Our Paths

A 23-year-old woman, Beatrice, struggles with the early stages of dementia and the world around her is

slowly fading away. Over time, she's forgetting everyone and everything she has faced. Her memories are disappearing and she is losing the past two decades of her life.

Beatrice is walking through town hoping to come across anything to get an insight into a memory. People walking, people talking, people coughing, sneezing, laughing; she's so aware, too- the rapid movement around her led to a sense of anomie. She feels extant and disoriented. The world around her is changing so quickly, changing without her as she stays stuck in what feels like the past. The future feels as though it’s drifting farther and farther away from her to where she just wishes to sequester.

While walking through town a very genial man approached her.

“Oh my gosh, Beatrice hey. It’s been so long, how are you?” Beatrice froze. Who is this man? He has such a familiar face but no words have come to her mouth, she became dumbstruck.

“I’m sorry, have we met before? I don't believe I remember who you are. I’m facing problems with dementia so my memory is becoming faint.” She faced a sense of sadness knowing she was losing the relationships of her past. Due to her feelings, she felt she would ask him out for brunch and get a story behind this mysterious man.

“Oh shit I'm so sorry, seriously?” Classic reaction Beatrice gets when she tells the depressing truth of her dementia.

“Are you free, Can we go out for brunch and can you tell me how we know each other?”

“Of course Beatrice, I would be more than happy to relive my high school years of romance.” Beatrice is now intrigued. Relive my high school years of romance. Maybe this guy is more than just a casual friend.

They arrive at “Benny's Breakfast” for brunch and sit down together. Immediately he begins his love story.

“So, Beatrice, my name is Blake. You and I met in 7th grade. Science class exactly, our first conversation was more of an argument. That was the day I noticed the pazazz in you. I fell in love with you that day, even though we were only 12. We became friends, close friends. It wasn’t long until we were put together in a science project. You told me you liked me and from then on I knew you were the one I wanted. I still want you.” Beatrice solidified, I still want you, the phrase kept repeating over the length and breadth of her mind. The confusion was easily shown through her still emotion.

“I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that.” Blake read the look on her face, I still want you.

“Anyways, we ended up dating about a week after our first few interactions. Middle school drama got in the way and we ended up breaking up. But then April came and we managed to fall back in love, or as you would tell me, refound the love, we dated again but then broke up around your birthday, May 24. It was no secret you and I loved each other so once again we got back together, stayed together actually, all summer. Until I found out you were talking to someone it kind of ended without a word. We stayed on our paths but somehow they still kept crossing whether we wanted them to or not. December came around and I asked you out, You were quite obsessed so you said yes but I broke up with you again come January. You were devastated, but we still stayed and acted as if we were together. I loved you, but something was not lined up with me so I hurt you. Immaturely I had someone else break up with you for me. Because if I were to, I wouldn't have. That breakup ended up being your breaking point. You entirely ghosted me and avoided me at any cost. I was broken and realized the damage I had done. I texted you but you just yelled at me until I finally said I love you and we got together. But my family never liked you so we had to break up and a week later I got with your friend. You were in shreds and we never spoke. That girl and I dated throughout high school and you would always give us looks. It was clear you were still in love with me. But even though I was with her, the love for you never left. After high school, you kind of disappeared and we finally stayed on our paths. Your friend and I ended up getting engaged, but if I'm being totally honest with you I purposely ran into you on the street. I've been looking for you for six months and when I saw your Instagram post I found where you were. Beatrice I love you, I always have and I want to be with you.” That took a turn, now Beatrice was frozen.

“Blake I.”

“No no no no no shit, I shouldn't have said that I'm sor..” Beatrice got up and kissed him. Though she didn't know him, the memories were faint and the feelings of love for him never left.

“ry.” Blake finished his apology with a smile and felt a wave of relief.

“Blake, I'm getting dementia, I'm forgetting things more and more as they go on. We would never work.”

“I have gone through so much to even look at you, Beatrice. I love you and I always have I'm not going away no matter what things are falling on our paths.”

Blake and Beatrice left Bennys together and went back to Blake's apartment. They sat for hours on hours and conversed about what their lives were soon to become. Blake smacked a ring on the table.

“I got this for you the second we graduated because I knew our paths were soon to cross no matter how hard it would be. I love you, Beatrice.” Once again Beatrice was in shock, she broke into tears and hugged Blake like their first hug in 7th grade that everyone got excited about. While they were there, in the kitchen. He spun around and made her cookies. The food she would always steal from him at lunch in 8th grade.