that’s easier said than done. I’ve got a son to think about. I just feel so confused…”
“Sometimes, I think I can remember. I have dreams that almost seem real… but when I wake up, I can barely recall them. I’m just so tired of all this up and down. I just want it to be over with.”
“It will be, soon,” Isolde said, taking her sister’s hand. “You just… you need to be strong, Adora. And you need to go at this with a clear head. You can’t be distracted.”
“I want this to work,” Adora confided. “At first, I wasn’t sure… but now, I know. This is right, something deep down inside of me wants this… I just have to find it again. I have to start all over.”
Adora met with Ocean for a casual dinner. It wasn’t as it seemed, she’d snuck out, but not for a romantic affair. Quite the opposite, actually. She was going to stop it before it’d even had the change to begin.
“Look, Ocean… I have to be honest, I asked you here for selfish reasons,” Adora began.
Ocean moved to interrupt her, thinking he knew where this was going, “I knew you’d come around–”
“No, ocean, you don’t understand. I… I want my marriage to work. I’m going to fight for my memories, for my life.”
It was hard to miss the look that passed over his face. He reached across the table and took her hand before she could snatch it away.
“It should have been me, Adora. This was our second chance…”
Adora watched his hand on her arm, fingers clutching desperately to what they could, “…I made my choice a long time ago, Ocean. I can’t tell you know why, but I know… deep down, it was the choice I wanted. I wanted to be with Simon.”
The words were hard to say and as she said them, Adora felt her resolve faltering. She looked at Ocean for a good, long minute before pulling her arm away. The waitress came with their food, platter perched precariously on her nimble hand.
It was almost as if the universe itself had heard Adora’s doubts, because at that moment, the skilled waitress fumbled and the platter slipped. It fellt towards Adora, showering her in salad greens.
The universe clearly did not favor her doubts.
Her resolved bolstered, Adora ended the meal before it could truly begin. Smelling of salad and unknown flavorings, Adora said her final goodbye to Ocean.
“I really wish you’d reconsider, Adora.”
“I can’t, Ocean. This is the way it is, the way… the way I want it. I hope you find happiness.”
With that, she turned and left, proud of herself despite her sullied clothing.
Adora returned home to find Simon passing by the doorway. She didn’t waste a single second. She approached him, taking his hand into hers. He was visibly startled. His nose twitched and his eyes narrowed a bit–not out of anger, but curiosity.
“Why do you smell like salad?”
“Long story,” Adora said, her voice quick like fire. “Nevermind that. I just, I want this to work. I want to remember, I want to remember everything… I want my life back… with you, with Eric. It… it won’t be easy, but I hope that you’ll understand and you’ll support me.”
Simon smiled, squeezing her hand, “I’ve been waiting for you to say that since Isolde brought you back. Anything you need, I’m here. I’ve always been here, Adora.”
Life resumed a normal pace, though daily tasks were somewhat burdened by Adora’s missing memories. She didn’t dwell on it, however. They would come as they wished, as Isolde had told her time and time again. For now, she would just make an effort to see what she had seen before, what she had loved about her life before this incident had changed everything. She focused on Eric’s smile and his laughter, on the way Simon looked at her when she walked into the room.
It would be a slow progression forward, but at least she was on the right track, finally.
——————————–
Note from Mao: And so we have the Anderson update! Sorry if the writing is a bit odd. I usually keep things moderately light with this. It’s still gameplay driven in every aspect. I’m just a bit out of practice, unfortunately.
I’m still planning to do something for February, so keep your eyes peeled. I’m still not sure what to do, though. I’m horrible at honoring anniversaries! God save me when my wedding one comes up, yikes.
Anyway, Adora had zero wants for Ocean and she autonomously kept flirting/etc with Simon. She even intiated woohoo with him, so I took that as her wanting to move forward. Nevio’s death caught me by surprise, so I had to improvise a death picture, lol.
