Remember me
Chapter 23
"Dear Candy"
Meanwhile, at the reception, Terry was with Eleonor who was among the guests.
- Terry? Where's Juliet? Asked Eleonor
- Candy, you mean, she's back… said Terry
- Oh…
- And Juliet, left…
- She must be disoriented…
- Yes, and she turned to Albert…
- Didn't she lived with him?
- Yes…
- So it's kind of normal, isn't it?
- I know, but…
- It still hurts…
Patty arrived with Stear.
- Patty, how is she? Asked Terry
- She left… said Patty
- What? Said Terry
- Yes, and she disappeared with Albert, said Stear…
- With Albert…oh
- She needs to get a hold of herself said Eleonor…be patient
Terry had an exasperated sigh.
- Mum, I have to get out of here, he said
- Mom? Said Stear, did I miss something? You're Eleonor Baker's son? Wow! It's an honor to meet you Madam
- Thank you said Eleonor with a smile, welcome home
- It was worth it just to see you said Stear smiling
- I'm going mum, see you later
- Bye baby, said Eleonor kissing him
She had called him "baby", in normal times, he would've protested, but he was much too preoccupied with Candy. He left the reception after excusing himself to Annie and Archie, to go back home. He didn't feel like partying at all. Candy practically ignored him. He knew it was the shock, but his pride was still hurt. He felt lost without her. He missed her so much. He wanted to hug her and tell her welcome back… But she was going to send him back to Susanna… to his duty, his obligation, a duty and an obligation that made him the most miserable man on the planet, because he couldn't be with the one who helped him breathe. The first time, there were all those emotions, this time, there was no way he was going to lose Candy, his wife, the woman he loved more than anything, a second time. The universe had gave them a second chance and he was not going to let it go by.
"Juliet, I hope you'll be able to convince her… oh I miss you so much!"
Instead of going down the damps, he decided to go to New York to see Susanna and talk to her to clear things out. He went to his bedroom to pack his suit case, he got it out of the closet, put it on the bed, and opened it to put some clothes in. He found a envelope with his name on it. Intrigued, he opened it and read.
Terrence my love,
If you're reading this, it means that you're packing and that you're going to New York to Susanna…I hope with all my heart it's to tell her that you're staying with Candy… because if you're going to New York, it means that Candy came back during Annie and Archie's wedding. She must've either send you back to Susanna, or she doesn't remember me… Hang in there, my love, she'll come around, you'll see. She loves you so much and I know something about it. Our heart was the same. My heart seemed to be the only thing that didn't lose it's memory, it remembered your love, our love. Last night, you must've have guessed it, was our goodbye night… I loved every single second I spent with you, ever since our first meeting at the country club… Destiny and the universe had reunited to save our couple with this providential accident… providential, because it allowed me to live and to know you, I hope I succeeded in my task…I'm convinced that nothing is left to chance in life, every thing is planned in advance. It was planned that I come and fix things. After spending all those months with me, I don't think you can go back to Susanna , like nothing happened…
Goodbye Terrence…see you later, I hope. I love you…
Juliet
Terry smiled when he read the letter, Juliet…He missed her so much, already. The apartment is empty, without her presence…he was never there without her, for so long ever since they got married… the letter gave courage. He finished his suitcase and went to New York.
The reception continued in the general joy. Albert went back to the reception after leaving Candy alone to rest. She was sleeping peacefully, when he left, she needed to get herself together. He sent some servants with some food and some beverage to Candy's apartment, so she would at least have something to eat when she wakes up.
Archie and his parent were in seventh heaven. They practically never left Stear's side.
Albert took Josephine to meet the great aunt.
- Aunt Elroy, let me introduce you to Josephine Chamberlain, my fiancée
- Hello, said Josephine smiling
- Hello, said the great aunt without cracking a smile
Later, Josephine asked Albert if the great aunt was angry.
- No, said Albert smiling, that's just the way she is, nothing personal
- Oh…really nice said Josephine ironically
- Really, really nice, said Albert laughing
They burst out laughing. Patty was finally alone with Stear in the library…
- Patricia, come closer he said
- Closer where?
- On my knees…
- Oh…ok… I missed you so much…
- You said earlier that you knew I was alive…
- Yes, I had a dream where you were telling me to you'll come back, to trust our love…
- You got the message I sent you telepathically…
- Yes, did you get mine?
- Yes….It's funny were talking about it like it's the most natural thing in the world, listen to us…
- That's because we're on the same page, literally. I love you Stear
- I love you Patty
They spend the whole time talking, cuddling, kissing. Patty spent the whole night talking with Stear.
Archie was still in seventh heaven. His brother was back, his brother was alive! Annie was happy for her husband.
- In one day, I marry the woman I love, and I learn that my brother is alive…
- You happy enough for the whole world said Annie, I'm going to have a jolly partner in my bed
- Of course, honey he said with a big smile
Annie was ready. Archie came and kissed her, she tied her hands around his neck and abandoned herself completely in her husband's arms. She was finally able to discover the pleasure of the flesh, and why some people couldn't live without it.
"You were right Juliet, said Annie in her head, it would've been ridiculous to deprive yourself of this pleasure, when you were legally married anyway…Oh…it's wonderful!
Candy woke up with starving in the middle of the night, she never felt that hungry before!
- Oh…I'm hungry she said out loud
She went to the kitchen and she found the food from the wedding that Albert had sent for her.
- Oh, Mr. Albert, thank you so much…
She served herself and she hate with appetite. She was surprise to see how hungry she was. Usually when she had a problem, she was not hungry.
"A starving stomach, has no ears, they say, thought Candy"
She felt a lot better after she finished eating. She took off the dress she was wearing and she put on a night gown. She took her purse and looked inside, there was an apartment key and there was also an envelope with her name on it and on the sender's space it said "Juliet Grandchester" she read in her head.
"Juliet Grandchester?" she said out loud
She opened the envelope and recognized her own handwriting.
My dear Candy,
If you're reading this, that means you came back during Annie and Archie's wedding. You must be disoriented and you probably don't remember me. There's a key in our purse, and the address on the envelope, it the apartment where I was living. I left a little gift there for you. If I calculate correctly, Terrence must be on his way to New York to see Susanna. You can go to the apartment to get your little package and some clothes…Now go get your things and see you later!
Juliet
P.S. The little package is in the closet under the shoes. I'm sorry I didn't keep your name, but since I didn't remember anything, I chose "Juliet" which for some strange reason was in my head…
Candy was a little puzzled, but it was her handwriting and if she couldn't trust herself… who would she trust? What time was it? Four in the morning… she decided to sleep a little and go to the apartment the next morning.
The next morning, she took a shower and started to get dressed… but none of her dresses fit her anymore! What was going on? She was bigger? Did she get fat while she was "sleeping"? Oh…Juliet, told her in the note to go get some clothes, she knew what she was talking about! She was forced to put on the bride's made dress from Annie's wedding and she went to the apartment. She got in and she felt home. The apartment was empty, in order impeccable. It smelled good. She went to the bedroom and she the big canopy bed. She went to the closet and she saw all the different dresses each more beautiful than the other! She took the dress off and she chose one with pink with white flowers. There was also a hat with it. She took a few dresses and put them in a small suitcase. She found the package Juliet was talking about, it was a little box with flowers with a lot of little notebook inside, they were numbered. She took the box and went back to the apartment.
She hate again, because she was hungry and she sat down and started to read the first notebook.
My dear Candy,
Hold on tight! You're about to go into an incredible adventure!
You're completely disoriented. Believe me, I know how you're feeling. So, I wrote all this to clarify the situation for you and also so you can know what I had in mind, because they can tell you, but no one can tell you what I was thinking expect me. You'll end up remembering me one day, but I rather tell you in my own words everything that happened, right away… Are you ready? Have you eaten and drink well? So, let's go…!
Candy started to read Juliet's story, she telling her in details everything that happened ever since she opened her eyes in the Hope hospital…until the day of Annie's wedding. Candy was unable to stop reading. She was reading her own story like she was reading a romance novel! She couldn't believe her eyes! Juliet had no shame! She was reacting where Candy wouldn't have said anything! Terrence…
The fist time she opened her eyes at the Hope hospital:
" I opened my eyes in my hospital bed, surrounded by doctors and nurses… in the void, I didn't know who I was, my head was empty, but one name was in there…Juliet…I now know it's because you'd just come from the premiere of "Romeo and Juliet"… but my head was empty, why was that name there?...mystery…
The meeting with Neil at the hospital:
"…he come in my room smiling calling me "Candy", no offense, I though that name was very funny and I told him "Candy like the sweet? Why not chewing gum?" Since I didn't remember you, I preferred to be call Juliet…he told me that you were engaged… the terrible lie that started everything!"
The meeting with Annie and Patty:
" …Neil introduced me as his fiancée, your three friends felt sick…I now understand why the were speechless, unable to articulate word… I met Terrence a little after that… he came to look for you… that accident saved him, because he told me later, that he was thinking of leaving his fiancée and just turn to the bottle, because he couldn't live without you…I going to repeat it often in my story; but it's a crime that you two have separated…"
She told her about her first meeting with Terry:
"I saw him with his deep blue eyes, his long hair and…his British accent and I was totally under his spell! I flirted with him in front of Neil and Eliza! Needless to say that Eliza was ready to blow a gasket! But I couldn't help myself, he was so handsome…! But he was interested in Eliza…"
"Oh my God, Terry, you went out with Eliza just to be with me?" She said in her head.
The debutantes' ball:
"…I didn't where Neil was, so Terrence stepped in and escorted me… I danced with him… I was in seventh heaven. Then there was this music that reminded me briefly another boy with blond hair and Terrence too… I danced with Terrence and I had a feeling of "déjà vu"…"
"Anthony's music…guessed Candy, I danced that with Terry too…"
On Eliza's lie, she told her:
"I had a thing for Terrence and he was pretending to be with Eliza, but since I didn't know that… I met Terrence in the little house in the wood, he told me why he was avoiding me; Eliza had told him that I was sleeping with Neil. He didn't believe her , but apparently he listened to the door of my bedroom and he heard me laugh with Neil and he concluded that Eliza was telling the truth… I know, I was mad at him too; how could he believe that I was that kind of girl? I had lost my memory, not my mind!...I confronted Eliza in front of Neil…! I was not going to remain silent, when she was trying to make me look like a slut, when I didn't even let Neil kiss me!"
The diners at the Reagan's and Terry's insinuations:
" …He didn't want to go too fast. He was very patient with me… you're asking yourself why I trusted him and not Neil, even though he had saved me?...I don't know! Your heart has certainly recognized him…you were his other half. I didn't want Neil to kiss me, because I didn't remember him, but I was surprising myself dreaming about to be kiss by Terrence. I thought he was interested in Eliza, imagine my confusion…"
" With of without my memory, I trusted Terry said Candy to herself"
The great aunt and Mrs. Reagan wanted to force her to marry Neil in 30:
" I was devastated…I didn't know what to do, so I thought about Terrence. I didn't know where he lived…Dorothy, the maid helped me a lot, she lend me money for the cab to go see Terrence at the theatre…he came for diner and Eliza took him to her room so that I could find them together…I was devastated…Dorothy advised me to go see Terrence and give him the benefit of the doubt…she was a good friend, you helped her a long time ago and she never forgot it. Thank you Candy…"
When she got to the passage about the kiss in the little house:
" …He told me that he had real feelings for me…I told him I loved him too and he asked me if he could kiss me… in the mean time, I was having a flash of your first stolen kiss, followed by the mutual slapping! Candym honey, I thought the kiss was really good…you too, I sure of it, stolen or not!... talk about killing the romance! That's why he asked me this time around, but even if he hadn't I wouldn't have slap him… Eliza arrived and surprised us while we were kissing…You can imagine the scene! Terrence took me to his place and I never went back at the Reagan's"
The wedding to Terrence:
" Neil came to get me at Terrence's, who of course refused to let him take me. Neil said that he would be back with reinforcement. Knowing that the great aunt was the head of the family in the absence of the great Uncle William, and she could force me to marry Neil…Terrence closed the apartment door and looked at me and said "Juliet, will you marry me?" I said yes…that's how I became Mrs. Terrence Grandchester… not bad hein?"
Candy was grateful to Juliet to have left her all those notes. Marrying Terry, that was her biggest dream and it had became reality and she didn't even remember it! Candy blushed when she read about everything Juliet did with Terrence!
"…I did it for you, for us. I hope that you understand me, I loved him and it was your heart that was loving him too…"
" Oh my God, I'm Terry's wife in every sense of the word! She said to herself"
She felt crazy with joy. Terry, she loved with all her heart, Terry whom she was crying for on the train…she thought it just happened, but apparently, it was a few months ago already…And she could have been Neil Reagan's wife! That would've been a real catastrophe!
" Thanks Terry, thanks Juliet…she said in her head".
Susanna's visit:
" …I thought she was unpleasant and unbearable! She thought she could manipulate me like she manipulated you and Terrence, even though you won't admit it, but she didn't expect me to resist her. There was no way I was giving her my husband…our husband!...I was a little mad at Terrence for…10 minutes! We took the decision that night to make some happy memories for you, so that, whatever the outcome of this story, you'll have the nice memories I did for you…"
She continued opening her eyes wide reading the rest of Juliet's adventures…the great aunt, Neil, Eliza and a police officer caught her in bed with Terrence?
" I wish you'd seen Eliza's, Neil's and the great aunt's faces, it was priceless! But you probably would have been a little ashamed… it was so funny, I had to restrain myself not to laugh!"
"Oh my God, the great aunt found me in bed with Terry? Oh my…. The shame!"
Archie and Terry in good term?
"…Yes, they made a lot of progress. But it the fact that Terrence left everything behind to help you that touched Archie and his brother's disappearance…Terrence will be his best man…your friends had reunited to come to your help…you're very lucky to have such good friends…"
They formed an union to save her from Neil, her faithful friends. She was happy to have such loyal friend; Annie, Archie, Patty and Terry… Terry… What was he thinking when I turned to Albert? And what about Susanna? She had left Terry so he could be with Susanna…but the train accident had bought Terrence to Juliet…Destiny had found a way to reunite them… Terry was with her during all those months, he had left Susanna without any hesitation to come ho her rescue, he had married her to stop Neil from marrying her…Married, married…They had married her! Oh… she was the wife of the man she loved more than anything in the world! But should she sent him back to Susanna? She tried to let them be together, but destiny had sent Terry back to her. Was she wrong to make the decision to sacrifice herself? Apparently, the universe didn't agree and almost forced them to be together…And Juliet…Juliet had played the role of the wife to the perfection, but she was not acting, she also fell in love with Terry. She could've fall in love with Neil Reagan ! Oh what a disaster that would have been!
" You were too good, my dear Candy; leaving the man you love to Susanna. I don't minimize what she's done, but you too saved her life, by stopping her from fall off the roof. You're even! But you're way too nice to think that way… you're lucky I left you those notes. I wish I had them when I woke up in your body… that would've been handy! I did what I could, now the rest is up to you and Terrence. Good luck."
Was Juliet right? Should she be a little more selfish and thing about herself and her happiness? She deserved to be with the man she loves, didn't she? But Susanna… Oh… she will leave the decision to Terry, if he wants to go back to Susanna, she will not discuss and she will let him go. She did what she thought was right, only to have her heart turned into ashes. She was so happy when she was going to New York, more happy than a bride the next morning of her wedding night, she thought she was going to stay with Terry, marry him and have his children… Until she learned about Susanna's accident… But now, her train accident, her providential accident, had brought her everything she ever wanted; Terry and her, married…Why fight destiny? Destiny was telling her that they should stay together, not separated… They were so stubborn, the both of them, that destiny had to step in , using the big guns… the train accident … and Juliet.
" It's destiny said Candy to herself, who am I to fight destiny? I tried, it bought me back to Terry…"