Memory (Short Story)

Memory

I was in a car accident over a year ago when I was twenty six years old. There's not much detail that I remember from it, except for the fact that it changed me forever. Whether it was for the better, I have yet to figure out. Three months after the accident I woke up in a hospital, throat parched and with a terrible headache. My mom was knitting in a chair beside me and my father was snoring in the chair next to her. Typical dad, he could fall asleep through a tornado siren, but they both shot up from their seats and began screaming out of joy. Nurses ran into the room, the doctor was called and from that moment was beginning a new chapter in my life.

Before the accident, things were going great in my life. I had finished an externship at an independent publishing company and was asked to stay on full time as a Reader. I love reading books. Always have. It was my dream job, the pay wasn't bad and I got to read books for a living. If I liked the books then I would turn them over to the publishers so they could decide if it was worth the investment. Charlotte, who was co-founder of the company squealed with joy and brought out a cake she made earlier that morning for the occasion. Her husband Jackson gave me a hug, welcomed me to the team and then pushed his office door open, yelling across to everyone as if announcing an engagement, "he said yessssss". There was an uproar of cheer from the twelve other people that worked there. This was the reason I accepted to work there full time. I had received an offer from another company, but I couldn't see myself there. They were offering me more money and a pretty competitive benefits package but I liked working at Sparrow Publications. Every employee was treated like family and Jackson and Charlotte's passion for their company was contagious. They were inspiring.

...

It all happened when I was standing on the sidewalk talking to Mandy. Mandy Larson. A beauty that I had been flirting with for all of my externship. She was dating a jerk who would pick her up right after work and if she didn't come outside after five minutes he would march into the building looking for her. No one liked him, we always told her she deserved better. During my party in the office, Mandy pulled me into the copy room. She smelled so good like tangerines. She looked pretty with her long wavy red hair too. She usually tucked part of it behind her right ear, revealing her gorgeous hazel eyes and wing tipped eyeliner. Today her eyes looked more blue since she was wearing a turquoise cardigan. I was so engulfed with how great she looked and smelled that I almost didn't hear her say that she broke up with her boyfriend. It was over two weeks ago but she hadn't said anything to anyone at work because she needed time to heal. She giggled a little and went on to say that her boyfriend was always jealous of me. He suspected that she had a thing for me. It felt surreal. Was Mandy, the girl who I had the biggest crush on, really single and about to confess her feelings for me?

"We'll there you two are!" Charlotte said, interrupting a potential beautiful moment. "We have some gifts we want you to open."

"Charlotte, you really didn't need to buy me anything. Offering me a job here was a dream come true in itself."

"Oh nonsense. I didn't buy you a thing!" She grinned. "The gifts are from a few here in the office."

Charlotte winked at me and lingered in the doorway not realizing that Mandy was spilling her heart out to me before she interrupted. Oh but bless Charlotte's kind heart, if I didn't have a mother she would be close to it. Mandy coyly left the copy room along with her confession of feelings for me. Then Charlotte said,

"You're such a handsome kid. She'll come to her senses one day and then you can sweep her off her feet. Just make sure to invite me to the wedding and name one of your kids after me of course."

Linking her arm in mine we walked into the main office area where all of the cubicles were.

...