Love,Liam
Her heart gave a little dance. Love, Liam. He thought she was beautiful. And he loved her. How thrilling. Eva scooted to his side of the bed, looking for his warmth. He had been gone long obviously. She took a peek at the clock. Ten. Boy, she was sleeping in late. But she could still smell him. She didn’t know why but a whiff of his masculine fragrance calmed her. She felt loved and protected. She didn’t feel they were strangers anymore. She still couldn’t remember much about him, but somehow she felt connected.
They were married. He loved her. He might have married her for custody reasons, but she felt she had a lifetime to know him. He was all she had. She was one lucky girl.
Eva decided to take a shower and get dressed in new clothes that Rosa had bought her. This morning she chose a pretty yellow sundress with little straps on the shoulders. She removed the tag after widening her eyes at the price. Four hundred bucks. For a dress. Eva was pretty sure in her former life she had never spent that much money on a single dress.
However, she looked pretty in it and was quite pleased with her appearance. Rosa greeted her warmly when Eva flounced into the kitchen.
“Good morning, sunshine. How did you sleep?” Rosa asked.
Her cheeks heated. “I slept soundly.”
Rosa chuckled. “Have some breakfast, won’t you?”
“I am hungry.”
“Good. I’m going to make you my killer omelet.”
“Goodie.”
Eva pulled out a chair and sat as Rosa busied cracking eggs and whipped her a delicious fluffy omelet. She served her breakfast with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Nothing store-bought in Rosa’s kitchen. It seemed she liked everything fresh.
Eva shoveled her food with gusto. “This is delicious, Rosa.”
“Why thank you, child.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever tasted an omelet this good.”
“You flatter me.”
“I’m not. I’m pretty sure of it. Even though I’m still hazy about everything.”
“You still don’t remember anything?”
“Sadly, no. I do know I like pink and an omelet is my favorite food.”
“You poor child.”
Eva grinned. “How was she? Natalie?” Eva was curious.
“Her?” Rosa snorted. “She’s not worth mentioning.”
“Well, I just want to know why Liam and she decided to get divorced.”
“She cheated on Mr. Caderyn.”
Eva widened her eyes. “She did? But why?”
“That, child, I don’t really know. Perhaps she was bored of him. Perhaps she was into Mr. Caderyn’s money.”
“Oh. He’s pretty well off, isn’t he? He could afford a private physician.”
“He is. And Doctor Hall is a family friend. He’s supposed to come and examine you today.”
“Liam left a note. Does Liam have siblings?”
“A younger sister. Caitlyn. She lives in North Side.”
“North Side?”
“Winnetka. She has a cute son, Brandon. That little button was two years old last month. Mr. Caderyn babysits him once in a while.”
Good-looking. Kind. And good with kids. He was definitely a keeper. “What about Liam’s parents? Are they still alive?”
“Sadly no. Mr. Caderyn Senior died in a car accident a few years back. Mrs. Caderyn was heartbroken and died soon after.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Me too. They were really close. Soul mates, I’d say.”
Eva shoveled a mouthful of eggs and chewed. “Do you believe in soul mates?”
“Of course I do. Caderyns always marry their soul mate. Except for Natalie, of course. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. They looked perfect from the outside, but you never truly know a person’s heart.”
Soul mates. Eva still didn’t know much about Liam. But when they were together, it felt so right. Were they soul mates? Thinking about him made her blush. Rosa noticed it. She laughed and patted Eva’s hand.
“He’s good for you. Make him happy and you will be happy too for the rest of your life.”
“He’s so kind to me.”
“And he’s not bad-looking too.” Rosa winked. “I know he can drive women crazy with one look. Oh, does he have fans.”
“Does he?” Eva laughed with her.
“Before he turned into a recluse.”
Eva sipped the juice. It tasted so fresh. “Why did he do that?”
“Because of the scandal with Natalie. It was all over the news, you know? The press wouldn’t give him a break. They hounded him night and day. It was a circus.”
“Really?” Eva shook her head. “I don’t understand why someone would leave a man like Liam.”
“Like I said, you never know inside one’s heart.”
So true. Eva couldn’t imagine leaving a man like him. Her heart ached just by thinking about it. “I’m so lucky to have him.”
“And he’s lucky to have you. Be good to him, won’t you? He has been through a lot.”
Eva blushed again. “I will.”
* * *
Liam called just before lunch to say that he was going to be late. He asked her how she was feeling. Eva went bubbly with his attention. She felt special and she didn’t think she was special before…before she lost her memory. She didn’t miss it. Not one bit. She had him. It was more than enough to make a woman happy.
“Do you want anything before I drive home?” he asked on the phone.
“No, I’m fine.”
“You sure. Maybe you’re in the mood for something. Pizza? Fruits? Godiva chocolate.”
“Chocolate sounds good. Do I like chocolate?”
“Babe, every woman loves chocolate.”
Eva laughed. “See you when you get home.”
“Love you.”
She paused. “Love you too.”
Silence stretched on the other end. “Do you mean it?”
“I do, Liam.”
“You’re so cute.” Then he disconnected.
A rush of giddiness surged through her. He loved her and he thought she was cute. She volunteered to help Rosa make dinner, but Rosa said she didn’t need help. Eva then played with Hades while waiting for Liam to get home. She chased him from room to room while admiring the house. Out of all the rooms, Liam’s bedroom was the barest of all. Others were nicely furnished without being tacky. Liam’s home office looked grand with wall-to-wall rich walnut wainscot and intricate moldings. A set of leather chairs graced the fireplace. His desk was rather bare. Only a laptop and a book were on the surface. Eva stepped closer. There were photos stacked on top of the book. She looked closer.