Uncommon Bond
Chapter 12
Rated – NC-17/MA
Author: Batistafan(given name, given on request)
THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO UNCOMMON SENSE – If you have not yet read the first story, doing so may better help you to piece together the events and characters of this fiction…enjoy!
Disclaimer: This is a mature fanfiction intended for mature readers. This story contains graphic violence, as well as explicit, mature, consensual sexual situations and these would not be deemed appropriate for all readers.
I do not own nor claim to have any affiliation with the WWE, its characters, wrestlers, staff or other affiliates. I do own any original characters that I have created, as well as scenarios that ensue throughout the course of this fiction. However, since both my characters and scenarios are inexorably intertwined with those of the WWE, my ownership of them is not autonomous.
I do not endorse nor do I discourage the use of any brand-name products that might be referenced in the fiction and have no claim to them as they are property of their respective companies of license. Thank you kindly for not suing.
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"You learn more by falling than by the fear of falling." – Chinese Proverb
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Was she hiding under the covers? That's certainly what she felt like…Burrowing even deeper beneath them, Nancy could still feel her cheeks burn with the humiliation of knowing that her body was remembering him, finding him familiar…and yet her stunted brain was fighting it every step of the way. Damn him! If she didn't know better she might be persuaded to think that he was purposely doing what he was doing…but what was he doing? Trying to seduce her? Now that was a riot…a man trying to seduce his very own wife. She was sure that there were women out there who would tell her she was a fool for second guessing a good thing. She'd not invited his kiss and even though she hadn't found it horrible, something about the swift contact of their mouths had sent her heart thumping and made the flesh of her lips tingle. If she closed her eyes, she could remember his hands on her upper arms as he'd spun her slightly and even recall the feel of those warm lips on hers, however brief…and that was the problem! She had to close her eyes if she intended to sleep, and every time she did, she saw him.
Nancy groaned angrily and whipped the coverlet back, sitting up. And there he stood…in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his massive chest. The arrogant tilt of his head provoked some barely controlled derision in her and she stood up, summoning every ounce of lady-like dignity she could muster and padded barefoot past him toward the bathroom. "You always lean against the door like that…are you holding the walls up, or is it the other way around?" She shot out without breaking stride.
His chuckle could be heard behind her, close behind, as if he'd chosen to follow. He slipped into the bathroom on her heels and pulled a towel from the cabinet and then remarked in a rather jovial tone, "I think tonight went well."
"You would." Nancy replied, narrowing her eyes and then she splashed cold water on her face, trying to relieve some of the heat that her body was enduring.
"You're angry." He turned his back to her, hiding a smile as he twisted the faucet handle in the massive tub, unleashing the powerful flow of hot water.
"You're a genius…perceptive at the very least." She responded sarcastically, filling the tiny cup by the sink with water and sipping it. She watched the stream of hot water cascading into the tub, kicking up steam and interacting with the gel he poured, causing a froth of ivory bubbles.
"Now which of the horrible things that happened tonight has you so riled up?" He tossed the towel on the stool and checked his watch. She thought he looked tired. "Was it the fact that you had a wonderful dinner with friends that pissed you off, or are you irritated by the fact that you have so many things to be thankful for, like for instance the reality that you're alive to celebrate another year?"
Nancy shook her head, thinking of the kiss. "You just have a never ending supply of sarcasm don't you?" She snapped, turning to set the cup back in its place.
Dave sighed, a frown crossing his features…by damned she was difficult! "Something tells me it was the fact that I kissed you that ticked you off." He pulled his shirt off over the breadth of his shoulders and threw it carelessly to the floor.
Nancy felt her stomach tighten at the sight of him, shirtless…though not provocative in itself; her unhindered view of his upper half had the effect of being trapped in the headlights. She found herself staring at his chest and the well defined muscles that made up his entire torso. Thick pecs that rose and fell with each breath supported by rigid abdominals and solid, striated oblique muscles. A sunburst tattoo encircled his navel, hinting at what might be below. Ripping her gaze upward, she saw that he was watching her…watching him…again. "Well, the least you could have done is let me remember something, before you start trying to resume our—" She told him softly, her face burning with embarrassment.
"Our what?" He asked, unbuttoning the top button of his pants. "Our sex life?"
'Ohhhh!' He was so snide, and frustrating, exasperating…attractive yes, and that was probably why she had any reaction to him to begin with. What woman wouldn't find him handsome, breathtaking…but right now she had the most all consuming urge to push him backward into those wonderful smelling bubbles. "Whatever you wanna call it." She crooked a brow and pursed her lips.
"Oh, sweetheart." He laughed and shook his head. "If that tiny kiss has you all twisted up, then I can't imagine what you'd do if I told you all of the other things we do." He watched her eyes open wider and her lips parted ever so slightly. "How do you think you ended up the way you are?" He reached one large palm out and ran it softly across her stomach.
Nancy glowered at him, backing up a step. "Just let me acclimate…its only fair." She insisted.
"Acclimate…" He repeated, swiping his hand through the tub to test the water. "That's an interesting choice of words."
"Well I would think you'd have no trouble with large and interesting words." Nancy feigned shock. "I mean you certainly had no problem telling me that I was…oh, what was the word? Presumptuous…that's right." She tapped the side of her head. "Obviously you're an educated man, but in the event that you're not…I believe I caught sight of a dictionary downstairs in your office…unless of course it's just for show."
"That's all you, baby." He said standing to his full height, his lips curled into a smirk. "The sharp wit…the intelligence…" He stopped within inches of the front of her body. "Even the way you lift your chin when you're making your case." His words were liquid, deep and smooth. He reached out and curled one hand around the back of her neck, while he pressed the palm of the other against the wall next to the side of her head, preventing her exit. "You always used to do that…" his lips grazed across her cheek and though he knew she might be skittish, she never attempted to move.
And yet he was also aware that in order to win the game, he had to dictate the pace…he had to retain all of the control…and he had a distinct advantage to begin with, because he knew every single touch, every little word that forced her body into submission…and she had no clue. Denying her now would be to his benefit…making her think that he was apathetic, might just bait her and thus start the wall of resistance on a steady crumble. He firmed his grip on the back of her neck and leaned in close to the side of her face so that she could hear him whisper. "It's late, Nancy…I'm tired…and I don't have patience for games…" His words caressed the side of her neck. "So unless you wanna end up being dragged into that bathtub with me…then you'd better find your way out before I strip down to nothing."
He loosened his hold and wasn't surprised when she pushed against his chest and left the bathroom with a look of supreme wrath on her face. Dave Batista knew his wife probably wanted to slam the door on him but because of her innate nature for being kind, she would never do such a thing when they had guests sleeping down the hall and so he waited until she closed the door gently and then he sat on the stool and laughed. The whole idea of enticing his wife was proving to be a very entertaining pursuit and her body's inherent reply to his further cemented his need to stay his course.
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"She's definitely different, that's for sure." Randy said in a subdued voice as he pulled the sheets back from the queen sleeper in the nursery and stacked the pillows.
Barren sat down in the rocker and gave it a few healthy rocks, taking in the massive nursery and the expensive furnishings. "Lucky kid."
"Yeah, no shit." Randy chuckled, following her eyes around the room. "He's gonna end up spoiled rotten…I guess he's the only boy born into the family since Dave was a baby…even all of the cousins have had girls, so everyone's just waiting to converge on this kid." He pulled his shirt off and laid it in a pile in the corner.
Barren again bit her lip drawn in by the masculine perfection in front of her. Long, lean, muscular…he was more athletic in appearance than Owen, who was stout and stocky. Randy was definitely more appealing than he had a right to be and Barren was finding it harder to ignore the way her womanhood was being tugged at by the attraction. She watched him from behind as he stood before the unborn boy's dresser and took his watch off and removed his wallet and other things, placing them on the dresser top. She wanted to trace the intricate design of his tattoos with her fingers, wanted to run her hand over the taught planes of his skin to see if it really was as smooth as it appeared. She sighed and shook away the temptation. "She seems so scared." Barren told him and watched him nod. "Sort of in fear of life…it's weird."
"If she knew what her life was like before the accident, then she'd be fighting to get it back." He said, motioning with one finger for her to turn away, while he removed his pants. "I know I'd fight for it…if I had someone that loved me the way they love each other."
"Maybe she just needs a friend." Barren offered. "Someone that's not biased…someone that never knew her past, someone who just likes her for how she is right now." She leaned back in the rocker.
"I think that would be a big help…" Randy admitted and then the thought struck him, that with nowhere to sink his roots during the ninety-day suspension, he was free to pursue any crazy endeavor he deemed worthy. "Maybe I'll stick around Seattle for awhile…how about you?" It also occurred to him that Barren could prove to be that friend…for Nancy.
Barren smiled "It's not like I can run out and start passing out my resume anytime soon." She stared out of the window at the dark sky. "I can't go back to my apartment…I never even got to paint it. I'm not sure what I'll do." She said wistfully, her eyes stinging with unshed tears at the memory of Duncan.
Randy wasn't sure why he felt desperation at the mere thought of Barren taking off and going on her own way…perhaps it was because he was missing Samantha and he needed someone, anyone…No, he had to be truthful and Samantha wasn't the reason he wanted Barren. "As comfortable as the rocking chair looks, I doubt it'll be good for an all-nighter." He said pulling back the covers so she could crawl in the bed beside him. "I promise I won't try anything."
"Damn…and I was so hoping you would." Barren joked and then slapped at his hand when he touched her thigh as a joke. She wouldn't deny that the touch in jest had given her a tingle.
Randy laughed and snapped the lamp off, shrouding the room in darkness. "You really have nowhere to go, Barren…why don't we just do something together." It was a gamble…but the most she could do was say 'no' and it certainly wouldn't be the first time in awhile that he'd known rejection. "I think I'm gonna stay here in Seattle for my suspension…not in this house…but in the city…you could stay too, until you figured out what it is you have to do." He might have been holding his breath while waiting for her answer…it wouldn't have surprised him.
"That's nice of you, Randy." Barren said staring at the darkness. "I'll sleep on it."
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He slipped into his bed, the sheets cool against his heated skin. Dave Batista wished that the bath could have washed away the past few weeks, but nothing in his life would ever prove to be that easy. She was sleeping…truly sleeping, with her breathing even and peaceful, her eyes shut…dark lashes casting a shadow over her lower lids. Her smooth variegated curls were splayed on the pillow and one arm was raised casually over her head on the pillow, the other laying carelessly at the side of her body. He leaned over her and felt the familiar torment raging through his body, sweeping up his emotions along with it. He wanted her to remember…needed for her to remember how good her life was, how important she was to him and how important he was to her and at the same time he wished that there was something he could do amidst the absence of her memory that would make her fall for him all over again. He'd certainly never forgotten how it had felt, when he'd first discovered, years ago, that she was in love with him and he with her…when he'd known that she would be willing to give up everything to be with him. But that was then…and now, she seemed more willing to give up everything just to keep him at bay.
He wanted to touch her face, run the backs of his fingers over her flesh…and more, but he didn't want to risk waking her and having her push him away. Instead he placed one palm, with the gentlest of ease, flat against her belly and leaned down to talk to his child. She made the slightest stirring in her sleep, but she didn't wake and so he spoke low to his son, something he hadn't been able to do since the hospital. He told the boy the same secrets, the same promises as before…and when he finished, he pressed his lips softly to her stomach.
"What are you saying?"
His eyes flew wide open and he jerked his head up, just knowing that she had regained her memory. She would only have known that she had always said that particular phrase if…she had her memory back! But she hadn't said it, for her eyes were still closed and her breathing remained constant. His heart plummeted at the realization that his imagination had been playing a cruel trick on him. Maybe he'd wanted her back so badly that he'd conjured her voice out of thin air. He sighed and pulled his hand from her skin and then she stirred again, rolling over to her left side after a tiny struggle with her belly and then clutched the pillow.
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"Wake up." The voice sounded as if it were coming from the inside of a coffee can. "Get up, Nancy."
Nancy rolled over and opened an eye, noting her cape wearing stepdaughter, who was at present holding an empty coffee can over her tiny smiling face, speaking loudly and mysteriously into it. Nancy sighed and pulled the pillow over her eyes laughing softly.
Audrey pulled the can down from her face and then yanked the pillow off of her stepmother's head. "You have to get up." She announced in a rather urgent voice, as she placed emphasis on the word have. "Vanessa is on the phone with one of her stupid friends, and Randy and the girl went to do stuff."
"Why would I have to get up just for that?" Nancy asked taking back the pillow Audrey had stolen and tucking it under her head, facing the young girl.
"Because no one else will watch my magic tricks." Audrey said, with a slight whine and a huff of frustration.
"What about your Daddy?" Nancy offered, suddenly reminded of last night's encounter in the master bath.
Audrey shook her head, tapping on the coffee can lightly with her fingers. "I didn't ask him because he's busy making stuffed pancakes."
Nancy arched a brow in confusion. "What is a stuffed pancake?" Did she dare to wait for the answer?
Audrey smiled. "I forgot…You don't remember…" She held her hands up in the air. "It's just big round regular pancakes that you stuff in your mouth." She announced proudly. "I made that up when I was a kid…and you used to think it was cute…so that's what we always call it now."
"Oh." Nancy felt guilty for not being able to remember. "Do I like them?"
"Oh yeah!" Audrey told her, nodding brightly. "You better hurry or else you won't get any, Daddy eats a lot."
"Well in that case, give me a minute and I'll be down there, for the magic trick and the stuffed pancakes." Nancy told her. "The trick wouldn't happen to have anything to do with rabbits, would it?"
"No, I'm just using money." Audrey swore, holding one tiny hand over her heart in earnest. "I'm making it disappear."
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"I think it's great, but you're the one who'll be living here for two and a half months." Barren told Randy as the rental company agent led them both through the tiny two bedroom cottage style house nestled between two historical districts in a grove of trees. "So much character." Barren breathed and slid her hand over the moldings of the bedroom door.
Randy stared at the barrel vaulted ceilings and bounced a little on the balls of his toes, taking note of the noisy hardwood floors. Something about the old house with all of its character flaws reminded Randy of himself. "I'll take it." He told the rental agent, who agreed that he wouldn't find a better rental house for the money. He followed the man down the stairs, wishing that Barren might have been more exuberant about being there…but she seemed hesitant, full of conflict.
"You could do a lot with this place." She told him as she stepped for the second time into the kitchen and peeked into the farmer's sink that had been placed back into the house in keeping with the home's historical pedigree. "Beautiful…"
Randy looked up after he penned his name on the lease and handed the man the appropriate amount of cash. "Yeah, tell me about it." He said softly, not referring to the house, but to her. In the soft pink skirt and grey sweater she wore, snooping curiously through the cabinets.
He finished his business with the agent and then suggested that it would be wise to buy groceries if they planned on eating. Nodding, Barren followed him back outside, but halted, when he turned around suddenly and gripped her arms.
"Stay here." He suggested in a hurriedly trembling voice and a heart that was threatening to beat its way out of his chest. "I'm not asking for marriage or anything…there are two rooms…I'm not trying to force you into anything, just let me help you." He was stuttering, rambling…confused by even his own words and he watched the fear and clash of emotions in her silver eyes.
"Why?" She asked so low that it came out as a whisper. "You know I can't promise you much…I don't even know where I stand with all the rest…"
"Just stay until you have to move on." Randy asked, giving her arms a little shake. "I can't be here more than a couple of months, myself…lets just live…with no expectations from each other…just…"
"Let me think about it, Randy." Barren told him.
And he could have sworn that he saw tears forming as she ducked into the passenger seat of the car.
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"Okay, here's how it goes." Audrey began, gesturing with her hands as Nancy watched intently. "Give me a five dollar bill and I'll make it disappear."
Dave reached into his wallet pulling out the bill and handed it to Nancy since her purse was somewhere in the other room. Nancy transferred the bill to Audrey who folded it up unevenly and randomly, insisting that this would be the best magic trick of all time.
"Now you have to close your eyes." Audrey explained.
"Wait a minute." Dave told her. "That's not how 'slight of hand' works…you're supposed to perform the trick while our eyes are open so that we can be amazed."
Audrey puffed and rolled her eyes. "You are supposed to do what the magician tells you to do…or you'll ruin it."
"Okay we'll close our eyes." Nancy announced and closed her eyes.
"Don't cheat!" Audrey warned and then began to speak her own version of magic words, and after stomping her foot three times on the floor, she announced in a loud exuberant voice. "Okay open up your eyes!!"
Nancy, who had been fighting to hold in a smile the entire time, opened her eyes to behold a bright and smiling Audrey, who was standing, palms facing outward to indicate that she had indeed made the money disappear.
"It's gone." Nancy said in mock astonishment.
"I know." Audrey said with a devious gleam in her eyes as she nodded.
Dave finished his coffee and then announced. "The true mystery is where it went."
"Make it reappear." Nancy challenged her, as she pulled one leg up underneath her body, trying to get more comfortable, despite the expanse of her belly.
"Oh, I can't do that." Audrey shook her head.
Dave chuckled. "So somewhere out there in the universe floats a five dollar bill."
Audrey frowned at her father's failure to properly appreciate her magical talents. "Well, Daddy, five dollar bills are hard to make reappear, bigger ones can be found easier, so if I had a twenty dollar bill…" She insisted.
"Ha, ha…fat chance." He told his daughter and placed his plate in the sink and then refilled his coffee cup, turning to face his wife, who was smiling at Audrey. "I thought we'd drive to the Sound today if you feel like getting out." He offered.
Nancy was contemplating her refusal when Vanessa rushed into the kitchen in veiled urgency and leaned a bolt of silvery satin fabric vertically against the table edge. "I have a huge dilemma… and I wasn't gonna bother you with any of this, because…you know…your accident…" She stammered with a despondent look on her face. "But the sophomore dance is in a week and…you and I had planned this dress…and—"
"Vanessa, why don't we wait on that and I'll take you to a shop in town and we can get one." Dave offered. He could clearly remember the plan to which Vanessa had been referring, because for the past two years Nancy had been designing and making every special occasion outfit for Vanessa. It was fast becoming a tradition for the two of them. And because this dance was important to Vanessa he knew that a ready made dress wouldn't have near the impact that one of his wife's designs would.
"Please…" Vanessa encouraged her stepmother. "I know that you can't remember, but I think if you just…maybe…try to start it then it might jog your memory. It could be a good thing!" Vanessa ignored her father and pursued the issue.
Nancy sucked in a deep breath and began to toy with her lip. "Gosh, Vanessa…I don't—"
"You know how to do this stuff in your sleep!" Vanessa said in desperation. "I'm not asking for much…this is so important, please!" She held out the faded drawing of the dress that she had scribbled from memory, and when she saw Nancy turn the drawing sideways and study it, she bolted into action, pulled the centerpiece off of the table thrusting it into her father's hands and then rolled out the bolt of shimmering fabric across the table, her eyes filling with hope.
Nancy stared closely at the drawing on the wrinkled paper and then she stood up and turned to lay her fingertips against the soft elegant fabric. The whole room had fallen so silent that she could fairly hear the blood thumping in her ears as her heart pumped it through her veins. She gripped the scissors that Vanessa held out to her. "I don't wanna ruin it." Nancy admitted, hesitating.
"You can do this." Vanessa encouraged, her own heart beating wildly.
Dave could see the look on his wife's face changing from hesitation to fear and knew he had to put a stop to the whole thing. "Vanessa—" He touched his daughter's shoulder and she turned her hopeful eyes on him. "She can do it, Dad."
Nancy knew that she ran the risk of disappointing Vanessa but still she opted to make the effort, and so she gently laid the paper picture on the table, smoothing its wrinkled edges and she hefted the scissors again, poised above the fabric. Nancy closed her eyes and a flood of visions she couldn't put her finger on began to take over, running through her mind's eye at light speed. Numbers, lines, angles and colors raced so swiftly by that she couldn't hold onto a single thing as it ricocheted through her brain. It was a sheer jumble of unknown variables, fractions, mathematic equations…like flipping through a book of black and white stick figures at an extremely rapid pace. Frightening, the whole thing… and she chose to let go of the images and opened her eyes, laying the scissors down atop the fabric. She whispered. "I-I can't, Vanessa…I'm sorry." She shook her head and wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead.
Vanessa's eyes widened. "Yes you can…you know this!" She insisted. "You have to, Nancy!"
"I don't remember." Nancy said shaking her head, unable to meet her stepdaughter's frantic gaze.
"That's your excuse for everything now isn't it?!" Vanessa blasted. "It's convenient, because as long as you don't remember something, then you never have to give it any attention or effort, right?"
Dave stepped closer to Vanessa. "Stop it." He warned softly, his voice holding an edge of aithority.
"Go ahead and stick up for her, Daddy!" Vanessa told him. "Pretend like it doesn't hurt your feelings that she doesn't want to remember anything about you, especially!" She turned her anger back to her stepmother. "I'm not blind! I know how the two of you are around each other…how you used to be!" Vanessa pleaded in her anger."I needed this…and you won't even try!" The teenager began to cry as she shouted. "You're my friend and you used to tell me that I should be bold and not be afraid of anything...but you're a hypocrite, because you're scared of everything."
Tears dripped down Nancy's face but she didn't speak, knowing that she didn't have a defense.
"Vanessa, stop it." Dave said again, more firmly. "I said I'd take you to get a dress...let this go." He spoke through clenched teeth, upset with the situation, upset that he was powerless to control it.
Vanessa shot her father a dark and angry look. "It's not about the dress!" She wept. "She doesn't even want to remember us…she won't even try!" She turned to her stepmother and pointed an angry finger at her. "As bad as it is for you…not knowing who you are…its worse for us, because we remember, and you could care less!"
As much as Dave wanted to stop the interaction, as much as he wanted to say something that would reverse the damage that had been done, he found he couldn't…because Vanessa spoke the truth. And now his daughter's shoulders shook with sobs as she stood there holding the paper drawing between her fingers, and then seconds later she retreated without another word.
Audrey, who was apparently shell-shocked, stared wide-eyed at her sister as she fled and then turned to look at her stepmother and then her father. Her tiny chin quivered as she nodded at her father's gentle request for her to go play for a bit and then she trudged sadly up the stairs where Vanessa had just gone.
Nancy turned her back on Dave and pushed her chair in. So many of the words Vanessa had spoken hit home. The words hurt because they were the truth. She placed one hand on her belly and another on her forehead. What sort of cruel karmic joke had been thrust on her? If she'd even believed in karma at all, she still wouldn't have been able to remember what she'd done in a past life to deserve such pain…she couldn't even remember this life! She felt her husband's hands, warm and gentle on her shoulders and she turned around to face him
He gazed at her, saddened by the red rimmed eyes and the tears falling down the smooth skin of her face. Her lips were plumper, he noticed as one glistening tear dripped over them. "I'm sorry." He told her.
"Are you?" She asked and she swiped at her tears, with one palm.
"I am." He confirmed. "I should never have let it go that far."
"Why not? You know she's right." Nancy admitted, her lips trembling with the effort of holding back more of the tears that lay just behind her eyes.
"That doesn't matter." He assured her. "She's never talked to you that way, before…I don't know what made her snap, I'm sure she didn't mean what she said…"
"It doesn't make her words any less truthful, does it?" Nancy's voice was raspy and heartrending as she pulled away from his attempted embrace and headed through the hall past the office and out onto the deck.
Dave Batista blew out an angry breath and laced his fingers together behind his head. "Fuck!" He hissed, as he paced the kitchen.
This wasn't how he'd imagined New Years Day would go. It wasn't how last New Years had gone, nor the one before. And now all of a sudden everyone in the house was in tears. His oldest daughter was isolated in her room, his wife was on the deck taking a breather and Audrey was God knows where, probably hiding under the bed with her rabbit while he was in the kitchen steering an out of control ship. He had to get everything back in running order and fast, since he was required back on Smack Down in three days. But he wasn't even sure that he could get it back under control.
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She leaned back against the cold iron of the bench seat, pulling her sweater around her and as much as she wanted to hold in her sorrow and anger, she couldn't. Nancy put her hands over her face and cried. But the fear of being caught in the midst of an emotional meltdown overcame her and just as quickly as she began, the tears subsided and she swiped at the moisture on her cheeks. She turned when she heard the glass door to the adjoining condo sliding open.
"Max." She acknowledged and composed herself, sitting up straight trying to hide the fact that she had been crying.
"Nice day, huh?" he joked referring to the cold and rainy day, glad that the deck had a shelter over it. He sat down on the bench beside her, holding his paper plate, complete with a Reuben sandwich, chips and a pickle slice. He had overheard the verbal altercation via the slightly ajar door of the studio that adjoined the two condos at the end of the bottom floor. "Had a lot of excitement, this morning?"
Nancy nodded, tucking her hands further inside of the sweater sleeves. "Yeah, a little." She watched him bite into his sandwich and wipe the corners of his mouth with a napkin.
"I uh…I lost this blanket once." He announced rather simply through chews.
"That's real nice, Max…but I hardly think the loss of your blanket carries a similarity to the loss of my whole life's worth of memories." She said wryly.
He nodded and chewed thoughtfully, noting that she truly wasn't herself, because if she were, she would have already helped herself to the pickle on his plate without permission. "I know it doesn't compare, but it's sort of relative and it's the closest thing I've got to an example, just bear with me." Max tossed a chip into his mouth. "So anyways, I woke up one morning and went to the bathroom and then to breakfast, yadda, yadda…well when I went back upstairs, Mr. Blankee was gone…"
"Mr. Blankee?" Nancy said her face screwing into confusion.
"Are you gonna lemme finish?" Max asked, and then when she nodded, he continued. "As I was saying, I looked everywhere and I couldn't locate him…it was crazy, because I was panicked half out of my mind. I was crying and I even refused to go anywhere without Mr. Blankee, because he was, well…he was my security blanket. "Max chewed another bite. "I stayed out of preschool for two weeks and I missed the field trip to the zoo, not that I would have taken Mr. Blankee into the zoo, it's just the fact that I knew he was gone that kept me from doing anything for almost two weeks!" Max shook his head at the memory. "Finally I sort of figured that I was never gonna find him and I just kind of got up my courage and I went on without him…I went back to preschool and church…and became the fine man you see before you today."
Nancy laughed, and covered the cold tip of her nose with the fingers of one hand so as to warm it up.
"What I'm trying to say, is that I missed out on a whole lot of cool stuff, because I was so determined that I couldn't do anything without Mr. Blankee…but when I finally realized that he might never come back, I moved on and made the best of a hurtful situation." He watched, as the meat of his parable hit home. "I know that you can't remember them or me or even yourself, and believe me there are parts of your life that you might be better off not remembering…ever. Hell, there are parts of last night I'd be better off not remembering…so what I guess I'm suggesting is that instead of trying so hard to remember some shred of what you think defines you as a person, and being afraid because you think you can't be the person you were before you smacked your melon, why not let all of that go and just be." He turned, still holding the plate on his knee. "Just be somebody…even if it's not the person you were before."
She pulled her hand down from her nose. "I just don't feel like I fit in, here." She confessed, warm fresh tears, dripping down her face.
Max smiled sympathetically and tweaked the tip of her cold nose very softly. "Then make your own space." He stood and shivered, causing several of the chips to shake off of the paper plate.
"Max?" She asked before he turned to go.
"Yep?"
"Did you ever get Mr. Blankee back?"
"Oh, hell yeah…" He laughed sheepishly. "My mother hid that damn thing under her bed trying to wean me of it and I came across it about a month later…I ended up taking him with me to college."
Nancy smiled. "Max?" She asked again. "Could I have that pickle if you're not eating it?"
He glanced down at the plate and then at his best friend. Holding the plate out so she could take it for herself, he said in a smooth voice. "I'd almost bet money that your 'Mr. Blankee' won't stay missing for long." And then he shivered again violently. "I'm going in."
"Thanks Max."