Hopefully this makes things a little better!
Chapter 3
Megan Roland wiped the top of the table that she had been waiting on. She had been serving breakfast, lunch, and supper to truckers for the past few months. Thanks to Henry and Louisa Carver, the owners of the small but popular diner, she was able to make enough money to pay her rent and utilities. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to put very much in savings. Henry and Louisa looked after Megan, making sure that she was able to work all the hours that she wanted. They had taken her under their wing since she had shown up in their lives almost three months ago. Megan knew that the couple had taken a special interest in her and felt almost as though they were surrogate parents.
That thought made Megan briefly wonder about her own parents, who remained such a mystery to her. Actually, her whole life was a mystery to her. She remembered waking up in the hospital three months earlier, without the slightest clue of who she was or anything about her life. She was told by the hospital staff that her name was Megan Roland. The hospital had figured this out based on the seating information that had been given to them by the airline. Apparently, she had been on a flight to Los Angeles when it crashed. She'd been told that she had been lucky to have survived. The majority of the passengers that had been on the flight had not been so fortunate.
But, Megan didn't feel lucky. She felt lost and alone. No one came looking for her when news of the crash was released. No one seemed to know anything about her. All of her personal belongings and identification had been destroyed in the ensuing fire. She was adrift without anyone or anything. The only remaining thing from her past was a simple bracelet. A silver chain bracelet with a heart-shaped charm on it. On the charm the initials M and E were engraved, one on each side. She knew that the M must stand for Megan, but had no idea what the E stood for. Though it seemed silly, she felt as though the bracelet was a key to unlocking her past. Unfortunately, it seemed as though she couldn't quite find the door that the key fit into.
The only other clue she had remained locked in her dreams. She dreamed almost nightly of a man. A man with dark hair and a lazy smile. She could picture them together, spending time wrapped in each other's arms. Yet, she couldn't come up with a name, try as she might. This nagged at her. Surely, it seemed in her dreams that they were close. Why hadn't he come for her after the crash? What stopped him? Had he been on the plane too? So many questions, so few answers.
After a month in a coma, she'd awaken to the confusion that was now her life. Faced with the immediate problems of finding a place to live and a way to provide for herself, she set out looking for a job. Without any identification or idea of what skills she had, she had decided to start with the basics and stumbled on Henry and Louisa Carver at the White Diamond Diner. She'd been working there ever since. She'd found a small apartment in town, but, she spent most of her time at the diner. Henry and Louisa were really the only friends that she had made, save a few regular customers that had struck up conversations.
Now, she spent the morning of Christmas Eve wiping down tables, longing to be included in somebody's, anybody's Christmas plans. Sure, Henry and Louisa had offered for her to come spend Christmas Day with them. But, Megan knew that they were doing that out of pity for her. They felt sorry for her, plain and simple. Yet, she was grateful that they cared enough to even offer.
Megan stared off into space, thinking about her life, or the lack of one. She paid little attention to the few remaining customers in the diner or the television that always played in the background. She wondered briefly what she had been doing this time last year. Oh, how things can change in a year. She felt certain that she hadn't been waiting tables last Christmas Eve.
Megan sighed deeply and sat down at the table, grateful to take a momentary break from her duties. She glanced up at the television that was kept on in the background and saw that CNN was on. The volume was turned down as not to disturb the patrons. She glanced at the screen wondering if there was anything newsworthy other than the astronomical amount of money being spent by last-minute shoppers. A small segment about the rising cost of gas made Megan grateful she didn't have a car. She had no idea how she'd be able to afford one, though she truly did need one. She'd been walking to work most days. But, Ohio in the winter time is no place to be outside.
The next segment was a follow-up on an ongoing hostage negotiation in Chicago, Illinois. 'FBI negotiators called to the scene' the caption read. Then it changed to read 'standoff now entering 34 hours'. Absently, Megan thought to herself, "I bet Matt and I could have had it wrapped up in under 12 hours…" Suddenly, her eyes got wide, as she realized the implications of her thoughts. She remembered. Matt. She remembered him. The man in her dreams whose name she couldn't remember. In her mind's eye she saw them laughing, kissing, fighting, working, making love…together.
She glanced at her bracelet, the only thing still connecting her to her past. M and E. Not Megan, MATT! And Emily. She was Emily Lehman, Special Agent Crisis Negotiations for the FBI…it was all suddenly so clear in her mind. She had a life, she had a career, she had friends, and most of all she had a wonderful man that she was head over heels in love with. Images of the plane beginning to descend and crash began to assault her. She remembered switching seats with the young woman in the back of the plane. She'd been interested in flirting with the guy sitting next to Emily. That must have been Megan Roland. They must have identified the bodies by where they were sitting on the plane. That's how she ended up with Megan's identity. Dear God, how did things get so messed up? What must life be like for Matt? Her sudden burst of excitement was dampened by the realization that more than likely, he thought that she was dead. She could only imagine how she'd handle things if something were to happen to Matt.
Louisa Carver had been watching Megan from across the diner. She hated that the girl looked so lost and alone. She'd try to befriend her as best she could. She watched as Megan sat in the old vinyl booth and slowly wiped the table. She noticed that Megan suddenly had tears in her eyes. Concerned, she walked over to check on her young friend.
"Megan, honey, what's wrong?" asked the concerned older woman.
"Nothing," gasped Emily. "It's just…I remember, I remember everything…"
Louisa looked at her with big, surprised eyes. "Your memory is back? Girl, that's wonderful! Are you okay?" she asked, not knowing if things had just gotten much better or worse for Megan.
Emily smiled at her kindly. She had been so fortunate to have stumbled onto such wonderful, kind people. She could only imagine where she would be if she and Henry had not taken her under their wing. "I'm great, except for the fact that everyone I care about probably thinks I'm dead." She quickly told her friend what she now knew about her identity, Matt, her career, her friends and family, and what she recalled of the plane crash. The older woman smiled warmly at Emily as she listened to her story. She had had no doubts that the young woman had her life on track and was doing something positive with it. She was too thoughtful and sweet of a person not to.
Louisa patted Emily's hand as she stood. "You take a break. I'm gonna help these folks over here." Emily vaguely nodded her head, her mind spinning. So many thoughts spinning through her head, until her mind settled on one. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be home for Christmas. But, how was that possible? She sat there contemplating how to best re-enter her old life. She couldn't imagine just up and calling Matt on the phone. No, that would definitely have to be done in person.
Transportation in itself was a huge problem. She didn't have a car. A bus would take days to get her to LA. Not a problem, except that she really would love to be home for Christmas. That really only left flying. She was definitely not ready to climb back into an airplane again, though it would be the fastest way home. Regardless, she didn't have a driver's license or any identification. With all the security procedures in place, she'd never get a ticket. So, where did that leave her? Stranded in Ohio….
Unless…it might be possible to get on a private flight…She'd tackle her fear of flying if it meant getting to spend Christmas in Matt's arms. Resigned that this was her only option, she walked over to the phone and dialed a now familiar number…Cheryl's.
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