Unconditional (Book Two)

32. Unconditional { Part Three }

"Wow," I state dreamingly. "I just really can't believe that we're here together again."

Amelie smiles looking at the ground, and tightens her grip on my hands. "Well," she starts, rather unhappily. "Lets see how much it lasts."

There is really no other reaction I could pull out immediately other than a frown—actually reflecting more confusion than anything else. "Whaaaat....do you mean?" I state puzzled.

But Amelie just throws me a look echoing even more turmoil that what I most probably just did, and it is when I realize that it is apparent that we might not be aware of the same things. "What do you mean with 'what do I mean'? Did you recover only half of your memories, Jim?" Yet as she stops to wait for my answer, I really can't do anything else other than just stare at her bewildered and not say a word. "Colin?" she continues confused. "Colin Smith? He's probably already creating a plan to get to us—"

"What?!" I interrupt disoriented. "Okay wait...I can clearly see that we are not on the same page."

But Amelie just flings another look of puzzlement at me, and plays with my fingers holding her hands on the table. "......what?"

"Okay, we came here because we had to talk about everything that happened, but I wanted to talk to you about.........." I stop.

".....about?"

I stare at Amelie again, smiling at her slightly and with unbelief. "I am just really surprised that you don't know."

"Know?" she states confused. "Know what?"

I look down at the table, biting my lip and with a small smile. "Amelie, Colin's in prison," I say after a moment, and ready to witness Amelie's surprised though hopeful eyes.

"WHAT?!" she exclaims in startle.

"I am actually pretty surprised you didn't know. It's been all over the news," I say, holding her soft hands on mine tighter. As I notice that Amelie is literally out of speech at the very unexpected announcement, I bring my right hand up to her face and caress her cheek gently. "Are you okay?"

She nods, and closes her eyes for a moment. "Yeah, I am. It's just that.....this is just so....unexpected. I....I-I've been so busy that I haven't checked the news or my phone....." She pauses, staring at me with her bright eyes; and even holding a modest, buoyant smile. "This is so relieving...But how?"

"Well," I start, looking at the wall in front to organize my ideas. "It is a long story but...." I bring my attention back to her. "When you departed back to New York that day that I dropped you off at the airport, I left devastated because you had decided not to stay with me. When I was driving home, I didn't even know how in the world I was going to beat the urge of just taking a plane and going after you. But it was when I arrived home that....I met with a very unexpected though—I could dare say—even kind of pleasant surprise after I calmed down and thought about it for a moment." I look at Amelie in silence briefly—all of her attention on me—as she tightens her grip on my hands. "Karen was home early...and she was BURNING in anger. Shouting at Mayim, they were both talking out of control. Nevertheless, when I actually got the hang that they were talking about you and me...I hid behind the wall, and listened to every single thing they said...."

Amelie caresses my hand with her thumb as I take a look down at the table, taking a deep breath. "And...what did they say?"

I smile at her, warmly recalling the words. "Well, that you are my wife," I speak gently. "And that both Colin and Karen had snatched our memories from us, so we didn't remember each other. That later on you recovered them and Colin threatened you with my life so that you wouldn't run to speak a word to me. And I just....I couldn't even believe what their mouths were saying. I just...I knew it all along, I felt it. When I went to New York to look for you the day I had dinner at your place, when we were at Starbucks that's what I was going to tell you..."