That Pivotal Moment

Chapter 23

I handed Gabby more tissues to wipe the blood from her nose. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, thank you. It was just a lot. Like a dam opened."

I tucked her hair behind her ear, and she smiled at me, cupping my face with her hand. "My, Golden Boy. How could I ever forget you?"

My breath hitched a little when I said, "It hasn't been easy without you."

She pressed her lips against mine, kissing me softly. When she pulled away, she said softly, "God, Hayden. What he did to me...it was horrible."

"I know baby, I'm so sorry. I should have been there." I wish there was something I could do to erase that memory from her mind permanently.

She frowned as she met me stare. "It's not your fault. I don't blame you, Hayden." She took a moment to ponder something before saying, "You did so much for us. You got Brad's aunt to foster Alex, you took care of him while I was in the hospital." A tear fell as she added, "You were there every day with me, even though I didn't-"

She couldn't finish that sentence. I tried to keep my emotions in check, but I could feel my eyes watering. I reached out to wipe away the tear from her cheek, "Sh, baby. It's okay. Of course, I was there. I love you, whether you remembered me or not."

"God, I love you too," she said as she kissed me. It was different this time. It was Gabby. She was back and, aside from those fucking memories, I was ecstatic.

***

About three hours later, I woke up to an empty bed. After she got her memory back, we took a bath together, trying to get her to relax. It took about an hour to get her to stop shaking. We laid down together and fell asleep. When I woke up, no Gabby. I went to the balcony and looked out to the ocean. It was honestly one of the most relaxing sounds I've ever heard. But, no Gabby on the beach either.

I took the elevator down and went to the pool area. She was sitting on a lounge chair with her leg stretched out, crutches leaning against the wall.

I waited before I walked over to her and pulled out my cell phone. I dialed Alex and he picked up immediately. "Yeah, Hayden? She okay?"

I had to clear my throat before saying, "She remembers, Alex. She remembers everything."

"Fuck. How's she doing?"

"Better than I expected. But, knowing Gabby-"

"She's keeping it all inside."

Bingo. "We're going to probably head back soon. I just wanted to keep you updated."

"Thanks, Hayden. Tell her I said hey."

I hung up with Alex and walked over to where Gabby was sitting. She seemed completely lost in thought and didn't hear me approach.

"Gabby, you okay?"

She jumped a little before saying, "Hayden, sorry I...was thinking."

"I see that. But you didn't answer my question. Are you okay?" I know it was probably a stupid question. She was far from okay. I just needed to know what I could do to help.

"I'm...somewhere between okay and not okay."

Holy shit. That was more honest than I thought. I sat down next to her, leaning forward resting my arms on my knees. "What can I do?"

She gave me a sad look. "There's nothing you can do, Hayden. It is what it is. My dad caught us, and he retaliated. In the worst way possible. Now, he's in jail, yeah, but he's still there. I wish I didn't get my memory back."