It has been a month since the terrible accident that completely erased him from her memory… Catherine, the woman he loves… the only woman he will ever love. Liam moved her into Valtoria soon after being released from the hospital because, for the few moments they were at the palace had proved to be more than stressful, even to him. The doctor said she needed a peaceful and serene environment in order to recover properly, and he was going make sure she had just that. He hired a private nurse to tend to her medical needs and he moved into one of the guest rooms not far from hers… in the event that her memory should return, he had to be there. He only goes to the palace when duty calls and since the accident, he was instructed not to overexert himself which has been a blessing… because leaving her for any length of time right now is out of the question. He is determined to give her his undivided love and devotion… and even if she never fully recovers, he won't stop until she falls in love with him all over again.
On this particular afternoon while Catherine is taking a nap, he strolls haplessly outside and down to the waters edge. He sits on the ground with his knees bent and resting his head on his crossed arms. With guilt plaguing his conscience, his thoughts wander to the night of the accident… to the moment of impact. Tortured by visions of what happened… "Was there something I could have done differently? Why did we have to go out that night? Why didn't I just hold her a little tighter? It should have been me… it's all my fault…"
Then his thoughts drift to the hospital… to the moment he learned the details of her injuries. After hours of sitting numbly in a private waiting room surrounded by friends, finally a doctor comes in to give his report. "The duchess sustained quite a few injuries, some of which required surgery. She will recover physically without any permanent consequences, but… due to the head trauma it appears she has developed a lapse in her memory… amnesia to put it bluntly. The fact that she has no recollection of her time in Cordonia and yet has extensive knowledge of a life before, indicates that this could possibly be a temporary diagnosis. In similar instances such as this, the best medicine is time…" There is an eerie silence in the room as everyone tries to grasp and absorb the doctor's words. Right now Catherine doesn't know any of them… not even Liam. Hana places a comforting hand on Liam's shoulder as the doctor continues. "It's imperative that once released, her surroundings be tranquil… I might suggest limited activity, at least until she is able to process this sudden loss of memory… it can be rather traumatizing to learn that a part of your life is somewhat void. We want to nurture her cognitive abilities and in turn, this will help in the recovery process. However, there are no guarantees that she will fully regain her memory and you should all make a concerted effort to keep her environment stress-free… as this will only prolong the recovery. I could set up an appointment for therapy, but to be perfectly honest there is no real evidence of its effectiveness…" Tears begin to roll down Liam's face…
After everything they had been through together, this was definitely the hardest for Liam. Pretending their love had never existed made his heart ache, especially when he was with her. She had warmed up to him over the last several days, but still, there was a wall between them… a wall in which Liam didn't know how deep it went. He'd been strong so far, but it was proving to be more and more difficult not to take her in his arms just so he could feel her warm body against his. A deep yearning was beginning to build, but he knew if he were to give in, it would only push her farther away… he had to give her time to heal.
In the last few days, she had begun to ask more frequent questions about their relationship and Liam was elated to answer them in full detail. The doctor said this was a good sign and that anything she learned about her life, between New York and the accident, could stimulate a surge in her memory. "It's possible it will return quite suddenly, or it could come back in stages. There is really no way to be certain, but it might be in her best interest to take her to places you know she was happiest."
Liam knew of many places, but one in particular… Paris. Once he was given permission to travel, he began planning a trip for just the two of them… but he still needed Catherine's approval. "We'd have separate rooms, right?" Liam's heart sank when he heard these words because he remembered a time when neither could keep their hands off the other… holding, kissing, caressing, bodies seeking refuge in each other… Liam managed a weak smile before replying. "I would never put you in a situation that made you uncomfortable Catherine." She asked him to let her think it over and of course he agreed.
With Liam still sitting on the bank, the strain of the last few weeks has finally taken its toll. After everything that's happened since the Coronation Ball, the darkness he feels has swallowed him whole and he succumbs to the hunger for release from this torment. Liam leaps to his feet and bends down to pick up some loose stones laying on the ground… with his teeth clenched, he begins throwing them angrily in the water, cursing under his breath. "Dammit… this is not how it's supposed to be!" A clap of thunder rings out from the distance as Liam repeatedly picks up rock after rock, throwing each one harder and faster until the momentum throws him off balance and he falls to the ground. When he catches his breath he picks himself back up, and begins throwing them with even more intensity…
Another clap of thunder overhead only feeds his rage and with white knuckled fists, he shouts furiously toward the clouds. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?! HAVEN'T WE SUFFERED ENOUGH?! WHAT MORE CAN YOU TAKE AWAY?! Just as he says the last word, the sky opens up in its own angry shroud… wind driven rain falling in sheets across the landscape… Liam tilts his head upward as the sting of the cool rain hits his face, he closes his eyes and shouts one last plea to the heavens… "JUST MAKE IT STOP! Please… Oh God… please make it stop…" He slumps to the ground on his knees and as the anger slowly subsides, he hangs his head and sobs. He stays in that position longer than anyone should in such a storm, but it proved to be a welcomed reprieve from the one that had been brewing within him… After several minutes Liam gets a chill from the cold rain that has now thoroughly soaked his clothing, so he makes his way toward the estate…
Catherine wakes from her nap to the sound of thunder. She always did like storms, even as a child, and out her window the black clouds rolling in said this was going to be a good one. As the rain began to fall, she comfortably lays in bed just listening to the peaceful sound. Suddenly, she hears a faint shouting and quickly rises to her feet to find the source. The closer she got, the more she knew it was coming from outside. Scanning the view in the window, she sees a man standing in the pouring rain next to the lake with his head tilted upward. She immediately recognized him… It was Liam. The man she was supposedly going to marry… the one they said she'd been so in love with… Why was he standing out in a storm, yelling at the clouds she wondered? She continues to watch as he shouts a few inaudible words and then kneels on the ground hanging his head. In an instant, a wave of emotion washes over her… then, something familiar… a flash of her past…
A clear vision of being on a bridge… it is nighttime… and standing next to her holding some kind of lock is… Liam! Another clap of thunder breaks her thoughts, directing her focus back to the lake. She watches as Liam slowly rises and walks toward the estate, his clothes drenched and seemingly distraught. She hurriedly slips on her shoes and grabs some towels from the bathroom and then heads down to the foyer. She doesn't know why, but she has to see him. As she waits for him to open the door, she feels something wet on her cheeks… she hadn't even realized she was crying.
Liam enters the estate and the wind practically shoves him inside. When he closes the door he turns around to find Catherine waiting with towels in her hands. His heart skips a beat at the sight of her. There she stood with tears running down her face and an expression that sent a chill up his spine. He rushes to her placing his hands on each of her arms. "Catherine, what's wrong?" She offers him a towel and gives him a faint smile. "I'm not sure exactly… I just… I saw you from the window, out in the rain… and… it broke my heart to see you there all alone…" She sniffs as the tears keep coming. "I felt something Liam… I don't know what it means, but it was something familiar… I think… I think I'm starting to remember things…" "Oh Catherine…" Without hesitation he wraps her in the comfort of his arms, holding her firmly but gently against him. He can't hold back his emotions and weeps without restraint. Catherine doesn't resist his embrace this time. She wraps her arms around him resting her head on his chest. Even in wet clothes, she finds comfort and peace in his arms… For the first time since waking up in the hospital, she feels like this is where she is supposed to be… where she belongs. "This feels so right."
After getting lost in the comfort of the embrace, Liam finally pulls back with a smile and looks deep into her eyes. "I've missed holding you like this…" She smiles sweetly and reaches up to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Somehow, I think I've missed it too… What do you think it means?" Liam is so overjoyed that he leans down to kiss her and with his hands on her cheeks he uses his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "I'm not sure but it appears you've had a breakthrough. The doctor said your memory could come back all of a sudden, or it could be in stages. I'm… I'm just sorry this happened to you Catherine. If I could have…" Catherine places her finger on his lips. "You have nothing to be sorry for Liam… you've done everything for me since the accident. I'd be a fool not to see how much you care… even though I don't remember everything, I can see why I fell in love with you in the first place." Liam embraces her, kissing into her hair. "I can't tell you how much it means to hear you say that."
After a few moments, Catherine steps back and looks between their wet clothes. "Liam you might catch cold standing around in those." "It appears we're both in need of dry clothing. But before we do that… I have a question." "Okay." "Would you join me in the dining room this evening for a casual dinner? And maybe after, we could watch a movie on the big screen. We'll call it a date." "A date? You mean like the one we had at the Beaumont estate?" Liam smiles. "Liam! I remembered!" Without giving him an answer, she kisses him and then quickly heads to the stairs. Liam calls out to her. "Wait! Does that mean yes?" She stops and turns back to look at him. "Why are you still standing there? We have a date, remember?" He chuckles and then rushes up the stairs right behind her. "How could I forget?"