Page 35 of Creeping Beautiful

“I miss it though.”

I look over at Indie, sitting there on the couch, hugging herself. “Me too.”

“My favorite room was the atrium. Didn’t you just love the atrium, McKay?”

I smile at her. “I did. Especially when you had birds in there.”

We both laugh.

“God, that drove Adam crazy, didn’t it?”

I nod at her.

“It wasn’t my fault. They just flew in the door.”

“Right.” I laugh again.

“Seriously. I’m not like some bird whisperer.”

“Indie. Come on. You’re trying to tell me that a great blue heron just flew in the front door?”

“Maybe not that one. But he liked the pond.”

He liked the pond. God, I love her.

“If Adam didn’t want wetland birds inside his stupid house, he shouldn’t have a stupid pond in his foyer atrium.”

“I’m pretty sure they call that a water feature. Rich people like that kind of shit indoors.”

She snort-laughs. “Same thing. Anyway. You loved the birds too.”

I just look at her. I love it when she smiles. And it’s been so long. I mean, I have pictured this day in my mind for four years and it never happened like this. I thought there would be tears. Lots of crying. From all of us. But mostly her.

I didn’t picture her smiling and laughing. Not after everything that happened that day.

But that’s the gift of trauma-induced amnesia, right?

All those bad things just get wiped clean and you’re left with nothing but the good ones.

All the days that ended just fine.

The house and the birds.

The marsh and the river.

The boy next door.

That’s all she remembers now.

And there’s a part of me that wants to keep her like this.

Innocent, and happy, and unaware of what really happened on her twentieth birthday.

But I really do love her. I love her way too much. I want her way too much. And if we ever have a real chance at becoming what we always knew we were meant to be… then she needs to know.

She has to remember.

And then she will leave us again.