?As I sit at the counter at the diner, I look a couple seats down to my left. There’s this beautifully striking man looking in my direction. It feels as if he knows me, I feel like we’ve done this glancing game before. He seems so familiar, but because of the accident I don’t remember him. Or us. If they’re ever was an us.
?Little did I know this would be the beginning of the end of the life I had as I once knew it.
“Serena Van Norden?” he smiles, at me. He was always smiling when he looked at me.
?“Uh, hi. I’m terribly sorry, do I know you?” I felt almost guilty; he seemed to know exactly who I was.
?“Well don’t be silly,” he seemed offended. “It’s me, John Murhand.”
?“I’m sorry, John, I got in a terrible accident a year and a half ago that caused me to have temporary amnesia. I can remember things now, but I have to see a picture of when I knew you or some sort of reminder to help me get memories back.”
?“My apologies, Serena. I thought you were pretending not to know me because of some unpleasant experiences between us.” While he was talking, I couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. How familiar all of his features seemed. I remembered his fingers, his ugly little fingers. I loved his adorably ugly fingers.
?“I’m sure I wouldn’t hold a grudge.” I flashed a flirty smile. Right after I did that, I looked at the ring on my left hand and realized that I shouldn’t have done that. Who was this man to just come up and try to flirt with me?

?We continued with small talk, he asked me about my life and I asked about his. He recently graduated from Columbia University, right around the time I graduated from NYU. We were practically neighbors- what a coincidence to meet again in Ol’ Sally’s Diner in Brooklyn.
“Nice rock there, Serena.” John awed in disgust at my engagement ring. His eyes started watering and he clenched his hand into a fist. How hurt could be over someone he hadn’t seen in years? Did he expect that the Serena that knew him would wait for him the rest of her life?
?“Thank you, I’m getting married to my old high school flame Damien Bierman, he’s in line to start playing some professional baseball if we’re lucky.” I tried to lighten him up; who knew John was so invested in me.
?“I remember Damien.” His voice was full of pure hatred. “That douche went to middle school with us.”
?“You don’t have to be so rude. He is my fiancé, John,” Now I was the one getting offended. “I know he wasn’t always the best person but he changed. He’s a gentleman.”
?“Do you love him, Serena?”
?“Of…of course I do.” I wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that question. “Don’t be absurd.” I chuckled.
He pulled out his phone and showed me a photo. It was him and me at a younger age, embracing. At that moment, all these terrible and yet beautiful memories came back to me. Like a rush of ice-cold water splashing you in the face, and then having to take a moment to comprehend what just happened. I remembered exactly who he was. I knew exactly what he did to me.
“How dare you.” My eyes glistened from the tears that were in moments going to erupt from them. The memory of his betrayal broke my heart into a million pieces all over again.
?“Serena give me a chance to explain.” He pleaded, grabbing my wrist as tight as he possibly could only for me to slip away moments later.
?“Leave me alone.” I ran hysterically out of the diner into a taxi, I didn’t want him to chase after me. I wanted to go back to not remembering who he was.
I loved him. I remembered that much. I remembered everything.