Page 38 of Down Memory Lane
“Hey Mom, Dad,” Autumn said as she took her seat. Her parents smiled at her, but it was still the same cautious smile they’d had on their faces since they’d arrived in Applewood. It was as if they were fearful of showing any real emotions that might break her, and Autumn longed for one of Lottie’s nonchalant hugs to remind her that not everyone would treat her like she was made of glass.
The fluorescent lights of the bakery glinted off her mom’s freshly dyed blonde hair, reminding Autumn that she should touch up her roots before the wedding tomorrow. She wasn’t at the wedding party, but she wanted to look her best for the photos she and Felix would add to the wall they’d started to create after the night they’d gone to Seattle. It was a big evening to commemorate, though Autumn kind of preferred the more casual photos they’d added.
There were a couple of them in her studio and a few in Felix’s cider house, but her absolute favorite was one she’d taken of the two of them as he’d given her a piggyback ride through the orchard, blossoms strewn on the ground and in their hair as they smiled at the camera. It had been a great moment, just one of many Autumn hoped to replicate in the future with the man she had come to care so much for.
“Good morning, Pumpkin.” Her dad’s voice interrupted her thoughts of Felix. He was where her mind strayed to most often these days, but that wasn’t a shock seeing as how they spent pretty much all their time together. “How are you feeling this morning?”
Autumn shrugged, hating that question more each time she heard it. “Fine,” she sighed. It was the same response she’d given to her parents almost every time they asked. She was better than fine, but she knew they were talking about her memory and not the overall state of her mental health. “How are you guys?”
They shared a knowing look before passing a cranberry orange muffin over to her. “We got you your favorite,” her mom remarked.
Autumn frowned at the bread, its orange scent burning her nose. It wasn’t that she minded the flavor overall, but over the course of the last few months, she’d discovered that blueberry was heractualfavorite. For whatever reason, her parents kept pushing what they’d mentioned was her previous favorite on her whenever they met at the bakery.
Not wanting to offend them, Autumn accepted it and took a small bite, unable to hide her wince as she tasted the orange peel on her tongue. She could smell citrus all day long, but tasting it was another matter.
“Thanks,” she mumbled.
With a sigh, her mom passed over a glass of water, spearing her with a look. “You don’t have to pretend to like it for us, sweetie.” After sharing yet another look with her dad, Autumn’s mom patted her hand. “But that’s actually something we wanted to talk to you about.”
Swallowing the lump of orangey goo, Autumn sipped some water to wash away the flavor. “You wanted to talk to me about my muffin preferences?”
Her mother shot her a withering look as her dad snickered. He had always been the mellower of the two, though even through his mirth she could see the concern ringing his eyes. After coughing into his hand, her dad smiled sadly at her. “We actually wanted to talk to you about something else. You see, we’re heading back to Phoenix...”
“Really?” Autumn felt a twinge in her chest, unsure of what the feeling meant. In a way she was relieved at the idea of not having to face them and their constant questions about her memory, but she would also miss having familiar faces around. Despite her inability to remember much about her parents, she still found their presence comforting in a way. “When?”
Her mom scooted closer and squeezed her hand. “Well, that depends on whether or not you decide to come with us.”
Autumn blinked at her mother, positive she had misheard her. “What’s that now?” They’d wanted her to go home before, but she thought after the last time she declined the question as behind them.
Rolling her eyes good naturedly, her mom shook her hand a little. “Come with us, Autumn. We may not be in your childhood home anymore, but you spent the first decade of your life in that city. All of your old scrapbooks, old trophies and ribbons, and just about everything else from when you were little is in our attic. Come home with us and see if that doesn’t help stir the memories up a little.”
Autumn sighed. Of course this was about her memory. Couldn’t they just accept that it was gone? She had, or tried to anyway. “You can’t know that will help, and besides, my studio is here.”Felix is here,but she wasn’t sure her parents would take her wanting to stay near her best friend as enough of an excuse. They were practical people and needed practical excuses.
Her dad waved off her concern about her business. “You can do that from anywhere. We can convert our sunroom into a studio for you if you want or I am sure there are plenty of spaces around town that we can set up. Your store is online, so that can travel easily enough.” Her dad stared at her, and clasped her shoulder. “Don’t you want to do everything you can to try and get back what you lost? Your mom and I really think that being with us in the city you spent your formative years in will do a world of good.”
Autumn nodded, picking at the muffin she hadn’t intended to eat before and definitely wouldn’t be touching now that her appetite had vanished. “I guess so.” Did she really want to move to another state, essentially uprooting a life that had already had its share of drama for the foreseeable future? Could a life without her memories be much of a life anyway? A dull ache started to form at the back of her head. “I need to think about it.”
Scooting back from the table, Autumn gave her parents quick hugs and scurried out the door. The warm air of the bakery gave way to the cool of the morning as she stepped outside, but it offered little relief. Maybe if she walked away fast enough, she could outrun the confusion that had taken over her mind and the decision she didn’t want to have to face.
