Forget Me Not

by Fern Michaels

  “What about my bill?”

  “You’ll have to take that up with the billing office. I’m sure you have insurance and can settle up when you know what’s what. You didn’t come in with a purse, so I assume billing has nothing on you.”

  “So I’m in Florida,” Lucy said, her eyes on the swaying palms outside the window.

  “And it’s eighty-five degrees today with no humidity, and just for the record, it is thirty-eight degrees in New Jersey and New York. I heard the weather on the radio on my way to the hospital this morning.” The doctor chuckled on his way out of the room.

  “I’m scared,” Lucy said to the nurse. “What if I can’t remember my life?”

  “Don’t think like that. You heard what the doctor said. Don’t agitate yourself. My guess is two days. I’ve seen my share of patients who have gone through this. Take the sedatives the doctor gives you, sleep as much as you can, drink a lot of fluids, and let nature take its course.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Lucy grumbled.

  The nurse laughed as she rummaged around for Lucy’s clothes. “Oh, now I remember. Mrs. Longhurst took your clothes home and said she would launder them and bring them back, so you won’t be able to get dressed till she gets here.”

  “That was nice of her.”

  “Yes, it was, and that’s why the doctor is discharging you. He knows you will be in good hands, and she was a nurse before she retired. I’m going to leave you now and see what I can do about expediting that heel for your foot, and I also need to rustle up some crutches for you. I’ll turn the TV on. I can get you some coffee or juice if you like.”

  “Thank you. I would like some coffee. I think I like coffee. Not decaf, though.”

  The nurse laughed as she walked out of the room. Within minutes a candy striper carried in a tray with a steaming cup of coffee, a doughnut on a plate, and some orange juice.

  Lucy didn’t drink the coffee right away, afraid she’d burn her tongue. She closed her eyes and tried to think. Who am I? Why can’t I remember? How can the death of both parents not be bothering me? She bit down on her lip. Why did I say my name is Angie? Do I know someone named Angie? What are my parents’ names?

  She wanted to cry when she couldn’t remember. “Don’t force it,” the doctor and nurse had said. Easy to say, hard to do. How was she going to take a shower? A bath? Hang her foot over the tub? Not. One leg outside the shower? Not. Sponge baths? Absolutely not. No way in hell was she going to go through her days with sponge baths. A crisis. Stay calm. Don’t get agitated. Lucy closed her eyes and tried to bury herself in the pillows behind her. Did she have any money? How was she going to pay for all of this? She had to eat, too. Eating cost money. Strange that she would know that but not know her own name. Childishly, she crossed her fingers that she had a bank account somewhere that she could draw on.

  Lucy dozed then, the coffee forgotten, and didn’t wake until she felt a gentle nudge to her arm. She opened her eyes to see a little gray-haired lady wearing a huge smile.

  “I’m Adel Longhurst. I’ve come to take you back to your parents’ house. There’s a man waiting outside the room to fasten a heel onto your foot. I brought your clothes back. I washed and ironed them, so let’s get you dressed. And then the man from the lab can go to work on your foot. I already took your crutches down to the car, where my husband is waiting outside. You’ll go down in a hospital wheelchair. I took the liberty of ordering one for you, and it will be delivered this afternoon. It’s just a rental and will have to be returned, but it is electric, so that will make it easier for you to get around on the ground floor.”

  Lucy felt her heart start to race. “Ground floor?”

  “Yes, ground floor. Your parents’ house has two floors, and the staircase is quite long. I think you’d be exhausted if you had to go upstairs. Their house is the biggest one built in Palm Royal. I think it must have around six thousand square feet. It’s just big is all I know. I was never inside. For now, the first floor will work, don’t you think?”

  Her heart still racing, Lucy nodded. Second floor, ground floor. Just the words were having an effect on her. What did it mean? She needed to say something to this kind lady. “I appreciate your helping me like this. You don’t even know me. Did you know my parents?”

  “That’s what neighbors do. They help one another. No, I didn’t know your parents.”

  “The doctor said you were at the funeral service. If you didn’t know them, why did you go?”

  “Because it was the right thing to do. Why don’t we talk about this later, when you’re back home, in a more comfortable setting?”

  Lucy nodded, wondering what that meant. If she couldn’t remember the house, what made this nice lady think she’d be comfortable there? When no answer came to her, Lucy allowed herself to be helped getting dressed. She smiled as she watched her benefactor slip on her sneakers and tie the laces.

  “Reminds me of when my children were little, and I had to put their shoes on. That was such a long time ago, but some things you just never forget, especially the pleasant memories.”

  “How many children do you have?”

  “Five, scattered all over the country, and one lives in London. I haven’t seen him in years. I also have four grandchildren I rarely get to see. To be honest with you, Buddy and I don’t even know what they look like these days. Everyone has their own life, and there’s just no extra time for us old fuddy-duddies. They do call from time to time, and when they think about it, they might send an e-mail. Buddy and I used to stay at home and wait so we wouldn’t miss it if they called or e-mailed, but eventually we had to come to terms with the fact that it wasn’t going to happen the way we wanted, and the kids had set their own priorities. And we weren’t anywhere near the top of the list,” she said sadly.

  Lucy didn’t know where the words came from. They just flew out of her mouth.

  “Well, I could use a mother. Do you want the job?”

  Hands on her plump hips, Adel looked at Lucy, trying to decide if she was joking or not. Whatever she saw in her expression worked for her, because she said, “I accept, but it has to be a package deal since I have a husband. His real name is William, but I call him Buddy. His poker pals call him Bud.”

  “I could use a father, too,” Lucy said seriously.

  “Then it’s a deal.”

  For some reason, Lucy suddenly felt on top of the world. She had parents again. When she got her memory back, Adel and Buddy would be there for her, and she wouldn’t be devastated at her loss. At least that was how she hoped it would work out.

  Forty minutes later, Lucy was being helped into a sleek-looking Jaguar by Buddy, who could have been a stand-in for Santa Claus. She said so, to his delight.

  “When should I start calling you Mom and Dad?” Lucy asked, straight-faced.

  “How about right now?” Buddy chuckled. He turned to his wife, smiled, and said, “You never cease to amaze me, darlin’.” Then he leaned into the backseat and gave Lucy a sweeping hug.

  Startled, Lucy blinked at the suddenness of it all, but she had to admit, she felt warm and safe all at the same time. Such nice people.

  Settled in the front seat, Adel turned around to talk to Lucy in the backseat. “If you give me your prescriptions, Buddy can stop at the drugstore, and I can run them in. They’ll deliver them when they’re ready. Is that okay?”

  “Yes, of course. You two are being way too kind. Thank you,” was all Lucy could think of to say.

  “That’s what parents do, dear. They help their children. Besides, we love having something to do besides looking at each other twenty-four/seven. Buddy stopped playing golf because he has a bad hip, and I was never one for arts and crafts at the clubhouse, so we just kind of stay home for the most part. We have talked about moving back to Texas, where we were both born and raised, but we also talked about moving to the Carolinas. In the end, we’ll probably just stay here.”

  “You should go wherever you think you will be the m
ost comfortable. They told me I live in New Jersey. You could go there. I’ll be going back there as soon as I remember where I live. I wonder what it’s like there.”

  “Do you have a computer, darlin’?” Buddy asked.

  “I don’t know. Probably. Why?”

  “That’s okay. I can bring our laptop over and do a Google Earth quest and show you where you live in New Jersey. It might help you jog your memory.”

  “You can do that?” Lucy asked in amazement.

  “Buddy is a computer fool. He can do anything on a computer. He loves it. I just know how to do e-mail. I’d rather sit down and read a good book,” Adel said. “Ah, here we go. I’ll just run in your prescriptions. I’ll be right back out.”

  Adel was as good as her word; she was back within minutes. “Home, James!” she said imperiously.

  “Yes, darlin’,” Buddy said, leaning over to give his wife a smooch on the cheek.

  In the backseat, Lucy grinned. She liked her new parents. They might be elderly, but she could tell they were young at heart. She’d made a good choice.

  Ten minutes later, Buddy swerved into the driveway of a monstrous-looking house.

  “This is your temporary home, Lucy,” Adel said. “If you notice, you packed up your father’s truck there. I know it’s his truck because I’ve seen him driving it. Your mother used to drive a Mercedes sedan, but it was totaled in the crash.”

  “How are we going to get inside? Do I have keys?”

  “You did, dear. Buddy said they were in your purse in the garage. He had to go in and look for them so we could lock up behind you. While this is an ultrasafe neighborhood, you can’t leave things to chance, and we didn’t want to leave the packed truck in the open garage. We also put your purse on the kitchen table. We didn’t think we had a choice. I hope that was all right,” Adel said.

  “Of course. So then I must have money in my purse. And credit cards, maybe a checkbook.”

  “I’m sure you do, but neither of us looked. I just took the keys. Buddy has them. We also left some lights on in the house at night.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “You just sit tight there, darlin’, and I’ll lift you out of the car while my sweetie opens the door for us.”

  Lucy stared at the Range Rover. She knew what it was because she could see the block letters on the back. She could also see boxes and boxes piled inside. Her heart kicked up a beat, then another beat, and her hands started to shake. She seemed unable to take her eyes off the Range Rover.

  “Ready, little lady?” Buddy asked, opening the door wide. “What’s wrong, darlin’? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

  “Is that . . . is that my father’s car? Am I the one who packed it up?”

  “Well, Adel said she saw your father driving it, so I guess so. I also guess you were the one who packed it up. I imagine you were going to drive to New Jersey. We’ll be able to tell if that’s the case when we get you inside.”

  Inside the sterile-looking kitchen, Buddy bellowed to his wife. “Tell me where to put our new daughter, darlin’.”

  “Here on the sofa in the family room. There’s a TV in here. I think she’ll be the most comfortable here, and there’s a powder room off to the left, so she won’t have too far to walk.”

  Buddy settled Lucy gently on the sofa and looked around for the remote control. He clicked it on, and nothing happened. He spied the electrical cord lying on the floor. “I think you must have disconnected all the appliances since you were leaving,” he said as he plugged the cord into the outlet on the wall.

  “Yes, everything has been disconnected, and there’s no food in the refrigerator,” Adel called from the kitchen.

  “Well, then, why don’t I go to the grocery store and get whatever you think she’s going to need for now. You two can chat it up till I get back. What about dinner, darlin’?”

  “It’s not even lunchtime yet, Buddy. Bring something back for lunch and whatever else you want. I can cook here and get Lucy settled before we go back home for the night. Oh, and pick up some bandages and everything I’ll need to change Lucy’s dressing.”

  “Wait, wait! Take the money out of my purse. Please, I can’t let you pay for all of this.”

  “Just you never mind, little lady. We can settle up later.”

  And then Buddy was gone. Adel settled herself in a chair across from where Lucy was sitting. “Does anything look familiar to you, dear?”

  Lucy looked around. “No. Everything looks new.”

  Adel followed Lucy’s gaze. “It does, doesn’t it? I don’t think your parents spent much time here. Sometimes they were gone for months at a time. At least it seemed that way. What I mean by that is, there were never lights on in this house at night for long periods of time. I remember seeing someone who looked like you out on the deck once a year or so ago. You were just sitting there, staring across the yard. You weren’t reading or anything.”

  “I don’t remember ever being here. From what I’ve seen of this house, it’s not to my liking. It’s cold and formal. I wish I could remember what they were like. I don’t even know if I have sisters or brothers or aunts or uncles.”

  “Well, if you do, they weren’t at the funeral service. The only people there were Buddy, myself, Mr. Kingston, and, of course, yourself. He’s the developer who built Palm Royal. You had your parents cremated. The minister said that at the service.”

  “No one came to the service? Didn’t my parents have any friends? The neighbors didn’t attend?”

  For the first time since setting eyes on Adel, her new mother, Lucy noticed how uncomfortable she suddenly looked. “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No. I guess you had . . . have no way of knowing, but you’re right. No one else attended. There was an episode a while back, two, maybe three years ago or so. One of the residents of Palm Royal was playing golf, and he had a heart attack. This house backs up to the hole he was playing when he collapsed. Jason Wyler ran over here to get your father to come and help him, but your father refused. He offered to call 9-1-1, but one of the other golfers had already done that. Carl—that was his name—Carl Palmer died right there on the ground before the EMS people could get there. No one understood why your father, a world-renowned heart surgeon, refused to help a man suffering from a heart attack. The enclave here turned on your parents, I guess you could say. The next day your parents were gone. They didn’t return for almost a year.”

  “My father was a heart surgeon?” Lucy asked, a stupefied look on her face.

  “Not just a heart surgeon, a world-renowned heart surgeon. When Buddy comes back, he can show you on his laptop. Your mother was a doctor, too.”

  “And he refused to help that man?”

  “I’m afraid so. No one knows why. After they did return, the people here just shunned them.”

  “And my mother was a doctor, too?”

  “Yes. And she was not social at all. Neither was your father. They kept to themselves. They never went to any of the affairs at the clubhouse. They refused to put out the candle bags at Christmas. To be honest, Lucy, I don’t know why they moved here. Buddy and I have thick hides. We tried several times to interact with them. I even baked an angel food cake and brought it over. Your mother thanked me, but Evelyn Donner, who lives across the street, told me she saw your mother dump it in the trash can. Buddy wouldn’t let me come back after that. I didn’t want to, either.”

  “I don’t think I knew any of that. If I did know it, hearing you talk about it should be ringing bells inside my head, but I don’t hear any bells. That’s just awful, Adel.”

  “Yes, dear, it is. I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you.”

  “I wonder what else I don’t know. Things like that, I mean.”

  “I am more than confident your memory will come back soon, Lucy.”

  Both women jumped when the phone in the kitchen rang. Adel hustled out to the kitchen and picked up the phone. In the family room Lucy could hear a conver
sation going on but couldn’t make out the words.

  “That was a young lady named Angie from New Jersey. She said she’s your best friend. She said she’s waiting at your house for you, and you were supposed to be there the day before yesterday. She said she’s been calling here every ten minutes. I explained what happened to you, and she said she is taking the first flight she can get and will be here as soon as possible.”

  “That’s where I got the name Angie from. She’s coming here? She must really be a good friend to do that.”

  “I’d say so. I’m also betting when you see her, that memory of yours is going to come roaring back.”

  “I hope so. She must know my parents if she’s my best friend. Maybe she can tell us some stuff that will make sense.”

  “If you think you’ll be okay till Buddy gets back, I’m going to scoot home and fetch some things so I can make dinner for us. I know you must be starved. I love, just love to cook things in a pressure cooker, and I didn’t see one in the kitchen. Is it okay if I leave you for half an hour at the most? I just have to cross your yard and mine. Then I’ll be right back.”

  “Of course, go. I’ll be fine. I want to sit here and think a bit.”

  “I won’t be long. Don’t try walking till I get back, even though the crutches are there by the couch. They take some getting used to.”

  “Yes, Mom.” Lucy giggled. Adel beamed as she heard the most loved word in the English language.

  Chapter Six

  It was eight o’clock when Lucy’s new mother called a halt to the evening. “You look exhausted, Lucy. Buddy and I are going to go home, but we’re just a phone call away if you need us. The dressing on your foot will be good till morning. Are you sure you don’t want Buddy to carry you up to the second floor so you can sleep in a bed?”

  The look of panic on Lucy’s face at her words was enough to cause Adel concern. She looked over at her husband and motioned for him to check out the upstairs.

  “Is there something about the upstairs that bothers you, dear? Every time you look toward the stairs, you get a strange look on your face.”