Page 67 of Our Moon
“Yes, let’s go,” I say.
We’re going to Lombardi’s for dinner, an Italian restaurant that I’ve been told was my favorite restaurant before the accident. After eating there a few times over the past couple of years, I can see why. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is so inviting. If I ever decide to open up my own restaurant, I want it to be just like Lombardi’s.
The eleven of us are seated at a large table in the back, enjoying the food and wine. The guys garner some attention since their band is even bigger now, but most of the patrons are locals and give us our space.
My headache has lessened with the ibuprofen I took earlier, but it is starting to come back with a vengeance now. I try to discretely rub my temples, but Lucy, who is sitting beside me, notices and nudges me with her elbow.
“You okay?”
“Just a headache,” I say quietly, but not quietly enough.
“You have a headache?” Alex asks, causing the entire table to go silent and look my way.
I roll my eyes, which it actually hurts to do, and sigh. “It’s not a big deal, probably from all the excitement and the wine,” I say. Something I learned early on after the coma is that when you’re recovering from a brain injury and you mention the word “headache,” people have the tendency to freak out. Even years later, as I’m learning. I had been hoping to keep this on the down low.
“You sure?” Trevor asks.
“Yes,” I assure him. “I’m just going to go to the restroom, splash some water on my face, and take some ibuprofen.” I stand from the table and Alex stands with me. “It’s okay, Alex. I’m fine. I’ll be right back.” I smile, and he sits back down, still looking slightly worried.
I make my way to the hallway that leads to the restrooms and once I’m around the corner, a sharp pain in my head brings me to my knees. I close my eyes tight and bring my hands up to my temples, rubbing and trying to soothe the ache. The pain is absolutely blinding, but just as soon as it started, it’s gone.
I lift my head up and look around, realizing where I am. I’m on the floor in thehallway for the restrooms. I don’t even want to think about what could be on this floor, but I’m too stunned by what just happened to do anything about it and suddenly so exhausted. I adjust myself so that I’m sitting, with my back leaning against the wall. I pull my knees up to my chest, mindful to not flash anyone since I’m still in a skirt. I rest my head on my knees and close my eyes.
I’m not sure how long I’m on the ground before I start hearing voices, then hands on my back and shoulders. “Ally!” It’s Alex. “Ally, are you okay? Dammit, I knew it wasn’t just a headache!”
I pick my head up quickly, making myself a little dizzy with the sudden motion. “I’m fine, Alex.”
“You’re not fine! You’re sitting on the dirty floor of a restaurant. Do you have any idea what might be on these floors?” I laugh since I had that same thought just a short while ago. He narrows his eyes at me, “It’s not funny.”
“It’s kind of funny,” I shrug.
“I can’t believe you’re being so nonchalant about this, Ally.”
“I can’t believe you’re being so serious about this, Alex,” I say, matching his tone.
He looks at me strangely. “Did you hit your head or something?”
I shake my head, “No.”
“Come on,” he says standing up. “Everyone is wondering where you are. You were gone a while.”
“Why didn’t Mom come back to get me? Why’d she send you? What if I was in the bathroom? You can’t go in the ladies’ room, Alex.” Alex is staring at me as I stand up with a look on his face I can’t define. “What?”
“You just asked about Mom,” he says quietly.
“Yeah, so?” I ask, then I freeze and my eyes widen. Mom’s dead. Iknowthis. Then why do I feel like she’s here with us? “I don’t know why I said that,” I tell him, my eyes filling with tears. I suddenly feel so sad. It’s like I’m mourning my mother’s death for the very first time. And Dad. Oh no, my daddy is dead, too. My eyes overflow, and the tears spill out, I move forward and fall into Alex’s arms.
“They’re gone,” I cry. Alex is frozen; he hasn’t even made a move to put his arms around me yet.
“What’s going on?” I hear Trevor ask from behind Alex.
“I don’t know,” Alex whispers. “She remembers Mom and Dad, I think.”
“Ally?” Trevor prompts.
I pull away from a still frozen Alex and look to Trevor, my lower lip quivering. “I want my mom and dad,” I say on a sob.
His eyes widen, and he steps around Alex and pulls me in his arms. “Shh, it’s okay, Ally,” he says soothingly. He rubs my back as I cry. “What do you remember, sweetheart?”
