what I'd do if I heard you say that.” She got up and paced the room. She stood by the window and was in shadow again. “You have no idea what I've been through,” Catherine said in a whisper. “My face was almost caved in. I must have hit it badly on something. So for the first six months, while my face was healing, not only did I not know who I was, I didn't know what I looked like either.”
Kurtis let out a deep sigh. “Catherine. I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. It was a long time ago. The hardest part of all was trying to find a place to live after I was discharged from the hospital. I had to find a job, that's pretty tough to do when you have no name, no identity, no fixed address. I spent a lot of time trying to convince everyone I wasn't mad. God knows how many psychological examinations I had. When they were sure I had amnesia that's when I got some help.
A social worker helped me. She got me a job in a diner, helped me find a small apartment, and she even helped me find a name.” She walked back to where Kurtis sat and knelt in front of him, placing her hands on his thighs. “I was Amanda Regan for nearly two years. I even started to look like an Amanda. I cut my hair short.”
“I always liked your long hair.”
“I know. That was one of the first things I remembered, you running your fingers through my hair. The day it all came back to me I put my hands up to my hair and said, 'What have I done. Kurtis loved my hair.' I hope you don't mind. I can always grow it back.”
Catherine's long auburn hair was now just touching her shoulders. She had colored it a chestnut brown but her large green eyes were distinctively hers. There was no mistaking that this was his ex-girlfriend back from the dead. She blinked up at him several times. Kurtis rose quickly off the sofa.
“What are you saying, Catherine? I don't want you to grow your hair for me. Can't you see? We've gone way past that. Tonight was my engagement party. Tanya and I are engaged to be married.”
“But, Kurtis, I'm back now. It's me, the one you said you'd never leave. You love me, Kurtis. You can't have stopped loving me. I never stopped loving you.”
He swung around. “But that was before. I'm sorry, Catherine. I mourned you for nearly two years. Everyone thought you were dead. I believed I had lost you and I made myself get over...what we had...our love.” Kurtis found it increasingly more difficult to maintain eye contact although Catherine's eyes bore into him as though she were trying to make contact with his very soul.
“You haven't forgotten our love, Kurtis,” she said. “I can feel it. It was too strong to end. If I was dead it would be understandable, you'd move on, meet someone new. But I'm here!” She rushed up to him, gripping his thick arms, almost digging her nails into him so that he would look at her. Instead he looked down at the floor beside her feet.
“Catherine, I need to think...”
“There's nothing to think about; I feel you, Kurtis and you feel me. We are supposed to be together and we will be.”
“You really think I would do that to Tanya?” He shook his head.
“She is nothing to me. This is what counts.” She signaled between their two bodies. “We are one and you cannot deny that. I'll fight for you, Kurtis, because I know what we had was strong and I don't believe for one minute you can feel those same feelings for her. Who is she anyway? Don't tell me, I don't want to know. I can see why you were attracted to her. She's pretty; I give her that. I saw her body, too. I know how you go for the curves but look at me, Kurtis, this was the body you adored once.”
“I think you should go, Catherine.” He tried to step away from her but she clung on to his arms, tight. “How did you know where I'd be anyhow? This party was supposed to be a secret.”
“I got into New York this afternoon. You didn't answer your phone, so I called James.”
“James!?” He broke away from her hold.
“He was
Kurtis let out a deep sigh. “Catherine. I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. It was a long time ago. The hardest part of all was trying to find a place to live after I was discharged from the hospital. I had to find a job, that's pretty tough to do when you have no name, no identity, no fixed address. I spent a lot of time trying to convince everyone I wasn't mad. God knows how many psychological examinations I had. When they were sure I had amnesia that's when I got some help.
A social worker helped me. She got me a job in a diner, helped me find a small apartment, and she even helped me find a name.” She walked back to where Kurtis sat and knelt in front of him, placing her hands on his thighs. “I was Amanda Regan for nearly two years. I even started to look like an Amanda. I cut my hair short.”
“I always liked your long hair.”
“I know. That was one of the first things I remembered, you running your fingers through my hair. The day it all came back to me I put my hands up to my hair and said, 'What have I done. Kurtis loved my hair.' I hope you don't mind. I can always grow it back.”
Catherine's long auburn hair was now just touching her shoulders. She had colored it a chestnut brown but her large green eyes were distinctively hers. There was no mistaking that this was his ex-girlfriend back from the dead. She blinked up at him several times. Kurtis rose quickly off the sofa.
“What are you saying, Catherine? I don't want you to grow your hair for me. Can't you see? We've gone way past that. Tonight was my engagement party. Tanya and I are engaged to be married.”
“But, Kurtis, I'm back now. It's me, the one you said you'd never leave. You love me, Kurtis. You can't have stopped loving me. I never stopped loving you.”
He swung around. “But that was before. I'm sorry, Catherine. I mourned you for nearly two years. Everyone thought you were dead. I believed I had lost you and I made myself get over...what we had...our love.” Kurtis found it increasingly more difficult to maintain eye contact although Catherine's eyes bore into him as though she were trying to make contact with his very soul.
“You haven't forgotten our love, Kurtis,” she said. “I can feel it. It was too strong to end. If I was dead it would be understandable, you'd move on, meet someone new. But I'm here!” She rushed up to him, gripping his thick arms, almost digging her nails into him so that he would look at her. Instead he looked down at the floor beside her feet.
“Catherine, I need to think...”
“There's nothing to think about; I feel you, Kurtis and you feel me. We are supposed to be together and we will be.”
“You really think I would do that to Tanya?” He shook his head.
“She is nothing to me. This is what counts.” She signaled between their two bodies. “We are one and you cannot deny that. I'll fight for you, Kurtis, because I know what we had was strong and I don't believe for one minute you can feel those same feelings for her. Who is she anyway? Don't tell me, I don't want to know. I can see why you were attracted to her. She's pretty; I give her that. I saw her body, too. I know how you go for the curves but look at me, Kurtis, this was the body you adored once.”
“I think you should go, Catherine.” He tried to step away from her but she clung on to his arms, tight. “How did you know where I'd be anyhow? This party was supposed to be a secret.”
“I got into New York this afternoon. You didn't answer your phone, so I called James.”
“James!?” He broke away from her hold.
“He was
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