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It’s my reflection that I’m staring at, my own eyes that I’m meeting when I look at the woman in front of me, but I have no idea who she is.
Not like I’m a floundering millennial, but more like I have zero recollection of my life prior to the last nine years.
The only thing I can remember about my past is the day I woke up in the hospital of Willow Creek, a very small town an hour outside of New York City, after a very serious car accident. I have no idea why I was in Willow Creek; no one here seems to have known me before the accident. The only things that I know for certain about me are that I was three months pregnant when I had the accident and that my name is Tanya.
The car I had been driving didn’t have anything inside of it when the paramedics rescued me, and mine had been the only car involved in the accident, or the only one that was still at the scene. The only other tangible thing that I had on me was a mysterious locket that I had around my neck. Inside of the locket was a small inscription that read:
To my sweet Tanya,
I’m ready to face the world with you. I love you.
C.
Something about the necklace made me feel drawn to it, like whoever gave it to me was important. I wore it around my neck every day.
“Mommy! We’re going to be late!”
I smile when I hear Sophia’s voice yell for me down the hall.
“I’m coming, I’m coming. We aren’t going to be late.” I roll my eyes at her dramatics.
If there is one thing to say about my girl, it’s that she is a stickler for a set schedule. I walk into our kitchen to see Sophia standing at our side door with her backpack on and her little fists balled on her hips. I raise my eyebrow at her stance and try not to let her see how much I’m trying not to laugh.
“And what exactly is your problem, Little Lady?”
I move about the small kitchen of the modest cottage that we live in and make my coffee while I wait for her to decide to tell me.
When I was released from the hospital after the accident, I still had no idea who I was, and no one had come around to claim me. I needed a place to live, and the kind residents of Willow Creek helped me get back on my feet; they found me a place to rent and a job. I have lived in this cabin and worked as a barista at Cozy Corner Café since the day I left the hospital.
Today is the ninth anniversary of the day that Mr. Robert found me in that car. Every year on this day, I can’t help but think back on everything that has happened. I’ve created this new life, and I honestly have no idea what I would do if my old one came knocking. I’ve made sure to make this our home; I even decided to use the last name Roberts in a way to anchor us to these people and this place.
“Mommy, I don’t want to be late for the first day of school.”
I just finish making my coffee when Sophia finally speaks up.
“And what makes you think we are going to be late?”
I close the lid of my coffee mug and turn to face her.
“Because I’m done getting ready, and we still haven’t gone. You are always telling me that we are going to be late while I’m still getting ready.”
I sputter out a laugh as I take a sip of my coffee and have to catch some that dribbles down my chin.
She’s not wrong.
I have to clear my throat before speaking. “Well, I woke you up a little early today so that I could take you. We are leaving just on time, so don’t worry, okay?”
I can see her visibly relax.
“Oh, okay.”
A snort escapes me before I can stop it.
“Don’t you think this is a good time to think about how you need to listen to me in the mornings, though?”
She rolls her eyes, and I can’t really reprimand her about it when I’m the one she learned it from.
“I know, Mommy.”
