Condo; Aunt
Ashley
Days passed, and things between Marco and me were fine. Ashlyn was still going to her work, and she seemed happy. I couldn’t help but wonder if she and Marco were... Argh! Erase that thought! I didn’t want to think about it.
I focused on my writing, especially since I was earning really well. I even had fans who regularly commented on my stories, and I enjoyed interacting with them. I considered creating a social media account for my writing career but also valued my privacy. Maybe someday. I wasn’t sure yet, especially since it felt nice reading messages from my readers. I had even started writing romance novels. But I was still working with an artist, and my webcomics were doing well financially.
Three more weeks passed, and we had no issues. I finally felt relieved when I got my period. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to have a child with Marco. I just didn’t want to make our already complicated situation even more complicated.
Marco had told me that he was processing his separation from my twin, but as much as possible, I didn’t want to get pregnant while things were still like this. I wasn’t that reckless.
Marco was at the office while Ashlyn and I were by the poolside. She had just returned from an out-of-town trip, and we were catching up.
“Sis, I don’t know if I should tell you this or not,” she said.
I suddenly felt nervous because she looked so serious. “Tell me what?”
“When I was in Davao, I suddenly remembered something. We were in a house having a sleepover.”
“And?”
“I didn’t recognize the house but remembered you saying it was yours.”
I was shocked. I had a house? Marco never mentioned anything about it and always told me he knew nothing about my past. He would even apologize for that, saying that if he had been more concerned about me back then, maybe he could’ve shared something to help me remember.
“Are you sure about that?” I asked, still in disbelief.
“Yes,” she replied. “And I have to admit, I went to the address I remembered you mentioning.”
I was stunned. That was a huge piece of information for me. It felt like my mind drifted briefly. Imagine I had a house? I must have been really independent.
“Where is it?”
“It’s a condo, Sis. I asked the admin about it, so I pretended to be you. Sorry, I was just really curious.”
“You pretended to be me?”
“I didn’t have a key to your unit, so I went to the admin, hoping they had a duplicate. I acted like I was you and didn’t mention my memory loss, just in case someone took advantage of it. When we got to the unit, I saw a password lock, so I could’ve entered without a key if I knew your password.”
“You knew my password?”
“No, but I know you’re simple and lazy when it comes to thinking of stuff like that,” she said with a grin. I waited for her to continue.
“So I tried your birthday, and boom, it opened! The condo admin just let me in after that.”
“Well, you should’ve told me, and I’m glad you did. Since you’ve already been there, I’m sure I’ll find something familiar.”
“I didn’t snoop around too much inside. It was super dusty. If you want to go there, just tell me, and I’ll go with you so we can clean up,” she said. Was she asking me to move out? Did she already know about Marco and me?
“Hey, why aren’t you answering? Wait, do you think I’m kicking you out? No, that’s not what I meant. You’re free to stay here as long as you want.”
“No, it’s not that,” I quickly replied. “I just can’t believe I have my own place. Imagine? Every single person dreams of having that! Now I really want to find out what my job was before. Wow… I probably got fired for going AWOL.”
"I hope we remember soon, Sissy. I know you'll be super happy when that happens," she said. I really hope so... It's hard because I feel like I'm lost in the dark, just groping around. Even though I seem okay now, it would be different if I knew who I was before the accident.
I can't help but feel jealous of Ashlyn. At least she remembers something, but me? Nothing. Zero. Why is it like this?
Before our conversation ended, I remembered to give myself time to visit the condo Ashlyn said was mine. I didn't ask her to accompany me since I felt bad making her clean up. I'd rather go alone because I wanted to look around and see if anything could help me regain my memories.
A week after our talk, I told Marco I was going to the condo. He agreed, and I happily made my way there. I entered the building, stood in front of my unit, and was about to enter my password.
"Hi," a man greeted me. I turned to him, wondering if he knew me.
"Yes?" I asked.
"You've been gone for so long."
"Excuse me?" So he knows me because he talks so casually.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked with a grin.
"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" I was getting annoyed. Something about him made me uncomfortable.
"Well, I'd understand if you're mad. Our last meeting didn't go well. Is that why you disappeared for so long? I'm really sorry. And believe it or not, I haven't been with anyone else since that day. I've been waiting for you to come back. I told you it was just my friend's bachelor party."
What? The way he spoke sounded like we had a past. Sure, he was handsome and had a good build, but I felt nothing except uneasiness because of the boldness of how he asked things.
"Ash..." he muttered softly, suddenly looking sad.
"I'm sorry, I just came here to check the unit," I said, turning to the door and carefully entering my password so he wouldn't see it. He didn't seem trustworthy. I wasn't one to judge, and it did seem like he knew me. Maybe we were even close before. But I just wasn't feeling it.
I stepped inside and immediately locked the door, coughing from the dust. Hopefully, I had cleaning supplies here. And thankfully, I do.
I quickly got to work, doing a deep clean. It took a while, but I was happy with the result. Everything felt fresh again.
I was exhausted and starving, so I ordered food delivery to regain my energy. When it arrived, I finished everything and felt completely satisfied.
I didn't know where the trash bins were, so I tied up the plastic bag tightly and decided to deal with it on my next visit. Since I took my food waste home, there wasn't anything perishable there anyway. I didn't want to leave it behind and attract cockroaches or ants, no way.
Before leaving my unit, I looked around to check if that guy was still there. I really didn't want to run into him again. But what if he lived here, too? Argh...
After being stuck in traffic, I got home just in time for dinner. I found Ashlyn and Marco already eating. My twin sister looked so happy. It was obvious something good had happened. I couldn't see Marco's face since he had his back to me.
"Sissy! You're back!" Ashlyn said excitedly, getting up to greet me. She was about to hug me, but I stopped her.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
I laughed before saying, "I just came from the condo, remember? I spent the whole day cleaning, so I probably smell terrible."
"That's fine, come on! Besides, with the news I have for you, you'll be happy too!"
"Really? What is it?" I asked, smiling.
"I'm pregnant, Sissy! You're going to be an aunt!"