Lost Love

14. Flirtations

‘I was making brownies before I fell and lost my memory,’ I tell Leon, smelling the fresh warm chocolate smell tingling up my nostrils. ‘Something so good caused so many problems in my life.’ I shake my head, as if shaking the thought out, when Leon responds.

‘How did you fall?’ He questions, dipping his hand into the crisp bag.

‘I was standing on the work surface in my kitchen to grab something and then slipped because I was wearing socks.’

He grimaces as I say this and takes a bite of his sandwich, leaving me in silence.

‘That’s unfortunate,’ he says, which causes me to laugh.

‘Very unfortunate,’ I chuckle. ‘I didn’t think it’d be this hard though. I didn’t realise how hard it would be for other people too.’

Leon muses this, before twisting his lips and saying, ‘You seem like you’ve got a good network of friends.’

I nod wholeheartedly, my thoughts flashing to images of the people who are trying so hard for me. ‘They are pretty wonderful. It’s just, I don’t know, don’t take this the wrong way, but its nice spending some time with someone who doesn’t know me from before, someone who knows nothing about me. It’s quite awkward when people start talking about their life with you in it before and not being able to contribute. I really like my old friends, they’re fab, but it’s not as smooth as talking to you, I guess. Someone who can’t compare me to how I was, I guess.’ I let out a deep breath, exhaling before blushing. ‘God, I’m sorry. This all went pretty deep. And it was only meant to be a nice lunch in the park and I’m offloading on you. Sorry, Leon. Sorry.’

He frowns, his eyebrows narrowing into the middle of his face. ‘Don’t apologise. You’ve been really strong through this.’

‘I had a little boost when I came back a couple of days ago. I remembered something else from before the accident, I was on holiday and it really perked me up and I’ve got my counselling session after this, so I just want to keep things going positively.’

‘You look like you’re doing that flawlessly.’

I look across at Leon and he’s smiling at me, making me feel so positive and grin like a fool. Finishing the last bite of my sandwich, I put the rubbish in the plastic bag it came in and comment truly, ‘This afternoon has been so much fun. Thank you for this.’

His eyes glance across at me and he nods. ‘I’ve had fun too. You’re a fun new friend.’

I’m delighted as I hear this. I’ve made a new friend, a friend taking me as I am now and not as I was before, even if they are different or similar ‘me’s’, it means a lot.

‘You should come out with me and a few of my mates at the weekend,’ he mentions as we nearly depart upon leaving the park.

I frown, realising I already have plans with Ozzy and going home. ‘Sorry, I can’t this weekend. I’m going back home. Another time though?’

He smiles, a little half heartedly. ‘Another time.’

Awkwardly, I’m not sure how I should say goodbye to Leon, so I just lean in and give him a brief hug, relief flooding over me that he’s hugging me back and not standing stiff and rigid in my arms.

‘Best of luck at counselling, Imogen,’ he wishes, before I walk off to the correct building, a spring in my step at spending time with a new friend.  

                                           +++

The week passes smoothly, with my counselling session going much better than last time, I cried again, but we focused on the positives of gaining that new memory back and also the progress I’m making with Ozzy. Also, my coursework being deemed to be that of a 2:1, this is great considering everything. As we promised Daisy, Ozzy is coming back home with me for a couple of days. It’s become habit now to go home and I’m reluctant to stop. He turns up at my flat at 10am, being let in by Blake who has today off too, hence my early departure for the weekend.