Chapter 55

I woke up to the smell of eggs, the worst smell a pregnant woman has to wake up to. Immediately, my stomach lurched, twisting as if my insides were staging a protest.

My hand flew to my mouth, but nothing came out yet it was the thought of the eggs, the pungent, greasy smell that made me want to crawl back under the covers and disappear.

I rolled over, pressing my face into the pillow. My stomach clenched again. I could hear faint sizzling from the kitchen downstairs.

My head throbbed from the night before sleep, I came into bed and Dan was snoring away. I tossed and turned for hours, the image of the man digging and me picking up the corpse keeping me awake. This smell was unbearable for me.

I stumbled out of bed, hair sticking to my face, and threw open every window in the room. Cold morning air cut through the heat of the house, but it didn’t help much. I stormed down the stairs, half hoping to yell at whoever was so inconsiderate as to make breakfast this early.

What I saw stopped me in my tracks, Dan was busy in the kitchen. Standing by the stove, frying eggs, humming softly to himself like it was the most normal morning in the world.

My hand froze mid-air, removing the hair from my face. “You’re cooking,” I whispered, disbelief twisting my features.

He turned, a small, polite smile on his face. “Yeah. I thought I’d make breakfast for you.” What? Why?

I blinked. “For me?” My voice cracked. “Do you… Do you remember me at all?” He has never made me breakfast before, does he remember but he hates me for cheating on him so he wants to poison me to death?

Dan tilted his head slightly. “Of course. I’m married to you and you’re… pregnant.” His eyes softened with something like care, though the faint confusion lingered. I can’t tell if he’s lying or not, I hope he is telling the truth. This is one of the sweetest gestures any wife could appreciate.

“I’m sorry if I’m messing this up. I just thought maybe you’d like breakfast.” I stared at him. “I read someone that pregnant people love a full breakfast.”

I felt like crying in joy or scream, wrap him in a hug and never let go but what if he’s lying and pretending?

“You’re making eggs,” I said, gesturing at the pan. “Do you even know what I can’t eat right now?” He looked at me, frowning, genuinely trying.

“No, but you can tell me what you want and I can make it for you.” I wanted to cup his cute face and kiss him. I took a shaky breath, shocked by this.

“No eggs. I can’t eat them, even the smell makes me want to throw up. I’m craving fruit, toast, and tea.“ Dan nodded, almost like he was committing it to memory.

“Fruit, toast, tea. Got it. I’ll fix it right away.” I exhaled, moving to the table. My stomach still churned, but seeing him standing there, fumbling slightly with the toaster, trying so hard it was oddly comforting.

We sat down at the table with a plate of toast, a bowl of fresh fruit, and some lukewarm tea that he’d managed to make without burning it. The silence stretched for a few moments, heavy but not unpleasant.

“You’re really trying,” I said finally, poking at a slice of toast. He shrugged, a small, self-conscious grin appearing. “I don’t remember everything perfectly but I know that I want to do this, to make you happy.” I felt my chest tighten at his kind words.

“I’m sorry for saying this, I don’t want to make you feel bad but you were never like this,” I whispered. “But thank you for trying.”

Dan’s hand hovered near mine for a moment before he gently placed it on top. “I want to make this work. I may not remember everything yet, but I remember us, you, and the baby. That counts, right?”

I nodded, swallowing hard, feeling tears prick at the corner of my eyes.

“It counts. But it’s going to be hard.” He gave a small nod. “Then we’ll take it slow, I’ll learn.“ I couldn’t help a small laugh, bitter-sweet and shaky.

“You know, I never thought I’d be teaching my husband about his own life.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s ironic,” he said, smiling softly. The door opened suddenly, and I froze mid-bite.

“Good morning,” Victoria said, stepping inside with her usual composed smile, her eyes flicking between the two of us.

“I hope I’m not interrupting breakfast.”

I bristled slightly, gripping my fork. “Not at all,” I said cautiously, shooting a glance at Dan, who looked up at his mother with polite recognition but no real memory of the tension, the fights, or the chaos from the last few days.

Victoria’s eyes softened, just enough to make me wonder if she knew more than she let on. “I see breakfast is already prepared,” she said lightly, though her gaze lingered on Dan like she was measuring something carefully.

“Yes,” he said, still polite, still gentle. “I wanted to make sure Emerald… I mean, you were taken care of.”

I felt my chest tighten, I could see the look that he gave he didn’t really remember me. And all I could see was another stranger staring me back with a scared look.

Victoria’s gaze shifted to me. “That’s good.”

I forced a small, sarcastic smile. “Yes, just a normal morning at home, eating, solving world problems.” Dan chuckled softly, the sound awkward but genuine. “We’re managing.”

Victoria’s smile widened faintly, like she understood more than she let on, then she quietly left, closing the door behind her.

I exhaled, sinking back into the chair. “Well, that was something,” I muttered.

Dan looked at me, expression soft but cautious. “You’re tired,” he said. “Do you want me to help with anything?”

I shook my head. “No, just here. I need a few minutes.” And as I nibbled at my toast and picked at the fruit, the wave of exhaustion hit me fully the mental strain of the last day, the sleepless nights, the fear, the heartbreak, and the tiny, unsteady hope that maybe we could find a way back.