Chapter 7 Sebastian Had a Question And I Wasn't Ready For It

SELENE

I didn't realize how unprepared I was until Sebastian asked a question I couldn't outrun.

What could it have meant to him?

The question circled endlessly in my mind, refusing to settle. I wished desperately that I could ask Sebastian directly, but the man I could have questioned no longer existed. This version of him carried no memories of our past, only fragments that didn't belong to us and silences where answers should have been.

From the day we married to the day of his accident, he had made me believe he hated me. Hated my presence, my voice, even the air I shared with him. He recoiled from everything that had my name attached to it. Or so I had thought.

Now, knowing the date he had chosen for his phone password, I felt torn in two.

Had I been wrong all along?

Or was I simply clinging to meaning where there was none, desperate to rewrite a story that had already broken me?

Stop overthinking, Selene, my mind scolded quietly. It's just a phone password. Don't turn it into something it's not. Don't forget how he treated you before.

I nodded to myself, as if the reminder had been spoken aloud. I needed it. More than I cared to admit.

Sliding the door open, I stepped back into his ward, phone in hand. The room was empty.

"Where on earth did this man go?" I muttered. "Is he even allowed to be wandering around?"

With a tired sigh, I turned and headed back into the hallway, setting off in search of my husband who apparently couldn't keep himself in one place for more than five minutes.

I made my way to the hospital balcony, where Sebastian sat on a bench near the railing.

I let out a breath and started toward him, relief loosening my steps.

Then I stopped.

He wasn't alone.

A young girl in a wheelchair stared at the Rubik's cube in his hands, her eyes wide with wonders.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" She exclaimed, pointing at the cube just as his fingers moved with precised speed. In seconds, the colors aligned perfectly.

"This is very easy." Sebastian said lightly, smiling at her amazement.

I folded my arms, watching from a short distance.

"You're like a pro." The girl said in awe, then sighed dramatically. "This is so unfair. I can't believe you beat me."

Sebastian laughed softly. "I won fair."

"It's not fair." She whined, snatching the cube from him. "You're an adult and I'm still a kid. When I grow older like you, I'll be a pro too."

"Yeah," he replied, smiling at her, "but you'll never beat me."

She scrunched up her nose at him, and I felt a smile tug at my lips.

I had never seen Sebastian like this, so relaxed, so gentle. I had never seen him with children, never seen this easy, playful side of him.

"Anyway," the little girl asked, tilting her head curiously, "why are you here? Are you sick like me?"

Sebastian touched his head lightly and nodded. "I was in an accident. It... affected my head."

The girl frowned, squinting at him. "How?"

"I don't remember anyone," he admitted, his voice quiet, "except one person."

I froze, hidden behind a railing, listening.

Her eyes went wide. "You don't remember your family or friends?"

He shook his head.

"Then... who's the person you do remember?" She pressed.

Sebastian paused for a moment, and then a small, soft smile curved his lips. "My wife."

The girl let out a delighted laugh. "Wow. That's... interesting. So, how does it feel.. not having a single memory of the past?"

He exhaled slowly, looking out over the balcony for a moment. "I.. don't really know. I guess I'm supposed to be okay." He went silent, and the girl just waited patiently, as if she understood that some answers took time.

"I'm still figuring things out." He added finally, his smile faint but genuine.

The girl nodded sagely. "You're smart. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

He chuckled lightly, his eyes meeting hers. "You have an eye for good character."

I smiled, biting my lower lip.

"But..." The girl said, glancing past Sebastian in my direction. I turned to see who she was looking at, then I realized it was me.

"There's a lady who has been staring at you." She said, pointing, and Sebastian's head whipped toward me.

Too late to hide, I gave a small, awkward wave. "I was wondering where you went." I said, stepping closer.

"That's my wife." He told her.

The girl studied me for a moment. "She's beautiful."

"I know, right?" He said with a grin, his gaze softening as it met mine.

Lord. This was... so much.

Much to my relief, a nurse approached.

"Your break time is over, Stella." She said.

The girl sighed. "It was nice talking to you."

They high-fived before the nurse led her away, and Sebastian let out a small, wistful sigh.

"She's so cute." He murmured.

"I know, right." I replied, and the corner of his lips curved into a smile.

His gaze drifted to the children playing nearby. "The air feels nice out here." He murmured, exhaling slowly. Then he turned toward me, tapping the space beside him. "Come sit."

I hesitated, my fingers nervously tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Being this close to him still felt strange.

When I glanced at him, he was already watching me, smiling. He seemed to smile so often now, it made my heart flutter.

"There's something I'm curious about." He began.

"What... is it?" I asked, leaning slightly forward.

"Vincent told me we've been married for three years." He said, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was stalling, drawing this out on purpose.

"Yeah?" I prompted, my heartbeat picking up.

He looked ahead, quiet for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

I caught his side profile bathed in sunlight. It was unreal and I couldn't look away.

But the pause stretched, making me more nervous by the second.

Then he turned back to me, tilting his head slightly. "How come we don't have any kids? Does that make any sense?"

Right. It made no sense, just like his question.