Hello, friends!
So I got a review from a guest named Marie (haha, how funny!) who requested that this story have a happy ending. However, at the risk of kinda spoiling it, it's not a Hollywood ending. But, since it's just an adaptation, I'll probably stick to the storyline and write an optional epilogue of my own making. That way, if you like your endings bittersweet, you can stick to the original storyline, but if you like your endings sweet enough to cause cavities, you can read the epilogue. Sound fair?
Anyway, thank you to Marie, Rebb R-001, and Galaxina-the-Seedrian for your reviews! I love hearing from you guys!
So anyway, after the long author's note, here is the chapter (finally, haha).
You know you love me, IzzytheGreat14
/\0/\0/\0/\0/\
Phineas and Isabella were sitting in the doctor's office, waiting for Doctor Horowitz to enter the room.
"How are you feeling, Isabella?" Phineas asked. She looked at him and shrugged.
"Fine, I guess," she replied nonchalantly.
The door opened, and Doctor Horowitz entered.
"Ah, Isabella. I see you've reported some memory loss."
"Yes," Isabella said. "I've lost about twenty years."
The doctor frowned.
"Well...this much loss is rare, but it has been reported. It may be partly psychogenic. At times like this, the mind tends to repress troubling memories, but...they're still there, somewhere. They tend to return in fits and starts."
"But it's been two weeks," Phineas protested.
"A little loss of memory is completely normal. In fact, it can help with allaying Isabella's fears," the doctor said.
"I couldn't giving a flying fuck what's normal," Phineas retorted. "We haven't had a normal day in years."
Doctor Horowitz smiled indulgently.
"Isabella, are things becoming clearer with the treatment?"
"Well, yes," the woman replied.
"Is life less cloudy than it was before?"
"Yes."
"Do you still feel your head is filled with concrete?"
"No," Isabella smiled. "And you're not a scary rockstar anymore."
She stood and left, and Doctor Horowitz blinked.
"Okay," he said. "Great."
"But what about her memory?" Phineas said.
"The memories are there somewhere. You just have to remind her. Show her some pictures," the doctor recommended.
"Uh, should I bring up the subject of…"
"Yes," Doctor Horowitz said. "But keep it light. Don't distress her. Wait until you feel the time is right, and that's she's adjusted to her life and isn't feeling so confused. Don't worry, Mr Flynn. You'll get her back."
/\0/\0/\
Marie, Isabella, and Phineas gathered around the kitchen table. Phineas had a box filled with scrapbooks and memorabilia.
"Okay, Izzy," he said. "Let's start off with something small. I bet you'll know what these things are."
He held up two rings, and Isabella frowned.
"They look like tacky trinkets from...I don't know, Atlantic City," Isabella said.
Phineas shook his head.
"Actually, Izzy, they're our very first wedding rings."
"It's going well," Marie said sarcastically.
"Here's a flower from the wedding! It was such a sight to see, Izzy. The ceremony was so beautiful."
"Um, Dad?" Marie said dryly.
"Well, that's how I remember it."
"It was raining, it was Portland, you eloped," Marie said. "I mean, Portland?"
Phineas rolled his eyes.
"We can get things back to better than before, Marie."
She snorted, going through the box curiously.
"Um, missing a few pictures, aren't you, Dad? Didn't the doctor say…"
"The doctor said at the right time," Phineas said.
"Oh, well then," Marie drawled, but let it drop.
"Ooh," Phineas said, opening a scrapbook. "Here's the year we took a road trip! We hit the highway and just drove. We visited the Painted Desert, and the Grand Canyon...oh, and Marie learned what her middle finger meant!"
Marie groaned and flipped her dad off.
He ignored her, continuing showing Isabella pictures.
"Here's our first house, the one on Walton Way! We loved that house, but it was kinda small, so we built this one. And here's one of everyone smiling! You can barely even tell it's been Photoshopped!"
Isabella picked a picture up out of the box.
"Ooh, we're standing by a lake with some ducks on it! And who's this little chubby girl?"
"That's Marie," Phineas said.
"This sucks," Marie muttered.
"Marie," Phineas said warningly. She sighed and threw her hands in the air.
"Fine!" she cried, and reached into the box.
"Here's the headline in the paper when you freaked out at the store," she said, showing Isabella, who blinked.
"Here's the house on Walton Way after the fire."
"Marie," Phineas warned.
Marie shot him a look and continued.
"Here's the damage to the car when you showed me how to park it."
Isabella took the picture and frowned, squinting at it.
"Did we crush a cat beneath the tires?"
"Yes, ours," Marie said, and pulled out another picture.
"Here's Dad at one of my recitals, and we're wondering where you are."
Isabella took that picture, too.
"I remember this," she said. "I made it to the school…"
"Wait, you remember?" Phineas asked hopefully.
"It was the year of too much lithium. I hid out in the car," Isabella recalled.
"Yes!" Phineas said excitedly.
"And your swim meet just last year...I'm in the pool," Isabella blinked.
"So you are," Marie muttered.
"You're getting it!" Phineas said excitedly, grabbing Isabella's hand.
She turned to her daughter.
"Your life has kinda sucked, I think," she noted.
"You've got it, yay, hooray," Marie cried sarcastically.
"I'm gonna remember what I forgot. I'm gonna find out who I was," Isabella said optimistically.
"And memory always makes things better," Phineas smiled.
Even Marie began to smile as she and her parents went through the memorabilia.
Finally, Marie came across an old music box sitting at the bottom of the box. She moved to hand it to her mother, but Phineas snatched it away before she could. Isabella frowned, but she let it go.
/\0/\0/\
Isabella's son sat on the stairs, watching as his mother went through the box of memories again and again, combing through it for something. She didn't know what she was seeking.
Phineas came down the stairs, frowning as he saw his wife going through the box again.
"Izzy, honey, you've been at this for days."
"There's something missing, Phin," Isabella replied. "It's like it's tugging at me. I can almost see it."
"Come to bed," Phineas said. "If the memories are meant to come back, they will."
Isabella nodded distractedly, and Phineas sighed, heading back up the stairs to their bedroom.
"They've managed to get rid of me. But even though they've gotten rid of the memories, they can't get rid of my impact on your soul. You'll remember me sooner or later. I'm a big part of your life," Isabella's son said.
A knock sounded on the door, and Isabella answered it. Thomas stood there.
Isabella's eyes widened as she tried to remember who he reminded her of.
"Oh, hi, Mrs Flynn. I just needed to talk to Marie about...some homework. I know it's late, she's not answering her…is everything all right?"
"Thomas," Isabella cried breathily.
"Yes," Thomas said uneasily.
"You remind me of someone… How old are you?"
"Seventeen. Why?" Thomas replied.
Isabella shook her head and smiled wryly.
"I don't know. Marie's in her room," she said, allowing him to pass. He darted up the stairs.
Isabella's son sighed as Isabella went back to looking through the box, searching desperately for something she could not remember.
"Don't worry, Mom," he said softly. "They think your life will go back to normal, and it will, but I'll always be there. I know you'll remember me eventually. Even if there's nothing to remember, is there nothing left to grieve?"
"What am I forgetting?" Isabella breathed.
/\0/\0/\
Thomas knocked on Marie's door, and she opened it.
"Ugh, it's you. I thought you were my dad," she grumbled.
"Listen, Marie, just give me five minutes, please?" Thomas begged.
"Fine," Marie sighed, moving aside. "Five minutes."
Thomas entered her room and stood awkwardly for a moment. He cleared his throat, and she crossed her arms and frowned at him, unimpressed.
"So, um...hey," he said.
"Hey," she replied.
"So, tomorrow is the dance… It's annoying, I know, but let's go to it."
"Not a chance," Marie said.
"Let me know you again," he begged.
"Not right now," she denied.
"Okay, when? Say wait and I'll wait."
"It's already too late."
"Why do I get denied?" Thomas asked sadly.
"You remind me too much of me, and how screwed up I can be," Marie said honestly.
"Okay," Thomas said. "Okay."
They stood in silence for a moment.
"Let's start over, Marie," he said finally. "I'll come by tomorrow at eight. If you show, we'll go to the dance. If you don't, well..we'll see."
"You just don't give up," Marie sighed.
"So don't give up on us," he begged.
"Goodbye, Thomas," she said, and shut her bedroom door.