I’m not twenty-five feet from Two Brothers and an Egg when I’m stopped by the military veterans most people in this town refer to as the Gossip Brigade. You wouldn’t think a bunch of old men would spread gossip, but they do any chance they get.

“Lucy, you remember during the Veteran’s Day parade how your class handed out little flags?” one of them says.

“Or how about you’d play at the park with my grandson, Owen?”

“I bet you can’t forget that time you had me come into your class to talk about the war.”

I smile politely. “Thank you all for trying to jog my memory, but I’ve got somewhere to be. I’ll see you guys later.” I pat Mr. Wilson’s arm and continue my walk toward the bay.

I sigh when I find the path mostly vacant. Almost all the fishing boats are out for the day and the mountains loom over the water on the far side. I walk the path, pulling pieces of my muffin out of the bag and eating them.

The vision of Alicia and Adam kissing is occupying most of the space in my brain. I wanted to walk over there and tug her off him. She saw me through the window. Our eyes locked before she stood and kissed him. Who uses tongue in a breakfast diner during the morning rush?

But I can’t stop Adam from having a girlfriend, so all I can do is focus on myself and getting my memory back and hope like hell I’ll never have to sign those papers.

Two months seems way too short, especially since it’s been three months since my accident and until I got here, nothing much was happening with my recovery.

“Lucy!” the jogger running toward me on the path yells. I recognize her as Amy from the Twisted Stem. She stops running next to me, jogging in place. “Good to see you.”

“Same.” I smile, not having much context except for knowing who she is.

“Do you remember your wedding flowers? How elaborate you wanted them? I had to have so many flowers shipped in, but it was so beautiful. I hope you can remember that because the ceremony was beautiful. Oh, you and Adam…” She stops talking, her eyes widening. “Oh, I’m sorry. I never should have said anything.”

“What kind of flowers?”

She smiles. “Pale pink peonies.” Her hands go up in the air. “You had them everywhere. Adam said he wasn’t going to put one on his lapel because it was so big, but as always, you convinced him.” She laughs. “He said it looked like a big pink puffball and you just gave him that look.”

I tilt my head. “What look?”

Her smile dims for a second. “The one that got Adam to do whatever you wished.”

“Oh.” That makes it sound like I forced him to do things he didn’t want to do. Did I?

“I didn’t mean it like that. Adam likes to do things for you. It makes him happy when you’re happy. That’s true love.” She squeezes my forearm.

No memory of my wedding day comes crashing back, and I’m disappointed.

“I better go,” Amy says. “I have another Greene bride coming in this afternoon.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Cade and Presley. Have you met her yet? You’ll love her.”

“Briefly. She seemed nice.” Although she was looking at me like an alien from outer space. I can only imagine the things Adam and his family might have said to her about me.

“She’s the sweetest. And her bookstore.” She acts as if she’s getting tingles just thinking about it.

I forgot how much the Greenes are looked up to here. How much everyone loves them.

“Good luck. I’m sure they’ll love their flowers as much as I did.” I pretend I remember, but sadly, I don’t. Does that mean something?

“See you around, Lucy. So happy you stayed.” She jogs away and I continue down the path.

After fifty feet, I decide to call Dr. Lipstein because I’m annoyed I’m remembering people but not necessarily events. The nurse is nice enough to put me on hold until he’s done with a patient, so I walk around the bay a little longer, walking away from groups of people who act as though they want to talk to me.

When Dr. Lipstein comes on the line, he says, “Lucy, did something happen?”

“No, I just had the florist from my wedding stop me and tell me all about the flowers, and although I remember her, I don’t remember what the flowers even looked like at my wedding.”

He chuckles. “You grew up in Sunrise Bay, Lucy. You might’ve interacted with that woman many times throughout your life if that town is as small as you say it is. You might not remember her from your wedding, but from another time in your life. Don’t force it.”

I’m not about to tell Dr. Lipstein about Nikki telling everyone to stop me and tell me a memory as though they’ll win a prize if I recall their memory. “So it’s okay?”

“Yes. You’re making great progress and I believe you’re right where you should be, but take it slow. Don’t force it. Allow them to come to you when they come to you.”

“Okay.”

He chuckles again. “I know it can be frustrating.”

“Yeah.”

“For patients who haven’t had the progress you have thus far, we’re usually talking about their new future. The one where they need to find out who they are now, not who they were. But I don’t want you thinking that way yet. Maybe while you’re there, try to discover what you used to love. You never know what can happen. The mind is a tricky place to navigate and there’s never one right course of action.”

“Thanks, Dr. Lipstein.”

“Anytime. Now, go relax. Just because you stayed there doesn’t mean your mind will magically recover with the snap of your fingers.”

“Okay. Yeah, makes sense.”

“Have a great day, Lucy.”

“Thanks again.”

We hang up, and in my peripheral vision, I catch sight of Fran and her speed walking gang waving me down. I’m glad I remember her right away because I know that I don’t want to get cornered by her and her friends. They’re always up in everyone’s business to the extreme and don’t take no for an answer. I head down an exit from the bay to the downtown area. I don’t want to be rude, but I just can’t right now.

The faster I walk, the louder they call my name.

I refrain from bursting into a sprint. As I step into the square, I spot some tourists strolling around. They’re a welcome distraction but not enough to allow me to disappear.

“Hey, Luce…” Jed. Adam’s stepbrother. He waves his free hand. The other has a key in it and he’s unlocking the brewery. He catches the sight behind me and holds open the door. “We have that appointment, right?”

I glance over my shoulder and sneak inside.

The women reach the door right as I get inside and hide behind one of the long wooden pillars in the middle of the restaurant. I inhale deeply.

“We were trying to get Lucy’s attention,” Fran says.

“Hey, ladies, maybe her memory is affecting her hearing,” Jed says good-naturedly.

One woman laughs.

“Jed Greene!” Fran scolds.

“I’m kidding. You’ll have to catch her another time. I have a meeting with her.”

“What kind of business do you have with Lucy?” Fran asks.

“You know how we name beers after residents? She’s picking her flavor and we’re going to name it Minderaser.”

They all laugh, and I roll my eyes.

“Now, ladies, you’re all looking lovely this morning in your matching tracksuits, but you’ll have to excuse me.”

I can just see Fran straightening her jacket on her hips as though Jed is checking her out.

“Tell Lucy we have all the stories written down to try to help trigger her,” Fran says.

“Oh, I’ll tell her, and next time you come in, there’s a round on the house.”

“Thanks, Jed.”

I hear the door shut and lock. Finally I release a breath and come out from behind the post.

“You’re thin, but that post doesn’t hide you. You know that, right?”

“I guess my eye for dimensions went with my memory and my hearing.” I roll my eyes.

He laughs and goes behind the bar. “Glad to see it wasn’t your sense of humor that went.”

I sit on a barstool and he pulls out two shot glasses, then pours a clear liquid into both.

“Jed, it’s, like, nine-thirty,” I say.

“I can use it. Cade woke me this morning jabbering about my best man responsibilities. Turns out he’s not going to pick between his brothers. So…” He nudges the glass toward me and downs his shot. “Don’t tell Adam though.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Our conversations are brief at best.” I circle the shot glass in my hands for a moment before downing it, regretting the decision as soon as the burn hits my throat.

“You did rip his heart out with your bare hands.”

“Nice.”

He pulls a bottle of water from behind the bar and cracks it open before giving it to me. “I’m just speaking the truth. The poor guy was listening to Motown just to forget you.”

“Motown?”

He chuckles and props up on the other side of the bar, his foot on a stool behind there. “Yep. The poor bastard was like a billboard ad telling other guys, ‘Monogamy sucks, don’t do it.’”

“As big as the one out there?” I point to where Cade posted a huge posterboard declaring his love for Presley.

“Wanna make a bet they try to put it up in here? That’s happening next to never.”

I chuckle and sip my water. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Saving me from Fran and her gang. Making me laugh. I haven’t laughed since I got here. Actually, since the accident maybe.”

“Well, losing your memory isn’t exactly funny.”

“No, but everyone is always so serious with me.” I pick at the label on the bottle.

“Do you ever think about what it will be like if you never remember everything?” I stare blankly and he holds up his hands. “Just asking.”

I shrug. “It’s fine. My doctor is bringing it up to me too. That’s more of a probability than me remembering everything.”

“So what do you remember?” He looks at me with keen interest.

“Well, I remember people, but not the memories associated with them. Like I know Adam is my husband, but I can’t tell you much else. But there have been these moments when I remember things from when we were younger.”

He smirks. “You look like you enjoy those memories.”

I try to bite down my smile before giving up. “I do. I love him and I’m terrified I’m never going to get him back. What if my memory doesn’t return and…” My throat closes up and tears pool in my eyes. “What if I can’t tell him why I left him, and he never forgives me, and he just carries on with his life?” A tear slips and I swipe it away with the back of my hand. “I can’t bear to live without him. And then there’s this girl, Alicia. Do you know her?”

Jed nods, his face showing no emotion.

“How long have they been dating?” I wave it off. “Never mind. You’re his brother. I shouldn’t be asking you.”

“Technically, I’m only his stepbrother,” he says, a grin tipping his lips.

I wipe the tears. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t unload all this on you.”

“It’s okay. It’s the most you’ve ever talked to me.”

“Really?”

He nods. “We were friendly and all, but…”

“Then you must really think I’m crazy.”

“I think you’re confused, and I think you need someone to talk all this out with.” He pours another shot. “In my experience, alcohol cures all.”

I laugh and he clinks his shot glass with mine, but just as I have the shot glass to my lips, a pounding sound rattles the front door. We both turn toward the noise. Adam is pointing at Jed and swearing.

Jed laughs. “I wouldn’t worry about Alicia if I were you.” He rounds the bar and unlocks the door.

Adam comes in, takes the shot glass from my lips, and tugs on my hand. “Let’s go.”

“What? Why? I’m talking with Jed.”

Jed leans against the wall by the door with his arms crossed and a smug smile.

“Getting drunk at ten in the morning isn’t going to bring back your damn memory,” Adam grumbles.

“No, but it was helping her forget the present. Sometimes people need that too,” Jed says, waving at me as Adam leads me down the hallway and out the back door.