CHAPTER 17
All's I need is the air I breathe
And my friends and family to believe in me
-Trik Turner, "Friends and Family"
Lucy greeted her startled cousin with loud kisses on each of his cheeks as Christina giggled beside her.
"Oh, Rafe," Lucy gushed, scooping Christina off the chair and into her arms.
Lucy sat down beside her cousin, plopping Christina onto her lap.
"I don't know what happened to you or why you're back, but I'm so glad that you are. And, Rafe, we'll figure it all out in time. I'm sure of it."
She smiled, squeezing his hand affectionately.
The other people in the room couldn't help but smile as well.
'Alison was right,' thought Rafe happily. 'Lucy's optimism is infectious.'
"So..."
Lucy glanced at her cousin curiously.
"Can we get you anything? Have you had breakfast yet?"
She frowned.
"I'm sorry to say that we weren't quite expecting you so early. Otherwise, I would have prepared something to offer you..."
"Oh, no, I'm sorry," interjected Rafe apologetically. "I didn't know my way; or, I couldn't remember... Anyway, I just wanted to make sure I got here on time."
"Actually, Lucy," Ian interrupted. "Rafe brought muffins."
"Well, that was certainly sweet of you, cousin," said Lucy, smiling once again. "You were always such an angel."
Rafe could feel himself start to blush.
"You know what, though, as much as I'd love to talk with you, I think I know someone who'd enjoy it even more."
Rafe eyed her curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"Alison," explained Lucy. "Ian, where's Alison?"
"I haven't seen her yet this morning," said Ian, skimming through the morning newspaper. "She's probably still sleeping."
"That girl," Lucy murmured, shaking her head in amazement. "She can sleep through anything. I would really hate to wake her. She needs her rest, but I know she would love to see you. You were earlier than we expected, and-"
"Lucy, you don't need to apologize," Rafe assured her, smiling politely. "I certainly don't want to wake her. Like you said, we have plenty of time, right?"
"Oh, boy..."
Lucy's face fell.
"You really don't remember any of us, do you? Not even Alison?
"Rafe, sweetie, she was up half the night. She was so anxious about seeing you again, I thought she'd never get to sleep. And, as much as I'd like to see her get her rest, I know that she'd hate to miss out on a single second of being with you."
Rafe couldn't help but smile.
It sounded as though he and Alison were so deeply in love. He just wished he could remember, but he couldn't...
***
Rafe stared down in wonder.
Before him, sleeping peacefully, lay Alison. She looked so beautiful, her light-blonde hair splayed against the pillow below it.
He hated to wake her, but, if what Lucy said were true, she'd thank him in the end. He hoped.
"Alison," he whispered, setting himself down on the bed beside her gently. "Alison, come on."
He smiled, gently caressing her face.
Lucy told him to touch her, assuring him she'd wake. He really just couldn't help himself...
"It's time to wake up, Alison."
Slowly but surely, his sleeping beauty opened her eyes.
"'Morning, angel," Rafe whispered, smiling...
All's I need is the air I breathe
And my friends and family to believe in me
-Trik Turner, "Friends and Family"
Lucy greeted her startled cousin with loud kisses on each of his cheeks as Christina giggled beside her.
"Oh, Rafe," Lucy gushed, scooping Christina off the chair and into her arms.
Lucy sat down beside her cousin, plopping Christina onto her lap.
"I don't know what happened to you or why you're back, but I'm so glad that you are. And, Rafe, we'll figure it all out in time. I'm sure of it."
She smiled, squeezing his hand affectionately.
The other people in the room couldn't help but smile as well.
'Alison was right,' thought Rafe happily. 'Lucy's optimism is infectious.'
"So..."
Lucy glanced at her cousin curiously.
"Can we get you anything? Have you had breakfast yet?"
She frowned.
"I'm sorry to say that we weren't quite expecting you so early. Otherwise, I would have prepared something to offer you..."
"Oh, no, I'm sorry," interjected Rafe apologetically. "I didn't know my way; or, I couldn't remember... Anyway, I just wanted to make sure I got here on time."
"Actually, Lucy," Ian interrupted. "Rafe brought muffins."
"Well, that was certainly sweet of you, cousin," said Lucy, smiling once again. "You were always such an angel."
Rafe could feel himself start to blush.
"You know what, though, as much as I'd love to talk with you, I think I know someone who'd enjoy it even more."
Rafe eyed her curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"Alison," explained Lucy. "Ian, where's Alison?"
"I haven't seen her yet this morning," said Ian, skimming through the morning newspaper. "She's probably still sleeping."
"That girl," Lucy murmured, shaking her head in amazement. "She can sleep through anything. I would really hate to wake her. She needs her rest, but I know she would love to see you. You were earlier than we expected, and-"
"Lucy, you don't need to apologize," Rafe assured her, smiling politely. "I certainly don't want to wake her. Like you said, we have plenty of time, right?"
"Oh, boy..."
Lucy's face fell.
"You really don't remember any of us, do you? Not even Alison?
"Rafe, sweetie, she was up half the night. She was so anxious about seeing you again, I thought she'd never get to sleep. And, as much as I'd like to see her get her rest, I know that she'd hate to miss out on a single second of being with you."
Rafe couldn't help but smile.
It sounded as though he and Alison were so deeply in love. He just wished he could remember, but he couldn't...
***
Rafe stared down in wonder.
Before him, sleeping peacefully, lay Alison. She looked so beautiful, her light-blonde hair splayed against the pillow below it.
He hated to wake her, but, if what Lucy said were true, she'd thank him in the end. He hoped.
"Alison," he whispered, setting himself down on the bed beside her gently. "Alison, come on."
He smiled, gently caressing her face.
Lucy told him to touch her, assuring him she'd wake. He really just couldn't help himself...
"It's time to wake up, Alison."
Slowly but surely, his sleeping beauty opened her eyes.
"'Morning, angel," Rafe whispered, smiling...