THE MEMORY KEEPER'S LOVE

Chapter 1: The Memory Keeper

A combination of paper aroma from antiquated books and morning coffee scents pervaded the narrow shop when Evelyn Carter touched the ancient leather volume of a moldy poetry book. The collectible book remained idle for five years on the shelf because no one had found its value yet. She put the book softly on the stand before she moved to stand at the counter's back edge.

Haven's Edge showed signs of evening rest as people in this coastal town finished their day. Theatown streets remained quiet as streetlight illumination played through rain-dotted windows while distant ocean waves created echoes across the silent night. Evelyn found peace during late evenings when the whole world rested so she could lose herself in nostalgic memories and deployed stories.

As both shop owner of The Memory Keeper’s Bookshop and community borough caretaker she preserved lost memories for everyone in town. People sought her advice about recalling past books from their childhood while looking for guidance to retrieve their abandoned emotions. Evelyn possessed extraordinary memory skills which allowed her to recollect deep details about people even after they had forgotten them.

Despite her exceptional memory capacity she could never recover the entire memory of the night Daniel Whitmore left her life.

The wound remained unhealed since ten years passed. A short while ago they were youthful lovers who exchanged whispered hopes and shared dreams while entwined with each other. Without warning he disappeared to leave only a solitary note at the entrance of her home.

"Eve, I have to go. Please don’t look for me. I love you."

No explanation. No warning. His last words existed in those nine hurriedly written words.

Evelyn followed the lines of text with her trembling hands to find some concealed message after she had already studied the letters one thousand times. The door’s new customer sounds set her heart aflutter with an irrational thought that the man might finally visit.

And tonight was no different.

Evelyn briefly raised her eyes toward the doorway thinking it would be a typical local or tourist who wanted help. The figure arriving inside the shop lacked recognition to the employee.

The young man reached for her attention with his dark wet hair beneath the coat that fastened securely against the cold temperature. The store received his intense observation until his eyes finally settled on her.

"Evelyn Carter?" His voice was deep, steady.

Her stomach developed an uncomfortable disturbance as he entered. "That’s me."

The man retrieved a little damaged journal from his coat pocket. Time had weathered this small leather-bound journal until its outer surface became worn and its edges smooth.

According to him the item belonged to Daniel Whitmore.

The world tilted.

Evelyn gazed at the journal while her breathing almost stopped. It wasn’t possible.

She held her hands in a trembling state as she attempted to pick up the journal. Her movements were slow. The reality of the item would emerge if I touched it. Leniently holding the journal would force Evelyn to believe Daniel's story had not ended during these many years.

"Where did you get this?" Evelyn asked the question with a soft whisper after waiting for some time.

The man hesitated before answering. "He wanted you to have it."

Each word brought an extreme shiver throughout her body.

Daniel was alive.

With great effort she forced herself to remain composed. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lucas," he said. It is time for you to understand the complete truth according to myself.

Evelyn clenched the edge of the counter while she stood motionless. The truth.

During ten long years she had existed without knowing truth as she spent each day consumed by unresolved questions. The object present before her revealed the answer to all she had lost throughout those ten years.

The heavy air passed from her body as she grabbed the journal in her hands.

Her touch on the book’s cover brought back floodwaters of memories which showed Daniel beneath moonlight while he read to her in bed and their last kiss before their lives fell apart.

Her heart pounded.

Confusion about readiness marked her mind.

Several important memories fought to break free from her suppressed memories.

And love—true love—never really faded.

A deep breath allowed Evelyn to open the journal.