Forget Me Not (Or Remember Me Later)

Amidst the hazy blue of water, all Mirielle could see was the tendrils of her ginger orange hair and the fading sunlight that filtered above her. Desperately trying to hold her breath, she attempted to swim upwards towards the light, reaching out to anything that could help her. Believing her efforts to be in vain, she had just begun to give up, closing her eyes in resignation…until she heard a voice call her name. Mirielle’s eyes snapped open to see a blurry figure staring down at her from the light above, and a ferocious vigor was reborn within her as she grasped at the hand outstretched before her.

           Mirielle still heard the voice faintly as she awoke, her teal eyes fluttering open slowly, only to squint at the harsh midday light shining into the room. As grateful as she was to be in a bed, a confused expression crossed her face as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings; she cursed her trademark forgetfulness as she failed to recall where she was or how she even got there. The last thing she could remember was the trip she made to visit…someone, but whoever that person was she was unsure of, and there was no doubt in her mind that her dream had something to do with what happened last night. Before she could get up and out of bed, a voice broke her out of her reverie:

           “Mirielle! Thank heavens you’re alright.”

           Mirielle had almost no time to react before the owner of the voice rushed to her side and embraced her. Although, she recognized him as the same voice from her supposed dream, she had no recollection of his identity. He shifted up to face her, a bright, cheerful smile lighting up his freckled face; now that Mirielle got a better look at him, she noticed the sparkle in his tawny brown eyes due to his smiling.

“I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten to that river in time… I thought I would never see you again.”

The grin that graced his face soon slowly diminished as he saw the look of confusion on her face and the lack of recognition in her eyes.

           “O-oh…” he began, his hickory brown curls bouncing as he shamefully lowered his head. “I thought- never mind…” A soft blush tinted his cheeks and the tips of his ears, most likely due to embarrassment, according to Mirielle’s thoughts. “You…” he paused, slightly biting his lip nervously. “That is your name, isn’t it? Mirielle?”

           Mirielle nodded silently, which seemed to lift the man’s spirits a little. There was a small awkward pause before he continued.

           “Then, surely you would know me at least a little… We were friends during childhood, remember?”

           “…no, unfortunately I don’t. My memory has always been terrible, especially if what I try to remember occurred a long time ago. I’m sorry…”

           “No, no. It’s quite alright,” The man let out a small sigh of defeat, which gave Mirielle a pang of regret. “It has been a while, which is understandable,” He stopped as he glanced up at Mirielle, his expression and voice now laced with concern. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

           She was confused at first as to why he said that, until she felt a hot, shameful tear rolling down her cheek. How long had she been crying? Despite her attempts to prevent any more tears from falling, try as she might, it wasn’t long before a few choked sobs escaped her lips.

           “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she murmured in between crying. Mirielle stopped suddenly when she felt a warm embrace once more.

           “You have nothing to apologize for, my friend,” The man comforted her to the best of her ability; this only made her tears flow further as she returned the hug: why would he be so compassionate towards her uselessness? He began to stroke her hair gently while he continued.

           “I’ll be here for you, no matter what. If you can’t remember, whether just at the moment or at any time, then so be it. I would never abandon you for a second. That’s what friends are for, I suppose…if you would have me, of course.”

           While fragments of uncertainty still remained on her mind, this at least brought Mirielle some form of relief. For once, she wasn’t being shunned for forgetting, unless…

           “Um, apologies for bringing this up so abruptly, but is it alright if I stay for a while?” she asked timidly. “I haven’t anywhere else to go at the moment, and I can’t recall as to where I am, so getting home isn’t a viable option…”

           The man nodded quickly, while he rose from where he sat on the bed. “Of course! You can stay as long as you’d wish. Please, if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

           And that was how the pair was able to reconnect…for the most part. A month and a half had passed, and yet Mirielle could only remember bits and pieces of her childhood memories, which the man, who she learned was named Elliot, had not-so-subtly tried to help with in order to remedy her troubles. However, which each passing day that she spent with him, she couldn’t help but feel that there was something he wasn’t telling her. Elliot said that they were friends, yes, but was there more to that than what meets the eye? Mirielle mulled these thoughts over and over in her mind, so much so that it became a part of her morning routine: after all, brushing her hair required a lot of work, considering the way it billowed down to her waist. This left her plenty of time to be lost in her thoughts, which is both a good and bad thing: good, because some of her memory would occasionally be restored, but bad, because she would more often than not be filled with regret as to her forgetfulness.

           It pained her to see the glimmers of hope in Elliot’s eyes whenever she almost regained a memory, only for that glimmer to die out a quickly as it had arrived. She had, admittedly, grown fond of his presence, as she always found herself smiling along with him. Mirielle wondered if it were possible that he adored her as much as she did him; perhaps that was the reason behind the flashes of hidden emotion she saw within his eyes.

           Mirielle sighed as she placed the hairbrush back on the vanity at which she sat. There’s no possible way that someone as wonderful as him could love someone as useless as me... she thought with disdain directed yet again at her poor memory. Her wallowing was fortunately halted at the sound of the bedroom door opening. She turned slightly just in time to see Elliot enter with yet another bright smile, although this time, he seemed more bashful than usual, and he was hiding something behind his back; as forgetful as Mirielle was, she was certainly perceptive of everything around her, even if she hardly voiced her thoughts aloud.

           They gave each other the usual “good morning,” but then the room was filled with a lingering silence, one that was almost too heavy to bear, yet bursting with energy. This silence didn’t last long, however, as Elliot proceeded to plant a chaste kiss on the top of Mirielle’s head, carefully handing her what he had been holding: a white carnation.

           “I saw this in the garden and thought of you,” he explained once Mirielle looked at the flower in her hands. “If I remember correctly, they were your favorite when we were children,”

           He spoke more, but Mirielle’s thoughts had begun to drown out the sound of his voice. Slowly, she gained a childhood memory, one that involved this very type of flower:

           Mirielle and Elliot, aged around 10 and 11, respectively, lie underneath a lone willow tree, exhausted after their bout of play. After a few moments of peace, Elliot shifts to sit up, causing Mirielle to turn towards him in curiosity. He holds out his hands to her, a white carnation flower clasped between them.

           “Here,” he says, offering the gift to her innocently. “I wanted you to have this. I saw it and was reminded of you.”

           Mirielle gasped with delight at the sight of the fragile blossom, gingerly plucking it from her friend’s hands. Her eyes beheld a sense of wonder and joy, while Elliot gazed at her with a fond smile. He then tenderly tucked the flower into her hair, brushing away some of the locks of hair that moved in front of her face from the light breeze. She moved to joyfully embrace him, which he returned hesitantly.

           “Thank you! I’ll never forget this day, and I’ll never forget you. I promise.”

           Mirielle opened her eyes back to the present, tears beginning to pool. She looked up at Elliot, who watched her with concern.

           “Is…everything alright?” he asked tentatively.

           Mirielle glanced back at the flower, then back at him. With a trembling voice, she finally responded:

           “I remember you.”

           Elliot’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped slightly as she continued.

           “We were friends once, only children back then. You gave me this flower the last time we saw each other. It was one of the happiest days of my life,” the tears that had welled in her eyes began to trickle down her face. “I just wish that I had remembered sooner…”

           Elliot could only watch as his best friend and first love crumbled before his eyes, moving cautiously to hold her before she fell. “Mirielle…” he began.

           “I’m so sorry, Elliot. I really am useless. I finally become reunited with the person I care about most, and I can’t even find the decency to remember them.”

           She sobbed nearly uncontrollably in his arms, repeating apology after apology. All the while, Elliot held her sweetly, moving his hand to wipe away her tears. Mirielle’s cries began to lessen as he cupped the side of her face, and she allowed herself to lean into his touch. He gently took the carnation she held and placed it in her hair, just as he did all those years ago. A brief quiet moment passed between the two, the looks in their eyes hinting at an internal conversation shared by them and them alone. They slowly leaned towards each other, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. With that, the tears that had been gathering in Elliot’s eyes began to fall, his expression softening to show that he was content.

           After what seemed like an eternity, the pair separated briefly, yet still holding each other in a loving embrace. Seeing her still crestfallen expression, Elliot lifted Mirielle’s chin lightly, giving her a reassuring smile.

           “It’s good to see you again, my love. I’m sorry if my impatience had caused you any suffering this past month. Please forgive me if that is the case. I just hope that my love for you is enough to make up for it.”

           Mirielle returned his smile of reassurance with one of her own. “Believe me, dear, it always has been enough. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in this moment.”

           She knew within her heart that she never wanted to forget this day, no matter what it took to remember it.