Page 34 of When We Were Young
Okay, so that was a clue. He had gone to visit a friend in an apartment complex.
Noah went back inside and shut the door. Turned the lock, too. He leaned his back against the closed door and surveyed the room. The place was smaller than most apartments he’d ever been in. Tiny living room with just a sofa and a single armchair. Small television on a plain metal stand.
His eyes wandered to the kitchen. Like something in a hotel room. Barely big enough to turn around in, boxy with a small round table at one end. Four folding chairs hugged the edges. He shifted his gaze to the living room and something else caught his attention: a plaque hanging on the wall.
It was a wooden piece with lettering across it. Word art. Noah smiled. Something familiar. Emily had always loved word art. He moved closer and read the message.
Life gives you two choices. Regret the past or change the present. You can never go back, so make the change. Start today. Life is not a dress rehearsal.
Noah squinted. The words were strangely familiar, but he couldn’t place them. Couldn’t remember seeing this wall hanging before today. He read the words again and shook his head. They were beautiful. A good message for anyone, anytime.
A knock sounded at the door and Noah jumped. Who could it be? He blinked, his heart racing. Whoever it was could maybe help clear everything up. It was probably one of his close friends or someone from the fire department. Maybe Kari and Ryan from church.
He opened the door and stared. He was wrong.
There on the other side stood Aiden and Olivia. Only they weren’t four and two anymore. They were the kids from the photograph hanging in the bedroom.
“Daddy!” Aiden ran to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. “I missed you so much! Happy October!”
Aiden missed him? And it was October already? How much time had passed? A sickening fear breathed on the back of Noah’s neck. “Hey, buddy. I’m right here.” He pulled his son close and ran his hand over the back of his dark hair. Wasn’t it blond just yesterday? Noah grabbed at something to say. “You... you look bigger!”
By then Olivia was clinging to him, too. “Hi, Daddy. I’m so glad it’s Saturday! I missed you, too.”
His legs began to shake again. “You don’t have to miss me!”
“This is our big day!” Aiden walked around the place like he knew it. He took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa. “You really think I look bigger?” He puffed out his chest. “My flag football coach says I’m the tallest seven-year-old on the team.”
Seven? Aiden was seven?
That was impossible. Just yesterday he was four and in preschool. And why was Olivia so tall? Panic filled his veins and Noah felt his body freaking out. Something was terribly wrong. How had he lost three years? He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk. Adrenaline coursed through every inch of him. He needed a doctor. He gasped for air.Enough, Noah. Calm down.
Whatever this was, he couldn’t let the kids see how afraid he was.
What had his son said? Something about his coach telling him he was tall? “That’s... that’s amazing, buddy. You’re the tallest seven-year-old I know, too.” Noah smiled at his son. He was still shaking. “Right.” He swallowed again and looked toward the door. “Where’s Mommy?”
The smiles on both kids’ faces fell a little. Aiden was the first to speak up. “Mommy went shopping. She’ll be back in four hours.” He narrowed his eyes, like he was concerned for Noah. “Like always, Daddy. Remember? First we do breakfast.”
Remember?No. A terrifying question dawned on Noah. Was this the brain damage doctors had warned him of? The possible amnesia he’d read about? That must be it, the concussions were finally taking their terrible toll. Not only that, but maybe his memory was going. The headaches must’ve gotten worse and he must’ve slipped into cognitive decline. Early onset dementia. How many times had his doctor warned him about this?
He gulped a few big breaths and smiled at Aiden, then Olivia. “Right. So what’s for breakfast?”
Olivia giggled. “You’re silly, Daddy. You know!”
But he didn’t. And now fear was paralyzing him, making it impossible for him to move or speak or think of what to do next.
Aiden grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. “Is it okay if we watch the game during breakfast? It’s the big one!”
Noah stared at his son and a small bit of what he said made sense. “Indiana football!”
“Yep. Today’s the game against Michigan.” Aiden grinned at him. “We’re going to do this, Dad. We have to beat ’em.”
“Right.” Noah wondered if the kids could tell he was falling apart, that his breathing was coming in short, ragged bursts. Whatever was happening, he had no choice but to play along. If his memory was going, he could at least stay in this moment. He took hold of Olivia’s hand and walked to the kitchen. “Now about breakfast.”
“Pancakes, Daddy. Remember? We always have pancakes.” Olivia skipped ahead of him and opened the fridge. “We need eggs and milk first.”
“And pancake mix.” Noah could do this. His head was still pounding and nothing made sense. Like why Aiden and Olivia were so old. Maybe if he pretended to understand, eventually his memory would return. And he’d know how he had lost three entire years.
He found a baking mix in the cupboard and Aiden joined them. Noah worked with both kids to make a platter of pancakes and a pan of scrambled eggs. The football game played in the background while the three set their plates at the table and sat down.
