Page 35 of A Lapse in Time

"I think so."

"You got this. The traffic is light, and we don't have to go far. I'm sure once you start, it will be easy. You just have to get out of your head." He kissed my cheek, then put his seat belt on.

I turned the key to bring the car to life. I tried to remember what I learned in driver's ed but drew a blank. I took a few deep breaths, then put the car in park. I was glad that Noah had it parked on the street because I didn't want to have to back out of the driveway.

I checked all the mirrors and adjusted them.

Noah placed his hand on my leg. "Relax, Care Bear. You can do this," he softly said.

I sat up straight and focused. After double-checking the mirrors again, I pulled away from the curb.

At first, it felt weird, but by the time we made it two blocks away, I felt better. I glanced at Noah, and he had the biggest smile on his face, and that made me feel better.

I continued driving with no destination in mind.

"You're doing so good, baby," Noah praised when we got to a stop sign.

I turned to look, and I knew my smile stretched across my face.

"Thank you. Are we just going to drive to nowhere, or do you have somewhere you want to go?"

"Nah, baby, I'm just enjoying the ride." He squeezed my thigh before facing the road.

Nia was at the neighbors' house, and since I didn't remember them, I didn't want her to be there long. Noah assured me that they were good people and that she would be fine, and I trusted him.

"We can head back soon so we can pick Nia up," I said after I drove for a while.

Noah's hand slid further up my leg. It had been resting on my knee the whole time.

"Or we can spend a little more time together, just you and me. I can remind you of some stuff from our past."

I peeked over at him, and the smirk on his face told me exactly what he wanted to remind me of. Since the first night after therapy, it seemed like Noah couldn't keep his hands off me. I wasn't complaining because I enjoyed it. Being with Noah was like a dream come true for me since I'd always liked him, and now that dream was a reality.

"I guess I can let you jog my memory."

It wasn't easy not remembering stuff from my past, but Noah made it so that I didn't worry so much about it. When I asked questions, he answered. I was thankful that I was able to remember the basics.

I drove us back home, and before we went into the house, we checked on Nia, and she was fine. The neighbors said she could stay as long as we needed her to, so Noah went into the house and spent some quality time together.

"Areyou excited about going back to work?" Carsyn asked as we lay in bed.

I pulled her close to me and inhaled the fruity scent of her hair. Nia was still asleep, but I knew she wouldn't be for much longer, so I wanted to enjoy a little bit of peace with Carsyn.

"Yes. I kinda don't want to leave you two, but I know it's something I need to do."

I wasn't worried about Carsyn and Nia being home without me, but this would be the first time I would be gone from them for an extended time. I knew I would miss them, but it would be good for me to return to what I loved. We weren't hurting for money, but it would help to have a steady income.

It had been a few weeks since I taught Carsyn how to drive again, and she'd been doing well. She remembered how to get to most of the places she needed, like her parents and sister's houses, as well as the grocery store. She still chose to walk to the park since it wasn't that far. She hadn't gained any of her memories back, but things were working out well.

"I think it will be good for you. Nia and I will be fine. We have a whole day full of stuff to do."

I kissed Carsyn's exposed shoulder since the sheet had fallen a little. I loved that she slept naked now. It was easier for us to have late-night sex since we had to sneak and do it sometimes. Whenever Nia was awake, she held all of our attention until it was time for bed.

"I don't doubt that y'all will be okay. Do you want me to pick up dinner on my way home?"

Carsyn turned over in my arms. I looked into her pretty face. She had that fresh-woken-up face, but to me, it was when she looked the prettiest. It was when she was in her most natural state. Her face had completely healed, and if it weren't for the memory loss, no one would have ever known she was injured.

"Nope. Dinner is already covered."

---