Back Into Your Arms

“Text me when you arrive in Nashville” I said to him as I gave him a tight hug. We weren’t both returning to Arizona together. Colby had called him to Nashville to record vocals for the record.

I was sad that he was leaving but happy that they would be finishing the album soon.

“I will” he said kissing my forehead and then my lips. We waved goodbye to each other as I watched him walk away. I had some unfinished business of my own before heading to Phoenix.

I hailed a taxi and told the driver to take me to the hospital.

“Keep it together” I said to myself as I entered the hospital doors.
I didn’t know much about my friendship with Julie prior to my accident. I wanted those memories back, but my memory retrieval was not on demand.

I had questions that only I could answer, and that was the hardest part to accept.

I stopped outside of her door as I carefully planned the words I would use.

I walked in. She was lying in bed watching The Kardashians.
“Mel” she said sitting up immediately. She looked nervous, she looked scared. I wanted to do the old me justice.

“Julianna”

We both remained silent for a moment.

“Are you happy for me?” I asked her. She blinked a couple of times processing the sudden question. She looked so unlike herself in the hospital bed. She was bruised and vulnerable.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m getting my memory back, I’m dating the love of my life, I moved back to Arizona, I’m getting my life together, are you happy for me?”

“I am” she said emotionless.

“Honestly speaking Julie, tell me the truth”

“I don’t know what you want me to say”

“I want you to tell me that you’re happy that my life is finally going in the course it was supposed to go. I want you to tell me that you aren’t jealous of me, that you support me, that you’re still my best friend, that these past years haven’t been lies, I need you to prove to me that I can trust you again”

She looked away. She took a deep breath. She refused to look me in the eye.

“I told you I was sorry Melody”

“Sorry just doesn’t cut it for me Julianna, it just doesn’t. I honestly don’t even freaking care about the past, the past is done. I want to know that you don’t have bad feelings towards me anymore, I want to know that-”

“I think we should stop being friends Melody, I think it’s for the best”

“Julie” I gasped.

“Please” she said reaching for the button on the side of her bed.

“What are you doing?” I asked confused. She pressed the button and a nurse came in right away.

“Thank you for visiting me” she said glaring at me. The nurse then asked her what was wrong. I began walking away confused beyond my mind.

“Please don’t allow anyone to come visit me unless it’s my kids” she instructed the nurse.

I was hurt, I felt my heart breaking as I walked out.

I just wanted her to tell me that she was my real friend now. I wanted it to be like the movies, where they tell you that things started out with the wrong intentions, but that their feelings were now true. I wanted her to tell me that she was happy for me and that her friendship was true, but she couldn’t do it.
Before I left, I decided to pay Mrs. Shepard a visit.

“My darling, look at you!” she said to me as she greeted me at her home.

“What do you mean?” I asked confused.

“You look different dear”

“Different, how?”

“You won’t get offended?”

“ME? Never” I laughed. She made a face and then laughed too.

“You have more personality now, you look so full of life, I don’t know, there’s just something different. Have you found yourself again? Have you found what you’ve been looking for?”

“I don’t know, I feel like I’ve found the opposite”

“What do you mean?”

“The truth is hard to take sometimes…I found out Julie was pretending to be my friend all this time”

“Your best friend?”

“Yeah” I nodded as I began to tell her everything that had happened.

“If she does not wish for your happiness then you don’t need that kind of friend, it really is her loss”

“I suppose” I sighed.

“But other than that, how is everything with your Rockstar?”
I giggled at her choice of word.

“He left to record vocals in Nashville, I love him Mrs. Shepard, I really do”

“I can tell, I mean if only you could see your face right now that you began talking about him” she laughed.

“Next time we are in New York I promise I will bring him over for you to meet him”

“I’m really happy for you Melody, such a sweet girl, you deserve love”

I smiled, Mrs. Shepard was older than my mom, but a true friend.