Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

I t had been a long and draining day and it wasn't over yet. Mia watched as Sibby sat at the kitchen counter with a glass of merlot and a legal pad and pen; Mia's own glass sat at her elbow. Sibby was making yet another list of things to be done before Thursday's big meal. Dinner had been loud and raucous, but now the house was quiet, the dishwasher was humming and the sky outside the picture window was full of stars. Sibby's parents and all the children were already sleeping, Kyle and his brothers were in the living room drinking Conor's pumpkin home brew, deep in some sort of hushed discussion.

"I didn't realize that Thanksgiving required this much work," Mia said to Sibby. She watched the other woman rip off part of a page. She'd made a shopping list of a few rogue items still missing but necessary for the big day.

"It's a finely orchestrated meal, like Christmas or Easter, except without all the religion thrown in," Sibby kidded. "I guess you don't recall what your family did to celebrate."

Mia shook her head. She truly had no idea what happened on this holiday, but if she was being honest, she couldn't bring up an image of a Christmas or Easter celebration either.

"The thing is," Sibby began, emptying the remains of the bottle of wine into their glasses, "there are certain family traditions. Expectations, if you will. When the meal is the same year after year, you can't deviate from what people love to have on their plate. For example, I hate serving sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows, because that's all the kids will want to eat. But then again, when I was my children's age, that's what I wanted as well. As my mom always says, ‘it's payback time.'"

"What is your favorite dish to eat on this holiday?" Mia asked, not trying to make idle conversation, but rather to use as a roadmap for herself.

"Honestly, by the time I'm finished cooking – which will take two days at the least – I'm over it. None of the food looks appealing. All I see is how many potatoes need to be peeled or how much corn I will have to shuck for the pudding. But I do love the part where we go around the table before dad carves the turkey. We tell each other what we're thankful for, and that makes it all worthwhile."

"You don't eat at all?"

"Generally, not during dinner. I tend to sneak back into the kitchen much later, when I'm finally hungry, and make a Dagwood sandwich."

"What's that?"

"Wow. You really remember nothing, huh? It's a sandwich piled high with all the leftovers. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes — all smothered in gravy. It's freaking delicious."

Mia lifted her wineglass and took a sip. "I'd love to learn. I can help you with the preparations. You direct me and I'll follow orders."

"Great, Mia. I'm going to take you up on it. My mom loves to help, but sometimes it's a ‘too many cooks' situation and we end up arguing on how to do the simplest tasks. She's slowing down but unable to accept that she can't do everything she used to be able to do."

"That must be hard for you both," Mia said.

"It's inevitable," Sibby said as she turned her head to look out the window. Mia wondered if Sibby was tearing up and didn't want her to see any sign of weakness. Not that she would have judged Sibby for it, quite the opposite. She admired Kyle's sister and truly felt as if she'd made a friend.

"Look at those stars," Sibby exclaimed, taking her wine to the double-paned slider that led outside. "I want a closer look." She unlocked the door and stepped onto the deck. Mia felt the cold rush of air fill the kitchen and followed Sibby, carefully balancing her glass as she wrapped her arms around her chest.

The sound of the ocean crashing against the beach was rhythmic and soothing. In the past month Mia had become so comfortable here with Kyle, and now with the rest of his family here she couldn't help but wonder if she had her own people out there somewhere. As they stood silently at the railing of the deck, looking up at the sky, Mia's mind raced with the thoughts of what was to happen when she reclaimed her memory and left this place. Would she be on the run, or would she be able to maintain the relationships she made with Kyle's family and now treasured? Would she see them again, or would her presence put them in too much danger for her to keep in contact?

She took a large swig of her wine, hoping to dull the painful thought that Kyle and his family were only temporary acquaintances. Aside from feeling like a part of something larger than herself within the warm circle of these generous people, she was in love with Kyle. The painful thoughts about leaving him behind threatened, crowding her mind, blocking out the present moment almost entirely. She looked up at the inky sky studded with stars. The constellations were shimmering, bragging with their beauty. She took in a deep breath of the salty air and willed herself to be calm, to enjoy the here and now and not focus on tomorrow. It would be here soon enough; no need to summon trouble to her door.

Kyle added another log to the fire and then sat back down on the couch with his brothers and brother-in-law. He drained the remains of the malty brew in his glass and said, "So here's my plan."

The other men leaned in attentively.

"If Mia doesn't remember who she is by Christmas, I'm going to take her and the baby away from here. I'm not sure if I'll even stay in the country. I've got to keep them safe until she truly knows who she is and why she ran."

"That's not reasonable, Kyle," Conor said. "Didn't you say that you're being reinstated on December first? You can't just give up your life for someone you met a month ago."

"I can do what I want, Conor," Kyle replied softly.

"True, brother, but what about the rest of us? You'll just go and then what? Hide for the rest of your life? What happens if she never remembers?" Tim asked.

Kyle paused. He hadn't thought about that. What happens if she never remembers? His brother's words bounced around in his brain. What if what she did is so abhorrent to her that she blocks it out forever? Could that be a possibility?

"What would you have me do, Tim? I'm in love with the woman."

"Listen, fellows. It's late. We're not going to solve this dilemma tonight. I vote we sleep on it and reconvene tomorrow," said Geoff, standing up and gathering the empty glasses.

"Leave those," Kyle said, motioning for his brother-in-law to leave the mess behind. "I've got it. I'll wash them so that Sibby doesn't yell at us in the morning."

Geoff nodded and said, "Night." He left to upstairs to the room he shared with their sister.

Tim and Conor stood as well. "He's right. We're not fixing this problem so easily and I'm beat," Conor said. "See you in the morning."

"Me too. I'm sure we'll see things clearer with a full night's rest." Both men hugged Kyle and then went to their room, arguing over who got the top bunk.

Kyle balanced all four glasses with the tips of his fingers and carried them into the kitchen. The sliding door was open, and the room was freezing cold. At first, his senses stood at full alert; had someone left the door open or did an intruder break in? But then he heard the quiet tone of female voices and realized that Mia and Sibby were outside on the deck. He put the glasses in the sink and stepped over to the door.

"Ladies, you're bringing the house temperature down. Are you coming in soon?"

"Right now, brother," Sibby said as she stepped back into the kitchen with Mia trailing behind her.

He shut the door and locked it, then put the safety bar down, preventing anyone from jimmying it back open from the outside.

"I'm heading up to bed. Don't stay up all night, there's work to be done in the morning."

"We're right behind you, Sibby. I'll wash these glasses and we'll be up as well."

"Thanks, brother. See you both tomorrow." Sibby turned and disappeared down the hallway.

Once she was out of sight, Kyle pulled Mia into his arms. "How long were you out there? You're freezing!"

"I'm not sure," Mia replied as she rubbed her hands together. "It was mesmerizing. So many stars…"

"Well, if you give me a minute to take care of these glasses, I'm sure I can think of a way to warm you up from the inside…"

She smiled at him then and he felt his entire body come alive. He quickly let her go, turned to the sink, squirted some soap onto a sponge and rinsed away the remainder of the foamy beer from their glasses and washed the dirty wine glasses as well, balancing them on the drain tray next to the deep stainless-steel basin. He squeezed the excess water from the sponge, placed it on the dish set there for this purpose and grabbed a towel to dry his hands. He then reached for Mia who had been standing off to one side, watching him.

"Ready to go up to bed?"

"Always," she replied.

Her words made his blood hum and race through his body. He reached for her hand and led her through the hallway and up the stairs to his room. Once there, he closed the door behind them and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply, releasing all the tension he'd felt throughout the day, knowing that he'd soon have her naked in his bed. For whatever time together they had, Kyle knew one thing. He'd make her feel like the cherished beauty that she was. He would worship her, body and soul with every ounce of his being for as long as he could.

Kyle wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep when he heard Mia crying. He turned to look at her and realized that she wasn't awake. She must be having another nightmare, he thought. Not wanting to scare her but wanting to stop whatever this bad dream was from consuming her this way, he put his hand on her chest and slowly began to apply some pressure, hoping to reassure her that she was safe here with him. She grabbed onto him and slowly opened her tear-filled eyes.

"Kyle," she gasped. "Kyle…"

"Shh, Mia, you're okay. You're safe. You're here with me, remember?"

She pushed herself up to a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard. He could tell that she was pretty shaken from the effects of the dream.

"No, Kyle, no. I may be safe, but Daisy is the one who's in danger. They're coming to get her. I know they are."