Mimi sat on the couch with a cup of coffee in her hand while she flipped through The Village Voice. The loft door slid open, and Angel skipped inside with Collins behind her.
"Hola Chica," Angel chirped. Mimi looked up.
"Hello." Angel took a seat on the coffee table across from Mimi.
"So, I was thinking, we're going to an AIDS support group, and you used to go too. I figured that going might help jog your memory."
"I don't know…"
"I think it would be good for you," Roger spoke up from the kitchen where he was talking to Collins. Mimi chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds.
"Alright, I'll go," she said reluctantly.
Angel and Collins entered the Community Center while Roger and Mimi waited outside. Angel and Collins were going to tell everyone at Life Support about Mimi before she came inside. The meeting had already started. Everyone looked up.
"Hello Angel, Collins," Steve said. Angel and Collins took their seats. "We just started."
"Could I make a quick announcement?" Angel requested.
"Sure, go ahead."
"Mimi and Roger are waiting right outside. A few days ago, Mimi fell and hit her head. Now, she's suffering from amnesia. She's only here to watch and wants her space."
"Then we'll honor that," Steve said. Everyone else nodded in a unanimous agreement.
Mimi stood in the back of the Community Center next to Roger. She observed the Life Support meeting unfold around her.
"Do all these people have AIDS?" she whispered to Roger.
"Some have HIV, and some have AIDS. It's basically a support group for anybody that needs help."
"Like me?" Roger shook his head.
"No, not like you. You're perfect." Mimi could see the love and affection in Roger's eyes. She felt her face get warm. Mimi quickly went back to watching the meeting.
After Life Support, Roger and Mimi walked down Avenue B towards the loft. Upon seeing the goose bumps on Mimi's exposed arms, Roger pulled off his denim jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Mimi pulled the faded jacket around her shoulders to protect herself form the cool spring air.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Hey Roger, what's up with those people that are always at the loft?"
"Angel and Collins?"
"And those two women too."
"Oh, you mean Maureen and Joanne. We, as in me, Mark, Collins and Maureen used to live together." Roger proceeded to tell Mimi about all their crazy friends.
"What about us, how did we meet?" Roger slid open the loft door.
"We'll save that for another day."
When Roger and Mimi went inside, Mark was busy rummaging through various drawers, clearly in search of something.
"The power went out," he explained when he saw Roger and Mimi. Roger swore.
"Why is that a bad thing?" Mimi asked innocently.
"Because we paid the bill, and Benny still shut off the power," Roger replied bitterly. Mimi nodded. She had no clue what Roger was talking about. Mark produced a handful of half-burned candles from a drawer. Mimi gasped. "What is it?" Mimi shook her head.
"Nothing, it's just a flash of something. A candle, I remember a candle." Roger and Mark looked at each other. Everyone knew about Roger and Mimi's first meeting. This was definitely a step in the right direction