While Anthony did everything he could to help her remember him and the bond they shared, her mother and sister also played their part in ensuring she remembered him. After she was discharged from the hospital, she insisted on going home with her mother. “I can’t be sleeping in a man’s house that I barely remember,” she said.
Based on the doctor’s advice, Anthony didn’t see her for two weeks after her discharge. The doctor felt that giving her some time and space might help her recover her memories. However, that wasn’t the case. The memories of her love for Anthony and their marriage were merely stories to her, as she couldn’t recall anything. This was the beginning of the end of their marriage.
Six months after leaving the hospital, she and Anthony went out on a date. By this time, Anthony had given up on trying to make her remember who he was. Instead, he thought starting fresh and making her fall in love with him all over again might do the trick. So, he began their relationship from scratch and took things slow. But everything he did was perceived by her as an attempt to make her remember the past, even though, truthfully, Anthony was just trying to create new memories.
On what was their third date after her discharge from the hospital, she decided to tell him exactly how she felt. It wasn’t something she wanted to say because she knew how much it would hurt him. To be honest, she had also wanted to remember everything they shared. The stories told by her mother, sister, and Anthony about their happiness, the pictures she had seen—most especially her wedding pictures—made her long to be that girl. But it just wasn’t happening, and she was growing weary of dwelling in the past. That was exactly how she felt every time she saw Anthony.
“I know what I’m about to say isn’t what you would hope to hear, but it is the truth, and I think you deserve that because you are an amazing person,” she said after they finished their meal. “I really do appreciate everything you have done for me in the past six months, even what you did while I was in the hospital. I appreciate it because I know you did this out of love, which is why it pains me to say this.”
She took a deep pause, continuing to stare into his eyes, hoping something would spark within her and she would remember everything. But no, there was no spark. “The more I see your face, the more I feel like I’m being forced to remember something I have no memory of. And before you speak, I know you haven’t tried to make me remember anything; instead, you are trying to create new memories. I can only imagine how hard that must be for you, but trust me when I say it’s harder for me. The more I spend time with you, the more it feels like I’m trying to live in the past—a past I honestly don’t remember. That’s why I beg you to stop seeing each other.”