Wilson's Hard Lesson (12 page)

“Hello?” Nicole teared up as she heard her mother’s voice,
heavy with anxiety.

“Hi mom,” she choked out, relief rushing over her.

“Thank God,” her mother said in a rush, her relief evident
in her voice. “It’s so good to hear your voice. Are you hurt, have you seen a
doctor?”

“Yeah mom,” Nicole said. The knowledge of her memory loss
weighed heavily on her mind. “He says that I should recover very well.”

“Good, good,” her mother sighed. “Your father will be
thrilled to hear you’re awake. I’ll text Jackson when he gets off work so that
you can give him a call as well.”

“Okay, I’ll have him watch out for it,” Nicole glanced over
at Jackson, who was watching her intently.

“Is he still there with you?” her mother asked, a strange
tone in her voice. “I mean, I should assume so if you’re calling on his phone.”

“Yeah,” Nicole answered. “He’s been here ever since I woke
up.”

“He’s been there all week, as far as we know,” her mother
noted, her voice warm, and carrying a hint. Nicole frowned, confused by her
mother’s mercurial tone changes.

“Yeah…” Nicole said. “Mom… there’s something else… something
about the wreck…”

“What is it?” her mother urged, her tone once more anxious.

“I… I have no memory of the wreck…” Nicole said, swallowing
hard so she could get the rest of the words out. “Or five years before…”

There was a moment of silence that passed between them over
the phone.

“Oh honey,” her mother sighed, her voice seeming relieved.
“I know this must be hard for you. But we’ll all be here for you to help put it
all back together, okay?”

“Okay,” Nicole said, relieved that her mother had taken the
news so well. “I’d better go… I love you.”

“I love you too,” her mother said softly. “It’s so good to
hear your voice. Get some rest honey.”

“I will,” Nicole said. “Bye.”

“Bye-bye,” her mother said, and the line went dead.

Nicole gave the phone back to Jackson, and she was quiet for
a long moment. She suddenly felt exhausted, and she leaned back in the bed. Jackson
looked at her worriedly, and reached out as if to help her.

“I’m okay,” she said, giving him a reassuring smile. He
smiled back, his eyes tender.

“Okay,” he said softly, and a pure, genuine smile lifting
his features.

Nicole could not explain why, but his smile calmed her more
than anything else probably could. Her reaction to him was wholly surprising
and unexpected, but she was grateful that he could serve as a comfort to her.

For the rest of the short time that she was in the hospital,
Nicole endeavored to get to know Jackson a little better. For the most part, he
was a very intense and quiet man. He still seemed very worried, and he looked
at her with concern every time she moved. Nicole found it somewhat unnerving,
but she knew he was only doing it because he cared for her.

The more time she spent with him, the more she realized that
the accident had taken its toll on him, as well as it had injured her. He
seemed anxious and on edge at times, and it seemed to her that he was having
trouble sleeping. She had no way to know if he was always like that or if it
was a result of worrying over his unconscious wife for nearly a week.

Nicole, too, felt a subconscious connection with this man.
He rarely touched her, but when he did, a spark seemed to travel through her
body. Even his nearness was enough to put her body on high alert. Her heart
beat a little faster when she looked at him. This embarrassed her to no end, as
she was still hooked up to a lot of technology that gave her away each time.
Jackson certainly noticed, and he gave her a mischievous glance each time it
happened. Rather than embarrassment, though, Nicole found herself laughing.

Slowly but surely, she found herself connecting with this
man of whom she had no recollection. She vaguely mused that there was no wonder
they had been together for the past five years if she was already falling in
love with him again.

The time they spent in the hospital, though, was limited.
Both of her examinations had been positive. Nicole had winced when the doctor
examined her bruises, which were dark and large, all along her thighs and her
upper torso. It was still hard for her to sit up unassisted without pain, but
the doctor assured her that it would go away in time, and might be due in large
part to her extended state of unconsciousness.

True to his word, the doctor released her a day after she
woke up. He assured them both that she should have a full recovery, and
encouraged them to call if they needed any guidance or had any questions. He
also urged them to call if she suddenly regained her memory, and said that even
if she never gained the memories back, she could live a healthy and normal
life.

The time finally came for them to leave the hospital and go
home. Nicole couldn’t help but be nervous. She still thought that she should be
going back home to a college dorm room or her parent’s house. Instead, she
would be going to her own adult home with her husband.

Nicole stared blankly across the room. She jumped slightly
as she felt Jackson’s hand on her shoulder. He immediately withdrew his hand
and looked at her with concern.

“Nicole?” he said softly. “Are you ready?”

Nicole hesitated for a moment and looked for a long moment
at the wheelchair that had been brought for her. AT length, she nodded.

She allowed Jackson to gently help her stand. Nicole would
have certainly swayed and fallen if Jackson hadn’t been there to steady her. He
lowered her into the wheelchair, and helped Nicole to settle herself into it.
When she was ready, she looked up at the ever attentive Jackson and gave him a
smile and a nod.

Jackson began to wheel her down the hall of the hospital,
but Nicole’s mind was elsewhere. Her heart beat hard and fast in her chest, and
she was vaguely grateful that she was no longer hooked up to any machinery that
would reveal her elevated heart
rate.

“I called our friend Angela to pick us up,” Jackson
explained as they neared the exit, and Nicole blinked.

“Okay,” she said. She had no recollection of anyone named Angela,
but she supposed that she would have to be meeting a lot of people that she
couldn’t remember in the coming days.

Soon, they were outside the doors of the hospital, and
Jackson started rolling her toward a white sedan that was parked in the
driveway area. A tall black woman stepped out of the driver’s seat and moved
over to open the passenger side door.

“Good to see you up and about,” the woman spoke, and flashed
them both a bright white smile. “I know you don’t remember, but we three are
the best of friends. Well, four if you count my husband James.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Nicole said. “Again.”

Angela laughed.

“Come on, let’s get you into the car and get you home,”
Angela said, a broad smile on her face.

Nicole smiled up at the woman and allowed Jackson to help
her up out of the chair and onto her feet so that she could lower herself into
the car. She could already tell that she was warming up this woman. She felt a
sense of warmth and calm around her, though she attributed that partially to
her warm, motherly voice.

It did not take long to get Nicole settled into the car, and
Jackson settled into the back.

They all three chatted about her time in the hospital.
Nicole appreciated the fact that the woman did not try to bring up anything
that Nicole could not remember. The woman seemed very bright and strong, and
she seemed more than happy to simply start again from the beginning.

Soon, they pulled up to a row of townhouses, and Nicole
despaired for a moment, hoping that she didn’t have to climb any stairs on her
weak legs.

“Well here we are,” Angela said, looking over at her and
giving her a wide smile. “You two call me if you think of anything you need.”

“Okay,” Nicole smiled. “Thank you so much for the ride.”

“Don’t mention it,” Angela winked.

Jackson had moved to the passenger’s side door and opened it
to help her out.

“See you,” he said to Angela as he supported Nicole on the
sidewalk.

“You guys take care,” Angela smiled and waved as she got
back into her car.

Jackson watched Angela drive down the street, and then
turned his face back to Nicole.

“Want to check out our place?” Jackson smiled softly at her.

Nicole felt a rush of anxiety, but she nodded. Jackson
softly ran a hand up and down her back and led her to a unit labeled number one
hundred and two, which was blessedly on the street level except for a small
stoop with about five steps.

Jackson helped her up the steps and fished his keys out of
his pocket. Nicole watched with wide eyes as he turned the key in the lock.

“Here it is…” he said as he swung the door inward. Nicole’s
eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she moved into the townhouse.

It was everything that she had ever dreamed that her
apartment would be. There was a small table in the entryway, and she saw a
picture of herself and Jackson, his arm wrapped around her shoulders somewhere
where it was snowing. A bright smile lit up her face, and she felt an ache as
she realized she had no memory of this occasion.

She moved down the small halls, and noted that the walls
were a soft cream color, almost white. Pictures of her family, and what she
assumed were his family lined the short wall. A picture of Angela, and a man
that she did not recognize was among the framed pictures.

The hallway led into a large living room, with a large,
cream colored leather couch, loveseat and chairs around a glass coffee table.
The carpet was thick, and was a matching cream color. Rugs were scattered here
and there in deep earth tones. The curtains were brown and hazy red, and gave a
nice touch to the room.

The living room was separated from the kitchen by a
breakfast bar. The floor of the kitchen was made up of light beige tiles, and
there was a large, quarts topped island in the kitchen and counters, with deep
cheery wood for the cabinets. It was a beautiful room, and Nicole couldn’t;
help but openly marvel at it.

“Do you like it?” Jackson asked her, a hint of amusement in
his voice.

“Yes,” Nicole breathed her answer. “Is it ours?”

“Yes,” Jackson answered. “It’s completely paid for.”

Nicole felt a rush of shock. She wondered what he did for
money. Or maybe what she did for money…

“You want to head upstairs?” he suggested.

Nicole groaned internally at the idea of moving up any kind
of stairs, but she supposed it was an inevitability. She nodded, and Jackson
led her through the home to a staircase at the back. She gingerly moved up the
steps, and was relieved to find that the journey was much less arduous than she
had anticipated. They traveled the two landings with ease, and they were confronted
with yet another hallway.

“Three bedrooms,” he said, and again Nicole was awed. “The
front room is a guest bedroom, and the one adjacent from the master is a
nursery.”

“Are you like a real estate agent?” Nicole joked as he gave
her a tour of their home.

“No,” Jackson smiled down at her. “You are.”

Nicole felt her spirit flutter. That had been her dream job
since she was in high school. She was glad that she had achieved her goal, but
she was anxious thinking of going back to work with five years of her memory
lost.

Jackson laughed lightly and continued to lead her down the
hall.

“Here’s the nursery,” he said as he opened a door.

Nicole looked in, and was impressed by the simplicity of the
room. Much like the living room, it was made up in soft earth tones, and a
large, cherry wood crib was set up along one wall, alongside a changing table.
Nicole’s stomach clenched at the idea of becoming a mother so soon, and she
braced herself against the doorframe to catch her breath.

“Are you okay?” Jackson asked her. He gently tilted her face
up to look into his concerned eyes.

“Not really…” Nicole gave him a small smile. “But I’m
coping.”

He gave her a soft smile.

“Want to see the master bed?” he asked, and turned her
around to face the adjacent door.

Nicole peered into the room and felt her jaw drop again. The
bed was a king size with the same cream that adorned the rest of the house. There
was a brown rug that stretched across the large space, and along one wall there
was a dresser with a large mirror. The closet had a set of double doors, and on
the far wall, there was a set of French doors. Jackson led her over to them and
opened them onto a patio- complete with a small round table and a set of four chairs-
that looked over a small courtyard with a pool.

“Well?” Jackson spoke. “What do you think?”

“It’s incredible,” Nicole answered without thought.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said softly. Nicole’s expression
fell, and she felt suddenly overwhelmingly tired. She swayed slightly on her
feet, and Jackson steadied her.

“DO you want to lie down?” he asked her.

Nicole nodded, and Jackson led her back into the bedroom,
closing the patio doors. He moved her over to the bed, and secured her with one
hand as he pulled back the comforter with the other. He helped her to settle
down, and she sighed happily as she rested her head on the soft pillows, the
soft scent of detergent filling her nose.

“I think I’m going to settle down for a nap as well,”
Jackson smiled down at her, and began to move toward the door. Nicole felt
foolish, but anxiety filled her at the thought of him leaving her.

“You’re not…” she spoke up, and blushed from embarrassment.
“You’re not staying here?”

Jackson frowned slightly.

“I was going to sleep in the guest bedroom,” he explained.

“But…” Nicole protested weakly. “Isn’t this your room too?”

Jackson tilted his read and scratched at the back of his
head, ruffling his black hair.

“I just didn’t want to freak you out,” he said with a shrug.

Nicole twisted her hands into the soft down comforter. Jackson
watched her expectantly.

“Would you feel better if I stayed here?” he asked her.
Nicole looked up at him and gave a tentative nod. Jackson smiled softly, and
moved back toward the bed.

Nicole could not explain the relief that filled her as he
settled down beside her. There was a safe distance between them of a couple of
feet, and yet for some reason, Nicole wished he would close it.

Jackson looked over at her, and she saw an amused smile on
his face. Nicole felt self-conscious, and also somewhat flustered by his look,
and she frowned.

“What?” she asked him, putting some annoyance in her tone.

“Nothing,” Jackson shook his head, and rolled onto his side
to face her. “It’s just… you- your little quirks… you’re still so much the
same.”

As he spoke, his voice grew softer and more reverent, and
Nicole felt a surge of emotion. She looked over at him and he looked away,
turning onto his back.

“Have a good nap,” he said softly, gathering the comforter
up around him.

“You too,” Nicole murmured. She was only unsettled for a
moment more before her tiredness outweighed her conflicting emotions, and she
fell asleep.

Nicole slept comfortably for what felt like the first time
in a long while. The hospital bed had not been the most comfortable, and she
had been lying on it for over a week. This mattress was just the right mixture
of firm and soft, and she vaguely noted that she had probably picked it out
herself. Her mind began to drift and she started to dream.

Her mind was filled of images of Jackson. His soft smile and
his intense dark eyes filled her mind and in her dreams, she somehow felt that
nothing had changed, as if she had not forgotten those five years in which
their relationship has grown.

Within the confines of her mind, she could feel his large
hand caressing her hip and her thigh. She felt her body shudder at his touch,
and she felt an unmistakable wetness pool between her thighs. In her dreams,
she turned into his touch, and buried her face into his chest. He smelled of spices
and light soap, and she nuzzled into his dark, coarse chest hair.

She could feel his lips against her skin as he kissed her
neck, and she felt him slip his hand between her thighs. She stirred and moved
closer to him, and she let out a soft gasp as he gently cupper her center. Her
dream seemed especially real and vivid, and she could swear she actually felt
his hands on her.

Nicole had a suspicion that this was not entirely a dream,
and she cracked her eyes open. She caught her breath as she realized that
Jackson was, in fact, caressing her body quite intimately. She had the notion
of stopping him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Mostly because of the
fact that he was asleep.

His brows were furrowed, and his breath was slightly ragged,
but he was very much asleep. And his hands were very much attending to the very
intimate parts of her body. Nicole bit her lip and tried to keep quiet as he
pressed his palm against her center and began to softly massage her there.

Nicole couldn’t remember ever being touched in such a way.
She was sure that this must have happened plenty of times in their five years
together, but she had no recollection of it. She could remember clumsy, or
drunk, instances of fooling around with boys in college, but they had nothing
on what was happening to her right now.

In spite of herself, Nicole became lost in sensation, and
she released a soft moan.