The suffocating heat woke me, I was soaking in sweat and my throat was dry. I opened my eyes slowly to adjust them to the bright light from the sun. I blinked and stretched rolling to the other side, I realized I was alone.
What time is it? I asked myself feeling curious. Not waiting any longer, I got up to take a quick shower not before making sure to keep the crystal door opened.
I blushed as the memories from last night came to my mind. I was smiling; I wanted to scream to let everyone know how happy I was.
I had remembered Noah, my husband! Damn amnesia and damn accident. I took a deep breath.
How could I forget about him? My daughter, my family. Tears burst out and I don’t know I long I cried for submerged in a river of emotions.
What happened with Dan? I barely had memories of him, from when I moved to Denver at sixteen. There was a tall gangly guy, long hair but I couldn’t see his face. That really frustrated me. But he wasn’t bad news, was he?
Our long walks by the ocean, or when we’d spend our evenings watching Dragon Ball, it was all very blurry.
I decided not to let it bother me. I turned the water off and put on my husband’s bathrobe. It was really big but it didn’t matter, it smelled like him. I little knock on the door distracted me, I opened the door just a little to see who it was. Standing there with a big smile was Ann.
“I’ve seen you need my help.” She said with her joyful voice.
I raised an eyebrow feeling surprised, and before I could ask, she took me by the arm and pushed me inside, closing the door behind her.
She had a small fuchsia bag, which she put on top of the counter with determination.
“Ann, how is it that you’ve seen that I need your help?” I asked curiously.
She turned towards me and I saw a funny expression on her face.
“Trust me Alison, I know. Look in the mirror and you’ll know why.”
“Oh God!” I yelled when I looked at my puffy red eyes.
“Come one, give me and hour and you’ll see no one will notice you’ve been crying, you’ll be as good as new!”
Without hesitation, I let her magic hands work on my face. While she was putting some kind mask; cold gel into my skin, I asked him a little upset.
“Eatable oil? Ann, you’re not going to make me believe I actually bought that stuff.”
“Come on! Don’t get upset, I know it’s your favorite.”
I couldn’t open my eyes because I had slices of cucumber on my eyes, I couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not.
“I’m not going to lie, it smelled good but, did I used to buy those things?
I heard her giggle, and she responded still giggling:
“That’s right, don’t worry about it, your secret is safe with me, I myself have tried a lot of those oils and all kinds of flavors with my Jeff...”
This time she sighed loudly. Who would’ve thought? My little sister-in-law.
She took off the mask carefully with her smooth fingers and she gave me a nice massage that relaxed me, I almost fell asleep.
“You’re ready!” She said with enthusiasm, time went by so fast I didn’t even notice.
I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror, I was totally transformed.
“You’re amazing, thank you.”
It was me in the mirror, but so different.
She had brightened my eyes with light eye shadow. My skin had a porcelain tone and a hint of lip gloss
La imagen del espejo era yo, pero tan distinta. It was all natural, just like I liked it.
She also brushed my hair, two clips on each side getting my hair out of my face.
“Come Alison, I’ll help you select you clothes!”
By the tone in her voice, I could tell she was dying to do it. We got out of the bathroom, I went to sit on the bed and she opened the closet doors to literally get inside of the closet. I let out a small giggle as she was looking desperately. She looked at every skirt, pants and blouses. She finally came out excited saying:
“I got it.”
Seeing her mischievous look was a little scary, her eyes sparkled and her smile was contagious.
She left the clothes on the bed and headed to the door as quickly as she could, not before telling me to get dressed and to meet me downstairs; she didn’t even give me time to respond when she had disappeared.
I took what she left for me and gave a cry of surprise to see how revealing it was. It was a black, short dress. Very provocative, my God!
I was curious and I tried it on looking at a mirror. The cleavage was not so bad, but when I turned around, all the back was uncovered. Over my dead body I thought, I took the dress off and went to the close, I looked around and found white capri pants, and an olive green tang top.
I put chestnut colored sandals on, very simple but feminine at the same time, I felt more comfortable this way.
My stomach was grumbling from hunger, I went down to the kitchen and didn’t see anyone. That was weird. It didn’t smell like coffee of food. The house was very quiet. Where was everybody? I asked myself feeling curious. The phone rang and I just stared at it, I didn’t know whether to pick up or not. Who could it be? What if it was Noah? Since that was a possibility, I picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Alison...” A rough voice said.
Oh God, that voice! It was the voice from my dreams without a doubt. My heart was racing, I could hardly breathe. I took a deep breath a couple of times, when I could speak again not showing how scared I was, I answered:
“Dan.”
“I am so sorry...I didn’t leave you on your own, if that’s what you think, I went to help and when I came back, an ambulance had already taken you.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, you have no idea how scared I was, Alison...Are you alright? I thought I’d be getting a heart attack when I saw you covered in blood and unconscious, it was my fault, I never should have force you to come with me.”
Dan blurted everything out so fast that I had to time to take all that information in. From what I picked up, he forced me to go with him that night, but what was the reason behind it? I had to try and get all the information I could.
“You shouldn’t have forced me.”
“I know, I let my jealousy take over me, I couldn’t stand the idea of you choosing him instead of me.”
“You love me?” I asked mockingly.
“You know I do, I have told you many times. I should have never broken up with you when we were sixteen...you have no idea how much I regret it.”
“How could you do this to me, Dan?” I was almost yelling now, I was so angry. “You didn’t think it would hurt me or my daughter...”
“She is also my daughter.”
“She is Noah’s daughter, not yours.”
This time I heard he held his breath in and then it was silent.
“Dan, are you there...?”
“You don’t know who I am, do you? You don’t remember me, that´s it, isn’t it?”
He figured it out and I had no choice but to tell him the truth. I took a deep breath and I responded.
“No. I don’t remember much to tell you the truth, and there are only a few memories I have of you. I don’t even remember your face or why was I with you that night, Dan, I am so confused and I hope to get my memory back soon.”
“I will tell you why!” His voice sounded angry, that upset me.
I let him continue, I was so nervous, I wanted to know what everyone was hiding.
“I’m Ayleen’s father!”
“Nooo! You are not her father...” I screamed furiously. “That’s a lie, a lie...”
“How do you know?” He replied harshly.
“My heart tells me so...I know it, that’s all.” I could barely answer.
“When you remember who was at her birth and who was really with you, then come and find me.”
He hung up. I was frozen with the phone still in my ear, I could hardly breathe. I heard my name vaguely and I turned to see who was calling me. It was Ashley but her voice didn’t come through, her lips were moving but not a sound was coming out of it. My head was about to explode and I took my hands to my ears hoping the pain would go away. She ran I don’t know where to, I didn’t even care really. In my head I could hear the same words over and over again.
I’m Ayleen’s father, I’m Ayleen’s father, I’m Ayleen’s father, I’m Ayleen’s father, I’m Ayleen’s father...
I too ran, but in the opposite direction without even looking where I was going. I needed to get away from the house and from everyone. I headed to the palm tree forest, there were a lot of wild flowers, I ran until I couldn’t anymore. I kept walking rudderless until I felt my feet wet, I looked at and I had the ocean in front of me. I didn’t even know how long I’ve been walking for and how I got there.
I sat on the sand with my legs crossed, I was so confused.
Dan was Ayleen’s father? How was this possible...God, which was the truth?
But I remembered when I told Noah about the pregnancy that night.
And the light bulb turned on again just like before letting images into my mind. I closed my eyes and I let my mind go back in time.
Thunder so loud it could leave you deaf and scary lightning overwhelmed me. I embraced my huge belly with my arms protecting it. Then, nothing, the silence of the night was overwhelming.
The contractions were closer together every time and I held into the first thing I could reach, some furniture’s foot. I looked around me and found myself on the ground between two wooden stools, the smell of incense made me realize exactly where I was, Denver’s Chapel.
The horror scream from an old lady made me turn my head, when I saw her she came as quickly as she could. She looked at my face, then she looked at my hand and I couldn’t hold it in any longer and screamed with pain, the old lady understood everything, she asked for help desperately.
“Call 911, help!”
I heard someone coming out from behind, he came closer, running and screaming.
“Alison!” It was Dan’s voice, thank God.
“Dan” I called sobbing.
When he looked at me his eyes widened, his eyes fixed on my belly, he was trying to assimilate the pregnancy at once. He got closer carefully, as if he couldn’t believe it and with one hand he touched my cheek gently, it was covered in tears and sweat.
“Alison, you’re...you’re...” and as I saw he was mumbling I said:
“Yessss! Damn it, I’m pregnant and about to give birth...Dan it hurts, do something please!
He finally put himself together and turned to the old lady and yelled:
“Hey, you grandma! Her father is outside in the ambulance, go look for him and all of you get away, she needs space.
I hadn’t even notice the people around me, the pain was so bad and I only wanted to do one thing, to push as hard as I could.
Dan pushed me up gently and my head was leaning on his chest, his arm around me and I looked for his hands to hold them tight, I needed his strength, his support. I vaguely noticed my father there and he was shocked, pale and he turned around. I couldn’t blame him; it must have been hard to take it in. He had just found his daughter who was lost for so many months and at the same time; he was going to be a grandfather.
I woman I recognized as the baker from the bakery I always went to,, with her quick hands took my underwear off, she didn’t say anything about my dress from last century, which I thanked silently.
“Come on Alison, I know you can do it. Push!” Dan encouraged.
He didn’t have to tell me twice, I did it right away, I tightened my jaw and I pushed, I felt my baby so close. I took a deep breath and I pushed harder.
“Almost there...I see the head!” The baker yelled, kneeled in front of my legs. This encouraged me, I was exhausted, but I found the strength to push at the last minute, for my baby and for Noah.
I felt the baby slide between my legs and I sighed shakily.
“It’s a girl!” The woman yelled and the pain disappeared instantly.
She put the baby in my arms softly, a small pink baby, my daughter.
She was the prettiest baby in the whole world.
“Ayleen, you’re so pretty.” I told her fascinated.
I gave her a soft kiss and looked at her tenderly and with adoration.
“She’s as pretty as you; she has your eyes, look.”
“Yeah. But she has her father’s hair and the facial features as well...”
I couldn’t take it anymore; there was immense sorrow in my heart.
“Oh, Dan, you have no idea the hell I was living in the past months. They wanted to take my daughter away from me and to keep Noah away from me forever... I had to make the decision to come back to save her life, but now I have left her without a father forever...this is unbearable!”
And I cried in his warm and strong arms, he got closer and said in a voice full of excitement.
“Alison, if you want to...I could be a father for your daughter.”
I looked surprised at his black eyes with a sweet spark on them, he looked honest and so sure of himself.
“I promise to always be here, I will never leave you.”
“Are you sure...? This is forever, Dan” I asked him in a whisper, I couldn’t believe he would do this for me.
“Yes, completely sure. You know I love you and I will do anything for you, you are my best friend and friends help each other out.
“Thank you, Dan.”
I blinked various times to shake the memory off.
Yes, Dan was legally Ayleen’s father, but what’s the price?