Chapter 302

“Are you two playing pass the parcel or something?” Adir asked dryly, watching Melanie move about distractedly in the kitchen, lost in thought, her movements all automatic.
Adam, who had also been staring at her, blinked and turned to Adir, pulled from his own daze and let out a tired sigh. “What do you mean?”
Adir rolled his eyes, the way only a child who thought adults were being deliberately slow could. “Yesterday, you were wandering around like you were lost in a fog. Now she’s the one doing it.”
Adam gave a soft, humourless chuckle, surprised once again by the boy’s perception. He ran a hand over his face and sighed again, “Yeah… probably. Looks like we are. But don’t worry-she’ll snap out of it soon. Just needs a little time. Okay?”
Adir gave a small shrug and nodded. “Hmm. I’m not worried. Dad always said sometimes adults get confused and have to think deep. He used to do that a lot too.”
Adam paused at that, then nodded slowly, giving Adir a thoughtful look. “He was right,” he murmured, more to himself than to the boy. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Melanie had gone still, frozen in the middle of rinsing a mug. He could already guess what was going through her mind.
So, he turned to Adir and nudged him lightly. “Come on then, kiddo. Go get changed. We’ll leave in twenty minutes.”
Adir gave one last glance towards the kitchen, then trotted off, calling over his shoulder, “Don’t forget the snacks this time!”
Adam gave a small nod in response and watched him disappear around the corner. When he turned back, Melanie was no longer at the sink. She stood a few feet away, staring at Adir’s retreating back.
Adam shook his head and warned her,” This is different, Melon. Don’t compare…”
Melanie walked over slowly, “How is it different and how can I not compare? I think… I must have been like Adir when I was-” She paused, struggling for the right word to use instead of ’kidnapped’. Her brow furrowed, her mouth opening and closing once before she finally settled on, “-taken away by grandma.”
She folded her arms tightly across her chest as if hugging herself and continued in a soft tone, “But Adir remembers Patrick. He remembers his father. And he will probably always remember. So why don’t I remember mine? Or my mother?”
Adam stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms. She didn’t resist. He held her close, pressed a soft kiss to her temple before replying. “What do we always teach? About forgetting things related to Patrick not to feel guilty about it, right? That memories come when they’re ready, and sometimes they don’t come at all. And that’s okay.”
“As for why you don’t remember them,” he said, pulling back just enough to look at her face, “there could be a number of reasons. Like you said, your grandmother always got sad whenever you asked about them. So maybe-even as a child-you instinctively stopped asking. Maybe you came to believe they were gone. And that belief… it stayed. Or it is possible that your grandmother or someone else must have mentioned in passing that those people were dead.
Melanie was nodding slowly, eyes downcast, when he continued, voice even gentler.
“I also believe your grandmother became your primary caregiver before the incidence. She was the one you saw every day, the one who made your meals, tucked you into bed, took you to school. Your parents, they were always away, travelling for work or something,might not have figured into your daily world. That kind of distance can blur memories. Especially in young children. So, if you did not meet them as part of your routine, you might have forgotten ablout them quite easily.”
Melanie stopped mid-nod. She turned her face up to him, frowning. “How do you know that? How do you know they were always travelling?”
Adam hesitated, for a second, his expression gave away nothing, but his eyes flickered-just enough.
Melanie stepped back a little and stared at him with narrowed eyes,”Adam?”
He exhaled slowly. “I didn’t mean to keep anything from you. But I didn’t just guess. Someone told me. Someone who knows your parents. From before.”
Melanie stilled, her expression unreadable now. “You talked to someone who knows them?”
Adam nodded once. “Yes.”
Her voice dropped and she asked urgently. “Did you meet them? You investigated everything? How long have you known?”
His eyes widened slightly, and he immediately shook his head. “No. No, of course not, Melanie. I just looked into the police report to make sure that there was no misunderstanding. You know I would never keep things hidden from you, baby.”
Melanie didn’t respond, just kept watching him, knowing he was indeed hiding something. He let out a breath at her expression and explained,” The only reason I even looked into any of this was because of that day you had the panic attack and I brought you to the hospital. You were half-conscious, drifting in and out, but you kept repeating one thing.”
She blinked.
“You kept muttering that you loved your father the most,” he said gently. “Over and over.”
Melanie’s breath caught in her throat. How could she have murmured something like that? She didn’t even know her father-had no memory of him, no face to attach to the name. Even now, she could not remember what he looked like. And yet, in that fragile, half-conscious state, her mind had reached for him, as if he had always been there? How was that possible?
Before she could fully understand the implications, Adam caught her hand and spoke in a low tone, “And I think I know what triggered your panic attack,” he said quietly. “That day in the elevator… it wasn’t just about the stress or the confusion.”
She frowned,” What do you mean?”
Adam shook his head and said quietly,” You had a panic attack immediately after you saw your biological father.”
Melanie felt her world tilt at that revelation.
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