Till death do us part

Chapter 22: Try to remember - Present time

Cora's POV

"What about this one?" I asked as I showed Rose another picture of the wedding of Naheed and Dara. "Do you remember this?"

Rose looked at it, she frowned. "No," She looked at me. "I'm sorry."

I sighed and took the picture from her. I then put it back in the photo book Rose and I had made along the way. I then took another picture from that wedding. I gave it to her. "This was right after the first dance," I looked at Rose. "My friend, Andrea, took that photo of us while we were dancing."

Rose looked from me to the picture.

"She later commented how she could see us getting married soon after."

She frowned again, the typical sign that she didn't remember. "No," She shook her head. "I'm sorry." She then handed me the picture back.

I sighed and put the picture back. I then took a picture of our own wedding. The one with our family. Rose and I in the middle, Rose's fathers next to her and my brothers next to me. "Here," I handed her the picture. "It was taken right after we had promised to be there for each other until the day we die."

She looked at it, I could tell she was trying to remember. She was looking at everyone in the picture, but it didn't seem to work...

"Here, this is you," I pointed at her in the picture. Honestly, I was getting desperate. How could she not remember anything? "And this is me," I pointed to myself in the picture. "It was our big day."

She frowned, that tell-tale sign she didn't remember anything. And I was getting tired of seeing it... "No," She handed the picture back to me. "I'm sorry."

"Try again," I said and made her take another look. "It was a really special day for us, you must remember that."

She gulped but tried again. She looked intensively at everything in the picture. But she shook her head again moments later. "I'm sorry."

I sighed and put it back in the photo book.

I was going through pages when she stopped me. "Hope." She said while pointing to our daughter.

I looked at the picture. "You remember this?"

She smiled. "It was the day I gave birth to her."

I looked at her. I was just startled. How could she remember that but nothing else?

"She was born at 5.15 in the morning," She smiled again. "She cried until she was in my arms," She let out a happy sigh. "She was so beautiful," She then looked at me. "Have you met her before?"

I took a moment to keep calm before looking at her. "Yes, Rose," I took a deep breath. "I'm your wife, Hope is also my daughter."

"Oh," She nodded slowly before looking away to nothing in particular. "That's right."

I closed the photo book. "I'm going to get a coffee," I said as I got up. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Before I was out of the room, Rose asked: "When can I see Hope?"

I gulped but didn't turn around to face her. Instead, I said nothing.

"I've asked you before, haven't I?" She asked and waited for me to reply. When I didn't reply, she went on: "I'd love to see her, I miss her."

"I told you I'll arrange it."

"But you've said that before," She said. "I think," She added. "Why can't I see her?"

"I'll arrange it." I said and got out of the room. I walked to the coffee machine. I stood there for a few minutes before taking my cup of coffee and slowly walking back to the room.

When I arrived at the room, I saw Dara was about to enter. She stopped though when she saw me and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." 

She saw the cup of coffee in my hands and nodded. "So, how is it working with the photobook?"

I let out a deep sigh. "She doesn't remember anything," I looked down, at my cup of coffee. "She only remembers Hope."

"Well, it's a start," She said, gaining my attention. "Finally, she remembers something, right?"

I shrugged.

"Naheed told me she's been asking to see Hope," Dara said to which I slowly nodded. "Why haven't you done that?"

I gulped and looked away. "I should be thrilled that she finally remembers something," I paused a bit. "But I'm not," I looked at Dara and saw her face drop. "I'm happy she remembers something," I gulped. "But why did she forget about me? About us?"

Dara didn't say anything, she knew very well there was no good answer to that question. Instead, she pulled me in for a hug.

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"Here," I gave yet another photo of our wedding. "Try this one."

Rose looked at the picture. She quickly frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, come on," I said, gaining her attention. "You didn't even try for that one."

She gulped. "I did."

I huffed. I took the picture back. "Try this one." I gave another one, of us at our house.

She looked at it and quickly again, shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Try harder."

"I have tried."

"Try again," I pushed the picture in her hands. "Try."

She looked at it. She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

I groaned. "Why can't you remember?" I asked, raising my voice a little.

"I'm sorry," She gulped. She started sniffling. "I'm trying."

"Try harder!" I pushed another picture in her hands. "Remember it!" I raised my voice even more.

She shook her head. "I don't remember."

"Try harder!"

"I'm trying!" She started crying loudly.

"No, you don't, try!" I pushed more pictures into her hands.

She didn't reply anymore, she just cried hysterically. She cried so loud that eventually a nurse entered the room and pulled me away from Rose.