"Stephanie, are you almost ready?" Chris called from downstairs.
"Yes," she called out.
"Mama, I wanna wear make-up," Regan said as she sat on the bed watching Stephanie.
"Ok, come here baby."
Regan hopped off the bed and ran to Stephanie. Stephanie picked up Regan and sat her on the vanity. Stephanie picked up some blush and gently brushed a little over Regan's cheeks. Regan giggled and smiled. Stephanie kissed the tip of her nose, and Regan's face scrunched up.
"You look beautiful," Stephanie told her.
"You too Mama," Regan said.
"Thank you baby, do you want a little lipstick?"
"Okay," Regan said brightly. Stephanie took a tube of lip gloss, and put a little on Regan's lips.
"Now go like this," Stephanie said pressing her lips together. Regan did as she was told.
"Now what is going on in here," a voice came from the doorway.
Stephanie smiled at Chris, "We're getting beautiful."
Chris walked in a little, "But I think you're both already beautiful."
"Yes, but we want to be more beautiful, right Regan?" Stephanie said, turning to the little girl.
"Right," Regan said nodding her head.
Chris shook his head, "You two are too much, what am I going to do with you?"
"Who knows?" Stephanie said.
"I think I'll do this."
Chris started tickling the both of them. Regan giggled, while Stephanie tried to get Chris off of her. Chris picked up Regan with one hand and pulled Stephanie on the bed with the other. He continued tickling them, as everyone was laughing hysterically.
By some act of God, Stephanie managed to pin Chris down to the bed. He smiled up at her innocently. She smiled back down at him, but her was full of mischief.
"Regan, what should we do to Daddy?" Stephanie said.
"Wha Mama?"
"I think we should tickle Daddy."
"Ok," Regan said, smiling.
"Do I have a say in this?" Chris said.
Stephanie shook her head, "Let's get him Regan."
They started tickling him, and Chris couldn't hold in his laughter. They were all laughing again before they got tired of tickling and lay down on the bed. Chris kissed Regan's forehead, then leaned over to kiss Stephanie. Regan laid down in between Chris and Stephanie.
"You messed up my hair," Stephanie commented.
"I'm so sorry," Chris said, sarcastically.
"I'm glad I came back," Stephanie said, out of the blue.
"We're glad you came back Steph," Chris said sincerely.
"We better get going though, my family is waiting," Stephanie said, sitting up.
"Yeah, let's go."
******************
Stephanie and Chris watched as Regan ran into Vince and Linda's house. They laughed at her youthful exuberance. Stephanie was about to walk in after her, but Chris held her back for a second. He kissed her deeply, then pulled away to look in her eyes.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"Just seeing you and Regan earlier."
"Huh?" she asked.
"When you were gone, I was always afraid that Regan would suffer without having a mother. I mean, I tried my best, but I'm not a girl, and I always thought I wouldn't do a good job with her."
"Chris, you did a wonderful job, I can't tell you that enough."
"Thanks Steph, but I don't think I could've done what you do."
Stephanie leaned in to kiss him, "I love you."
"I love you too, so much," Chris whispered, "You don't even know how much."
"You have forever to show me," she whispered back.
"And I'm so glad about that."
"Chris, Stephanie, are you coming inside?" Vince asked from the foyer.
"Yeah, come on," Stephanie said, pulling Chris's hand.
Everyone sat down at the large dining room table. The dinner was served, and everyone was chatting with each other as they ate. Chris helped Regan with her meal, and Stephanie smiled softly at them.
"Stephanie, is your dress ready for the wedding?" Marissa asked.
"Yeah, it's all done. I have it at home."
"I bet it's gorgeous."
"Yeah, I'm hoping."
"Are you excited?" Linda asked.
"Very," Stephanie grinned, then looked at Chris, who smiled as well.
After dinner, Chris took Regan to go see Shane and Marissa's baby, who was upstairs sleeping. Marissa went with them. Vince and Linda were in the dining room cleaning up. Shane was sitting with Stephanie, a photo album in his lap.
"This was us when we were little," Shane said, pointing to a picture.
"Regan looks like I did when I was little," Stephanie commented.
"Yeah, she does. I think that was a comfort while you were gone," Shane told her.
"I can imagine."
"Here's a family picture, you were just a baby."
"I can see that," she laughed.
"Any of this coming back?" Shane asked.
"No, I'm sorry."
"It's ok, I just thought that maybe it would trigger something."
"Usually it just comes to me," she told him.
"Oh."
"I'm sorry I can't remember," Stephanie said, sadly.
"It's ok Steph, I don't want to push or anything."
"I know you want it back, so do I, but I can't force myself to remember."
"If only we could huh?"
"Yeah, if only," Stephanie sighed.
Later that evening, Stephanie was thinking back to Shane trying to get her memory back. She appreciated his efforts, but she had tried everything to get it back, and it just wasn't coming. It was frustrating to say the least.
She walked into the bedroom when she suddenly felt dizzy. The room was spinning, and she had to grab onto the dresser for support. She couldn't focus on anything. All these visions swirled before her eyes, but she couldn't get them to stop. They were all coming to fast. She could see flashes of Regan as a baby, of Chris, of her family, but she couldn't quite figure them out.
Chris walked into the room and saw Stephanie leaning heavily against the dresser. She looked like she was about to faint. He rushed over to her, and took her in his arms. She fell against him.
"Stephanie, are you ok?" Chris asked frantically. She didn't answer him.
"Steph, what's wrong, tell me please," Chris pleaded desperately.
The room suddenly stopped spinning. She furrowed her brow for a second in thought, then turned to Chris. He looked at her, worry the only emotion in his eyes. He looked like he was about to cry. She hugged him tightly.
"Stephanie, are you ok?" Chris asked again.
"Yeah," Stephanie whispered.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, I just got all these pictures."
"Pictures?"
"Like visions, or memories."
"Your memory? Is it coming back?"
"I don't know, it was like it was trying, but it just...didn't."
"What did you see?"
"Just flashes."
"Maybe it'll come back soon," he said hopefully.
"Maybe."
"Yes," she called out.
"Mama, I wanna wear make-up," Regan said as she sat on the bed watching Stephanie.
"Ok, come here baby."
Regan hopped off the bed and ran to Stephanie. Stephanie picked up Regan and sat her on the vanity. Stephanie picked up some blush and gently brushed a little over Regan's cheeks. Regan giggled and smiled. Stephanie kissed the tip of her nose, and Regan's face scrunched up.
"You look beautiful," Stephanie told her.
"You too Mama," Regan said.
"Thank you baby, do you want a little lipstick?"
"Okay," Regan said brightly. Stephanie took a tube of lip gloss, and put a little on Regan's lips.
"Now go like this," Stephanie said pressing her lips together. Regan did as she was told.
"Now what is going on in here," a voice came from the doorway.
Stephanie smiled at Chris, "We're getting beautiful."
Chris walked in a little, "But I think you're both already beautiful."
"Yes, but we want to be more beautiful, right Regan?" Stephanie said, turning to the little girl.
"Right," Regan said nodding her head.
Chris shook his head, "You two are too much, what am I going to do with you?"
"Who knows?" Stephanie said.
"I think I'll do this."
Chris started tickling the both of them. Regan giggled, while Stephanie tried to get Chris off of her. Chris picked up Regan with one hand and pulled Stephanie on the bed with the other. He continued tickling them, as everyone was laughing hysterically.
By some act of God, Stephanie managed to pin Chris down to the bed. He smiled up at her innocently. She smiled back down at him, but her was full of mischief.
"Regan, what should we do to Daddy?" Stephanie said.
"Wha Mama?"
"I think we should tickle Daddy."
"Ok," Regan said, smiling.
"Do I have a say in this?" Chris said.
Stephanie shook her head, "Let's get him Regan."
They started tickling him, and Chris couldn't hold in his laughter. They were all laughing again before they got tired of tickling and lay down on the bed. Chris kissed Regan's forehead, then leaned over to kiss Stephanie. Regan laid down in between Chris and Stephanie.
"You messed up my hair," Stephanie commented.
"I'm so sorry," Chris said, sarcastically.
"I'm glad I came back," Stephanie said, out of the blue.
"We're glad you came back Steph," Chris said sincerely.
"We better get going though, my family is waiting," Stephanie said, sitting up.
"Yeah, let's go."
******************
Stephanie and Chris watched as Regan ran into Vince and Linda's house. They laughed at her youthful exuberance. Stephanie was about to walk in after her, but Chris held her back for a second. He kissed her deeply, then pulled away to look in her eyes.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"Just seeing you and Regan earlier."
"Huh?" she asked.
"When you were gone, I was always afraid that Regan would suffer without having a mother. I mean, I tried my best, but I'm not a girl, and I always thought I wouldn't do a good job with her."
"Chris, you did a wonderful job, I can't tell you that enough."
"Thanks Steph, but I don't think I could've done what you do."
Stephanie leaned in to kiss him, "I love you."
"I love you too, so much," Chris whispered, "You don't even know how much."
"You have forever to show me," she whispered back.
"And I'm so glad about that."
"Chris, Stephanie, are you coming inside?" Vince asked from the foyer.
"Yeah, come on," Stephanie said, pulling Chris's hand.
Everyone sat down at the large dining room table. The dinner was served, and everyone was chatting with each other as they ate. Chris helped Regan with her meal, and Stephanie smiled softly at them.
"Stephanie, is your dress ready for the wedding?" Marissa asked.
"Yeah, it's all done. I have it at home."
"I bet it's gorgeous."
"Yeah, I'm hoping."
"Are you excited?" Linda asked.
"Very," Stephanie grinned, then looked at Chris, who smiled as well.
After dinner, Chris took Regan to go see Shane and Marissa's baby, who was upstairs sleeping. Marissa went with them. Vince and Linda were in the dining room cleaning up. Shane was sitting with Stephanie, a photo album in his lap.
"This was us when we were little," Shane said, pointing to a picture.
"Regan looks like I did when I was little," Stephanie commented.
"Yeah, she does. I think that was a comfort while you were gone," Shane told her.
"I can imagine."
"Here's a family picture, you were just a baby."
"I can see that," she laughed.
"Any of this coming back?" Shane asked.
"No, I'm sorry."
"It's ok, I just thought that maybe it would trigger something."
"Usually it just comes to me," she told him.
"Oh."
"I'm sorry I can't remember," Stephanie said, sadly.
"It's ok Steph, I don't want to push or anything."
"I know you want it back, so do I, but I can't force myself to remember."
"If only we could huh?"
"Yeah, if only," Stephanie sighed.
Later that evening, Stephanie was thinking back to Shane trying to get her memory back. She appreciated his efforts, but she had tried everything to get it back, and it just wasn't coming. It was frustrating to say the least.
She walked into the bedroom when she suddenly felt dizzy. The room was spinning, and she had to grab onto the dresser for support. She couldn't focus on anything. All these visions swirled before her eyes, but she couldn't get them to stop. They were all coming to fast. She could see flashes of Regan as a baby, of Chris, of her family, but she couldn't quite figure them out.
Chris walked into the room and saw Stephanie leaning heavily against the dresser. She looked like she was about to faint. He rushed over to her, and took her in his arms. She fell against him.
"Stephanie, are you ok?" Chris asked frantically. She didn't answer him.
"Steph, what's wrong, tell me please," Chris pleaded desperately.
The room suddenly stopped spinning. She furrowed her brow for a second in thought, then turned to Chris. He looked at her, worry the only emotion in his eyes. He looked like he was about to cry. She hugged him tightly.
"Stephanie, are you ok?" Chris asked again.
"Yeah," Stephanie whispered.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, I just got all these pictures."
"Pictures?"
"Like visions, or memories."
"Your memory? Is it coming back?"
"I don't know, it was like it was trying, but it just...didn't."
"What did you see?"
"Just flashes."
"Maybe it'll come back soon," he said hopefully.
"Maybe."