Why Couldn't She Remember?

“You’re wrong,” Angel said firmly. “I’m not afraid of the ocean.”

Hearing the ocean mentioned brought something back to her. Longing. Familiarity. She had the thought that it was only natural they found her on a beach because she spent a lot of time there.

But how would she know that when she couldn’t remember anything else? Her confusion grew worse despite the clarity of that one piece of information. The ocean was important to her.

Eddie frowned. “Angel…you’re confused. The whole time we’ve been together, you haven’t stepped foot on a beach. You said it brought back bad memories. You won’t go on boats either, even if there are dinner parties on them that you need to attend for your career.”

“You’re wrong!” she insisted. “I love the ocean. I was doing something at the beach…I know I was. Something important.”

The doctor looked back and forth between the two of them before addressing Angel. “What were you doing that was so important? Do you remember?”

She strained trying to think of it. What was it? It was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t quite grasp it. Why would going to the beach be important? It was the middle of March; it wasn’t like she would randomly decide to go swimming, would she?

Swimming couldn’t be considered important…if she wanted to swim, there had to be indoor pools she could use instead of the frigid ocean. Think. She had to think!

“No. I need to go back to the beach,” Angel said seriously. That would help her sort this out; she was sure of it. “I think it will help me remember what I was doing there. Eddie, can you take me?”

He was obviously hesitant. “Angel, you’re still hurt. You shouldn’t be up and about anyway. If you really want to go to the beach, we can wait until you’re better.”

The doctor disagreed. “If it’s a short excursion and she wears sunglasses to protect herself from being overwhelmed by the light, it should be fine. All she would need to do is get plenty of rest afterward.”

Eddie’s brow furrowed after getting ganged up on. But he was helpless to the whims of his fiancée and did want her to get her memory back.  If it helped, he would do anything. “Fine. Let’s go to the beach. Dr. Anderson, would you come with us in case anything happens?”

“Certainly.”

Aria, who had been taken away by the housekeeper when the doctor arrived, wanted to go too but her father promised that he would take her later on his own. They had important business to take care of.

The three of them set out to the nearest beach, which was less than fifteen minutes away. The smell of the salty sea air helped refresh Angel’s head and she felt herself relax. Yes. This was familiar. Comfortable. She belonged here more than she belonged in that big fancy house; she was sure of it.

“Angel, are you alright?” Eddie asked in disbelief.

“I’m more than alright. This is wonderful!” she replied happily.

He turned toward the doctor and whispered so she wouldn’t overhear. “…is it possible that her personality changed by hitting her head?”

“Personalities can change due to brain damage but it takes more than a simple bump to make that happen. Are you…positive this person is who you think she is? This behavior doesn’t align with someone afraid of the ocean at all,” Dr. Anderson whispered back.

Angel had taken her shoes off and was letting the cold water run over her feet and ankles with her arms outstretched, looking perfectly at peace with the world. She soaked the feeling of the sand between her toes into her bones. It was better than any medicine for her headache.

Eddie narrowed his eyes at her. “She looks exactly like her. Who else could she be?”

“There is only one way to tell for sure. We could take a blood test. We would have to compare her DNA against your daughter’s.”

“Do it. If this woman isn’t Angel, I need to find her as soon as possible,” he said grimly.

Angel was completely oblivious to this conversation happening behind her. She was simply happy to be by the ocean and feeling more like herself even if she couldn’t remember why she had been at the beach in the first place.

She wandered a little further down the shore and saw a cluster of rocks the waves were crashing against. Rocks…why did she get the feeling that rocks were involved in what happened to her somehow…

Had she hit her head on one? Or were the rocks the reason she was at the beach in the first place? She couldn’t remember and trying to made her headache worse. The fresh ocean air couldn’t clear her head completely when she strained her memory too hard.

This was so frustrating! Why couldn’t she remember? Why? And why did Eddie seem so sure she was afraid of the ocean when it was something that brought her such peace in the chaos of her mind right now?

Angel staggered a bit because of her headache and he rushed right over to steady her. “I think that’s enough of being outside for you. Let’s get you home so you can get the rest you need.”

She wanted to protest but realized he was probably right. Giving one last longing look at the shore, she allowed herself to be led back to the car.

The doctor took a blood sample from her, saying he wanted to analyze it to see if something was wrong with her medications that may have resulted in her injury. She didn’t know any better so she let him do it. Unbeknownst to her, he also took a spit sample from Aria before he left.

Angel settled down against her amazingly soft pillows exhausted. Trying so hard to remember had taken a lot out of her. She needed a good nap. Maybe she would remember something once she woke up.