Chapter 8
Michael didn't know what to do. They had been hoping she would remember,
but now it seemed her past was just too much to bear. With his comforting
arms still wrapped tightly around her, Michael tried to calm Melissa down.
"Just tell me what you remember." He said. "Let it all out.. I'm here."
"I don't want to.I can't.I just want it all to go away." Melissa sobbed.
"Melissa look at me." Michael lifted her head and she shyly faced him. "No matter what you've been through, it's over. You are safe here with me and I won't let anything else happen to you."
"Michael there was a reason I wanted to die up there on Pike's Peak. Feelings like that don't just go away."
"You can forget them.get over them.you did once.you can do it again."
"I was able to overcome my feelings.when I was in the hospital.but that was only because you helped me."
"I'm still here.I'll help you again."
"I want to tell you about my life." Melissa began. "I think if we're going to be married, you should know."
"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."
"No." Melissa insisted. "I have to.but it won't be easy."
"I'll be here through it all."
"And I already know everything about you." She smiled.
"You remember it all?"
"I remember everything. My entire life. It all came back.all because of this tree." Melissa gently placed her hand on the nearby tree. "But I don't know where to start."
"The beginning is always good."
"The beginning? I guess that is an idea." Melissa paused a moment to gather her thoughts. Then she dove right in. "I don't know much about my early life. I was left at an orphanage when I was only two weeks old. I stayed there until I was nine."
"That's a long time. No one wanted to adopt you?"
"I guess not. There was one couple.they wanted a little girl. I was seven then. They took me home for the weekend to see how we got along."
"But you didn't stay with them?"
"No. They wanted someone to take care of their infant son. I was only seven, had no experience. After one night of the baby screaming in my arms, they took me back."
"So you stayed at the orphanage another two years. Then what happened?"
"I was placed in a foster home. At first I was terrified that they would send me back to the orphanage. But they didn't. They took me in and cared for me. I soon grew to love them. One my tenth birthday, they told me to call them mom and dad. I had a big party, with a bunch of kids from the neighborhood. After everyone left, mom and dad said that when they got the new house settled, they wanted to adopt me. It was the happiest day of my life. I thought that nothing would ever be wrong again.Until."
"Until what? What happened?"
"Mom was killed in a car accident. They never really told me what happened. All I know is she was hit from behind and she died before they got to the hospital."
"How awful."
"Yes it was."
"But you still had your dad."
"That's what I told myself at first. But things without mom weren't the same. Dad changed.and it wasn't for the better."
"Did he hurt you?" Michael worried.
"No he didn't hurt me.he hurt himself.Michael my father killed himself."
"Oh my god.did you know?"
"I was there."
"In the house?"
"I found him sitting in the kitchen when I came home from school. He was just sitting there. I asked him if I could fix a snack.he said yes.Then he slumped over in the chair.I couldn't wake him.They told me he had a heart attack."
"Then what makes you think he killed himself?"
"I saw them.the EMTs, the police.they were holding a bottle of pills and talking quietly. I figured it out on my own. Dad was holding those pills when I came home."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Of course it does."
"No.the pills.If he overdosed, he would not have died so peacefully. His body would have tried to get rid of them."
"How would you know? I was there Michael. I saw it."
"I don't want to upset you Melissa.I'm just saying that it doesn't sound right."
"I don't care what you think sounds right! I know he killed himself.I just know."
"Alright. I believe you."
"I was sent to another foster home after that." Melissa continued. "That's when my life started going downhill.and I didn't know how to go back up."
"Maybe we should continue this later." Michael suggested. You've had a hard day."
"You're right. I am tired."
"I'll take you home."
"This house is beautiful." Melissa said, as she and Michael walked up the porch.
"You picked it out."
"I wish I knew why."
"Because you fell in love with it."
"Yes I know. But why does it feel like more?"
"Maybe you lived here in another life."
Melissa chuckled. "Maybe."
Inside the house, Michael took Melissa upstairs to their bedroom. After bringing up some warm tea to calm her nerves, he took a seat beside her on the bed. "Maybe we should postpone the wedding." He suggested.
"Postpone the wedding?! Whatever for?"
"Well you just got your memory back. That has to be a bit overwhelming. I just don't think it's good for you to be under so much pressure."
"Michael we have been hoping all week that I'd get my memory back before the wedding. Now I have. That gives us even more reason to do this now."
"You're sure about this?"
"Yes I am."
"Then you better get some sleep. You only have one day to tell me all about yourself."
"That's enough time."
"I don't want to.I can't.I just want it all to go away." Melissa sobbed.
"Melissa look at me." Michael lifted her head and she shyly faced him. "No matter what you've been through, it's over. You are safe here with me and I won't let anything else happen to you."
"Michael there was a reason I wanted to die up there on Pike's Peak. Feelings like that don't just go away."
"You can forget them.get over them.you did once.you can do it again."
"I was able to overcome my feelings.when I was in the hospital.but that was only because you helped me."
"I'm still here.I'll help you again."
"I want to tell you about my life." Melissa began. "I think if we're going to be married, you should know."
"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."
"No." Melissa insisted. "I have to.but it won't be easy."
"I'll be here through it all."
"And I already know everything about you." She smiled.
"You remember it all?"
"I remember everything. My entire life. It all came back.all because of this tree." Melissa gently placed her hand on the nearby tree. "But I don't know where to start."
"The beginning is always good."
"The beginning? I guess that is an idea." Melissa paused a moment to gather her thoughts. Then she dove right in. "I don't know much about my early life. I was left at an orphanage when I was only two weeks old. I stayed there until I was nine."
"That's a long time. No one wanted to adopt you?"
"I guess not. There was one couple.they wanted a little girl. I was seven then. They took me home for the weekend to see how we got along."
"But you didn't stay with them?"
"No. They wanted someone to take care of their infant son. I was only seven, had no experience. After one night of the baby screaming in my arms, they took me back."
"So you stayed at the orphanage another two years. Then what happened?"
"I was placed in a foster home. At first I was terrified that they would send me back to the orphanage. But they didn't. They took me in and cared for me. I soon grew to love them. One my tenth birthday, they told me to call them mom and dad. I had a big party, with a bunch of kids from the neighborhood. After everyone left, mom and dad said that when they got the new house settled, they wanted to adopt me. It was the happiest day of my life. I thought that nothing would ever be wrong again.Until."
"Until what? What happened?"
"Mom was killed in a car accident. They never really told me what happened. All I know is she was hit from behind and she died before they got to the hospital."
"How awful."
"Yes it was."
"But you still had your dad."
"That's what I told myself at first. But things without mom weren't the same. Dad changed.and it wasn't for the better."
"Did he hurt you?" Michael worried.
"No he didn't hurt me.he hurt himself.Michael my father killed himself."
"Oh my god.did you know?"
"I was there."
"In the house?"
"I found him sitting in the kitchen when I came home from school. He was just sitting there. I asked him if I could fix a snack.he said yes.Then he slumped over in the chair.I couldn't wake him.They told me he had a heart attack."
"Then what makes you think he killed himself?"
"I saw them.the EMTs, the police.they were holding a bottle of pills and talking quietly. I figured it out on my own. Dad was holding those pills when I came home."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Of course it does."
"No.the pills.If he overdosed, he would not have died so peacefully. His body would have tried to get rid of them."
"How would you know? I was there Michael. I saw it."
"I don't want to upset you Melissa.I'm just saying that it doesn't sound right."
"I don't care what you think sounds right! I know he killed himself.I just know."
"Alright. I believe you."
"I was sent to another foster home after that." Melissa continued. "That's when my life started going downhill.and I didn't know how to go back up."
"Maybe we should continue this later." Michael suggested. You've had a hard day."
"You're right. I am tired."
"I'll take you home."
"This house is beautiful." Melissa said, as she and Michael walked up the porch.
"You picked it out."
"I wish I knew why."
"Because you fell in love with it."
"Yes I know. But why does it feel like more?"
"Maybe you lived here in another life."
Melissa chuckled. "Maybe."
Inside the house, Michael took Melissa upstairs to their bedroom. After bringing up some warm tea to calm her nerves, he took a seat beside her on the bed. "Maybe we should postpone the wedding." He suggested.
"Postpone the wedding?! Whatever for?"
"Well you just got your memory back. That has to be a bit overwhelming. I just don't think it's good for you to be under so much pressure."
"Michael we have been hoping all week that I'd get my memory back before the wedding. Now I have. That gives us even more reason to do this now."
"You're sure about this?"
"Yes I am."
"Then you better get some sleep. You only have one day to tell me all about yourself."
"That's enough time."
