Page 86 of Manny's Surprise Baby

“Okay.” My stomach clenched at his serious tone.

He moved to sit at the table, and I followed suit. He cleared his throat. “After our nap yesterday…” He stopped.

I nodded to encourage him to keep speaking.

“After you woke up you… um… you didn’t remember some things.” He shifted uneasily.

“Like what?”

“Like me for one thing.” He winced.

He had to be kidding. “There’s no way I didn’t know who you were.”

He swallowed hard. “You didn’t at first. But then my identity seemed to seep back in gradually. But you didn’t remember that we had any sort of personal relationship. You just—” He shook his head. “Didn’t remember our connection at all.”

I scrunched my face in a frown. “That’s just not possible. I love you. I wouldn’t forget you.”

“You did, Seth.” His eyes were dark with worry. “You… you didn’t love me anymore.”

I reached out and grabbed his hand because the pain in his voice was hard to bear. “Pierce, I love you. That won’t change. I promise.”

He dropped his head. “All I know is I’m not lying.”

“Well… what was wrong with me? Did you figure that out somehow?”

“I took you to the ER because I was so worried.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “I can’t believe this all happened and I don’t remember any of it.” I raked a hand through my hair, feeling rattled. “You actually took me to the hospital?”

“Yes.”

“I have no memory of that at all.” I widened my eyes. “Did I remember Emily? Please tell me I didn’t make her feel horrible too.” The idea I’d rejected her had me sick to my stomach.

“You remembered her. You got her name wrong once, but you knew she was your daughter. But you were disoriented and didn’t know where you were. It was awful.” He looked pale.

“Jesus.” My head ached with confusion. “What did the doctors say was wrong with me?”

“Well, I was afraid you’d had a stroke. But your speech was fine, and so the doctors didn’t agree.”

“So it wasn’t anything like that?”

“No. Apparently you had what’s called transient global amnesia. It’s like a sort of temporary amnesia.”

I squinted at him, finding all of this difficult to believe. “I’ve never heard of that.”

“I hadn’t either. But… it happened. I witnessed it with my own eyes.” He squeezed my fingers so tight it almost hurt. “And you’re back to yourself now, just like the doctor said you’d be.”

I held his wary gaze. “God, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry if I hurt you.” It was the worst feeling to think I might have said or done hurtful things and not even been aware of it.

“It’s okay. I mean, it wasn’t intentional. You were simply lost. I felt bad for you because you looked pretty scared, and you really never seem scared about anything.”

“I’m not usually.”

“The doctor thought it was probably the bump on your head that caused it.”

“Shit.” I touched my temple. “What if it happens again?”

“According to the medical experts, it’s rare that it would happen again to the same person.”