Chapter Twelve:
Bo’s heart began to race in anticipation, “You…know who I am?”
“Of course I know who you are.”
“You called me Bo…Bo what?”
“Buchanan…” he watched as Bo said the name over and over again to himself, “What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Buchanan?”
“I have no idea who I am; that’s why I’m here” he pauses for a moment; “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Of course, there’s a pub down the street.” Patrick smiled, “You still drink beer don’t you?”
Bo smiled, “Of course, I think that’s one thing you never forget.”
The two men walked through the doors of the local pub. The atmosphere was jovial and the locals all seemed to be having a good time. They found a corner table away from the crowd. Bo took a sip of his beer and looked up at Patrick, “I found you and your wife’s name in the pocket of the pants I was wearing when I was found.” He looked at Patrick’s confused face, “I guess it would be best if I started at the beginning.”
Patrick nodded, “Probably a good idea, because I for one am bloody confused.”
“About four months ago I was found by a Michael Taylor. I was passed out in some fields located on his property. When I woke up in his home three days later I had no idea who I was, where I’m from and how I got to New York. A week ago I was putting away some clothes and I found the clothing I was wearing. I found this piece of paper with your name and address on it. Michael and his wife Bridget are also from Bray. I came here hoping you would be able to fill in the missing pieces.”
“I’ll do every thing I can to help you. You helped me when I needed you, when you did not have to. I will always be grateful to you and owe you a debt of gratitude.” He took a sip of his beer, “So you don’t remember anything, not even Nora?”
*~*
Nora came home later that afternoon. Matthew was still at school and Susannah was playing on the floor with Destiny, “Thank you for bringing me home from the hospital, Renee.”
“It was no problem, darling.” Destiny crawled over to her mother and pulled herself up into a standing position against Nora’s legs. Nora picked her up and set her down on her lap, “Hey there, angel. Mommy missed you.” Destiny laid her head against Nora’s chest and quickly closed her eyes, her mother’s heartbeat lulling her to sleep.
Susannah walked over and picked Destiny up off of Nora’s lap and laid her down in her playpen. Nora looked over at Renee, “I bet you’re wondering why I was in the hospital.”
“I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
“I’m pregnant.” She pauses for a moment, “Amazing, huh? I find out almost 7 years ago that I’ll have a hard time getting pregnant and now here I am pregnant for the third time.” A few tears escape, “I’m sorry…this still seems so surreal.”
Renee walks over to the couch and sits down beside Nora, taking her hand in hers, “I don’t want you to apologize for your feelings. You’ve been through so much in the past few months and you know Asa and I will be here for you whenever you need us. You just say the word.”
Nora looks over at her, “Can we just keep this between us for now. I just…I really just want some time to let it all sink in.”
“Of course, darling; anything you want.”
Matthew came bursting through the front door a few minutes later. He ran over to Nora and wrapped his arms around her, “Mom, you’re home. Where were you last night?”
Nora kissed his forehead, “I wasn’t feeling too hot so Dr. Larry wanted me to stay in the hospital overnight to make sure I was feeling okay.”
“You’re all better now though, right?”
“I’m fine”, she noticed the tears that were welling up in his eyes, “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
“I was afraid that you were going to go to Heaven, too.”
Nora pulled him close, “I’m not going anywhere, champ. You’re stuck with me.”
“You promise?”
“Cross my heart.”
Matthew laid his head against his mother’s shoulder, “Good.”
Nora pulled him tighter and looked over at Renee and Susannah, “So champ, you hungry?”
He sat up straight, “I’m starved, could we have chili dogs for dinner with cheese fries?”
Nora smiled, “You bet,” Matthew jumped off the couch and ran towards the stairs. She watched as he disappeared up the stairs, “Like father like son,” she thought to herself.
*~*
Bo stared at Patrick for a moment, “Nora...”
“That’s right. You two were married when my wife and I were forced to flee the country. I heard that the two of you were divorced.”
“Divorced…no… that doesn’t feel right,” he pauses for a moment, “no…I don’t think we’re divorced anymore.”
“Well I tell you what. I had a hard time believing the two of you were divorced so it wouldn’t surprise me that the two of you had gotten remarried and had a house full of kids…”
Bo cuts him off, “A baby…a baby girl and a son, around six years old.”
He leans across the table, “Did you just remember something?”
Bo shakes his head, “No well not really. A few months ago Michael’s wife went into labor at the house during a blizzard. I had to deliver the baby…”
“Always the hero, aren’t you, Buchanan.”
Bo smiled, they had fallen into their usual banter without even realizing it, “May I continue?” Patrick gestured for him to continue, “Like I was saying, I delivered the baby and I had a sudden flash, a memory of holding a baby girl.” He finishes off the beer and signals for another, “So, my name is Bo Buchanan and I’m married to Nora and I have a daughter...and a son. I saw the image of a little boy, and Nora, she has red hair doesn’t she?”
“Yes, you used to call her…”
“Red, I used to call her Red,” he paused for a moment, “That explains why I had such a reaction to Michael calling his wife, Red. Where do I live; where’s home?”
“Llanview…Pennsylvania.”
*~*
Nora stood in the doorway to the guest room and knocked on the doorjamb. Susannah closed the book she was reading and took her glasses off, “What’s up?”
“I…want to clean out…I need to pack up some of Bo’s things but I don’t think I can do it alone.”
Susannah stood up and took her sister’s hand, “We’ll do it together.”
Nora walked over and opened the closet doors. She walked in, the scent of him still lingering on some of his clothes. She brushed a few tears away and pulled down one of his fishing shirts. She put it on and began to pull down his clothes one by one. Susannah folded each of the pieces and placed them in a box. Nora walked out of the closet a half hour later, her eyes red and swollen from crying, “I…that’s all…I can’t do anymore.”
Susannah stood up and walked over to her, “Its okay. It doesn’t have to be done all in one night.” Nora nodded, “Come on, I’ll help you get settled down on the couch.”
Nora shook her head, “No…I’m going to sleep in here tonight.” Susannah laid her hand on her arm, “It’ll be okay, Suze. I need to start living my life again.”
*~*
“So what are you going to do now? Are you going to just show up on her doorstep?”
“No…I can’t let her know that I’m alive until I can come back to her whole…as the man that I was.”
“And what if you never remember? Are you willing to walk away?”
Bo looked up at Patrick, “If it would keep her from being hurt all over again…yes, yes I would walk away.”