The Son Erased From Reality

The next morning, Samantha woke me. With a hesitant look, she placed a cardboard box in my hands. These are the supplements we bought when we were trying to conceive, along with the toys we never got to give away.

"While you were in the hospital, I packed everything up. I didn't want you to come back and be reminded of them and feel sad. Now, I'm leaving them for you to deal with."

With that, she left the bedroom, leaving me alone with the sealed box. My hands trembled as I peeled back the tape.

Within the box were three parenting guides, a remote-controlled car, a toy pistol, and several boxes of prenatal vitamins. I knew each item well, particularly the books, frayed at the corners from repeated reading. One of the car's wheels was missing.

I pulled out the wheel I had found in the gap between the mattress and the bed frame and compared it to the others. It matched perfectly. The child that had lived in the depths of my mind had been entirely imagined.

A sudden knock on the door startled me. I wiped my face, composed myself, and opened it.

Outside, Samantha smiled gently. "Norman, my cousins are here to see you. Do you want to come out and meet them?"

She grabbed my wrist and led me into the living room. Besides Edmund, two young men were there.

The older cousin, Shawn Bolton, greeted me eagerly. "Norman, you're finally out of the hospital. When I heard about your accident, I was so worried. Thankfully, the driver who caused it has been caught."

For some reason, he felt familiar and comforting.

"Norman, why haven't you asked me to play basketball lately?"

Fragments of memory drifted to the surface, and I saw brief moments of us playing together.

Since I didn't respond, his expression soured, and he let out a small pout. "Sam, why is Norman ignoring me?"

Samantha stepped forward, looping her arm through his. "Norman lost some of his memory in the accident, and he's not fully recovered. Don't push him right now."

He looked disappointed, but he smiled at me anyway. "Norman, don't worry. You'll remember eventually."

"Alright, everyone, take a seat. Let's talk while we sit," Edmund said, ushering everyone to their seats.

I wandered toward the corner of the couch in a daze. The toy car wheel in my hand slipped as I brushed against the cushion, bouncing a few times before landing at the feet of Gerald Bolton, the younger cousin.

Gerald picked it up, examining it between his fingers for a few seconds. Then, he handed it back. "Norman, this is yours."

A knowing smile played across his face. I instinctively hesitated to take it, but Samantha stepped in, placing it gently back in my hand and guiding me to sit on the couch.

As soon as we settled, she asked softly, "Norman, did you remember something?"