Watch me, Mom. Mom, watch me. She smiled as the toddler headed for the waves, momentarily brave, then came scrambling back up the beach to avoid them. Watch me, Mom, watch me, and the little girl headed out again.
She was immobile in the hospital bed, encased in plaster, right arm secured tightly to her chest, her body one mass of pain. Forty-eight hours now. Two days, two nights. How many more to go? Can I have a hug please? Are you sure it’s okay? Well if you put one hand here and the other around my shoulder…. Long gangly teenaged arms reached to embrace her, head bent low, his cheek pressed next to hers. Oh, Mom, it’s been so long.
Em woke with a start. The dream lingered in her mind. Where on earth am I now? She stared at the unfamiliar furniture, at the whorls in the elaborately plastered ceiling and she cried. Each fragment of memory an unwelcome jolt—since loving Ron.
*
Em took a deep breath. “Okay. You're Powers? Right? That means you can stop these memories. Right? If I don’t want to remember, that is.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “I think so, yes.”
“But, before, you were devastated with the not remembering.”
“And now, I am devastated with the remembering.” Tears were streaming down her face, but there was no sound of crying. “I long ago stopped wanting to know everything,” she said. “The yearning for that life made this one too difficult. I have to forget them—forget my other life. Don’t you understand? It’s too hard. It hurts too much. You may be guardians of the universe but what do you know of the heart?” She took a deep breath. “I need to….”
“Yes?” I prompted.
“I need to think of this as a reincarnation. There is no going back.”
I let her go. Slowly she descended to Earth. I stared at the space where she had been. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
*
“Please.” I begged
“It's done.” Mentor's words lashed at me. “It's done. I've taken away the memories. I've taken away the dreams.”
“Then—”
“Those little humans around her won't remember either. I've done it all for you.” Mentor's back ramrod stiff as she stalked away—so much emotion.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you.”