Absence of the Heart
***Willow Pond***
Jennifer Hart woke up and stretched. She had woken up to tell Jonathan goodbye, and then after he had left for the office, she had fallen back asleep.
It was exactly what he had been counting on.
He had snuck back up the stairs, and had left a card and a present on the bed for her.
He placed it right on his pillow, where he knew that she would see it.
She woke up and saw it immediately. She opened the card first.
"Sweetheart, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. Get showered and dressed, and go see Max. He will give you your next clue. Love you darling."
She opened the present. It was a beautiful diamond and sapphire tennis bracelet.
"That man…"
She was going to have to remember to thank him properly later on.
She went downstairs and found Max. He had made her favorite breakfast- bacon, eggs, and French toast.
"Good morning, Mrs. H. Your plate is already prepared. Out on the patio".
She went and sat at the table, and Freeway came running up to her.
"Hi my baby." She petted him some, and then started eating.
After she was done, she picked up her dishes to take them inside.
Underneath her plate, was the second clue.
"Darling, you are the loveliest woman I have ever known, inside and out. Go to the room in the house that starts with the first letter in the name of the city in which we met. Love you".
She put her dishes in the sink and headed for the Library.
Taped to the globe, was another card.
"Darling, the first thing I noticed about you was how beautiful and gorgeous your eyes were. You will find the next clue in the drawer where you keep the last ingredient in your nighttime beauty ritual. Love you".
She headed upstairs and found the baby oil. There was another clue in the drawer.
"Sweetheart, I fall more and more in love with you each and every day. Our bedroom faces this direction. You will find the next clue on the window that faces that same direction. Love you more than anyone in the world".
She headed to the bedroom, and found the North window. She pulled the curtains back and propped on the windowsill was a card and another gift.
"Darling, I could be in a room full of thousands of people, but when you enter the room, I only have eyes for you. Go find the man in the house who gets as much attention from you as I do. And I'm not talking about Max".
She opened the gift. It was a pair of earrings to match the bracelet.
She headed downstairs and started calling for Freeway.
"Ok boy, go find your mommy". Max clipped the latest clue to his collar and he took off.
"Here boy!"
Freeway came running. She saw the clue and took it off his collar.
"Babe, you are my last first kiss, and my best one. You fill find the next clue at the place where I always give you an extra olive. Love you".
She went to the bar in the den, and reached down for the vodka that Jonathan always used when he made her martinis. She found the clue right underneath it.
"Honey, my favorite part of each day is coming home to you. And my favorite part of every night is holding you in my arms. There is something new waiting for you outside. Love you, honey".
She went to the back patio. She didn't see anything new. She went to the pool. Nothing new there either.
She went back through the house and out to the front door, and there on the driveway, was a brand new silver Porsche Cayenne SUV.
Jennifer's hand went up to her mouth. She couldn't believe it.
Max came up behind her. "Keys are in it, Mrs. H. Go ahead. Take it for a spin".
She hesitated. She had on a beautiful plum colored top, some black leggings, and some black wedge short boots.
She grabbed her purse, phone and keys, and headed to the car.
She took the red bow off, and climbed inside. She found the keys in the cupholder. She looked over to the passenger seat, and there were a few more cards and gifts. She opened the first card.
"Babe, hope you love it as much as I love you, and as much as I love spoiling you. You take me for a spin tonight, and then I will return the favor".
She opened up one of the boxes. It was a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring to match the bracelet and earrings.
She opened up the next card.
"Sweetheart- fly with me? How about London, where we met and fell in love? How about next week, for 5 days? How about the penthouse suite at the Ritz? You can tell me your answer as soon as we are together again. Love you".
She opened the last package and found a diamond and sapphire pendant on a silver chain.
She teared up at his generosity.
Only one thing left to do, she started the car, and headed out.
***Hart Industries***
Jonathan was in a meeting. There were at least 5 other people in the meeting. It was very tense, because the merger they were planning was falling apart.
Jennifer stepped off the elevator and headed straight to his office.
She opened the door, and headed straight to him.
"Jennifer, honey? You ok?"
She didn't respond. She just wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately. He returned the kiss in kind. He started motioning for everyone to leave.
When they were finally alone, and he and Jennifer came up for air, he pulled her close.
"I take it you liked your surprises, darling?"
He kissed her neck a little.
"Yes, darling. I love all of them. And you know how I love fast cars".
"Yes, I do."
"But not as much as I love you, darling".
She kissed him again.
"Sweetheart, if I told you that you and I could be alone together, without any interruptions for 5 days straight, would you believe me?"
"Yes."
"Would you go on a trip with me?"
"Of course".
"Wanna go to London?"
"Yes, to everything in your card, darling".
He kissed her neck some.
"Darling, what if I told you that I had another surprise for you?"
"I would tell you that I don't deserve it, and that you have done enough".
"Where you are concerned honey, there is no such thing as enough".
"So, what's my surprise?"
"Well, it involves dinner, and dancing, and then a whole lot of relaxing".
"My favorite things to do with you, darling".
She kissed him a little longer.
"I'm sorry I interrupted your meeting, darling. But I just couldn't help myself".
"Babe, you are the only one who can interrupt anything I am doing. I will always drop everything for you".
She kissed him again.
"I guess I better go, so you can get back to work. Just one question, when did you plant all those cards without me seeing?"
"When I woke up this morning, before I woke you up to tell you goodbye".
"You are so sneaky, darling".
"Sweetheart. When you get home, there will be a new outfit waiting for you. I will be home at 5 p.m sharp, and we will leave as soon as I change clothes."
"Ok, darling. I love you".
She kissed him again, and headed out.
***Willow Pond***
Jennifer came home and made herself lunch, and took it to the patio. She and Freeway were enjoying the nice weather when a storm cloud came up suddenly.
She took him back inside and then went upstairs.
Max had put the new outfit on their bed. She opened the bag to find a beautiful one shoulder beaded bright blue evening gown. She went and took a nice long bubble bath. She took her time getting sure her hair and makeup were just right. When Jonathan walked in the door, she was waiting on him, with a fresh cocktail in her hand.
"Hi darling!" She took a sip of her drink, and then threw her arms around him and kissed him.
"Give me a few minutes to change. You can keep me company, if you'd like".
"We won't leave on time, if I do, darling".
"Good point. See you in 20 minutes".
She kissed him and then sat on the couch, while she waited for him. Freeway came and kept her company.
She was wearing the necklace, earrings, ring and bracelet that he had given her that day.
She had also put on the perfume that he loved, the one that she knew drove him crazy.
He came down a few minutes early, and they headed out.
They got in the new Porsche, and she let him drive.
"You like the car babe?"
"No. I love it".
"Where are we headed, darling?"
"It's part of the surprise. All will be revealed shortly".
He drove them to their first location. It was a house, that overlooked the beach.
"Darling, where are we?"
"Sweetheart, let's go inside and then I will explain".
He got out of the car, came around and helped her out of the car, and led her inside.
She instantly fell in love with the place. It was a house, that was beautifully decorated, and had the most gorgeous view.
"Jonathan, would you like to tell me what is going on?"
"Darling, last month, Hart Industries bought a property that was going to be foreclosed upon. We not only got the business property, but the estate of the previous owner as well. It was all packaged together in the sale. So, I sold off everything I could, and this was the one thing I decided to keep. I figured that when you and I need a place to go to just get away, we can come here. We are only a half hour from home, but it feels much farther than that. And nobody will know where we are, except for Max."
"Darling, I love it".
He showed her around. It had 4 bedrooms, one of which was a TV room, and one that was an office/library. The master bedroom was upstairs and had the best view of the ocean. There was a terrace that they could go out on and hear the waves.
"I took the liberty of having all new furniture put up here, darling. And I redid the shower, and totally updated the bathroom. I also had them build the closet out and make it bigger for you, in case you ever want to store clothes here. But the best part is, it's quiet. We won't disturb anyone up here at all".
"Disturb? What do you mean by that?"
She saw the look on his face.
"Jonathan…"
"Nothing really, darling. It's just last week when we were making love and we got a little intense, well when I went downstairs, Max mentioned that he was looking for some peace and quiet. And I don't know if he heard us or not, but it's nice to know that we can always come here and nobody will hear us".
She leaned forward and kissed him.
"I can't help it, darling. You just get me so excited, and make me lose control". She kissed him again.
"You do the same to me, darling. You always have".
"So, are we going to dinner and then coming back here, darling?"
"No. I am having it delivered. It should be here any minute".
They headed downstairs, and she kicked her shoes off, and started looking in the cabinets to see what was there.
Everything was perfect. They had plates, napkins, glasses, silverware, all the utensils and gadgets a kitchen would need. Jonathan had thought of everything.
She set the table. She found a bar set up and tested the ingredients to see how old they were.
They seemed to be fairly new, so she made him a Manhattan, and then herself a double vodka martini straight up. He was still outside paying the delivery man for their dinner. When he came back in, she had the table set and the drinks waiting on him.
"La Scala, my beautiful wife's favorite restaurant".
"Oh darling, you know me so well".
He lit the candles on the table, and then sat down next to her.
After a wonderfully delightful meal, he took their plates to the sink, and they rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher.
He took her hand and led her out to the terrace.
He stepped back in and made them each another cocktail, and then joined her outside.
"Darling, the view is simply stunning".
He was staring at her.
"Yes, it always is".
She blushed and smiled at him.
He set up a wireless Bluetooth speaker, and then held out his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
"Certainly, darling".
They set their drinks down, and then started dancing. She rested her cheek against his. She closed her eyes and just let him lead her and hold her close.
After a few songs, he handed her both of their drinks, and then swiftly picked her up, and then carried her through the sliding glass doors, and stopped to let her close it behind them. He carried her all the way up to the top floor, and set her down next to the bed.
"You are so beautiful".
He kissed her very tenderly.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. He unzipped her dress.
"Darling, I brought some of your favorite pajamas over here just in case we ever stay the night. Top drawer".
She went to go look.
"Darling, you only have your pajamas in here".
"Well, my pajama tops on you are my favorite".
She slipped her dress off, and slipped one on.
He was undressing also. He put on a pair of pajama pants.
He joined her on the bed. They kissed and cuddled for a few minutes, and then he told her to roll over.
He grabbed the baby oil, and told her to undo the pajama top.
He straddled her back, and then gave her a deep tissue backrub just the way he knew she liked it.
"You have the best hands, darling". She was moaning and had her head on her hands and her eyes closed.
After a glorious massage, they switched places and she gave him one. She was going to get off of him and lay beside him, but instead, she scratched his back for him. It was one of his favorite things she did for him.
After about 30 minutes, she climbed off of him, and laid down next to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and they made love. Several times.
They were just about to fall asleep, when Jennifer stirred.
"Darling, are we staying here tonight, or are we going back to Willow Pond?"
"Whatever you want to do, darling".
"Up to you. You planned this date night".
She nestled back into his arms.
"Max knew we were going out tonight, but he will be expecting us, darling. We should head back. Is that ok with you?"
"It's absolutely fine, Jonathan".
She wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thank you for a lovely time, darling. It was nice to get away".
She kissed him, and got up to get dressed.
He rolled out of bed and got dressed too.
They headed downstairs.
She looked at the clock. It was a little after 12.
He helped her into the car, and they headed home, holding hands all the way.
***Willow Pond***
They slipped into the house, and found Max and Freeway asleep on the couch.
Jennifer leaned down and whispered to Freeway to get off the couch. "You know better, buster".
She covered Max with a blanket, and they turned out the light.
She and Jonathan slipped upstairs and went to bed.
As they climbed into bed, something occurred to Jennifer.
"Darling, we don't have a name for the new place, do we?"
"I don't think so. It didn't have a name when I bought it."
"What was the last name of the previous owner?"
"Lancaster, I believe".
"You know what it reminds me of? That cute little inn where we spent our honeymoon. What was the name of it?"
"Monteclair Place".
"Yes, that's it. It was such a sweet little peaceful place, and so is the beach house. That's what we should name it darling. Monteclair".
"Fine with me".
She kissed him a few times, and they turned out the light.
***The next day***
Jonathan and Jennifer were sleeping all nestled together. She had her head on his chest, and her arms wrapped around him. He had his arms wrapped around her. He wanted to get up, but she was so peaceful like that, he didn't want to wake her.
He grabbed his phone and texted his secretary that he had something important to do, and that he would be late.
He snuggled back against the pillows and fell back asleep with her.
She woke up around 9, and realized he was still with her.
She woke him up, and was panicked.
"Darling, you are late! We overslept!"
"Relax, sweetheart. I woke up earlier, and texted that I had something I had to do and that I would be in later."
"What did you have to do?"
"Hold you while you slept, darling".
She just looked at him, and couldn't believe he did that.
"Well, darling, you just looked so peaceful. And I wasn't about to put a stop to that".
She leaned up and kissed him.
She got up and headed for the shower.
After she was dressed and ready, she went downstairs. Max was up, and had fed Freeway.
Jennifer made her and Jonathan some eggs and toast. She wasn't the best cook, but she could cook some things.
She was sitting at the table when he came down, ready to go.
He quickly ate, and then kissed her goodbye.
"See you tonight, darling. Have a good day".
"Bye darling." She kissed him.
He headed out the front, and she went upstairs and changed. She decided to spend the day out by the pool.
She grabbed a towel, and her book, and headed out to the pool.
She laid out there till about 4, and she woke up and realized that it was almost time for Jonathan to be home.
She got up and went inside and headed to shower and change clothes. As soon as she got to the bedroom, she realized that she was sunburned.
She quickly got in the shower, and tried to wash it away, but it was no use. She was burned.
She put some aloe on her shoulders and arms and put on some loose fitting clothes, and put her hair up.
She was sitting downstairs waiting on Jonathan when he came home.
"Darling, did you have a good day?"
"Yes, kind of. I laid by the pool, so you would have a gorgeous tanned wife, and I fell asleep and got burned. How was your day, darling?"
"It would have been much better if I had been lying by the pool with you, sweetheart".
He leaned down and kissed her again.
"Max is going to make us a gourmet meal tonight, darling. And then you and I are going to relax and maybe go for a midnight swim".
"Sounds great".
After dinner was over, Jennifer went upstairs and was putting some more aloe on.
Jonathan came into take his suit off.
"Darling, is there anything special in London that you want to do?"
"Oh yes".
"What's that, darling?"
"Spending time with you, of course".
He came over and rubbed a generous layer of aloe on her back and shoulders.
She leaned her head forward.
"Thank you, darling."
"Anything for you, sweetheart".
After he was finished, he kissed her neck a few times and then she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you, but whatever it is, I will do it again in a shot".
He picked her up, and carried her to bed. She reached for her nightgown jacket.
"Darling, you won't be needing that".
The next morning, they woke up and had breakfast with Max.
Jonathan was going into the office for some meetings so that he wouldn't have to work while they were on their trip.
Jennifer was going to stay home and get their things ready to leave.
"Darling, what if I told you that we could have a relaxing weekend in New York City this weekend before we fly to London on Sunday night?"
"Oh darling, could we? I love New York!"
"Sure. We were going to have a layover there anyway to refuel. I can just call and arrange for us to be flown to NYC tonight, and then we can leave from there on Sunday".
She kissed him. "Perfect. You are absolutely, totally perfect".
She kissed him goodbye when he left, and went upstairs to get their things ready.
She had been packing for a few hours, and suddenly felt very tired and nauseous. She went to go downstairs to ask Max if they had any pepto bismol, when Freeway came running towards her at the top of the stairs. She didn't see him, and tripped over him and fell down the stairs, hitting her head a few times.
Max heard the commotion, and came running.
"Mrs. H., are you alright?"
She opened her eyes and moaned.
She looked at him, and heard him talking to her, but didn't know how to respond.
"Mrs. H! Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can hear you".
"Are you alright?"
"I don't…I don't know".
He helped her up, and she immediately said her head was hurting. He helped her to the couch and got her an ice bag for her head.
He called Jonathan from the kitchen.
"Mr. H., sorry to bother you, but Mrs. H. had a little accident and fell down the stairs. She says she's alright, but I'm not buying it. I think she might need to go to the hospital".
"Take her to the community hospital, and I will meet you there".
"Right away".
Max got her ice bag, and took it to her.
"I am taking you to the hospital. Here's your shoes, here's your purse. Come on, I'll help you up".
She just stared at him, and let him help her up.
He led her to the car, and helped her in.
They drove to the hospital in silence.
***Bel Air Community Hospital***
Max and Jennifer pulled up and parked, and he helped her out of the car. He was leading her inside when Jonathan showed up.
"Darling, are you ok?" He kissed the side of her forehead.
"Thanks for bringing her, Max".
He looked at Jennifer.
"We are going to get you checked out, darling."
They walked in. Jennifer hadn't answered at all, and seemed more confused than ever.
She was taken back almost immediately, and they noticed that she was having a hard time answering the nurse's questions. They were concerned that her fall might have caused a stroke, so they gave her an injection to reduce the effects. She was given a room, and Jonathan and Max were allowed to go back in there with her.
She was lying in the bed, looking around when Jonathan and Max walked in.
"Darling, how are you feeling?"
"My head hurts".
"Well that's to be expected. You fell down the stairs".
He leaned over to kiss her, and she put her hand up to stop him.
"What are you doing?"
"Well, darling, I was going to give you a kiss. It's one of our favorite things to do".
"Well, whomever this darling person that you speak of is, it sure isn't me".
"Sweetheart, it is you. It's only been you, and it will always only be you".
The doctor came in just then.
She examined her and wanted to do a head CT just to be safe.
"You have a very nice size lump on the back of your head, Mrs. Hart".
"Who is Mrs. Hart?"
Jonathan looked at her incredulously.
"You are, darling".
"Stop calling me that!"
He looked hurt, but decided to play along. "Ok".
The doctor looked at her.
"Jennifer, what year is it?"
"1984".
"And what is your name?"
"Jennifer Sophia Edwards".
"Where do you live?"
"I have an apartment in New York".
"What do you do for a living?"
"I am a journalist".
The doctor looked at her. "Well, you got the year right, and your name right. Your husband will have to answer whether you got the other questions right".
"Doctor, I don't have a husband."
"Jennifer, you and I were married 9 years ago. Don't you remember?"
"Me, married? No, that's impossible."
"I assure you, it's true. I am your husband, Jonathan. This is our houseman and friend, Max. He was at our wedding, he can vouch for it".
"Yes, that's true. And I live with you, so I know that you are married".
"I'm sorry, I just don't remember anything about being married".
The doctor spoke up then.
"You took a pretty nice fall, Mrs. Hart. You are suffering from temporary amnesia. It's totally normal that you are having some memory loss. Now, the best thing you can do is try to rest and let the memories come back to you. Don't force them too hard, you will wear yourself out. We are going to keep you overnight for observation. If everything goes well, you can go home in the morning".
"Thank you doctor".
Jonathan decided that if they had to cancel the NYC trip, they would just tack it on to the end.
The doctor left. Jonathan looked at Max.
"Max, why don't you go back to the house and get Mrs. H. some of her things so she will be more comfortable? Some pajamas, her robe, and maybe some pictures of us?"
"Right away Mr. H."
He leaned down and kissed Mrs. H. on the cheek. "Feel better, and I will be back as soon as I can".
She smiled at him.
"Thank you for helping me up today, sir. You are a nice man".
Max left. Jonathan pulled his chair over closer to Jennifer's bed.
"Can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?"
"I was in a house. And I wasn't feeling well. I was going to go downstairs for something. And then this furry beast came out of nowhere and I tripped and fell down the stairs. And then the nice man that just left here was there and he helped me up and took me to a couch. And then he got me a cold bag for my head and then put me in a car and kidnapped me and we came here".
"He didn't kidnap you, darling. He brought you to the hospital to be checked out. And the furry beast, that's our dog Freeway. He is your baby, and mine too".
"You keep saying that we are married. I have no memory of that at all. You told the doctor you were my husband, but I don't even remember meeting you. This is all very, very strange".
"I know, and I am sorry. I promise you that I am your husband, and that you are my gorgeous wife. Nothing is going to change that".
Just then, Jonathan's cellphone rang. It was Max.
"Mr. H., I came in the house and the carbon monoxide alarm was going off. I came up here to the bedroom, and I think that's where the leak is. So, I called the fire department. They are going to be here shortly, and I will come back to the hospital after they leave".
"Thanks, Max".
They hung up.
"Jennifer, do you remember not feeling well before you fell down the stairs?"
"kind of. I remember wanting some Pepto-Bismol. Why?"
"Well Max just called. He found a carbon monoxide leak in the bedroom. He called the Fire department to come fix it".
Jennifer just nodded.
Jonathan went to get the nurse.
"Page the doctor. We just found out another part of my wife's accident".
Jonathan returned to Jennifer's bedside.
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Anything".
"Can you take me to the airport? I need to get back to New York".
"Jennifer, we live here in Bel Air. And you and I were going on a trip tonight to New York for the weekend, and then on to London. But, with your head injury, I am not sure that flying is the best idea".
"I don't live anywhere with you. I live in New York, I have an apartment of my own. No roommates".
"Jennifer, you and I were married 9 years ago, and you did have an apartment in New York. But you sold it when you married me and moved here".
"You keep saying that. But I don't have any memory of it. How do I know that I can trust you?"
"You have always trusted me, Jennifer. I am your husband. I hope that you always will trust me. I promise you, I am telling you the truth. When we get back to the house, you and I can sit and look at our wedding album for as long as you like".
"I don't mean to hurt your feelings. But, I just have no memories of knowing you, much less agreeing to marry you and being your wife. I don't have any memories of being anyone's wife."
"I understand. We will just have to be patient and wait for the memories to come back".
She put her face in her hands.
"I know you are frustrated Jennifer. I know you are scared. But I promise you that you don't have to be scared of me. You can trust me, honest. I love you".
The doctor came in then, and Jonathan explained about the carbon monoxide.
"Well, we will do a little blood draw, and then we can see if she has it in her system. If she does, we can give her some meds to flush it out of her system, and that might help bring her memory back".
"Thank you doctor".
"Hold it! No thank you. I prefer no needles".
"Jennifer, this is important. Now, you don't have to look at it. Just look at me".
He started to sing to her.
"Let me call you sweetheart…I'm in love with you…"
She focused totally on him, and not on the needle and didn't even realize they had done it till the song was over.
"All finished, these results won't take but about 30 minutes".
"Thank you, doctor".
Jennifer turned to him.
"You are quite the singer. Your wife must like that".
"She does. You are my wife and you always seemed to enjoy it".
"I wouldn't know".
Jonathan sighed.
Max got to the hospital about an hour later.
"Here ya go, Mrs. H! I got you a nightgown, your slippers and your robe. And I brought some pictures to help jog your memory. Here is one of the dog, Freeway. And here is your and Mr. H's wedding album".
Jonathan helped Jennifer up and to the bathroom.
"Do you need help changing into your nightgown?"
"No thank you, I can manage".
She closed the door and changed. When she emerged, he helped her back to bed.
"Thank you".
He picked up the pictures that Max had brought.
"This is our dog, Freeway".
"I remember him".
"You do?"
"Yes, he's the reason I'm here, remember?"
Jonathan nodded.
"And this, is our wedding album. You and I were married in Bel Air, on a beautiful August day. Your father gave you away. You and I pledged to always take care of each other, and to love each other always, no matter what".
He showed her pictures of their first dance, and them walking down the aisle, and him carrying her over the threshold of their home.
"Any of it ring a bell?"
"I'm sorry, but no".
Max stood up to go home.
"I am going to let you rest, Mrs. H. I hope you feel better and I will see you tomorrow".
He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"Goodnight Max".
Jonathan went and asked the nurse to get him a bed.
When he came back, he started to take off his tie and unbutton his collar.
"What are you doing?"
"Well, you are in the hospital, and I am not going anywhere. So, I am getting comfortable so that we can get some rest".
"You don't have to stay with me, really. I hate to keep you from your life".
"Darling, you are my life".
He sat by her and held her hand till she fell asleep.
The nurse wheeled the bed in for him, and he put it next to hers. He lowered the guardrail on her right side, and the one on his left. He made up the bed and climbed in, and wrapped his arms around her and fell asleep.
***Saturday Morning***
Jonathan woke up when the nurse came in to check her vitals at 6. Jennifer was still sleeping and had slept all night.
She woke up around 7, and found him staring at her.
"Can I help you?"
"You are so beautiful".
"It's very creepy to watch people sleep".
"Tell me, tell me what you remember". He was so hopeful.
"I remember that I live in New York, and that I am a journalist and that somehow I came out here to LA, and fell down some stairs and hit my head".
"Well you got most of it right".
"I need to figure out why I came here. Obviously, it was an assignment. So, if I was working on an article, then I must have an editor that I have to call and tell them what happened".
"Jennifer, you came out here because you married me. You fell down the stairs to our home. We were supposed to go to New York today on a trip, and then to London on Monday. There is no story".
She scowled at him.
"I am a journalist".
"One of the best".
"So, I have done lots of research in my day".
"I know, I have seen you do it".
"I have learned that when you perform an action, there are always feelings that are attached to it. You say that I am married to you. If that was true, wouldn't I feel something for you? I might not remember marrying you, but wouldn't I feel it?"
"Darling, you hit your head very hard. And it bruised your brain. And that's why you can't remember it, and that's why you can't feel it. But once it heals, you will".
"How do you know?"
"Because I know you. You would never leave me and just like I trust that, I trust that you will come back to me".
They were quiet for a few minutes.
"Darling, I have an idea. Close your eyes".
"Why? What are you going to do?"
"Just, please, close your eyes".
She reluctantly did. He leaned forward and kissed her very tenderly.
She opened her eyes at the end of the kiss.
"Anything?"
"It was very nice. But no, no memories."
He looked so defeated, and she felt so bad.
"Mr. Hart, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I just cannot remember".
"I know. And you can call me Jonathan, or better yet, darling".
She nodded.
The doctor came in a few minutes later and examined her again. Nothing new.
"Well, I am going to discharge you, but I want you to rest".
"Doctor. We had a trip planned for this weekend. Can we still fly? We own our own plane, so I know she will be safe. I can have a doctor accompany us if you think that's best".
"I tell you what. I am going to give you some pain pills to take, and if you get a headache, take one. Flights are fine, just stay hydrated, and make sure to rest."
He tore the prescription off and handed it to Jonathan.
"Enjoy your trip".
Jonathan helped Jennifer get out of bed and she headed to the bathroom to change clothes. He packed up everything, and then led her out. They stopped and signed papers, and the nurses insisted on pushing her out of the hospital in a wheelchair.
He went and brought the car around, and then helped her in.
"Jennifer, we had planned to spend the weekend in New York. Why don't we go home now, and then decide?"
She nodded.
They headed home.