Lost Yet Loved

By Rayna Johnson

This is a story about two teenagers, one who feels lonely, and the other who hides their feelings. Follow these two on how they grow facing the pain of their past and fear of the future. See how everything came to be in their lives and how they taught each other to smile, to cry, and to fall in love. Together they face loss in their lives, but together, they stand strong.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781636929613

Book preview

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Lost Yet Loved

Rayna Johnson

Copyright © 2021 Rayna Johnson

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2021

ISBN 978-1-63692-960-6 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63692-961-3 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Memory 1

Memory 2

Memory 3

Memory 4

Memory 5

Memory 6

Memory 7

Memory 8

Memory 9

Memory 10

Memory 11

Memory 12

Memory 13

Memory 14

Memory 15

Memory 16

Memory 17

Memory 18

Memory 19

Memory 20

Memory 21

Memory 22

Memory 23

Memory 24

Memory 25

Memory 26

This is a story about a young teenage girl who thinks she knows love but sees it as a lie. But then she loses her memory; the only thing she can remember is her first name and age. But this story also follows a young teenage boy who never understood love. Until he meets the young teenage girl, and they both learn the real meaning of being in love.

Memory 1

Young sixteen-year-old Lena from Greeley, Colorado, is 5'1 1/2" tall, beautiful, smooth tan skin, and a slim body, dark hint of light-brown eyes, shoulder-length dark-brown hair, a smile that is happy yet sad, smart—at the top of her class year—slightly athletic but loves to dance and watch movies, and always there when she is needed for her friends.

Lena! yells Lena’s best friend, Ally.

Ally and Lena have been friends for almost ten years. Ally is 5'3" tall, light-skinned slim body, dirty-blond hair down her back, dark-brown eyes, and has a secret that she’s keeping from Lena.

Ally, what’s wrong? Lena asks gently.

Ally looks up at Lena because she’s holding on to Lena’s right leg.

Tom broke up with me. And I thought he was going to be the one. Lena, what do I do? Tom is so great, Ally asks.

Why ask me? Lena replies gently.

Because you and Chris have been going out for six months. And I want a boyfriend that will last more than two weeks. Please, Lena, help me. Ally cries.

Lena pauses for minute and looks at her friend, trying not to laugh at the face she is making.

Well, maybe you should stop telling them how to act when they’re around you, Lena replies.

I do not do that, Ally quickly replies as she stands up.

Yeah, you do, girly. Sorry to say but guys don’t really like a girl to tell them how to act in everyday life. Plus why do you go out with them only to change them…well, try to, Lena replies softly.

Ally just stares at her for a minute, then comes slowly from behind Lena’s boyfriend, Chris. Chris is 6'1" tall, slightly buff, has tan skin, brown eyes, very short curly black hair, slightly deep voice, is captain of the football team. And if it wasn’t for Lena, he wouldn’t be able to stay on the football team or be passing any of his classes. And that is how they met—she’s his tutor.

Hey, babe, Chris says.

Chris gives Lena a hug and is about to kiss her, but she gives him just a kiss on the cheek. Chris gets angry, then looks at Ally.

So, Ally, I heard you and Tom already broke up. New record. Chris laughs.

Shut up, Ally yells.

Chris and Ally, with a friendly glare, then start to slightly laugh at each other. Lena just has a small smile for them, happy that they get along. Then the bell rings, and everyone heads to class. Lena and Ally walk to their English class. Chris watches them walk away, then he heads to his football practice. As Lena and Ally walk to their English class, Ally sees that Lena looks like she has something on her mind. Ally tilts her head, and Lena looks at her. She gives her a fake smile.

Lena, that smile is so fake. What’s wrong? Ally asks, concerned.

Lena’s smile slightly fades, then turns into sadness.

I don’t know, Ally. Lena pauses. "I just think that Chris and I are not really a good couple. I just feel like he only wants to go out with me because I’m a virgin."

Ally looks at her with guilt, then looks down at her desk. She takes a deep breath, then looks back at Lena.

Lena, what are you talking about? You and Chris are a great couple, you’re just thinking too much, Ally replies.

Lena just looks at her, then she looks at the teacher writing on the blackboard. As they listen to the teacher talk about poetry, after about forty-five minutes, the bell rings.

All right, everyone, that’s it for today. I want your poetry samples tomorrow, no ifs, ands, or buts. Lena, can you stay for a minute? says the teacher.

Lena looks at Ally, and she shrugs her shoulders as she walks out of the classroom. Lena then looks back at the teacher and watches him close the door. Meanwhile Ally slowly walks down the hallway, seeing if Lena is coming out.

Hey, Ally, where’s Lena? asks Chris.

Our English teacher wanted to talk to her when the bell rang, Ally replies, still looking at the classroom.

Chris looks at her, then at the classroom where Lena is. After about five to six minutes, Lena slowly comes out of the classroom. She looks to her left and sees that Ally and Chris are waiting for her. She gives them a quick smile, then looks back at her teacher. They see that she nods her head to him, then she starts walking to them. As she walks over to them, she doesn’t give them eye to eye.

So what happened? asks Ally.

Lena looks at them. He asked me if I wanted to go to the school skills program.

Ally and Chris look at her with shock, then they look at each other.

For the rest of the school day, Lena doesn’t say anything about the skills program, even when Ally or Chris keeps trying to ask her about it. But Lena just walks to her classes, writing her notes and thinking about the skills program. Then at lunch, Chris corners her.

Come on, Lena, we need to talk about this, Chris slightly yells, following Lena to her locker.

Lena doesn’t say anything still; she just keeps walking to her locker. She opens her locker and puts her books away and takes the ones she needs for her next classes. At the same time, she keeps getting angrier and angrier.

Lena, we need to talk about this. You’re going to be gone for like two weeks. Shouldn’t we talk about it? Chris slightly yells.

Then Lena slams her locker shut and looks at Chris with a hurt yet angry look on her face. But Chris is looking at her with anger and turmoil.

We should talk about this, Lena says in a deep, angry tone.

Yes, we should, Chris replies.

Why…why! This has nothing to do with you, Chris! Lena slightly yells, angry.

Lena— Chris is cut off.

No! I’m asked to do the skills program, and you don’t even say, ‘That’s great! What did you say…oh, right—why! You can’t even be happy for me, Chris. Unlike you, I need that for college. I don’t have money, Chris. This skills program can get me into just about any college. And you don’t even give me a warm feeling, you give me the cold shoulder. What the—heck is that. And you’re supposed to be my boyfriend! Lena yells.

Lena then starts to walk away.

That’s right, I am your boyfriend. A boyfriend that you don’t even want to truly kiss. What the hell is that? Chris yells back, following Lena.

Lena quickly turns around. Is that all I am to you? A girl that you can deflower! ’Cause if it is, that’s not a true relationship.

Lena continues walking away, leaving Chris standing there without anything else to say!

That day after school, Lena goes home to tell her family about the skills program. But like always, her family doesn’t pay much mind; they just listen to her two older twin brothers’ sport games. Her brothers both play baseball; the older brother, John, plays pitcher, and her other brother, Jason, plays ace batter. They are both eighteen years old and are in their last year of high school. They are 6'3 tall with tan skin. Jason has short black hair, and John has braids in his hair, brown eyes. Her mother is 5'4 tall, brown skin, light-brown eyes, long brown hair, up to her shoulder blades, and her name is Jonna. Her father is 6'5" tall, light-brown skin, brown eyes, shaved black hair, and his name is Luther.

So she just goes up to her room and starts to do her homework. As she sits at her desk, doing her homework, she keeps thinking about the skills program and her fight with Chris. The whole time she is doing her homework, all she does is think. Not once does she call Chris, nor does he call her. So around 11:30pm to midnight, she stops waiting for him to call and goes to bed.

The next morning, Lena gets up and gets ready to go to school. She goes to her bus stop and waits with the other students who are waiting for the bus. She waits for the bus, thinking about how she is going to face Chris. But that day, Chris is not in school, and Lena doesn’t know what to think. So since she can’t talk to Chris, she tells her English teacher that she will do the skills program. She has two days to get ready to go because they will be leaving Friday late afternoon since it’s a half-day. So since she only has two days, Lena gets all her homework and classwork from her teachers, all the homework and classwork that she will miss for the next two weeks. And all her teachers will give her the tests that she will be missing since she will be doing the skills program.

For those last two days and nights, Lena has done nothing but homework and classwork. And those two days, Chris has not come to school, nor has he called her. She starts to feel that she shouldn’t go to the skills program. But as Lena keeps thinking about Chris, she starts to realize that Ally has also not been in school. Then that Friday, after Lena is done with all her tests and waits for the teacher’s results to be over, she goes to Chris’s house. She uses that extra key that Chris’s mom gave her for days that she will not be home and so that Lena can go and help Chris with homework. She slowly walks in and gently closes the door behind her.

Chris, Lena gently yells.

Then she hears a bang upstairs. She slowly walks up the stairs and hears banging from Chris’s room. Lena gently and slowly opens the door, but then stops. She has the door slightly opened with a shock yet hurt look on her face. There she sees Chris and Ally—in bed together! Tears run down her cheeks, then she quickly runs out of the house, leaving the key. She gets on the town’s bus and runs to her house and quickly packs. Then she heads back to the school just in time before the bus for the skills program leaves.

The whole bus ride to skills, Lena is up in a ball in her seat, crying. So all the way from Greeley to Loveland, Lena has not said a word to anyone. She’s still in her ball, slightly crying. Then she feels her phone vibrate. She slowly lifts her head and looks at her phone and sees that it’s from Chris, sending her a text message. She stares at it for a minute with a blank stare; as she stares at the text message, she keeps thinking about Chris and Ally in bed together. That’s all she can see as she looks at his name. Then she slowly opens her phone to reads the text:

Sorry, I missed you take off. But I can’t wait for you to get back. By the way, when did you come by my house? You left your key here.

Chris.

Lena stares at his text message, making it hard for her to stop crying again. Then she slowly replies to his text:

Sorry, yeah. We’re done—it’s over, Chris.

Lena.

Then she turns off her phone after she sends the text message. Meanwhile Chris gets Lena’s text message and tries to call her but sees that her phone is off. He stares at his phone, then he looks back at Ally, who is sleeping right next to him.

*****

As they pull up to the hotel building where the skills are taking place, Lena wipes the tears from her face and gets off the bus with her head high. But her eyes say they still want to cry. The skills go on for the next two weeks. But then the night they are heading back to Greeley is when it all begins. They have to take a different way back because the way they came before is being fixed. So they must go over the five-foot bridge with a croc-like river with a rock bed below them. As they drive through the bridge, it starts to pour down hard. Then a Ford pickup truck pulls up behind them and starts to blow his horn. Since the bus is not moving, the driver decides to cut off the bus, making the bus driver turn his wheel too hard so the wheels lock, making the bus spin out of control. The bus hits the bridge rails that are old and rusty. The bus hits the rail hard enough that the bus breaks through it, causing the bus to tip, and some of the students that are on the bus fall through the bus windows.

Lena falls out of the bus and falls under the bridge. Lena falls into the river current, badly hitting her head on the rocks in the riverbed, knocking her out. And since it’s down pouring, the river is too strong to stop, and she is pulled with the current. The police and ambulance come five minutes after the bus tipped. They help all the students that are still on the bus. They have bumps and smalls cuts, but the students that fell out of the bus are badly hurt but not life-threatening, but they all still have to be taken to the hospital.

Are all the students accounted for? asks the policeman.

No…one of my students is missing, says the English teacher.

Everyone looks around and sees that the one student that is missing is Lena!

Memory 2

Young seventeen-year-old Lyon from Fort Collins, Colorado, is 6'2" tall, nice smooth tan skin, slim but buff body, long brown hair past his shoulders but always in a ponytail, with pieces hanging on the side of his face, green-brown eyes, kind smile. He knows martial arts, karate, and mixed martial arts. He also plays soccer and basketball—captain of soccer and cocaptain of basketball. His grandmother is like a sage; she makes medicine from scratch with her herbs. His grandfather owns two bars that are also restaurants. All three of them live together on a family farm. With this farm, they make wine and milk and sell chicken eggs. But when Lyon is not working at home with his grandparents, he works at a garage fixing cars.

Come on, Lyon, take him down! yells a man.

Yeah, Lyon! yells another man.

Lyon is fighting in a martial arts tournament that he has been doing for years, undefeated! He has won year after year without getting one hit by the one he is fighting. And once again, Lyon wins this year’s martial arts tournament. Everyone in the stands jump out of their seats, yelling with joy. Lyon looks at them at grins, but his grin has a hint of loneliness in it. Lyon takes his bow, then heads to take a shower. After Lyon takes his shower, he gets dressed, then grabs his things and leaves the locker room. His hair is out and wet and curly. He has his towel around his shoulders so his hair doesn’t wet his clothes. Lyon walks out of the building and gets ready to walk to the parking lot.

As he’s walking, his two best friends come running up behind him. Raphael jumps on Lyon’s back, making him drop his bag, and then Lyon gently flips Raphael off his back. Then he looks at Daniel, and they both grab hands, saying hey to each other. Then they look down at Raphael, who is looking at Lyon like he can’t believe he flipped him off his back. Daniel and Lyon try not to laugh, but then they help him up and just start laughing.

Raphael is 6'2 tall, light-tan skinned, short curly hair, slightly buff, has light-brown eyes. He’s not like Lyon, calm minded and laid back; he’s louder and a little bit of a hothead because he plays on the football team. Daniel is 6'3 tall, tan skin, slightly darker than Lyon. He always has his hair in braids (cornrows), slightly buff—about the same size as Raphael—and has dark-brown eyes. He’s like Lyon but has his loud moments like Raphael. Daniel also plays basketball with Lyon, he’s cocaptain. Both Daniel and Raphael are also seventeen, but Daniel is three months older than Raphael, and Raphael is four and a half months older than Lyon. All of them grew up together, but Daniel and Raphael have known each other since birth because they are cousins. Both their fathers are brothers, and the three of them work in their car shop.

As the three of them walk down to the parking lot, Raphael is talking about Lyon’s tournament.

Man, Lyon. Those moves that you pulled out on the mat was amazing. I wish your grandpa would teach me some moves.

Lyon and Daniel look at him, slightly laughing at him trying to do the same moves as Lyon.

You know moves, Raphael. You do kickboxing. So you know things, Lyon replies.

But it’s not the same as what you know, Lyon, says Raphael.

They continue to talk down the street, watching Raphael still trying to copy Lyon’s moves. All the way to the back of the parking lot, they talk about Lyon’s tournament. Then they get to their motorcycles; Lyon’s bike is black and silver, Raphael’s bike is red and black, and Daniel’s bike is blue and black. The three of them get onto their bikes and get ready to head home. They come up to Lyon’s road to his house; they all say their goodbyes. They grab hands, small hugs, then they all go their way home. Lyon drives up to his house that looks like a large cottage, with a big porch with two chairs and one porch swing. Lyon walks up the six stairs and slowly walks into the cottage. As he walks in there, he sees his grandmother, whose name is Emily, waiting for him. She’s 5'3" tall, beautiful, slightly dark-tan skin, long black hair up to her shoulder blades, dark-green eyes, nice slim body, looks like she only in her early forties.

So how was it? asks Emily as she takes his bag.

Why do you ask when you already know the answer? Lyon replies with a slight laugh.

Emily smiles at him, then she takes his bag to wash the clothes inside.

Your dinner is on the table, Emily says.

Lyon looks at her as she walks away and nods his head, then he walks into the kitchen. There he sees his grandfather, whose name is Nathen. Nathen is 6'6" feet tall, slightly dark-tan skin, and short brown hair, light-brown eyes—almost golden—nice big buff body, looks like he’s in his early forties. Lyon sits next to him and eats his dinner. They both sit there, talking about the tournament, sitting and laughing. Then Emily comes into the kitchen and walks over to the sink. She starts to put the dishes into the dishwasher.

Lyon, we’re really sorry that we couldn’t make it to your tournament, says Emily.

Lyon looks at her and grins at her. Grandma, it’s fine. You’ve come to all of the other ones that I’ve done. Missing one is not going to kill me, Lyon replies.

They both smile at Lyon, and he grins back at them. Then he slowly gets up. Okay, well, I’m going to bed. If you want me to do that in the morning. I should get some sleep, my body is killing me.

Okay, I’ll wake you up before we leave, all right, Emily says.

Lyon nods his head, then heads to his room. Lyon’s room is in the back of the cottage. His room is connected to the cottage with a porch walkway. His room has a king-size bed, a 45–50-inch-screen TV, a radio/CD player on his wall, with two medium dream catchers on both sides of it, two nightstands on each side of his bed, a tall bookshelf that is built into the wall filled with all different types of books, one tall dresser that’s next to his large walk-in closet with a mirror on the other side of it, and one small but long six-drawer dresser that has a color-changing light medium-size water fountain on it. Lyon sits on his bed, reading one of his books. He sits there with his four-year-old mostly-black-but-tan-legs German shepherd, Shadow. Shadow lays there next to Lyon on his bed; he slowly picks his head up, and his ears slowly move. Lyon looks at him, then he sees him slowly put his head back down. Lyon stares at him for a minute with turmoil, then he goes back to reading his book.

The next morning, Emily comes to wake up Lyon. He slowly gets up, then takes some of his clothes and a towel. As he walks into the main cottage, he sees his grandparents getting ready to leave for work. Emily tells Lyon that his food is in the microwave. Lyon nods his head slowly as he walks into the bathroom to take a shower. After about twenty to twenty-five minutes, Lyon comes out of the bathroom wearing a black muscle shirt and jean shorts that go a little past his knees, with black sneakers. He has his towel on his head, so his wet curly hair doesn’t drip everywhere. He slowly takes his food out of the microwave, then puts it on the built-in kitchen table that looks like a bar, but it’s rectangle in shape, an island. He looks down at Shadow and gently throws him a piece of sausage. Lyon eats his food, then he and Shadow head outside to bring in the cowherd. As Lyon brings in the herd, he sees that Shadow has his nose in the air. Lyon locks the gate, then he walks over and kneels beside Shadow.

What’s wrong, boy, Shadow? Lyon asks with concern.

Lyon then looks and sees that Shadow is looking in the way of the river. Lyon then slowly gets up and starts walking to the river, with Shadow following. As he walks on the path near the river, after about five minutes, Shadow starts barking. Lyon looks behind him at Shadow, then looks down at the river. He slowly walks down to the river and Shadow follows. As they get closer, Shadow runs in front of Lyon and runs over to the edge of the river. He starts barking even more! Lyon walks up behind, and his face turns to shock. Shadow is barking at a girl in the river being pushed on to a large tree branch that fell into the river. It’s Lena!

Memory 3

Lyon quickly runs over to a huge rock near the river. Lyon jumps off the rock, into the river, and swims over to Lena. He puts one hand on the huge tree branch, and with his other hand, he puts two fingers to Lena’s neck. He gets a very slight pulse. Lyon looks at the way she is stuck to the tree branch, so he gently and slowly takes her arm off the tree branch and takes her other arm and puts it around his neck. Then he quickly swims them both back to bank. He puts his ear to her chest, then to her mouth. Lyon looks at her, then he quickly starts CPR! After about four minutes, Lena spits up the water in her body. But she doesn’t stay conscious. Lyon then fixes her head and neck so that she can get air into her lungs. Then he sees that she is bleeding from the left side of her head. Lyon takes off his wet shirt and rips a piece off from it and puts it to her head. Then he gently ties it to her head, he looks at her for a second. He looks up at Shadow breathing heavily.

Good boy. Good boy.

Then he gently picks Lena up and slowly walks back to the cottage. He puts her down on the couch. Then he runs to get a towel and blanket to wrap her in. He stares at her for a minute, then runs to get the phone and is about to call the town’s head doctor, but then he remembers that he is out of town on a business trip. Same with his grandparents, his grandmother is with the doctor, and his grandfather is at a bar/wine gathering. They will not be back for two to three days. He puts his hand on his head, then slowly moves his hair out of his face. Still with his hand on his head, he looks down at Shadow.

This isn’t good.

Then he looks at Lena and puts his head back against the wall. Then he slowly pulls his hand over his face, covering only his left eyes, taking deep breaths.

After about two hours, Lena slowly starts to wake up. Shadow looks up at her, then he slowly and gently hits Lyon’s leg. Lyon is sleeping in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. He’s sleeping standing up, but he’s leaning on the doorway wall. He feels Shadow hitting him and slowly opens his eyes. He looks down at Shadow, then at Lena. He can see that she’s starting to wake up. Lena’s eyes completely open, and she looks around, scared and confused. She slowly leans up, and then she sees Lyon. As Lyon slowly leans off the wall, he slowly uncrosses his arms. Lyon looks at her as if she’s not real, almost like he’s mesmerized by her. She slowly moves off the couch. Lyon then puts his hands slightly up.

Okay, I get that you’re scared, and you don’t know where you are, but just let me ex— Lyon says.

But then Lena runs. Plain, Lyon continues. Should’ve seen that coming. Wait.

Lyon then runs after her. Lucky for Lyon that Lena didn’t run out of the cottage, she runs into the other living room, then into the kitchen, into the bathroom, quickly closing the door behind her and locks it. Lyon stops right before he gets his face hit. He takes a deep breath, then looks down at Shadow.

Could have been worse.

Shadow just shakes his head, then Lyon looks at the bathroom door.

Okay, look, I understand that you’re scared. But I promise you that I’m not going to hurt you. Lyon pauses to see if she’ll say anything.

Lena just sits on the bathroom floor in a ball. And Lyon just looks at the door with concern.

Okay, tell you what…I’ll just sit right here till you are ready to talk, okay, Lyon says as he sits down.

Lyon sits down on the floor, leaning against the bathroom door. Shadow lies down next to him. For the rest of the day and that whole night, Lyon hasn’t moved from that spot, not once.

Then the next morning, Lena slowly gets up and walks over to the door. She puts her hand on the door and feels that Lyon is still in that same spot. She then slowly opens the door, and Lyon ends up falling back, hitting the back of his head because he was sleeping. As Lyon falls, Lena also falls, then quickly crawls back. She crawls all the way to the wall under the window. Lyon has one hand on the back of his head and the other hand over his face.

Don’t get mad, don’t get mad. She’s hurt, scared, she has no idea where she is. She’s in a panic, let it go, let it go, Lyon mumbles to himself.

Then he looks up at the ceiling and takes a deep breath. Lyon rolls over, lying on his stomach, and looks at Lena who has a scared look on her face. Lyon takes another deep breath, then slowly pushes himself up and sits down, still with his hand on his head and the other hand slightly up as a sign to stop.

Okay, I get you’re scared, but I’m not going to hurt you, okay? Lyon pauses. Can you tell me what happened to you? Lyon gently asks.

Lena just stares at him, still with a scared look on her face.

Can you talk? Lyon asks softly.

Yes, Lena replies, nodding her head.

Okay, um, let’s start small. What’s your name? Mine’s Lyon.

Lena looks at him, but then her face slowly turns to fear and shock.

I can’t…I can’t remember my name. I can’t remember anything, Lena replies with a broken voice.

Lyon looks at her with shock and sees that she has tears coming from her eyes.

Okay…um…why don’t I call someone, and we can see what’s going on. Okay, Lyon gently says.

Lena nods her head, then Lyon gets up and slowly walks over to her. He puts his hand down to her, signing to help her up. She looks at his hand, then looks up at him.

I promise, I will not hurt you. You can trust me. Lyon grins.

Lena then takes his hand, and he slowly and gently pulls her off the floor. They both slowly walk into the kitchen. Shadow walks up to her and gently hits her hand. She looks down at him.

Oh, that’s Shadow. He’s the one who found you. Do you want something to drink, like some water or anything? Lyon asks.

Um…water’s fine. Thank you, Lena replies.

As Lyon gets Lena her cup of water, he calls someone that the doctor works with, his assistant.

Okay, I called Joe. Um…he’s going to come over. So you don’t have to deal with everyone in town, Lyon explains.

Lena nods her head but looks back at Lyon. Where am I?

Lyon looks at her. You’re in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Lena nods her head as she pets Shadow’s ears. Lyon stares at her for a minute, then he looks at Shadow who has this look on his face, like he’s in paradise.

You know, the more you keep doing that, the more rotten he’s going to get, Lyon says.

Lena looks at him and sees that he’s grinning at her. She gives him a shy smile, then looks back at Shadow. After waiting about ten minutes, Lyon’s doorbell rings. Lyon looks at her, then he walks to his front door, while Lena stays with Shadow. Lyon walks over to his front door and sees that it’s Joe at the door. He opens the door and tells him that she’s in the kitchen with Shadow.

That dog of yours is still alive, says Joe.

Shut up, Lyon says as he closes the door.

Then they both walk into the kitchen, and Joe looks at Lena with shock. Then he turns his head and looks at Lyon. Lyon shrugs his shoulders, then he walks over to the kitchen counter.

Joe gives Lena a check out. As she sits on the kitchen table, Joe checks her eyes and the cut she has on the left side of her head. Lyon is leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed, with Shadow sitting right beside him.

Okay, I can’t tell everything. I don’t have everything I need to give you a complete checkup. But from what Lyon told me, that large cut on the side of your head is what caused you to lose your memory. For how long, I don’t know. But I would like to have you down at the hospital so I can give you a full checkup, Joe explains.

Lena puts her head down, and tears slowly fall from her eyes. Lyon looks at her for a minute, then he looks at Joe. I’ll bring her later. I don’t think it’s good for the whole town to come at her, asking a truckload of questions that she can’t answer right now, Lyon explains.

Joe looks at him and nods his head. He starts to pack his things, then gets ready to go. Lyon walks him out.

I’ll bring her in later tonight. When it dies down, Lyon says, leaning on the door.

Joe nods his head, then he heads back to the hospital. Lyon watches him walk off the porch and down the road till he can’t see him anymore. Then he closes the door and walks back into the kitchen. He looks at Lena, who is still sitting at the kitchen table. She slowly looks up at Lyon, and Lyon leans on the doorway wall with his hands in his pockets.

If you…don’t want to go…we don’t have to, Lyon says gently.

No, it’s okay. I want to know…and it would be nice to know if there is anything else wrong with me, Lena replies.

Lyon nods his head, then he tells her that they’ll go later that night.

Later that night, Lyon gives Lena one of his T-shirts and one of his basketball shorts for her to wear. She takes a shower, washes her body and hair. Lena comes out of the bathroom with her hair in a bun, wearing the clothes Lyon gave her.

How big are you? Lena asks, coming out of the bathroom.

Lyon is sitting on the couch; he looks at her and starts laughing at her. His clothes on her look like she is wearing a dress. Her face is what also makes him laugh at her—she’s pouting.

Come on, it’s not that bad. Lyon laughs.

Then Lyon calls Shadow; all three of them head down to the hospital. They come up to the hospital, and there is Joe to meet them. Joe takes them to one of the rooms. Shadow is outside sleeping, waiting for them to come back. As Lyon and Lena wait for Joe to come back with the results, Lena starts shaking. Lyon looks at her and sees that she’s shaking. So he gently takes her hands and stands in front of her.

As he holds her hands, he says, Relax, it’s okay, I’m here.

She gives him a shy smile, then puts her head down. Then Joe walks back in, and they look at him, slowly letting go of each other’s hands. Joe then tells them about the tests results. Lena has nothing life-threatening with her body, but the blow to the head caused a huge amount of memory loss. Unsure if or when it will return, all they can do is wait. As they listen to Joe, Lena just slowly puts her head down. After Joe is done telling them everything, Lyon follows him out of the room so Lena can get dressed. Five minutes pass, and Lena slowly comes out of the room. Lyon is leaning on the wall across from her room. They give each other small smiles, then they go to get Shadow and head back to the cottage. As they head back to the cottage, with Shadow walking right beside Lyon, Lena looks up at the sky. Lyon stops and looks at her, then she looks at him. Then they continue walking back to the cottage. That night, Lyon and Lena stay in the living room. Lena falls asleep on the couch, and Lyon stays awake by the living room window. As Lyon sits at the window, he looks at her with concern, feeling bad that she doesn’t know one thing about herself.

The next morning, when Lena wakes up, she sees that Lyon is not in sight.

Lyon, Lena gently calls out.

Lyon comes around from the kitchen doorway corner and sees that Lena is awake.

Hey, you’re awake, Lyon says gently.

Lena turns her head and sees Lyon in the kitchen doorway. Her face slightly glows.

Don’t worry…I’m not going anywhere. Lyon grins.

She smiles, then slowly gets up and walks into the kitchen. As she walks into the kitchen, she sees that Lyon is cutting fruit. Lyon turns his head.

Hey, I don’t know what you eat. So I just cut up some fruit…because I don’t know if you eat meat or not.

Lena pauses. Neither do I.

They both eat the fruit, then they go and sit out on the porch. And they sit there, Shadow lying next to Lena as she strokes his fur. And Lyon, slightly sitting on the porch wood railing, laughs under his breath at Shadow. As they sit there, Lyon hears cars driving up the road. Then he sees that it’s his grandmother’s and grandfather’s cars slowly driving up. Lyon stares at them for a minute with confusion, then he looks at Lena. He hears the car doors; Emily and Nathen get out of their cars and see Lena on the porch. They look at each other, then they slowly walk over to Lyon.

And who’s this? Emily asks.

Lyon looks at her, then at Lena, who’s looking up at him.

Um…huh. This is…well…I have no idea, Lyon slowly replies.

Emily quickly looks at him

It’s not like that. I just don’t know because…she…doesn’t know, Lyon explains.

She looks at him with slight shock, then looks at her and takes a deep breath, then she smiles at her.

Well, then…I guess we’ll have to help you out, Emily says.

They all look at her and smile, but then she looks at Lyon. You got some explaining to do.

Lyon grins at her as he nods his head. Then they walk into the house, and Lyon tells his grandparents what happened.

I see…well, you know what that means. Emily looks at everyone.

They look at her, waiting to hear what she’s going to say.

Until she can remember or we find out who she is, we have to make up that extra bedroom, and, girly, you’re going to need some clothes. Even though Lyon’s clothes can much indeed fit you, you need some of your own, okay? Emily continues.

Lena smiles at her with joy and nods her head. Emily stares at her with a smile, then she and Nathen go and make up the extra bedroom. Lyon and Lena watch them walk upstairs.

Well, in the meantime, River, that’s what we’re calling you, Lyon says.

Lena looks at him and starts to laugh. River…is what you’re going to call me.

Lyon nods his head, and Lena just keeps laughing at him. Meanwhile up in the extra bedroom, Emily and Nathan are talking as they set up the bed.

What’s on your mind? Nathen asks.

I don’t know. I guess I’m a little nervous, Emily replies.

Nervous about what? Nathen asks.

What do you mean about what? Nathen that’s a beautiful young girl in the house. I guess I’m a little nervous about how well Lyon and she will get along…a little too well, Emily replies.

Nathen looks at her and smiles. Relax…everything is going to be okay. He’s seventeen, did you think that it’s never going to happen?

Not funny, Emily replies with a glaring smile.

Nathen starts laughing, and Emily slowly shakes her head, then start to laugh also.

After about ten to twenty minutes, Emily and Nathen come downstairs and see Lyon and Lena sitting in the living room. Lyon is at the window sketching, and Lena is on the couch, looking through a magazine.

Okay, River, let’s go, Emily says, walking down the stairs.

Yeah, I have to get going too. I have work today, Lyon says, putting his sketchbook down.

Same here, Nathen says, following Emily downstairs.

Lena watches them all get ready to go, then she gets up when Emily calls her. They all leave; Lyon goes with his grandmother and Lena. She has to drop off her car, so he goes with them ’cause he works at the car shop. They go to the car shop, and Lyon drives it inside while Emily and Lena walk to the clothes store.

Are you sure it’s okay for you to buy me all these clothes? Lena asks.

You need clothes, don’t you? Emily replies.

Yes, but— Lena’s cut off.

Then it’s fine. I miss buying clothes. Lyon’s seventeen, so I don’t buy him much anymore, Emily replies.

Lena looks at her and smiles. Thank you.

Emily looks at her and smiles back, then they continue shopping. The next two to three hours, Lena and Emily go shopping crazy. When they are done they go back to Lyon’s job. As Lyon is fixing a tire, Shadow runs over to the car shop doors. Lyon looks at him, then he sees that Shadow is running over to Lena. He grins, then he gets up and walks over to them. Lena is wearing black jeans and white-gray spaghetti-strap shirt with black-and-white sneakers. She also