can,” she said casually as she began transferring the take-out containers to the table.
He settled into a chair. “I think I’m hurt.” He glanced at her and saw her suppressing a laugh. “Oh sure, laugh.” He reached for his plate, focusing on the food, but still talking. “Yet, I do seem to recall you not being too thrilled with Tyler at times. Like when we were at the baseball field and you were complaining about how he was running from his problems.”
He didn’t notice the silence at first but when he did, he looked up to find both Megan and Tyler looking at him with stunned expressions. “What?”
Megan didn’t move, only staring at him with eyes that radiated both disbelief and hope. Tyler finally managed to find his voice and asked softly,
“Are you remembering that?”
That’s when it hit him. He could clearly recall a conversation with Megan about Tyler and something about Tyler running away. If he focused hard enough, he could even see flashes of her in his mind’s eye. Yet, much of what he was recalling were just bits and pieces of conversation in his head. He hadn’t even been aware that he was recalling a memory until then.
It happened quite a bit these days. He would get flashes but never complete recollections. And they were always scattered. Bits he would remember visually, while others he would recall in sounds and voices. They were never complete, full-fledged recollections. That was why he wasn’t even sure if they were old memories. He often wondered if it was his mind making up something to ‘fill in the blanks’ in his head. That it was his psyche’s way of coping with his loss.
He looked at Megan, who was standing completely still, her expression frozen in that look of disbelief and hope. “Was that. . .am I remembering something?”
Ever so slowly, she nodded her head.
His voice caught in his throat. “I-I’m remembering?”
Megan suddenly dropped the container that she was carrying then. “Oh! God, I’m sorry!” She quickly dashed into the kitchen, but didn’t reappear again with a towel like he had expected.
“Megan?” he asked in concern.
“I’ll be right out,” she called back, her voice sounding strange.
“Should we?” he asked Tyler, who was bent over, picking up the container that Megan had dropped. Fortunately, it was one of the containers containing the baked potatoes so there wasn’t much of a mess.
Tyler shook his head. “Give her a minute.” He grabbed a cloth and wiped the small spill before he came over and sat down in the chair across from him. “I can’t believe you’re remembering something man.”
He nodded absently, concerned about Megan. “It’s weird. It feels like a dream I’m recalling. I’m not even sure it’s real.”
“This one is,” Tyler said with a smile.
He looked at Tyler questioningly. “So what were you running away from?”
Tyler smiled wryly. “Which time?”
He returned his stepbrother’s smile, glad for a return to the easy bantering. “So that’s like what, a pattern with you or something?”
Tyler made a face. “For the record, I only did that twice! Twice in 28 years isn’t exactly a pattern!”
“So what’d you run from?”
“First time? Girls.” Tyler said, looking uncomfortable.
He laughed. “You were a player!”
“No, I wasn’t!”
“Yes you were, Ty,” Megan said, returning from the kitchen. Her voice was light and teasing, but he noticed that her eyes were slightly red and shiny, as if she had been crying.
He chuckled, deciding the best course of action was to maintain the carefree tone of conversation. “You, a ladies man. Who would have thought?”
“Hey, don’t sound so surprised! It’s not like you inherited all the charm in the family you know.”
Megan looked at Tyler reprovingly. “Oh, so now you’re proud of cheating on Lizzie?”
“Lizzie?” Jason asked slowly as a memory flashed through his mind. “That cute blond on the cheerleading team with the
He settled into a chair. “I think I’m hurt.” He glanced at her and saw her suppressing a laugh. “Oh sure, laugh.” He reached for his plate, focusing on the food, but still talking. “Yet, I do seem to recall you not being too thrilled with Tyler at times. Like when we were at the baseball field and you were complaining about how he was running from his problems.”
He didn’t notice the silence at first but when he did, he looked up to find both Megan and Tyler looking at him with stunned expressions. “What?”
Megan didn’t move, only staring at him with eyes that radiated both disbelief and hope. Tyler finally managed to find his voice and asked softly,
“Are you remembering that?”
That’s when it hit him. He could clearly recall a conversation with Megan about Tyler and something about Tyler running away. If he focused hard enough, he could even see flashes of her in his mind’s eye. Yet, much of what he was recalling were just bits and pieces of conversation in his head. He hadn’t even been aware that he was recalling a memory until then.
It happened quite a bit these days. He would get flashes but never complete recollections. And they were always scattered. Bits he would remember visually, while others he would recall in sounds and voices. They were never complete, full-fledged recollections. That was why he wasn’t even sure if they were old memories. He often wondered if it was his mind making up something to ‘fill in the blanks’ in his head. That it was his psyche’s way of coping with his loss.
He looked at Megan, who was standing completely still, her expression frozen in that look of disbelief and hope. “Was that. . .am I remembering something?”
Ever so slowly, she nodded her head.
His voice caught in his throat. “I-I’m remembering?”
Megan suddenly dropped the container that she was carrying then. “Oh! God, I’m sorry!” She quickly dashed into the kitchen, but didn’t reappear again with a towel like he had expected.
“Megan?” he asked in concern.
“I’ll be right out,” she called back, her voice sounding strange.
“Should we?” he asked Tyler, who was bent over, picking up the container that Megan had dropped. Fortunately, it was one of the containers containing the baked potatoes so there wasn’t much of a mess.
Tyler shook his head. “Give her a minute.” He grabbed a cloth and wiped the small spill before he came over and sat down in the chair across from him. “I can’t believe you’re remembering something man.”
He nodded absently, concerned about Megan. “It’s weird. It feels like a dream I’m recalling. I’m not even sure it’s real.”
“This one is,” Tyler said with a smile.
He looked at Tyler questioningly. “So what were you running away from?”
Tyler smiled wryly. “Which time?”
He returned his stepbrother’s smile, glad for a return to the easy bantering. “So that’s like what, a pattern with you or something?”
Tyler made a face. “For the record, I only did that twice! Twice in 28 years isn’t exactly a pattern!”
“So what’d you run from?”
“First time? Girls.” Tyler said, looking uncomfortable.
He laughed. “You were a player!”
“No, I wasn’t!”
“Yes you were, Ty,” Megan said, returning from the kitchen. Her voice was light and teasing, but he noticed that her eyes were slightly red and shiny, as if she had been crying.
He chuckled, deciding the best course of action was to maintain the carefree tone of conversation. “You, a ladies man. Who would have thought?”
“Hey, don’t sound so surprised! It’s not like you inherited all the charm in the family you know.”
Megan looked at Tyler reprovingly. “Oh, so now you’re proud of cheating on Lizzie?”
“Lizzie?” Jason asked slowly as a memory flashed through his mind. “That cute blond on the cheerleading team with the
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