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Don’t Take it for Granted

Chapter 2

Dad and I arrive at my home before the twins return from their afternoon activities. They have karate class after school along with Justin Sterns and this week Justin’s mother, Rachel Sterns, will pick them up from class and bring them home.  Leaving dad downstairs I rush upstairs to shower and change. Once that’s done I head downstairs to start dinner.  I haven’t eaten since breakfast and want dinner ready when the children arrive because they have had a long day what with school and then karate after school.  Dad decides to stay with me so that he can explain everything to Mr. Gibbs.  It seems strange to refer to him like that but I don’t know how else to refer to him.  In my head I don’t know him or rather I don’t remember him.  I can’t even image how he will respond to this.  Dad tells me all he knows about Mr. Gibbs, of course only the major highlights, in the short time that we have to talk.  He sounds like a very nice man and from what Dad says we are very much in love. How could I forget that?  I had better remember this quickly because I really don’t like this it feels so strange.  I’ve never experienced anything like this before and never want to experience anything like this again.  All right I need to get myself together before Richard and Nicole arrive and prepare myself for ‘my husband’s’ arrival.

Look at my babies! They have grown so even in the span of one day.  Thanking Rachel Sterns for dropping them home I pull them in the house and give them a big hug.  I don’t want to let them go.  For some reason I feel so fragile and hold on to them like they are my anchors in reality at this moment.  We go upstairs so that they can shower and prepare for dinner. Once they finish we head down for dinner.  Dad has the table all set and we sit down and enjoy dinner while they tell me about their day in school and in karate.  Once dinner is done they head upstairs for some alone time in their rooms before it is time for bed.  I am wondering why their father hasn’t arrived yet and Dad tells me that he spoke with Mr. Gibbs while I was upstairs with the children and he’s running a little later than usual but he should arrive within the next thirty minutes. Oh boy!  

As soon as I finish cleaning up after dinner I hear the front door close.  Stealing myself for this encounter I slowly walk to the living room.  By the time I arrive I see Dad preparing to talk to Mr. Gibbs but I stop him.  I suggest that we sit in the living room and have this conversation.

“Dad, let’s all sit down and then we can talk.” I say in the most restrained voice that I can muster.

“Talk about what Margie?  What’s going on Thomas?”  Mr. Gibbs asks.

“Jethro something happened today and we need to tell you about it,” my dad replies.

Taking a deep breath I tell Mr. Gibbs everything that happened today, including all that I remember and all that Craig Porter and the doctor told me.

“So let me get this straight in my head. You had an accident at work and were exposed to some gas of some sort and you have lost your memory but it should return in 72 hours.  But you didn’t lose your entire memory you just don’t remember me.  How is that possible?”

“Jethro the doctor couldn’t explain why Alexis is experiencing this selective memory loss.  The scientists at the company that developed this aerosol said that it is supposed to cause temporary memory loss of only the last twenty-four to forty-eight hours.  They can’t explain why Alexis remembers everything up until she lost consciousness but she has no memory of you.”

“So you are telling me that my wife remembers everything about her life but she doesn’t remember me.  She remembers our children but she doesn’t remember me. Did I do something to cause this? Is this the result of some before unknown deep seated hurt that I caused her that has manifested itself in her completely forgetting me.”

“No, no, no!” I pleaded with Mr. Gibbs.  I can see the hurt in his eyes as he says this and know that I must say or do something to ease his pain.  I am sure that I would probably feel the same way if he forgot me.

“Please don’t think of it like that. Since all of this happened I spoke with a psychiatrist that I trust and he explained it to me this way.  My trained mind reacted in a way not expected by the scientists who created this aerosol.  They did admit it was still in the developmental stage.  The psychiatrist suggested that a recent disagreement or argument between us might have triggered my mind to remove thoughts of you from my memory. Did we recently argue?”

“Yes we did this morning.”

“So you see that’s probably what caused me to forget memories of you.  Everything should right itself in 72 hours.  After 72 hours all of my memories should return but I don’t want to wait that long.  My psychiatrist friend said that I might quicken the recovery time by spending time with you and sharing things with you that were associated with just the two of us, but not sex.  He did emphasize that sex was not allowed as that might cause more harm than good.  Dad has told me about you and us and from what he says I know that you are a good man and that we were or are very much in love with each other.  In an effort not to frighten Richard and Nicole I suggest that we carry on as if everything is normal and when they go to bed we can sit and talk and work our way through this if that is okay with you.”

“Will you excuse me for a moment?”  Mr. Gibbs says and quickly leaves the room.