Chapter Thirty-Eight:
"Mommy?" Ali asked worriedly. "Mommy, what's wrong?" Her mommy was crying. She saw the tears. Saw her wipe them away as she drove. "Nothing, baby. Mommy's just sad." "About Josh?" "Yeah. About Josh." "Mommy? Is Josh going to go to heaven?" Her voice sounded funny when she answered. "Yes, sweetie. Soon Josh will be an angel."
She thought it over a minute. "Then he won't be sick anymore, will he?" "No, Ali. He won't," she said with a sad smile. Turning around to face her after she cut the car's engine. "He won't hurt anymore." "Don't cry, Mommy. Please don't cry." "Oh, sweetie," she said. Getting out of the car and opening Ali's door. Taking her in her arms. Holding her tight. "Mommy needs a hug right now. Real bad." "Shh, Mommy. It's okay," Ali whispered. Kissing her mother's cheek sweetly.
Sheridan hugged Ali's tiny body as close as humanly possible. "Mommy loves you so much, baby. So much." She leaned back and looked into Ali's big blue eyes. Then hugged her again. Smiling when Ali wrapped herself around her. "What would I do without you?" she sniffled. Then smiled. She didn't have to worry about that. Not anymore. She had her family back. Getting her memory back suddenly didn't seem as important. Because she had them back. They could make new memories. But first she had to say goodbye. Once and for all.
She kissed Ali lightly on the nose. Earning a giggle. And set her down on her feet. "I'm okay," she promised. Ali smiled in response and took her hand. "Where are we, Mommy?" she asked. Looking at the woods around her. "This is the place I stayed at when I first woke up, baby. I want you to meet a very special person. He took care of me. Like Molly and Nick. He was my friend." "What's his name?" "Martin." "Like Daddy's Papa?" she asked.
Sheridan stopped in her tracks. Stunned. No, she thought. Luis had mentioned the name Martin before. When he was going through the old photo albums. Telling her about his family. But there were no pictures. Nothing to remotely suggest that his Martin was one in the same as her Martin. "Mommy?" Ali asked. Frowning at her expression. "Like Daddy's Papa," she conceded. Her brain working overtime. Trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. She gathered her senses and raised a hand to knock on the door.
The door opened. She and Martin were face to face again. "Sheridan," he said. Her mouth hung open in confusion. She hadn't seen him since that morning. The morning before Boston. How did he know her real name? He seemed to sense her thoughts. "Nick's been keeping me updated," he supplied. And for the moment, she was satisfied. He looked at her strangely. Making her feel uneasy. But it was his reaction to Ali that baffled her. Tears pooled in his eyes. Sadness. Love. She didn't understand.
His voice shook as he kneeled. Eye level with Ali. And said "Ali?" Ali nodded her head. "You're beautiful. Just like your mother always was." She grinned at him. Pleased to know he thought she looked like her mommy. "Thank you," she shyly replied. Then did what she did best. Offered him a hug. If he held her a little too tightly, a little too long, Sheridan didn't notice. She owed this man so much. She owed him her life.
They stayed. Until the sun faded in the distance. Until dusk fell. Visiting. Catching up. Ali took to Martin immediately. And Sheridan was struck by an overwhelming sense of familiarity watching them together. Watching them interact. She knew surely her mind was playing tricks on her. Her eyes were deceiving her. But Ali's words rang in her head. Refused to give her peace. It was a relief when they parted ways. Said their goodbyes. A temporary relief.
Ali waved at Martin until she could no longer see him. No longer see his cabin. Not noticing her mother's preoccupation. She was too tired. Too happy they were going home to Daddy to really notice. She didn't see the look of horror on her mother's face. Couldn't see the images that flashed before her mother's eyes. Hear the screams that echoed in her mother's head. "No," she heard her mother whisper. Then say in a louder voice. "No." "Mommy," she said. Scared. "Mommy," she yelled. But her mother didn't hear her. Couldn't hear her. All she heard was the screaming. Julian! She couldn't see anything but images from that night over three years ago. Couldn't see the oncoming car's lights until it was too late.
"Mommy look out!"
"Mommy?" Ali asked worriedly. "Mommy, what's wrong?" Her mommy was crying. She saw the tears. Saw her wipe them away as she drove. "Nothing, baby. Mommy's just sad." "About Josh?" "Yeah. About Josh." "Mommy? Is Josh going to go to heaven?" Her voice sounded funny when she answered. "Yes, sweetie. Soon Josh will be an angel."
She thought it over a minute. "Then he won't be sick anymore, will he?" "No, Ali. He won't," she said with a sad smile. Turning around to face her after she cut the car's engine. "He won't hurt anymore." "Don't cry, Mommy. Please don't cry." "Oh, sweetie," she said. Getting out of the car and opening Ali's door. Taking her in her arms. Holding her tight. "Mommy needs a hug right now. Real bad." "Shh, Mommy. It's okay," Ali whispered. Kissing her mother's cheek sweetly.
Sheridan hugged Ali's tiny body as close as humanly possible. "Mommy loves you so much, baby. So much." She leaned back and looked into Ali's big blue eyes. Then hugged her again. Smiling when Ali wrapped herself around her. "What would I do without you?" she sniffled. Then smiled. She didn't have to worry about that. Not anymore. She had her family back. Getting her memory back suddenly didn't seem as important. Because she had them back. They could make new memories. But first she had to say goodbye. Once and for all.
She kissed Ali lightly on the nose. Earning a giggle. And set her down on her feet. "I'm okay," she promised. Ali smiled in response and took her hand. "Where are we, Mommy?" she asked. Looking at the woods around her. "This is the place I stayed at when I first woke up, baby. I want you to meet a very special person. He took care of me. Like Molly and Nick. He was my friend." "What's his name?" "Martin." "Like Daddy's Papa?" she asked.
Sheridan stopped in her tracks. Stunned. No, she thought. Luis had mentioned the name Martin before. When he was going through the old photo albums. Telling her about his family. But there were no pictures. Nothing to remotely suggest that his Martin was one in the same as her Martin. "Mommy?" Ali asked. Frowning at her expression. "Like Daddy's Papa," she conceded. Her brain working overtime. Trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. She gathered her senses and raised a hand to knock on the door.
The door opened. She and Martin were face to face again. "Sheridan," he said. Her mouth hung open in confusion. She hadn't seen him since that morning. The morning before Boston. How did he know her real name? He seemed to sense her thoughts. "Nick's been keeping me updated," he supplied. And for the moment, she was satisfied. He looked at her strangely. Making her feel uneasy. But it was his reaction to Ali that baffled her. Tears pooled in his eyes. Sadness. Love. She didn't understand.
His voice shook as he kneeled. Eye level with Ali. And said "Ali?" Ali nodded her head. "You're beautiful. Just like your mother always was." She grinned at him. Pleased to know he thought she looked like her mommy. "Thank you," she shyly replied. Then did what she did best. Offered him a hug. If he held her a little too tightly, a little too long, Sheridan didn't notice. She owed this man so much. She owed him her life.
They stayed. Until the sun faded in the distance. Until dusk fell. Visiting. Catching up. Ali took to Martin immediately. And Sheridan was struck by an overwhelming sense of familiarity watching them together. Watching them interact. She knew surely her mind was playing tricks on her. Her eyes were deceiving her. But Ali's words rang in her head. Refused to give her peace. It was a relief when they parted ways. Said their goodbyes. A temporary relief.
Ali waved at Martin until she could no longer see him. No longer see his cabin. Not noticing her mother's preoccupation. She was too tired. Too happy they were going home to Daddy to really notice. She didn't see the look of horror on her mother's face. Couldn't see the images that flashed before her mother's eyes. Hear the screams that echoed in her mother's head. "No," she heard her mother whisper. Then say in a louder voice. "No." "Mommy," she said. Scared. "Mommy," she yelled. But her mother didn't hear her. Couldn't hear her. All she heard was the screaming. Julian! She couldn't see anything but images from that night over three years ago. Couldn't see the oncoming car's lights until it was too late.
"Mommy look out!"