Chapter 80 #80
Chapter 80
~Shailyn~
Today was a resumption day back to work. Dante had dropped me earlier. I couldn't talk to him much because I felt guilty with what happened last night, he just thought it was one of my pregnancy moods so he left me.
I was walking through the SentientIQ lobby, when I spotted Hannah by the coffee station. She looked up, our eyes met, and something in my chest just... broke open.
Before I could think about it, before I could question why, I was crossing the distance between
us and pulling her into a hug.
"Shay?" Hannah's voice was muffled against my shoulder, surprised but warm. "What's this for?"
"I don't know," I admitted, holding her tighter. "I just... There's so much happening right now. Everything feels like it's spinning out of control. I don't even know what's going on anymore."
Hannah pulled back slightly, her hands on my shoulders, studying my face with concern.
"What's going on? Are you okay?"
“It's just everything else. This family, these secrets, all these things everyone knows except me. I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a storm and everyone else can see it coming but won't tell me to take cover."
"Shay..."
"I know," I interrupted. "I know you have tried your best to be there for me. And I'm sorry I didn't pay attention to you before. I'm sorry I shut you out."
Hannah's eyes filled with tears. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were scared and confused, and I pushed too hard."
"You were trying to support me," I said softly. "I see that now. There's just a lot going on. We stood there for a moment, just holding each other, and I felt some of the tension I'd been carrying ease slightly.
"Come on," Hannah said, linking her arm through mine. "Let's get you some decaf tea. You look exhausted."
We settled into a quiet corner of the break room, away from curious eyes and gossiping coworkers.
"Talk to me," Hannah said gently. "What's really going on?"
"I don't even know where to start," I admitted, wrapping my hands around the warm mug. I couldn't absolutely tell her about the wet dream I had about my husband's brother.
"Everything I thought I knew keeps shifting. People keep warning me about things but won't tell me what. And Dante..." I trailed off, not sure how to articulate the growing unease.
"What about Dante?"
"Sometimes he's perfect. Attentive, caring, everything a husband should be. But other times..." I shook my head. "Other times I just feel uneasy too around him."
Hannah reached across the table, taking my hand. "Shay, just know that whatever it is, you have me here through everything.."
"Thank you Hannah.” I was already getting emotional. Damn these pregnancy hormones. “But I can't remember anything that would tell me if my instincts are accurate or just paranoid pregnancy hormones."
"Your instincts are accurate," Hannah said firmly. "More accurate than you know. Just trust it."
Before I could press her further, something flickered in my mind. A flash, quick and disorienting.
Flashback
"Hi! I'm Hannah!"
She was beaming at me like I was the best thing she'd seen all day, practically bouncing with excitement. Her energy was infectious and overwhelming all at once.
"I'm your new desk mate and I love you already!" She giggled like a high school girl at a sleepover. I stood there frozen, wondering if she was really talking to me. Before I could respond, Hannah reached out and touched my arm, examining my skin like it was made of porcelain.
"Holy mother of cheese balls, your skin is so neat and you're so frigging fine!" Heat crept up my neck and flooded my cheeks. I wasn't used to compliments, genuine ones,
anyway.
Flashback over.
I gasped, my hand flying to my head as the memory solidified.
"Shay? What's wrong?" Hannah's voice was sharp with concern.
"I remember," I breathed. "Oh my God, Hannah, I remember. Your first day."
Hannah's face lit up with joy. "You remember that? You really remember?"
"Yes!” I was beaming with joy now.
"Shay, this is amazing. This is the first real memory you've had!"
"It is," I said, feeling emotion well up. "It's the first thing I can actually see clearly. Your face, the room, the feeling of... of friendship. Of connection."
Hannah pulled me into another hug. "This is huge. This means your memories are coming back."
"Maybe," I said hopefully. "Maybe this is the beginning."
We spent another twenty minutes talking, with me trying to grasp at other memories that might be lurking just beneath the surface. Nothing else came, but the one memory of Hannah's first day felt like a victory.
…
When I got home that evening, I was practically vibrating with excitement, forgetting the wet dream. Dante was in his study, as usual, surrounded by papers and computer screens. He looked up
when I burst through the door.
"Dante!" I said, unable to contain my smile. "Something amazing happened today."
"What's that, baby?" he asked, setting aside the file he'd been reviewing.
“I remembered something. An actual memory from before the accident."
Something flickered across his face, too quick to identify.
"Really? What did you remember?"
"Hannah's first day at SentientIQ. I remembered meeting her, showing her around, becoming friends. Dante, this is huge! The doctors said my memories might come back in pieces, and this is the first real one."
"That's... that's great, baby," he said, but his voice lacked enthusiasm.
"Isn't it?" I pressed, moving closer to his desk. "This means more might come back. I might remember everything."
"Maybe," he said carefully. "Or it might just be that one isolated memory. The doctors said there's no guarantee."
"But it's possible," I insisted. "It's possible that I'll remember
our wedding, our life together, everything."
"Of course it's possible," Dante said, standing and coming around the desk to pull me into his arms. "I'm just managing expectations, baby. I don't want you to get your hopes up and then be disappointed."
I pulled back to look at him. "You don't seem very excited."
"I am excited," he said quickly. "I'm thrilled. I just worry about you pushing yourself too hard to remember. The stress isn't good for you or the babies."
“I'm not pushing," I said. "The memory just came. I was talking to Hannah and suddenly I could see it, clear as day."
"You were with Hannah?" His arms tightened slightly around me.
"Yes, in the break room. We were talking and..."
"Shailyn, I thought we discussed you being careful around her."
"She's my friend, Dante. And clearly, she's been my friend for a while if I remember her first day."
"Or your brain is creating false memories based on what she's told you," he countered.
I stepped back, frowning. "That's not what happened. This was real. I could feel it was real."
"I'm not saying it wasn't," he said, softening his tone. "I'm just saying be cautious. Don't let excitement cloud your judgment."
"Why does it feel like you don't want me to remember?" The question slipped out before I could
stop it.
"That's not true," Dante said firmly. "I want you to remember everything. I want you to remember how much we love each other, how happy we were. I'm just concerned about the process."
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust that his concern was genuine. But something in his eyes, that same uneasiness I mentioned to Hannah, made doubt creep in.
I know that one day, I'll get to the bottom of it all.