She was standing in the middle of the woods by a creek. Standing at the place where it all started. Or where it started for her.She had only been here a few times. James brought her here twice thinking maybe it would jog her memory but it never did. Now she stood here wanting answers.
Feeling physically and emotionally drained after walking all night and thinking about everything that happened her legs suddenly felt like jelly. Feeling the strength leave her body she fell to her knees crying. "Why?" she cried. "Why did this happened to me?"
Her crying could be heard throughout the forrest. The harder and longer she cried the sleepier she became. Soon she was sound asleep on the forrest floor. She never heard the footsteps as he neared her. Nor did she awaken an hour later when he lifted her into his arms to lay her beneath the lean-to he had just built.
"Did you find her?" Colleen asked as Matthew and Sully entered the boarding house that night.
Shaking his head no Matthew said,"We looked everywhere."
"Maybe James will have better luck." Sully said looking down disapointed that he couldn't find the woman he loved for the second time.
"She couldn't have gone very far. She doesn't even know that many places around here." Mrs. Johnson said reasonably.
"I should have checked on her last night. Maybe we would've realized sooner she had left." Sully said feeling even more guiltier.
"Don't blame yourself." Mrs.Johnson said. Colleen had filled Mrs.Johnson in on what happened after Matthew and Sully left to go search for Molly. "You did the right thing telling her who she is."
"God,I hope so. I hope so." he said as he stared into the fire wondering if Michaela was warm enough tonight.
The first thing she realized was how warm she was. The second thing she realized was that she was covered by some furs underneath a lean-to. Looking around her she tried to see if she could recognize where she was. Realizing her location she wondered who was here with her. She didn't have to wonder for long.
"It's about time you woke up." he said as he rounded the lean-to. Holding some berries out to her in his hand he asked,"You want some?"
Closing her eyes relieved she whispered,"James." Taking some berries from him she asked,"How did you find me?"
"Figured you might come here." James said simply as he chewed on some berries. "Want to talk about it?" he asked.
Holding her head in her hands she whispered,"I don't know what to do." As her tears came forth James pulled her in his arms stroking her hair," That's it. Let it all out."
"Why did this happen to me?" she cried. "I don't know." James replied his own heart breaking at the pain she was going through.
"But I do know one thing." he said pullig a lock of her hair back behind her ear. Looking at him with a wrinkled brow he continued,"Sully and those kids love you more than anything. I've seen it with my own eyes."
"He knew who I was and didn't even tell me." she said angrily.
"Well this is exactly why he didn't." James said looking her in the eyes. "What do you mean?" she said getting to her feet.
"If he had told you when the two of you first met you would have thought he was crazy. You would have thought he was trying to get something out of ya. Am I right?" he said standing up with his arms crossed.
She opened her mouth to say no but stopped knowing James was right. Laughing she said sarcastically,"S'pose you're right."
"Not to mention he was scared of you reacting the way you are now." he said sitting back down to warm himself by the fire.
Sitting back down to warm herself also she waited for James to continue," Imagine what it was like for him. To love you and then believe you had died.Then months later finding out that you were alive but had no memory of him or the children you were raising."
Seeing that his words were sinking in he continued," Knowing that whenever he told you the truth he ran the risk of losing you."
Looking into the fire she voiced the fear that had been there since Sully told her the truth."What if I don't ever remember? What if all of them can't handle it?"
"If you ask me I think Sully and those kids will take you any way they can. With or wiyhout your memory. As long as they're with you that's all that matters to them."
Wiping the tears that fell from her eyes as James spoke she asked," Do you really think that?"
"I think you're luckier than most. You got a family that love ya. You can always make new memories together."
Smiling as she got to her feet she held a hand out to him, "James, take me home."