Remember Me

7. Settling In

It seems unreal to think that it's been a month since the day that changed my life forever but waking up on Saturday morning and staring at the date glaring back at me on my phone, it's true. We've somehow made it an entire month. In that time, I got a job at the mall that I absolutely loathe and Maya's remembered a couple small things from the start of our relationship which gives me hope.

The first time she randomly called me Boing again I almost cried.

We were texting, something we had taken to pretty quickly after the initial awkwardness wore off, and I was teasing her because she got to sleep in while I had to go to work. She had replied, "Whatever Boing."

I hadn't texted her the rest of the day and when I got home we talked about that Christmas. She only remembered that specific phrase and couldn't place the memory so I had painted her a picture by telling her the story and we both had shed a few tears together.

Furthermore, we had started talking. No more shutting each other out; I had learned my lesson from that after not opening up about my nightmares that first night she came home with me. We talked about anything and everything and I had only fallen more and more in love with her. "Josh." I hear her voice and shake my thoughts from my head, focusing on what's in front of me. Which is my wife, staring at me with a playful smile on her lips.

She was dressed casually today, a pair of light-wash jeans on her hips, a purple v-neck tee and a pair of black Converse. I note the friendship ring that's made its way back onto her right hand while her left hand remains empty. I hadn't taken my wedding band off but I hadn't pressured her to put hers back on. If she chose to wear it again someday, that would be her decision. "What?"

She chuckles. "We're gonna be late" she says, pointing to the watch on her wrist for emphasis. I nod, remembering that her check-up was today. She would hopefully be getting her cast off and getting the all clear to return to work.

"Right. Let's go." I smile and grab my keys, leading us out to the driveway. Awaiting us is Maya's car, the one we still had after the accident. I knew the whole carpooling thing was going to be a pain in the ass if she were cleared to return to work but we would figure it out; we certainly couldn't afford a second car right now.

She straps herself into the passenger seat and I release a deep sigh, much like I do every single time I have to get behind the wheel of a car.

It had gotten a little better. I could get to work and back without having a panic attack but something about having her in the passenger seat made it that much harder. "Josh." She's having to say my name a lot today. Perhaps I should be paying more attention to her instead of allowing myself to drown in my thoughts.

"I'm sorry." I apologize, putting the car in reverse.

"It's okay." She reaches forward and turns on the radio, tuning it to the country station which wasn't new. She loved herself a sappy country song.

Kelsea Ballerini's new single streams through the speakers as we pull out the driveway and Maya quietly sings along to every single word. It was a song she knew before the accident, I knew that much and yet she was here, singing every single word.

When we come to a stop at a red light I look over at my wife who is now humming along to a song she doesn't know. She keeps screwing up the notes, holding them too long or not long enough and it's adorable. "What are you looking at?" She asks, glancing at me. Our eyes lock and my heart trips over itself.

"You" I reply boldly. Her cheeks turn a bright red color, resembling a rose and she takes her bottom lip between her teeth as she looks away. I wish I could reach out and touch her, place my hand on her thigh or take her hand but since that first night home we hadn't gotten that close again.