It's all coming back to me now

Chapter 5

Sanae's POV

I’ve just been discharged from the hospital, and I think Ruby was too—only she got out a day before me. I’m currently staying at my sister Akane’s apartment, and as I was glancing around her place, my eyes fell upon a photo of me and Ruby. We’re together with Akane in the picture, and it’s clear we’re much younger here; we look like we’re in our twenties. I think this might have been taken in one of those popular photo booths in an arcade back in the Philippines.

Ruby looks absolutely stunning in the photo. I can’t help but wonder how we met, how we became close, and eventually how we ended up married. But as I look at the image, there’s this strange ache in my heart, something deep and difficult to describe, almost like a memory or a sense of familiarity—a feeling that struck me the first time I saw her back at the hospital when I woke up from a 4 day coma.

Akane mentioned that my best friend, Ish, is planning to visit me here soon. I agreed, realizing that I owe Ish an apology for what I said the other day. My words might have come across as harsh, and I regret it now. And honestly, I have so many questions to ask them. There’s this unsettling mystery around my past with Ruby and those close to us, and I’m hoping that maybe, through Ish, I can start piecing together the parts of myself I seem to have lost.

I went upstairs and immediately started unpacking and organizing my things. This is where I’ll be staying for now, at least until I regain my memory. There’s a part of me that’s desperate to remember everything, to fill in all the gaps. But then, there’s also a part that wants to bury it all, to leave it forgotten and not look back. It’s a strange conflict, feeling pulled in two different directions, unsure of which one will bring me peace.

The police had handed me a phone they’d recovered, though it was badly damaged—cracked all over but somehow still functional. Akane advised me to put it away for now, telling me that since I can’t remember much, it might be best to leave it until I’m ready. “Maybe when you finally remember your passcode, you’ll be ready to open it,” she said. Until then, she bought me a new phone to use in the meantime. Thankfully, I still remembered the passwords to my social media accounts and email. Once I had successfully logged in and scrolled through my profiles for a bit, I felt an overwhelming heaviness and set the phone down.

Laying back on the bed, I closed my eyes, hoping for a moment of quiet. But suddenly, a scene started playing in my mind, like a fragment of a memory, vivid yet blurred. I see myself stepping off a bus, and there, in front of me, is a woman—though I can only see her smile, warm and familiar. She walks toward me, and as she gets closer, she wraps her arms around me in a tight embrace. An automatic smile spreads across my face. After a moment, we pull apart, and I notice that we’re climbing into a taxi together. She’s talking to me, her mouth moving as if she’s saying something important, but her voice is silent, muffled, as though it’s unreachable. It’s strange, almost haunting, and leaves me feeling both confused and a bit frustrated. Why can’t I hear her? What is she trying to tell me?

Just then, I’m jolted back to reality by a soft voice. “Echann?” I open my eyes and see Akane standing by the door. “Ish is here,” she says with a gentle smile.

I nod and reply, “Alright, I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes, okay?”

She smiles reassuringly and adds, “Take your time if you need a little more to process things before seeing them. They’ll understand, you know.”

I give her a small smile, feeling a little comforted. “No, it’s fine,” I say, though part of me is still unsure. She nods back at me before quietly slipping out of the room.

I take a deep breath and sit up, trying to steady myself. So much is still a blur, but seeing Ish again might help me put some pieces back together.

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I stepped down and saw Ish, my best friend, waiting patiently for me. As soon as she saw me, a warm smile lit up her face.

“So, you’re really my best friend?” I asked, half-curious, half-hopeful.

She nodded, her eyes full of understanding. “I am, bro. I’ve been here through most of your life, witnessing your ups and downs,” she said with a comforting tone.

I took a seat beside her and opened a bottle of Heineken. “You know, I think everything just feels better with a story time over a cold beer,” I said, glancing at her with a grin.

She chuckled, “Absolutely, just like we’ve always done.” There was a familiar ease in her voice, as if no time had passed between us. “Ask me anything you want. I’ll answer the best I can,” she added sincerely, her smile reassuring me that I was in the right place.

I smiled back, feeling a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this talk would help me piece my memories back together.

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Ruby's POV

I had just been discharged from the hospital, and Jade had offered to bring me back home—to the house that Sanae and I shared. But the place felt empty without her. Right now, she was staying with Akane during her recovery phase. Her memories still hadn’t fully returned, and she barely remembered anything about me. I found it strange, almost unbelievable, that I couldn’t remember her as my wife either. And to top it off, it was still surreal to realize that I’m already in my thirties.

It felt ironic, almost cruel, that both of us had somehow lost our memories of each other. The only difference was, for her, family memories remained intact, while I found myself unable to recall anything about her. And the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by a large framed photo on the wall—a wedding picture of us. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at it; we looked so perfect together. She was stunningly beautiful, with a gentle expression that was worlds apart from the guarded look I had seen in her eyes lately.

I took a slow look around the room, taking in every detail. The walls were adorned with beautiful paintings. I was certain they were her work; I wasn’t exactly artistically inclined. The atmosphere in the house felt heavy, shrouded in a deep sadness I couldn’t quite name but somehow felt familiar. It was as if the house held memories of its own, fragments that I desperately wished would come alive to help me remember.

My friends had reassured me that they would be there to help us remember everything we had lost, to reconnect us with our pasts. But I had insisted that, for now, I wanted to try on my own. I told them I would reach out when I felt I couldn’t handle it anymore. Until then, this journey was mine to take. I needed to rediscover Sanae on my own terms, to remember the woman I had once called my wife.

Determined, I made a silent vow to myself. I was going to remember how we met, how we fell in love, and how we came to stand side by side in that wedding picture. I wanted to uncover every single memory we had shared—from our happiest days to our darkest moments. I knew I might not be able to recall everything right away, but I promised to give it my all. Each memory, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, mattered.

And, somehow, I believed that through this journey, I could also help her remember me and the life we had built together. Little by little, I would work to fill the gaps in my mind and, maybe, rekindle something in hers as well.