Three years.
It had been exactly three years since I opened my eyes and woke up from the endless darkness. Three years since I returned to the world of the living.
And yet, my mind remained a complete blank.
I didn't remember the car accident that took my memories. I didn't remember my childhood, my teenage years, or the life I lived before I fell asleep. I didn't remember how I met Rhydian, or how we fell in love, or anything about the time before the coma.
To me, my life effectively started the moment I woke up. Everything before that was just… silence. Empty space.
But strangely, I wasn't sad about it anymore. Because what I had right now was more than enough to fill my heart completely.
I was Aureliana Vance. I was Rhydian's wife. I was Wynne and Maven's mother. That was all the history I needed. That was all the identity I required.
"Mommy! Catch me!"
I heard the excited squeal before I saw her. Maven came running across the spacious living room, her hair flying, a huge grin on her face. Wynne was right behind her, laughing loudly as they chased each other around the sofa.
I sat there, my legs tucked underneath me, watching them with a soft, contented smile. They were growing up so fast. They were smart, energetic, and beautiful. They had Rhydian's eyes—deep, dark, and expressive—and my smile. Looking at them, I felt a surge of pride and love so strong it almost hurt.
"Enjoying the view, Mrs. Vance?"
A deep, warm voice whispered right next to my ear. I felt strong arms wrap around my shoulders from behind, and a chin rested gently on top of my head.
Rhydian.
I leaned my head back against his chest, looking up at him. "Always. They are getting so big, Rhydian."
"They are," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss against my temple. He walked around and sat down beside me, pulling me effortlessly into his side so I was leaning against him. His arm rested comfortably around my shoulders, secure and warm. "Just like their mother. Getting more beautiful every single day."
I laughed softly, playfully hitting his chest. "You are just saying that."
"I mean every word," he said seriously, looking into my eyes with that intense, loving gaze that still made my heart flutter, even after all this time. "I spent three years watching you sleep, unable to do anything but hope and wait. Now that you are here, awake, alive, and mine… I can't stop looking at you."
The Quiet Question
We sat there in comfortable silence for a while, just watching the twins play with their toys, their chatter filling the room with life.
But sometimes, especially on days like this when everything felt so perfect, a small, quiet voice would whisper in the back of my mind.
"Rhydian?" I asked softly, playing with the fingers of his hand, tracing the lines and calluses on his palm.
"Hmm?" He turned his head to look at me, giving me his full attention.
"Do you ever… do you ever get sad?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, look at us. We have been married for three years now. We have two beautiful kids. We are happy. But… I still don't remember anything. I don't remember us. I don't remember who I was back then. Sometimes I feel like I'm just… a stranger wearing your wife's face."
The atmosphere changed instantly. Rhydian immediately shifted, turning his body to face me properly. He cupped my face in his large, warm hands, forcing me to look directly into his eyes.
"Don't you ever say that," he said firmly, but his voice was soft, filled with emotion. "Never say that you are a stranger. You are my wife. You are the love of my life. You are the mother of my children. You are everything to me."
He wiped a stray tear that I didn't even realize had fallen from my cheek.
"And do you know what the best part is?" he asked, a small, tender smile appearing on his lips. "I got to fall in love with you twice. Once, a long time ago, when we were young. And then again, three years ago, when you opened your eyes and looked at me like I was your whole world."
He squeezed my hands gently.
"You didn't lose yourself, Aureliana. You just… hit a reset button. You are still the same kind, beautiful, amazing woman I fell in love with back then. The fact that you don't remember the past doesn't change who you are. And it doesn't change how much I love you."
I looked into his eyes, drowning in the depth of his patience and devotion. He never pressured me. He never showed me old photos or tried to force my brain to recall things. He just loved me. Exactly as I was.
"I love you," I whispered, leaning into his touch. "I might not remember yesterday, but I know I love you today."
"And that is more than enough for me," he said, kissing my forehead, then my nose, and finally lingering on my lips. "That is all I will ever need."
Life As We Know It
Life in the mansion was peaceful, structured, and filled with so much love.
Even though I had no memories, my instincts were perfect. I knew exactly how to run this house. I knew exactly how Rhydian liked his coffee—strong, with just a little bit of cream. I knew what jokes made him laugh. I knew exactly how to soothe him when he came home tired and stressed from work.
It felt like I had been doing this my whole life.
One afternoon, the weather was perfect—cool, breezy, with the sun shining brightly over the mountains.
"Mommy! Daddy! Can we go to the garden please?" Wynne asked, looking up at us with his big, hopeful eyes.
"Of course," Rhydian smiled, ruffling his son's hair. "Let's go."
We walked out into the vast, well-kept garden. The air was fresh and smelled of pine trees and flowers.
While Wynne and Maven ran around chasing butterflies and exploring the bushes, Rhydian and I walked hand in hand along the stone path.
"You know," I said suddenly, looking up at him as we walked. "Even though I don't remember anything… sometimes I feel like I have known you forever."
Rhydian stopped walking. He turned to face me, his eyes shining with unshed tears under the sunlight.
"You have," he said softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "The mind forgets, Aureliana. It gets confused, it loses things. But the heart? The heart remembers. Your heart knows me. It knew me even when you were asleep."
He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest, right there in the middle of the garden.
"I waited for you for three years while you were in that coma," he whispered into my hair, his voice thick with emotion. "Three years of talking to you, hoping you would hear me. And now that you are here… I would not trade this feeling for anything. Not even for your memories."
I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his waist and holding him just as tight.
"I am happy," I murmured into his shirt. "I am so happy, Rhydian."
Nighttime Confessions
That night, after we had bathed the twins, read them stories, and put them to bed, Rhydian and I went out to our private balcony.
The view was breathtaking. The city lights of Baguio twinkled below us like millions of stars fallen to the ground. The air was cool, but his arms around me kept me warm and safe.
"I used to be scared," I admitted softly, looking out at the view. "When I first woke up, I was terrified. I thought my life was over. I thought I had lost everything important."
"And now?" Rhydian asked, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"Now I know," I said, turning around in his arms so I could look up at him. The moonlight illuminated his handsome face, making him look like an angel. "I didn't lose anything. I just gained a new life. A better life. With you."
I reached up and touched his face, tracing his jawline with my fingers.
"Thank you," I whispered, tears of happiness filling my eyes. "Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for giving me this family, this love, this home when I had forgotten how to have it all."
Rhydian didn't speak. He just looked at me with so much love it took my breath away. Then, he leaned down and kissed me.
It was a deep, passionate, and perfect kiss. It was filled with three years of waiting, three years of marriage, and a lifetime of promise.
When we pulled apart, we were both breathing hard.
"I love you, Aureliana Vance," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "Past, present, and future. You are mine."
"I love you too, Rhydian," I smiled, resting my head on his chest and listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. "And I am yours. Always."
My memories were still gone. The past was still a mystery.
But right here, in his arms, with our children sleeping peacefully down the hall, I knew one thing for certain.
I was home.
And this love was enough. More than enough.