Page 134 of You First
Gray:Damn. I just triple texted. Didn’t mean to.
Meredith hugged Oscar to her and wiped her eyes again.
Meredith:Sorry. This is just hard.
Gray:Meredith, believe me, it’s hard for me, too. I want more than anything to remember.
Fresh tears turned the world liquid.
Gray:Tell me one thing. Anything.
Meredith sniffled, and Oscar surprised her by patting her on the cheek. A tearful laugh left her, and she squeezed him tighter.
Meredith:The first time we met in person, you bought me Mace.
She found herself smiling at the memory, and his response made her laugh openly.
Gray:WTF? Why???
Oscar mimicked her laugh, which made her laugh even more.
Meredith:You were worried about me walking alone at night.
He wasted no time replying.
Gray:Oh. Yeah. I can see that. I hope you carry it.
He may have lost his memory, but he still had his protective streak. Familiar and comforting, she let herself sink into the feel of it.
Meredith:I do.
Gray:Good.
And then:
Gray:Please come see me today.
Meredith was mid-sigh, torn over what to do and how to feel — when the Cormier’s front door opened, and Brooke stepped outin her robe and pajamas.
“Are you laughing or are you crying?”
Meredith dried her eyes and gave her friend a sheepish smile. “Both, I think.”
Wrapping her arms around her against the cold of the morning, Brooke skipped down the steps and headed for them. As soon as he saw this, Oscar squirmed off Meredith’s lap and set off at a run toward her.
Brooke caught him under the arms and spun him once around. Giggling echoed across the yard, and Meredith rose and pushed the empty stroller toward them. When Brooke set Oscar down at her feet, he begged for more.
“Hang on, bud. Let me catch my breath. You’re getting bigger every day.” Then she looked up at Meredith and nodded to her phone. “What’s up? Any medical miracles overnight?”
Meredith shook her head. “I’m still a stranger, but he wants to see me.”
Brooke raised a hopeful brow. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“I don’t know,” Meredith said, chewing on her lip.
Brooke gave a frustrated sigh. “I told you last night, if he fell in love with you once, he’ll fall in love with you again.”
She’d listed all the reasons last night why Gray might not want to start over with her. Now she tried to sum it up. “You have to admit that my track record of things working out for the best is not great.”
