Page 20 of Lost and Found

Paige was the one that made me consider things I had never before. Hell, I was already going out of my way to check on her. I had always prided myself on being a caring doctor. I made it part of my job to form a relationship with my patients, but with Paige, it’s been different. I feel like I check in on her for my own selfish reason. I want to see her smile, hear her laugh, watch her progress. Something about her calls to me, but I have to keep reminding myself that she’s married. Well, widowed but once her memories come back, she’ll have a deal with the loss of her husband, son, and the life she had known.

Despite knowing all of this though, I keep finding excuses to see her. Just like now as I make my way to the physical therapy unit. I’ll see Paige tomorrow at her appointment, but knowing she’s just within arm’s reach makes it impossible to not go to her. Stupidly, I walk through the facility. The staff knows me, but it’s not often I show up unannounced, so their questionable looks are understandable.

I walk back to the gym used by the therapists and patients. It’s empty, aside from Page and her therapists. I watch for a moment feeling a sense of pride at how well she’s progressed. When she turns around, my heart drops to my stomach. She looks breathtaking. Half her hair is pulled back and her blue eyes sign with determination. Her cheeks are flushed from the workout. She’s dressed simply in a pair of denim capris, white converse, and a white tank top with a keyhole cut out.

When I showed up at Paige’s physical therapy session, I didn’t expect to go out for ice cream with her, but here I am. Completely consumed with Paige. I think her memories are starting to resurface, slowly. Her carefree spirit is showing through today. I can picture the woman that Arden had described that day I had helped her move Paige’s belongings.

I’m excited for her to get her memories back. I can only imagine how she must feel, but at the same time, selfishly, I don’t want them for her. The moment they return everything will change. She’s not mine to lay claim to, but at the same time, I can’t imagine my life without her.

As we make our way to Scoops, the local ice cream shop, I listen as Paige tells me about the new bands she’s found while playing around on YouTube. I open the door and usher her inside. “Grab us a seat and I’ll order.” She smiles and heads over to one of the tables by the windows.

Scoops is unique. As you walk in, you have a huge selection of ice creams. They take up an entire wall and half the area leading to the register. On the other side of the register, is a mint green bar where you can sit to eat. The stools are made to look like ice cream cones. The walls are painted a pale purple with pale green, yellow, pink, and blue polka dots and white tile floor. Tall tables with the same bar stools made to look like ice cream cones fill up the rest of the room. This place has been a staple in Sunnyvale and brings back so many childhood memories.

I order and pay before making my way to the table that Paige has chosen. When I approach, I can feel the heaviness coming off her. I slide her banana split in front of her. “Penny for your thoughts.”

She shakes her head and swipes a finger under her eye, probably trying to hide evidence of tears. It makes me want to pull her into my arms, which makes me wonder how it would feel to have her next to me like that. She gives me a small smile. “I was just thinking this place feels so familiar.”

I take a seat across from her. “I’m sure you’ve been here before. Scoops has been around for as long as I can remember. Do you know that my grandparents actually had their first date here?”

“Seriously?” she asks.

I nod. “I swear to you.”

Paige smiles. “It seems like a great place to have a kid’s birthday party. I mean, it’s already got the colors and ice cream for it.”

I force a laugh and smile for her sake, but my appetite is gone. Her words make me curious if she ever planned for Corey to have a birthday here, or maybe they had a family tradition that brought them to Scoops ever so often.

Paige looks down at her banana split and then back at me with the biggest smile ever. “Extra fudge sauce.”

“That was a requirement, was it not?” I ask.

“It was,” she says, giving me a nod of approval before grabbing her spoon. “You passed.”

I laugh. “Was it a test?”

She shrugs. “You never know, Reid. You never know,” she tells me with a wink, before she cracks up laughing, causing me to follow her in laughter.

Chapter Eighteen

Reid

While we’re sitting at the table in Scoops, the weather starts to shift. A chill breaks into the atmosphere and the sky that was already darkening, has become nearly pitch black-- not even the stars are visible. The humidity rises and bolts of lightning light up the night sky in the distance. A roar of thunder moves through Sunnyvale.

I watch as Paige stiffens as the storm builds in the distance, and I can’t help but wonder if she has a sense of déjà vu now. Is this how she spent the last night with her husband and son? Had she watched as the storm grew and moved closer? Or had they driven into it, unknowingly of how tragic it would end?

Paige shakes her head. “Sorry, I just zoned out there.”

I give her a tight smile, but despite my best efforts, I know it seems forced. “Anything in particular?”

She opens her mouth like she’s about to say something, but then closes it back. Finally, she says, “No, I don’t think so anyway. I’m not really sure. Everything is still really confusing.”

I watch as Paige rubs her head for a moment, averting her eyes down. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just get these sharp pains every now and then.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I’m sure if I could see her eyes, they would show worry.

I reach across the table without a moment of hesitation. “Paige, it’s okay. Having pain after the kind of head trauma that you suffered is very common. As long as the pain isn’t constant or worsening in intensity, then it’s perfectly normal. All part of the healing process.”

Paige looks up and smiles at me. “How do you do that?”

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