Finding Carrie (18 page)

“Yes, everything is fine,” he said. Then to Carrie he said, “I will see you on the stage.”

“Okay, good luck,” she said with an eyebrow raised. “Is that something good to say?” He smiled and nodded, and she left the room with Amanda.

Amanda showed Carrie to her seat. Carrie looked at the seat and at the stage and then looked back at Amanda. “Amanda, this is my seat?” she asked with suspicion. Amanda giggled under her hand that she was using to cover up her smile.

“Yes, Mrs. Walsch, it is. You always prefer to sit front and center to see your husband,” Amanda said, dropping her hand. Carrie nodded and took her seat. Amanda handed Carrie a program. Carrie opened it, and on the first page was a picture of Isaac. When she saw the picture, tingles went down from the top of her head to her toes; she got a warm feeling in her gut. It was a feeling of pride. This was her husband, and she was falling in love with him. The picture made him more gorgeous than any other picture they had in the apartment. She smiled to herself as she dropped her arms to her lap and looked up at the stage. She was so wrapped up into thinking about Isaac that she didn’t notice anyone in the huge auditorium.

“Hello, Mrs. Walsch. I’m so glad that you are okay. I heard about your attack, and I was worried about you,” said the woman who was sitting to the right of Carrie. Carrie didn’t come out of the trance she was in. She heard the name
Mrs. Walsch
and for the first time since she woke up days earlier, she felt it in her heart that she was Mrs. Walsch, and she really wanted to be Mrs. Walsch. As the realization sank into her that she loved Isaac with everything she had, she turned to the woman who had just spoken to her, her eyes wide.

“I am Mrs. Walsh, aren’t I?” Carrie asked not really looking at her, but her eyes appeared to be looking at her. She was still in her trance and seeing Isaac’s face.

“Why yes, you are, dear,” the women said, looking at Carrie like she was crazy. “Are you all right?” Carrie focused on the woman; she smiled.

“Of course I am. I had a head injury, and I have amnesia, but I realized at this very moment that I am in love with the man who told me that he was my husband. I’m not sure if I always loved him or if I just fell back in love with him, but I do I love him,” Carrie said, smiling at the woman. The woman was trying to smile back but was leaning away from her. The woman relaxed and laid a hand on Carrie’s arm.

“Yes, you are, dear, and I have never seen anyone in love with each other as you are with Mr. Walsch. I have never spent any time with him. You are always talking about him,” she said.

“I do. I love him; I have to tell him,” Carrie said. She stood up, and the lights went out. She sat back down and smiled at the woman. “Well, maybe after the show.” She laughed and the music started.

The music played for a long while before a cat came on stage. The cat had orange fur and did a somersault before it crawled over to the center of the stage and laid down right in front of where Carrie was sitting. The cat looked right at her and winked. She realized that the cat was Isaac. She blushed and smiled as she tilted her head down. He began to talk. She watched in awe as many other cats came on stage and sang. Mainly, she was watching Isaac. She had no idea that he was so talented or how beautiful his voice was. She loved his voice but hadn’t heard him sing before. Well, maybe she had, but she didn’t remember.

“Good-bye,” she told the lady next to her after the play ended. “I hope that next time I have my memory back and I can remember you,” she said with laughter in her voice. The woman looked at her with a smile.

“I hope so too.” The woman turned and left. Carrie just sat in her seat, waiting for Amanda to come and get her. She stood up to stretch her legs and looked toward the back of the room. The room was clearing out fast, and Amanda would be there soon. The room was huge and beautiful. It looked like it was built in the Victorian age, and it was preserved well.

What?
She thought to herself.
Why would I think that? I don’t even know what the Victorian Age is.
As she was thinking, Amanda appeared to her side.

“Are you ready to go back?” Amanda asked.

“Yes,” Carrie said with wonderment in her voice. As Amanda walked, she looked at Carrie over her shoulder.

“Are you all right? You sound different,” she said.

“Yes, I’m all right. When I looked at Isaac’s picture in the program, I don’t know, I think I realized that I love him,” Carrie said, watching the floor as they walked through the door.

“Oh, I see,” Amanda said, holding the second door for her. “Well, of course you love him. Anyone can see that.” Carrie didn’t say anything; she just followed Amanda to Isaac’s dressing room. “I’ll leave you here. I will see you later.”

“Thank you, Amanda. I really appreciate your help,” Carrie said. Amanda nodded and walked away. Carrie watched her disappear before she went in the room. She knocked before she pushed open the door.

“Come in,” she heard Isaac say. She pushed the door all the way open and just stood in the doorway. Isaac was wearing black dress pants and a light-blue dress shirt. It wasn’t buttoned, and he didn’t have anything under the shirt. He was washing his face off. He turned to look at her. His hair was damp, and he looked sexier than she had ever seen him before. “Hello,” he said. “You look more beautiful than I remember.” Carrie walked in the room and slowly closed the door behind her. She slowly stepped to stand right in front of him; she smiled. He narrowed his eyes and looked up and down her body. She raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck. She rose up on her tippy toes and leaned forward to kiss him. She leaned back and searched his eyes for a response. He smiled and rested his forehead on hers. She closed her eyes.

“You were amazing. I had no idea. And your voice is beautiful,” she said.

“Mmm, thank you, my love,” Isaac said.

“Isaac,” she said as she leaned back to look in his eyes. She waited till he opened them. “I love you.” His mouth hung open, and he looked shocked. He didn’t have a chance to reply; she was kissing him again. The kiss went on for a long time. Isaac’s hands were all over Carrie’s body. It had been a long time for them, and he was losing control. He wanted her, and he felt that she wanted him too, but they had a party to go to, and if they didn’t show up, people would come looking. He didn’t want to stop kissing her. She didn’t either. He pulled her over to the couch and pulled her down beside him. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and pulled him closer, so close that she had to lie down. He went with her. She wrapped one leg around his waist. She didn’t have the slightest clue what she was doing with him, but she liked it and didn’t want to stop. She turned her head to the right just to get some air in her lungs. He kissed her neck from her earlobe to her collarbone. She had just turned her head so she could find his mouth when there was a knock at the door. They both stilled and looked at one another, eyes wide and mouths open, breathing heavy.

“Yes?” Isaac managed to get out, his eyes stilled locked with Carrie’s blue ones. They were glossy and bright, shiny with love.

“Mr. Walsch, they are waiting for you,” the man on the other side of the door said.

“Alright,
we
will be right there,” Isaac said. They both giggled.

“All right,” the man said after clearing his throat. Isaac bent down to kiss Carrie before he sat up. She sat up a few seconds after he did. She was still dazed. Isaac ran his hand through his hair, let out his breath, and looked at her.

“Do you remember anything?” he asked. She shook her head.

“No, I’m sorry. But when I saw a picture of you in the program, I realized that I love you,” she said, turning to face him. She put her hands on his shoulders. “I do really. Not just because everyone says it. I really do, here”—she gestured to her heart—“right here.” She took his hand and placed it over her heart. “It belongs to you. I belong to you.” She looked up into his eyes. “I love you more than anything.” And that was the truth. She was admitting it to herself as well to him. He leaned over to kiss her again.

“You just made me the happiest person in the whole world. I love you so much, and I would do anything for you,” he said.

“I know, as I would for you,” Carrie said. Isaac took a deep breath. He wanted to make love to her right there and felt that she wanted to too, but he let out his breath and sighed. He put his hand on her face.

“Carrie, I want nothing else in the world but to be with you right now, making love to you, but I fear if we don’t get to the party soon, they are going to come looking for us again.”

“What party?” she asked.

“The after-premiere party,” he answered. She didn’t know what that was, but as long as she was with him, she would go.

“All right, as long as you promise to make love to me later, then we will go,” she said.

“Oh, I promise. I will,” he said, eyes wide with excitement. She bent down to rest her head on his shoulder and buried her face in his neck. They sat for a few more minutes then went to the party.

Carrie and Isaac walked into the entryway of the theater. Carrie was clinging to Isaac’s arm with both hands, one hand laced in his and the other holding his upper arm. She buried her face in the back of his shoulder as they walked in. The sea of people cheered and yelled Isaac’s name as they spotted them coming. Isaac lifted his arms at them with Carrie’s hand still in his hand. Her hand slipped away as she stepped behind him.

“Thank you. Thank you,” he said as he tried to calm them down. The crowd grew silent as they waited for him to give them a speech. Carrie smiled as she watched the respect that everyone gave him. Now, more than ever, she wished she could remember. “Thank you,” Isaac said again. “I had fun tonight, as I’m sure you all did.” As he paused, the crowd said “yeah” at the same time. “And you know, this isn’t a one-man show. I had help from all of you. I would be standing in the dark singing if it wasn’t for you all.” The crowd laughed at his joke. Carrie was laughing too. “Okay, let’s get this party started.” As he finished saying that, the music started and Carrie saw a DJ in the corner by the front door. Isaac turned around and pinned Carrie against the wall with his hands entwining into hers. Resting his forehead against hers, he asked, “Do you want to dance with me?” He leaned back to look at her. She had her head tilted back to look up at him. She had the biggest smile on her face and love in her eyes.

“Yes, I would,” she said. She could barely hear her own voice over the music, but he pulled her away from the wall, and with his hand still in hers, spun her around to hold her in front of him with her back pressed against him and with her arms crossed around her. He led her to the center of the floor and spun her around again so she was facing him. He let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, turned her head, and laid it on his shoulder. They swung to the music; despite that the song was a fast song and everyone else was jumping and singing. It was as though they were the only two people in the room. He pressed kisses onto the back of her neck. They sent tingles down her spine. She lifted her head and her gaze locked on his dark eyes. She smiled, letting her lashes sweep down. He bent his head to press a kiss on her cheek and to whisper in her ear.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he whispered. She nodded. He took her hand and swung her toward the door. They waded through the crowd until they reached the door. He pushed the door open and stepped aside to let her step out. The cool breeze hit Carrie’s face. It was soothing. Isaac came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Are you cold?” He felt her shiver in his arms. For a late-June night, it was a little chilly.

“No, I was just really warm in there. It was actually soothing,” she replied, then remembered that the driver was going to come back for them. “Nick, the driver, said he would be back at one to get us.”

“Yeah, I know. I just thought we could take a walk,” he said. He looked down at his watch. It was the watch she gave him on their anniversary. “It is eleven thirty. We have an hour and a half to be together.”

She smiled. “I think we have our whole life to be together,” she reminded him.

“Awe. Yes, that we do,” he said, reaching for her hand. Without hesitation, she took it, still smiling. They strolled down the stairs and walked slowly down the block.

They walked, talked, kissed the whole hour and a half. When they reached the stairs to the theater, the car was parked out front. Isaac led Carrie to the car and opened the door. She slid in the back and said hello to the diver. Isaac sat next to her, and Carrie leaned into him as the driver took them home.

Isaac unlocked the apartment and stepped aside so Carrie could walk in. Amy was sitting on the couch, half asleep. She sat up and stretched. Looking at the clock, she turned off the TV. “I didn’t expect you would be home so soon,” she said as she stood up.

“It is after one, Amy,” Isaac told her. She looked around again at the clock.

“Oh, so it is. I thought it was only eleven. Those girls wore me out,” she said yawning. “Dave was coming by to keep me company.” As she said that, there was a knock at the door. “Speaking of Dave.” She went over to the door and opened it. Of course, it was Dave.

“Hi, guys,” Dave said as he stepped in and kissed Amy on the cheek.

“They just got here. I’m ready to go,” Amy said.