She met John six years ago. It was the best accidental  first date ever. They had bumped into each other at the Cafe down near the town square.  After they laughed for a moment through the awkward introductions, they decided to get breakfast together. Sitting there, they discovered they had so much in common. They were both readers though they preferred very different genres. They both loved museums and conversing about anything and everything. They talked for hours and their connection was so strong that they couldn’t leave each other’s side and ended up spending the entire day together. 

After they said their goodnights and made plans for tomorrow, he turned to walk away. She got a few steps away when she heard a few screams and a crashing sounding. Turning back, panic rose in her as she saw John laying there in the roadway, blood seeping from his head. Someone had called for an ambulance, and she dropped to knees beside him and held his hand.

Soon the ambulance was there and the professional gathered him up and loaded him in the van carefully. She didn’t want to leave his side so she told them that she was his girlfriend. The ride to the hospital was rough. The paramedics kept him from coding. Once at the hospital, there was a rush getting him in and taken care of. She just stood there panicking while they did what they could to stabilize him. 

She didn’t understand why she couldn’t leave his side. They just met and she couldn’t see herself being anywhere but by his side. She had this feeling that he was the one.

A few hours later after they finally got him stable and in ICU, they let her back to see him. 

The doctor came by and told her that while they got the bleeding to stop, they won’t know of any damage resulting from the wreck until he wakes up if he wakes up. 

The news brought her to tears. They just met and now he is hurt and she is attached. She spent her time, holding his hand and whispering to him that he was going to be ok.

For days, it went on like this, no sign of John waking up. Four weeks went by with her visiting every day and spending hours by his side talking to him. One day she walked in to see him sitting up and talking to a nurse. 

He looked over at her in confusion and asked who she was. That hit her like a knife to the chest. The nurse left and she went on to explain the day they met, how they connected and spent the day together. She then told him about the wreck. He already knew he was in some kind of accident.


She got up to leave but he grabbed her hand. 

“Stay.” He asked. “I may not remember you or that day but I was smart enough that day to spend it with you. Let’s start over again.”

She nodded and sat back by his side. She stayed all day and only left when visiting hours were over with a promise to return.

The following morning she arrived at the hospital filled with hope. She all but pranced in the halls on the way to his room. Just before she got to his room she was stopped by the nurse from yesterday.

‘There’s been a development. It appears that he doesn’t remember the previous day.” The nurse told her.

“You must be mistaken. He was fine yesterday. How can he not remember?”

“The doctor will soon come by to discuss more with the patient.”

The nurse then walked away. Leaving her to think about what this means. She enters his room and he is staring out the window. 

“Who are you?” He asked as he turned towards her. 

She went through the same explanation as she did yesterday. He smiled the same and she could tell that he was feeling the same connection again.

  The doctor showed up then and went over the results from the tests.

“It looks like you have no short term memory from the day of the accident. I know you said you remember the day before but nothing after. Correct?” The doctor looked at John and as he waited for John to answer, she was waiting too.

Hope lingered gently in the background of her mind, praying for this to be a big mistake.

“No, I don't recall anything.” He said sadly as tears dripped down her face. 

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it firmly.

The doctor, satisfied with his reply, told him that they were going to keep him a few more days just to evaluate him then he can go home. Then he walked out the room.

“I know this isn’t ideal for starting a relationship, but we can give it a try. There’s something about you I can’t let go of.” John spoke hurriedly. 

“I’ll have to think about whether or not this is something I can handle.” She said quietly. “I need some time.”

With that, she left the room crying. Making her way home that day she could believe what was happening. The man of her dreams, the “one’ was facing this horrible situation.

It took a few days of her thinking and going back and forth over things before she decided she couldn’t walk away.

Heading back to the hospital, she found herself stalling just outside his room. Working up the courage to go inside.

Once again she goes through the telling of how they met, the accident and how long she has been by his side. He tells her that the nurse said he can go home today. He also mentioned coming up with a way to remind himself of her before they meet so he knows their history. They plan to create a binder that will have everything he needs to know inside it. 

Finally discharge papers come and they are on their way to his place. They were pretty sure there was a bit of cleaning that needed to be done.

Once there, they conversed like the very first day, enjoying every minute of it. She ran out once to get supplies for the binder. When she got back, they wrote what happened and everything they talked about and information about her. This way he can read it first thing in the morning. Across the front they put READ ME FIRST. It was late and soon she needed to leave. They exchanged numbers and had them saved in their phones. 

The next morning she gets a text from him and she realizes that the binder worked. From that moment on they added to it every day. For years they added to it. There were times she kept the binder so she could have some time to herself. After enough time passed by she no longer needed to.

Until now. Six years together and she can’t do it anymore. They have one child already and another on the way. She watches each day as he struggles to connect with children he does remember having. He tries his best but he is having a lot of trouble with it. He just can connect and she just can’t allow her children to grow up in a home like that. It’s now that she makes the decision to walk away. There isn’t much to do. Remove a few pictures in his home, wipe his phone of evidence of them and take the binder.

She plans to do that tonight. Her daughter is at her mom’s and it’s hard enough to walk away from the love of your life but the things you do for your children. 

As she lays beside him, one last time, she cries gently. She knew this was going to hurt like hell. She already wiped her existence from his life. She just needs a few more minutes in his arms. Getting up she looks around  to make sure there is nothing left of her. She put the binder in her bag and walked back to him and stood there watching him sleep. Leaning down, she kissed him goodbye, knowing he wouldn’t remember her tomorrow.