The Royal Contract

"...let me thank you by..."

What was she saying?

"Oh! You are packed and ready to go." Her sister suddenly showed up in her room.

She was glad that Roseann interrupted them, or she might have said something she might regret later. She knew she felt something for this man, but was that gratitude, pity, or something else?

Nevertheless, she sincerely would like to thank him for all his help. She could tell that he was not expecting anything in return. Still, she wanted to do something to return the favors.

"Yep, packed up and ready to go," Rosella answered her sister, smiling, pleased, and excited that she was leaving the hospital.

She was tired of staring at the four white walls of her room. She had had enough of living in the hospital. She could not wait to get out of there.

"Great, I already prepared your room." Her sister excitedly told her as she checked the rest of her things.

"Can't wait." She responded with enthusiasm. She was genuinely excited, looking forward to her first day out of this hospital.

More importantly, she wanted to begin living her life again. She could either try to remember her past or start afresh. Whatever it would be, she could not do it if she remained confined in this institution.

Her sister suggested taking her to the places she had been, her favorite ones. She believed it could jog her memories. Of course, she would love that. She wanted to do anything that could help her.

"Where is your Mom, by the way?" David asked, seemingly confused as he looked around the room. She could only conclude that he was searching for her mother, who was not around.

She noticed that her mother might not have liked him from the start of their relationship, but she had no bad things to say about him since they had gotten engaged.

"She is just signing some papers for my discharge. She will be back soon." Rosella answered him, but she kept her eyes on him.

She heard that he was not always like this. He was a rich man who did not care about the people around him. He was not a cruel man or something like that. He was indifferent to the other people that did not belong in their social standing. But he changed once he met her.

Roseann claimed that his outlook on life transformed because of her. He had been a different man since they had been together.

"Oh!" He responded with a sigh. "I am sure she is as happy as me that you are finally going home." He commented with a broad smile on his lips.

She was unsure if that was relief, gladness, or disappointment she saw in his face. He was a hard person to read. But she was still getting to know him.

"Not as happy as I am. Finally, one less patient to take care of." Roseann sighed in relief, acting like she had been a burden to her sister.

"I was not that bad. All I did was sleep. So, I doubt you got a lot of complaints from me." She kiddingly responded to her sister's dramatics.

"Yeah, I guess you are right. You are one of my less toxic patients, but still, I am glad to see you go out of the front door." Her sister exclaimed with relief.

She could not blame her sister. They said there was a time that they thought she was going out on the backdoor. Fortunately, she managed to pull through.

"Thanks to you and your team of doctors and nurses who never gave up on me." She told her sister, grateful for them. "And thanks to you for never leaving my side." She turned to the man, silently watching her exchange with her sister.

"It is just part of the job." Her sister claimed, but they all knew it was more than that. "So, are you ready to face the outside world again?" Roseann moved closer as her hands wrapped around her shoulder for a short hug.

Sometimes, she could not help but wonder if she had been a good person before she lost all her memory. Did she deserve the love of her family and this man who had been fussing over her?

But the difficult question that she could not answer plagued her mind. Could she still be the person that they expected her to be? Could she live up to this woman that they kept calling Rosella?

"Oh! Shoot!" Suddenly, Roseann gasped and shouted as she looked at her phone. "I am so sorry! But I gotta leave you for a second."

Her sister read whatever was her message and apologized again to her. "I will be back as soon as possible. I promise."

Roseann had a patient that she had to emergency check. Therefore, she had to leave her in the capable hands of David for a while.

"I don't know how she still manages to sleep or eat." She commented as she watched her scrammed out of her room. "She always seemed to be in a hurry."

"Well, that is the life she chose. She seems to love her job." David responded as he looked at her. "What about you? Have you figured out what you will do once you are out?"

She had asked herself the same question since she heard she would go home. They said she was a real estate agent, and selling properties was her specialty.

"In truth, I don't know yet. Maybe I can return to selling or try my luck to do something else." She had no idea. But she hoped she could find some hints once she had experienced the world outside again.

She had a better chance of remembering if she could see the outside world and retrace her every step. But in case she did not recover her lost memory. The therapist and her family were right. She could always create new ones.

"If you need a job or anything, don't hesitate to call me." David offered as he stepped closer. "I know you will feel hesitant to come to me. But I assure you. I only want to help with no strings attached."

She could feel the sincerity in his voice as he spoke to her. She could see that his offer was genuine. Therefore, she did not hesitate to answer him. "I will consider your offer. Thanks again."

"So, how long do you plan to stay with your folks?" David asked as he looked everywhere else except her.

He buried his hands deep in his pants pockets as he pretended to stare at the fake painting on the wall, avoiding looking at her. But she could see the pain he was trying to hide from her.

"I am not." She immediately answered him. She thought about it and decided it was not the best for her.

Based on Roseann's account, she had never lived in their parent's home for a long time. She had lived alone in her apartment before moving in with David when they got engaged.

Therefore, it would not help her memory if she stayed with her mother and father, who lived far from the city where she had already taken roots.

Her sister said that her life was here. Her life was him.

"What?" David scrunched his forehead, appearing confused. "What do you mean you are not?" He clarified further. "You are not staying with your Mom."

She was unsure if he was asking a question or stating a fact, but she answered him anyway. "No, I decided to live somewhere else."

"But you are not supposed to live alone." He quickly interrupted her.

She did remember what the doctors said. "Yeah, and I don't intend to." She smiled at him, appreciating his visible concern. "I decided to move in with Roseann until I can get back on my feet."

She thought it would be best if she stayed in the city. She would be near where she had lived for years and the hospital for her therapy.

And as much as she wished to deny it, she liked to be near him. She wanted to give herself a chance to remember him, even if there was no assurance that it would work.

"Oh! I guess that would work." David answered, appearing glad of her decision. "Roseann can keep a close eye on you."

"Yeah! I know I will need support. I am just glad that Roseann offered to help." Somehow, she could tell that she and her sister were close.

She might not remember it, but her instinct told her she could trust her. And she guessed she loved her parents and her other siblings too.

Still, a question that nagged at her as she stared at the man before her. Would she still include him in the picture if she never recovered her memory?

Would she ever feel the same way as she felt for him before the accident?

Or was she only causing him more pain by letting him hold on to a forgotten past?