Once upstairs in Maria's home, she went directly into the kitchen to begin making coffee.Michael on the other hand, began looking in the room. Maria noticed and suddenly began to feel self-conscience. A Michael, who didn't know who she was, was in her home.
"Uhmm…make yourself at home, this will only take a minute." She called to Michael. She started the pot of coffee and then left the kitchen to change out of her work clothes. Michael however, didn't respond to her call. His eyes were stuck on something. A photograph. Sitting on a small table by the couch. He raked his brain for something, anything that would make him remember. He was looking at a photograph of himself, Maria and two people that he knew that he knew. He couldn't place them though. A man, with short, dark hair and a woman with long blonde hair and a winning smile. There was also another picture of just himself and Maria. He was at such a loss that he couldn't remember these things.
Maria walked out of her room and into the living room, wearing a black tank top and blue jeans. She noticed that he was looking at her photographs.
"Nothing?" She asked. He turned around to look at her at the sound of her voice. She noticed that he gave her the once around and she wondered if she looked good to him.
"What?" he asked. She walked up to the pictures and picked one up.
"Well, I was kinda hoping that seeing these picture would like…wake something up in your brain. I dunno…help you remember me." She said, as she looked down at the picture.
"Do you remember Max and Isabel?" Maria asked. She looked up into his confused, brown eyes. He took a deep breathe and looked at the faces in the pictures. Then, he slowly shook his head. Maria couldn't believe it. She didn't remember who Max and Isabel were. They were practically his only family.
Maria sighed and went to go sit down on her burnt-orange couch. She places her hand on her forehead, where a headache was starting to form.
"What do you remember?" She asked after a few moments of kneading her temples. Michael shrugged and sat down on the yellow recliner across from her.
"Well…I remember the War. When I was fighting it always felt like I was fighting for something other than peace…something in my subconscious that I couldn't quite place. I remember seclusion. I spent most of my years after the War studying in my home. After seven years of war, of course I wanted to be alone."
"Wait," Maria interrupted. "Seven years? But, you've only been gone here for four years." Maria finished.
"That's not possible. I spent seven years fighting and then it was thirteen years of seclusion." Michael said. Maria couldn't believe it. Twenty years?
"I guess…your years are different. I'll have to ask Max." Maria said as she stood up from the couch. Michael watched her with intense eyes.
"Where are you going?" Michael asked. Maria had never heard him sound so vulnerable before. She turned slowly to look at him.
"I have to make a quick phone call." She said, then, she turned back to exit the room. Michael just sat back and tried to let himself relax.
Maria quickly walked into her bedroom and picked up her telephone. She dialed a number she knew all too well. Two rings later, she heard a voice that she desperately needed to hear.
"Hello?" The female voice said happily on the other end of the line.
"Liz? Liz, my God, do I need your help!" Maria said all in one breathe. Almost too fast to hear. She had tried not to sound panicked, but it came out that way anyway.
"Maria? Maria, what's going on?" Liz said in the receiver.
"Liz, something amazing and terrible has happened." Maria said with her usual cripticness.
"Okay Maria, just take it slow. What is going on?" Liz said, with her usually calmness. Maria took a deep breath then noticed that he hands were trembling, which meant that he voice would tremble as well.
"He's back." Maria said finally, after a long few moments of her trying to calm herself down.
"Oh my God. That's…that's amazing!" Liz said, in astonishment. Maria could hear Max in the background asking who she was talking to. Over the receiver, Maria could hear Liz whisper he name to Max.
"Okay Maria, you said something terrible happened too." Liz asked, not really sure of anything that was going on at this point.
"He doesn't remember anything." Maria said quietly. Liz was quiet on the other side of the line for a few seconds.
"We'll be there in a half hour. I'll call Iz." Liz said as she hung up the phone.
