You, Me and Our Family

“You do?” she asked. “Of course you are Molly. How can you not be? I mean you’ve woken from a terrible accident and wait….you’re not scared of me right?” he asked. “What no. Why would I be?” she asked. “Good good. Just checking. Hey I haven’t seen you in two days. You’re off. Who knows what’s going on in that head of yours” he said.

“One you wouldn’t be here if I was scared of you. Two I barely know you but even I know that you are odder than me. And three, my head is the problem remember” Molly sighed. “I’d be sacred if I woke up and didn’t remember part of my life Molly. What you are feeling is normal” he told her. “Every time I close my eyes I hope when I open them that I’d know the person you all think I am” she sighed. “Go on” he encouraged her. “My life what I remember……it wasn’t all bad any of it really. But there are parts…… And now I have a whole entire part of my life that I don’t remember instead” she said as she started to cry.

She lifted her right hand from under the covers to wipe her eyes when her hand staled in front of her face. He watched as her finger moved over and back over the tiny sock. “I’m scared I won’t ever remember” she said gripping the sock. “I am too” he admitted and she looked at him. “I’m so confused” she told him. “I’ve being like that since I met you” he smiled. “It’s not funny” she said annoyed. “I don’t think any of this is funny Molly” he told her seriously.

“I have people telling me about I life I apparently have. My best friend is living in America. I’ve moved to another country. My parents are apparently sober and have cleaned up their act. Though my mother is still a bitch” she said. “Ya guess some things haven’t changed entirely when it comes to her” he mumbled. “I don’t know how I got here. And before you go trying to be smart I know I got hit by a car and that’s why I’m in hospital. “she told him. “Wasn’t going to say a thing” he said holding his hands up.

“How did you coming into my life change everything I knew? Why did I come to Madrid?” she asked. “You’ve changed my life. For the good I might add” he told her. “But how? Why? I just can’t remember” she said frustrated. “You will” he told her. “You don’t know that. I might never remember. I might never remember……him” she whispered gripping the sock in her hand. Cristiano leaned forward and she jumped when she felt his finger touch hers.

“We were wondering where that got to” he told her nodding at the sock. “It’s so tiny” she whispered. “Crazy to think a little person could fit into it” he smiled. “How can I not remember? What kind of mot…..” she paused not able to finish the sentence. “Molly” he said looking at her. “I carried him. I have birth to him. What kind of person does that make me? What kind of person doesn’t remember all of that?” she asked angrily. “The kind who is suffering from amnesia” he told her. “It’s no excuse” she snapped. “It’s what’s happening. And I know it’s scary” he told her.

“How? How do you know that? Everyone keeps saying that but you don’t know. They don’t know what it’s like. Being told that I have…..that he existed was on thing. But seeing him. Having him looking at me. Hearing him cry. I can’t stop hearing that cry” she said sobbing. Cristiano stood from the chair and took a seat on the bed.

“It made it all real?” he asked and she nodded. “It is real Molly. He’s real Molly” he said lifting her chin. “He’s a wonderful amazing little boy. And that is all down to the strong gorgeous mother he has. And no one else. And the Molly I know won’t let something like amnesia stop her from being an amazing mother” he told her. “I’m not..”she said pulling back her head.

“You’re not ready. I know. I know. It’s ok” he told her. “It’s not ok. He doesn’t deserve this. What kind of a mot…” she sighed. “You don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for” he told her taking her hand into his. “You don’t have to speak to Dr. Lopez if you don’t want to. You don’t have to see anyone if that’s what you want” he said. “But” she muttered. “But the doctors know what they are doing. They are experienced when dealing with you condition. They are here to help you. And my big ears are always available to listen to you” he told her and she laughed. “That’s better” he smiled brushing the tears off her cheek.

“Nuno said…he said that…he was upset” she said. “Nuno was?” Cristiano asked confused. “No not him…..Ahmmm….” she stammered nodding at the sock in her hand. “Oh that Junior was upset” he said. “Ya” Molly said. “Did Nuno say that? Great” Cristiano mumbled. “He and Sarah thought I was asleep” Molly said. “Jumping to defend Nuno. Some things don’t change” Cristiano said. “But they have” she told him. “Yes Junior was upset. He misses you. He can’t help it. You’ve being with him since day one. He wants you over anyone else. I guess seeing you the other day” Cristiano sighed. “I didn’t mean to upset him” Molly told Cristiano.

“It wasn’t your fault Molly. Maé and Kitty shouldn’t have brought him here. None of this is your fault Molly” he told her. “Then why does it feel like it?” she asked. “Because you’re you” he smiled. “That doesn’t make any sense” she told him. “It does to me I guess” he smiled at her. “This is all so confusing” she told him. “It will get easier. We rush it. When you are ready to see other people then you will. Until then you can bore Sarah and myself. Or just Sarah if you prefer” he told her. “You’re confusing” she told him. “Me?” he asked. “You know me so well. It’s confusing” she told him. “I guess I do have an advantage. I mean I do remember you. While you don’t remember me” he joked and she laughed. “Which by the way is really bad for a guy’s ego” he joked. “I’m sure your ego can handle it” she told him.

“Maybe. Are you ok now?” he asked. “I think so” she sniffled. “I brought you something to draw if you get bored” he told her. “How do you know that I draw?” she asked. “You actually paint and draw a lot now” he told her. “Really?” she asked surprised. “Ya. You even studied it a bit here in Madrid” he told her. “I did. Wow” she said. “It was just a thought if you got bored. My matches aren’t on TV every day you know” he said and she laughed. “Were you happy to be back playing?” she asked. “Eventually. I knew you wanted life to get back to normal” he told her. “Nuno said you aren’t talking to your mother” she said. “Nuno’s got a big mouth” he muttered.

“So was he telling the truth?” she asked. “She brought Junior here. You weren’t ready to see him. I knew you’d push us away and I was only just after getting to spend time with you. And then you did what I knew you would do. She shouldn’t have done what she did” he said angrily. “I doubt it was her fault. You weren’t here when they came in. Kitty did all the pushing. Not your mother. She was nice. She kept asking how I was. She kept telling Kitty to stop” Molly said. “It still doesn’t change what she did” Cristiano said. “I don’t like it” Molly told him. “Don’t like what?” he asked. “I don’t like that my mother. That all of this” she said looking around the room. “That it’s coming between you and your family” she told him. “It’s not your fault Molly” he told her.

“It’s not your mothers either” she told him. “I can’t just forgive her. Junior was really upset. He got to see his mother and then was pulled away from her. I can’t just suddenly not be upset about that” he said. “I really didn’t mean to upset him. It was just all…” she paused. “It was a shock. I know. And again it wasn’t your fault that he was upset” he told her. “I just don’t….I don’t like it. I don’t like knowing that you are fighting with your mother” she told him. “You don’t know her” he reminded her.

“I still don’t like it. Enough lives are getting ruined because of me. Enough lives are been put on hold” she told him. “If I told you that I would try with Maé would that make you feel better?” he asked her. “A little” she mumbled. “Fine. I’ll try” he sighed. “Jezz you still manage to try and sort things out in my life even when you can’t remember a thing” he said. “Sorry for helping” she told him. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. You are just doing the right thing. I’ll talk to Maé I promise” he told her. “Ok” she yawned.

“I should let you get some rest” he said standing. “Don’t go” she said. “I can stay a bit longer if that’s you would like” he said taking a seat. “Tell me about your match” she told him. “You really want to know?” he asked.

“I’m tired of talking about me. Might as well hear about your match. Like how shit you were for starters” she said. “Hey I wasn’t that bad. Ok ok today didn’t start so great. Even Katia told me that Junior wasn’t the only one who would have slept through it” he said. “Sorry I shouldn’t have brought him up” he said when he saw how she reacted when he said Junior’s name.

“Can I….Do you have…do you have a picture of him?” she asked. “Of Junior?” he asked shocked and she nodded. “Ahm ya I have loads of pictures of him. Mostly thanks to you” he told her moving to take his phone out of his pocket. “Me?” she asked. “You always send me a picture of him before every game” he said holding his phone in his hand. “What kind of picture would you like to see? Newborn? A few months old? A recent one?” he asked. “I….I don’t know. I hadn’t….” she stuttered. “I have one I took yesterday when he was in his walkie if that’s ok?” he asked. “Ok” she replied.

“Are you sure you want to do this Molly?” he asked. “Ya” she replied as he pulled the picture up on his phone. “He loves that thing. He’s driving the dog crazy moving around in it” he said as Molly looked at the picture. “Molly” he said as she stared at the phone.

“He’s got my eyes” she whispered. “Yes he does” he replied. “He’s got my eyes” she whispered again as tears started to form in her eyes. “Molly” he said. “He’s got my eyes” she cried stroking her thumb over the picture on his phone. “Oh Mols” he sighed sadly for her as he moved to sit beside her. He didn’t think. He just did it out of instinct. He placed his arm gently around her back and she leaned against him as she cried. “It will be ok. I promise. It will be ok” he whispered stroking her back as she cried.