Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Her eyes brim with tears as she waits for him to say something. Anything, but he doesn’t.

Gabriel merely stares at her with his body in a sudden freeze. And for a split second, he’s almost sure she can hear the rapid beating of his wrinkled heart.

“Gabriel,” Nathalie calls out. “Say something.”
She needs answers, and she needs them now. Nathalie Sancoeur is tired of being his secret.

But all he does is avert his gaze away from her disappointed and tearful eyes.

“Am I not good enough for you?” Nathalie eventually whispers, cutting the silence he has created. There’s obvious fear in her voice as her trembling hands wipe at her tears.

“If you don’t want to be with me, tell me now. I need to know.” Her pleading words cause him to realize a painful lump has begun to form in his throat, and now he’s blinking away his own tears.

“You need to give me time Nathalie.” He finally mumbles, not daring to look up at her.

Nathalie lets out a giggle of pure shock and disbelief. She cannot fathom that those are the only words he has to say to her.

“I’ve given you nothing but time.”

She eventually moves away from her spot in the middle of the bedroom to then slowly approach him. Gabriel immediately tenses as she walks towards him, and when Nathalie attempts to take a hold of his hand, Gabriel pulls away.

That simple action crushes her beating heart and Nathalie is now convinced that starting a romance with Gabriel Agreste was a terrible mistake. His silence hurts more than any of the words he could possibly speak.

It makes her realize that he isn’t ready after all. Because even if he gave up on attempting to revive his wife a long time ago, he is still the same person he was back then. And the truth is, that person never went away. He is still the same man who has such difficulty adapting to change.

Now Nathalie feels that all the words he’s ever told her and all the promises he’s ever made were unreal. A fantasy is what she’s been living in, and the awakening from it is cruel and so very painful.

“At least give me a reason why you can’t tell him? Why is it so hard for you to tell Adrien about us?”

“Where is this sudden urge to reveal our relationship to him coming from?” He suddenly snaps, making her flinch.

But she soon replies with the same intensity. “You don’t get it, Gabriel.” Nathalie yells as she brings her hands up in frustration. “I'm tired of hiding!” She exclaims in anger. “I’m tired of being your secret. I’m tired of you treating me like your mistress and not the woman you say you love!”

“And I do love you, Nathalie. But it’s not that simple, can’t you understand that? My love for you should be enough.” He desperately says.

All Nathalie can do is shake her head, with tears leaving her eyes. Those tears cause an immediate sense of guilt to fill his chest.

He’s wrong and he knows it. Still, he can’t tell his son. Not yet. He isn't too sure why, but all he knows is that he is hurting her. Gabriel is hurting her immensely.

“Don’t you love me, Nathalie?” There’s pain in his voice, but he needs to ask her.

“Of course I do, more than anything. But you need to understand how I feel,” she takes a deep breath. “The way you’re making me feel.” And she looks up at him one more time, hoping for him to say something, but he doesn’t.

Nathalie decides to leave, she sees no point to this conversation. Gabriel simply will not be changing his mind.

“I think I should go, your son will be home soon and he will surely be confused if he sees me in your bedroom.” Nathalie says in a sarcastic tone.

She grabs her bag, and begins to walk towards the door when Gabriel calls her name.

“Nathalie wait.” He utters in an evidently broken voice. “You said you wanted to tell me something before we-” He pauses for a moment. “Well, before we started arguing.”

Nathalie’s heart skips a beat as she remembers the reason why she even decided to beg him to reveal their relationship to Adrien.

“Forget it. It can wait.” She faintly whispers, the haze of sorrow so deeply present. Then her fingertips lightly stroke her lower abdomen as she speaks those words, and she finally leaves the room, and eventually the mansion.

She feels horrible, almost as if she and Gabriel have ended their relationship. Because that’s what it seems as she watches how it slowly goes down the drain.

When Nathalie gets to her car she allows herself to cry with all her strength. The feeling of disappointment is so heavy within her, and she frankly isn’t sure what will happen after this. Deep down she knows Gabriel loves her, but that doesn’t diminish her pain.

The pain of constantly being his secret. Nearly a year together, and nothing has changed. She still must remain hidden from Adrien, and the world.

The moment she and Gabriel realized they were in love all those months ago, and he decided to end his chase for the magical jewels, Nathalie thought she had found her happiness. But now it appears she was wrong. Gabriel seems trapped in a bubble where he doesn’t allow himself to see beyond what their relationship currently is. And Nathalie isn’t too sure how much longer she’ll be able to take it.

The future seems so uncertain. Especially now that she has so much to prepare for.

She turns her car on and simply begins to drive with no real destination. She drives until she feels far away from the house and him.

———

Nathalie isn’t too sure how long she’s been driving. Many hours for sure, it’s nighttime and the dark February sky is dominated by a trillion glowing stars. She is so far away from Paris by now.

She can see a lot of grass and hills, and she’s passed many farms along the way. The noise the farms produce is so calming, and so very relaxing. It’d be nice to spend time here, Nathalie thinks. Away from the lousy noise of the busy city, and try to find some peace in the country life.

Her mind once again travels to Gabriel and their last conversation. That’s all Nathalie has done since she began to mindlessly drive.

He’s called her too many times in the past hours, but she can’t bring herself to pick up his calls.
Not yet. She simply isn’t ready to talk to him after their previous conversation.

She loves him immensely, with all that she is, and she knows she’ll never love another man the way she loves Gabriel Agreste. However, Nathalie wishes he would comprehend her. Even after the year they’ve spent together, Gabriel seems so reluctant to reveal their relationship to anyone.

She tried to ignore the little sting in her heart every time he brushed it off. Tried so hard to pretend it didn’t hurt when she sneaked out of the house after she’d spent the night in his bed, and he’d kiss her all night long. She tried to ignore the fact they’d pretend to only be friends in front of Adrien, but once he was gone, Gabriel would come up and shower her with hugs and kisses.

Because Gabriel was always able to erase the sense of sorrow from her soul with his sweet love and passionate kisses. He’d kiss her and touch her skin making her feel so lively, and that seemed to vanish the fact that he’s been hiding her since the very beginning.

The moments that he made her feel so wanted and loved seemed to keep Nathalie’s mind away from everything else. And in those moments, Nathalie wanted whatever he was willing to give her. She wanted it to never end. So she'd bury the sadness at the very bottom of her heart, letting his love mask it all.

But now, she can’t continue to pretend it doesn’t hurt every time she must hide. His actions have poisoned their relationship in such a brutal way, and she knows she must find a way to fix it. Except Gabriel's unwillingness makes everything so difficult.

Stil, Nathalie must try. She has so much to live for from now on. An unexpected sensation of love and joy enters her heart as she remembers her new reason to try and make everything right with Gabriel.

After a couple of long minutes of more driving, Nathalie realizes she should probably turn back, and return home. Although she’ll have to stop somewhere since her car is low on fuel.

She types directions into the GPS, attempting to find her way through the quiet and dark road. Her eyes glued on to the screen, unconsciously have her reach an incredibly high speed.

When Nathalie looks up, a sickening and frightening sensation fills her chest as she notices a cliff ahead of her. She attempts to brake, but the car is moving too fast, preventing her from slowing down.

It’s too late…

A sheer scream of terror abandons her throat as she feels the car drive off the cliff. Her seatbelt is barely able to keep her on the seat while her head moves in all directions.

Everything happens so fast, and all she hears is the sound of glass shattering. Her arms instinctively wrap around her torso in a vague attempt to protect herself as the car continues to roll further down the steep hill. Then the side of her head slams onto the steering wheel in front of her, and Nathalie’s brain shuts off as everything goes blank.

The moment the car comes to a harsh stop, a severely injured Nathalie lies on the dirt of the ground under her. Half her body is still trapped inside the flipped over vehicle.

Injuries cover her face and body, and her head bleeds from the extreme blow.

Hours pass, and the night turns into an early morning. As her bruised eyes flutter open, Nathalie doesn’t understand what is going on. Her aching body struggles to escape from the wreckage and while she crawls out, panic fills her poor soul, not recognizing her surroundings or what has happened.

The noise of someone yelling frightens her even more, but she is too injured to say anything in return.

“Get away from there!” Screams a voice. “That car will explode! Move away now!”

But she can’t react, her brain isn’t processing anything. Only when a pair of arms wrap around her and drag her body onto the dirt trail, Nathalie allows her tired and bruised eyes to shut again.

“Miss? Are you okay?” Both the man and the woman ask, attempting to wake her while she lies on the ground.

But the sudden explosion before them makes them freeze as they watch her car burn into nothingness.

“We need to take her to Henry,” says the woman.

Chapter Text

Gabriel showed up to Nathalie’s apartment early in the morning, he was ready to mend their current situation. She hadn’t answered any of his calls or messages all night long, and although Gabriel knew she was angry, he found it strange.

The first knocks on her door weren’t urgent at all. But after a couple of long minutes, Gabriel begins to bang on the door, but there’s still no response. He is starting to worry, he knows Nathalie would never deliberately ghost him.

Something isn’t right.

“Excuse me,” Gabriel calls the security guard who walks through the hallway of the building. “Have you seen if anyone has left this apartment today?”

“No sir, I haven’t. I was here all night, and no one has entered or exited that apartment in hours.”

Gabriel feels his heart drop as he hears the man’s words. “Someone needs to open this door now!” Gabriel desperately says. “I think something happened to her.”

The security guard gives him a quick nod and minutes later returns with the manager and a key to unlock Nathalie’s apartment. The moment the door opens, Gabriel begins to frantically call her name.

“Nathalie my love, where are you?”

But it’s obvious she isn't there. He’s searched every inch of this place, and there’s no sign of her. The two individuals help him search, while Gabriel gets to her bedroom, and searches through her drawers and closet. All her clothes appear to be in its place, and nothing in the apartment seems out of the ordinary.

He enters the bathroom, and his eyes land on a small white and blue object resting on the countertop. His heart seems to skip a beat as he grasps it tightly into his hand. He then clutches it against his chest.

“Where are you, my Nathalie?” He whispers with tears leaving his eyes.

———

“Henry! Henry, come quick, we need your help!” Yells Alba the instant she and her husband step through the door of the small cottage.

“What’s the matter?” The man asks from behind the pantry door, he’s absolutely confused with all the screaming.

But when he enters the living room, Henry sees Tim holding an injured and unconscious woman in between his arms. He immediately runs to him in order to have a look.

“Oh my goodness!” He takes her from Tim’s arms. Henry walks them through the yellow curtain located in the living room.

Behind the curtain is a small consulting room where Henry receives his patients. But never before has he had such an injured patient like the woman in between his arms. He’s afraid he might not be well equipped to take care of her.

Henry places her onto the examination bed, then takes his stethoscope and begins to listen to her heart. He hears the woman mumble a few incoherent words and whimper in absolute agony.

“Where did you find her?”

“At the bottom of the hill, it appears her car rolled off the cliff.”

With Alba’s help, Henry removes her jacket and lifts her undershirt. He presses onto her bruised rib cage, attempting to feel for any broken bones.

“It’s a miracle she’s alive,” says the doctor. “It seems the impact was very strong.”

After examining her entire body and cleaning up her wounds, Henry notices the blow onto the left side of her head.

“This injury is severe, but we won't know the consequences until she wakes up.”

He then decides to draw some blood from her, and send them off to the laboratory in town. He knows the results can take a few days, but he must verify she has no infections.

“Do you have anything that can tell us who she is? We need to inform her family.” Henry asks them.

“No,” responds Tim. “We were barely able to pull her away from her car, before it blew up.”

“Well then, we’ll have to wait until she wakes up.”

So many hours go by, and Henry only stares at her injured face, hoping she’ll wake up sooner than later.

“Help! Help me!” The loud bawl startles him out of his sleep.

Henry quickly gets up from the sofa and runs to stand next to her. She’s been asleep for many hours, and the medication flowing through the IV drip has kept her sedated since she arrived.

“It’s okay,” he says in a calming voice. “You’re okay, you were in a car accident, but you're safe now.”

He watches as the woman stares at him in confusion and fear. Her forehead is sweaty and white as chalk, as the blood seemingly drains from her face.

“Who are you?” She asks in fear. “Where am I?” Then her breathing becomes quick and labored. Her pale lips tremble as she attempts to get air into her lungs.

“Calm down,” he says, “try to breathe slowly.”

“My name is Henry Martin, I’m a doctor and my friends brought you here when they found you at the bottom of the hill where your car landed.”

A bewildered expression takes over her face, and Henry is sure she has no idea what he is talking about. “What’s your name?” He asks. “Give me a phone number so I can call your family, they must be looking for you.”

“My name?” she utters in complete panic. “I can’t remember!” She suddenly says, “I can’t remember anything.” And she begins to sob uncontrollably. Her bruised hands covering her eyes.

The man glances at the injury to the left side of her head. It’s well patched up by now, but then he recalls his words from hours ago.

Could this be the consequence of the blow to her head?

“It’s okay if you can’t remember,” he says in an attempt to calm her down. “You were in a severe car accident and injured your head gravely, but I’m sure you’ll remember soon. Now rest, okay.”

She gently nods at his words, and Henry slowly walks back to the living room area to then take a seat at the sofa. He watches as her eyes flutter shut one more time. The fact that she can’t remember anything worries him and he hopes her memory returns soon.

———

Early the next morning, the knocks at the door of the cottage alerts Henry that Alba and Tim have arrived. When he opens the door, he sees the food baskets in between their hands, and can’t help but smile at their kindness towards him. Ever since he moved into the cottage on their farm, the older couple has shown him nothing but love and appreciation towards him. Henry is extremely grateful to have them.

“Good morning,” greets Henry the moment they step in.

Alba immediately turns to look at the woman they rescued yesterday morning. She can see she is awake with a confused look drawn on her face.

“How is she doing?” Alba discreetly asks the doctor.

“Not much of a difference,” he whispers in return.

He then directs Alba and Tim towards her. “These are my friends. They are the ones who rescued you.” Henry tells the still obviously disoriented woman.

She stares at the old aged couple for a few seconds, until a light smile comes across her face. “Thank you so much”, she barely mumbles.

“What is your name, dear?” Alba kindly asks her.

Henry watches how the woman’s face turns from calm to distress in a span of seconds. She begins to breathe incredibly fast and the device monitoring her vitals begins to beep loudly indicating her heart rate has increased.

Henry goes to her, taking her hand in between his own as he strokes it in a comforting manner.

“It’s okay breathe slowly.”

“What happened?” Alba asks, extremely concerned. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Of course not,” Henry responds. “She’s simply having trouble remembering, that’s all.”

Tim and Alba squint their eyes at one another, seemingly confused by the doctor’s words.

“I’ll bring you some breakfast right now,” Henry tells her to then pull the couple into the kitchen.

“What do you mean she can’t remember?” Tim is the first to ask once they all enter the kitchen area.

“Last night when she woke up for the first time, I tried asking her a few questions, but she couldn’t answer them. I hoped she’d remember something today, but it appears she hasn’t progressed.”

“Oh no, poor thing,” Alba whispers, feeling so sorry for her. “I can’t imagine how she feels.”

“I’m hoping she can remember soon. We don’t know anything about her and we won’t be able to contact anyone unless she remembers something,” says the doctor.

They begin setting the table and the sweet smell of the warm chocolate croissants invades the house.

Henry brings a plate of food for his patient. “Thank you.” Her shaky hands grab onto the plate.

“Eat as much as you can, but don’t force yourself to finish if you can’t, you’re still recovering,”

A couple of minutes go by where the three individuals chat amongst themselves while enjoying their breakfast. Henry from time to time, looks over at his patient and confirms she is eating. Her bites are small and slow, and her mouth barely moves as she chews.

It’s the woman who observes them with great intensity, so obviously afraid but also somewhat relieved. Her gaze slowly drifts off to the rectangular mirror hung on the right side of the wall next to her.

Her eyes go wide in shock as she doesn’t recognize her own reflection. It’s as if another stranger were in the room with her. The sight is so horrifying that it brings a sickening sensation to her stomach and even as she tries to contain herself, the food she so painfully swallowed comes back up in an instant. She gags loudly and roughly while vomiting onto the floor beneath her. The three individuals turn to look at her in dismay as she presses her hurting palms against her upset stomach.

“I’m so sorry,” she utters in absolute embarrassment. “I suddenly became really nauseous.” She then attempts to get up from the bed, but Henry rushes towards her, not allowing her to stand up.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. You’re still recovering, and it’s completely normal.”

He goes to clean up the mess, and then proceeds to check her temperature. When he gives her medication for nausea, he remembers about the blood he sent into labs yesterday morning.

“I sent your blood in for labs yesterday, the results will arrive today in the afternoon. You probably have an infection, so that’ll explain the vomiting.”

Her eyes blink in a slow rhythm as she listens to his words. And Henry suddenly notices something he hadn’t before.

Her eyes are blue.

Ever since she first woke up yesterday, he hadn’t noticed them. But now that he’s up close, and she’s wide awake, the blueness of her eyes is so obvious. They’re the brightest, most intense blue he has ever seen, and he can’t say they aren’t lovely.

He gives her a sweet smile, “Please rest.”

And she slowly incorporates her sore and stiff body onto the bed. Her blue eyes close as sleep invades her one more time.

———

“Don’t worry Mr. Agreste. We have all the information we need, and we will find her.”

The detective leaves his presence, and Gabriel collapses onto the marble floor of his office. He bitterly cries and claws at his face in desperation.

An entire day of not knowing anything about Nathalie. The phone calls are failed attempts as it won’t even ring anymore. Her car is missing. The authorities searched for it in the parking lot of her apartment complex, and there is no sight of it. Gabriel refuses to accept she simply left on her own will.

Nathalie would never do such a thing. They love each other too much, and although they had a fight, he knows Nathalie could never abandon him.

The fact of not knowing where she is or what’s happened to her, is driving him insane. If Nathalie doesn’t appear, Gabriel will surely die of desperation and distress.

He needs to find her… He needs to hold onto her and never ever let go.

———

Later that evening, Henry helps Alba prepare dinner. Although he’s recently begun to observe the woman who sits on the couch of his living room with deep concentration.

Her eyes are in a daze while she scans the cottage over and over again so unaware of her surroundings. Something about her brings a sense of great curiosity to fill Henry’s chest.

Her bruised eyes carry such a mysterious yet angelic look. Even as she’s so obviously weak and disoriented. An immense desire to know who she is has come upon him ever since she arrived yesterday morning.

Except, she won’t speak and she simply cannot remember anything about herself. Henry assumes she isn’t from around here since no one in their small town has come looking for her.

“Henry,” calls Alba, bringing him out of his thoughts. “When do you think she’ll remember something”, the older woman asks as she realizes Henry has been observing her.

“I don’t know, but I hope she does soon,” is all he says.

“She’s so pretty,” whispers Alba and Henry turns to look at the dazed woman one more time.

“She is really pretty.”

He helps Alba place the dishes onto the table, and then recalls their pending conversation. “Please forgive me for being late on the rent, Alba. I’ll try to have it as soon as possible.”

The woman shakes her head to his words. “Don’t worry about it, Henry, I know you’re struggling. Besides, you’re like a son to Tim and I, and I don’t want you to stress over the situation.”

Henry smiles at her kindness.

Alba has in fact been like a mother to him, ever since he started living in the cottage located on their farm.

Alba and Tim have two adult daughters who moved to the city after university. They always tell him how much they enjoy his company, and Henry is extremely grateful for that.

They hear a knock at the wooden door of the cottage, and Henry proceeds to answer it.

A young teenage boy with a leather bag full of mail immediately hands him a stack of white envelopes. He thanks the boy, and closes the door to then look through the mail in between his hands.

“Her labs arrived,” Henry tells Alba as he begins to open the envelope.

A loud gasp emerging from Henry has the older woman turn to face the doctor in an instant.

“What’s wrong?”

Henry doesn’t answer. He merely stares at the lab results in front of him in complete shock. He can see Alba's worried gaze on him, but the surprise has him in an unexpected freeze.

“Listen Alba, I need to talk to her alone for just a moment.”

“Of course, Henry. I'll be at the main house,” and then she exits the cottage leaving the two individuals alone.

The doctor slowly approaches the weary woman, and when her eyes land on him, Henry feels an anxious sensation take over him. He doesn’t want to be too harsh or abrupt when delivering the unexpected news.

“Hey,” he softly mumbles. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugs her shoulders at his question. He takes a seat next to her, careful not to obstruct the IV pole positioned on her left side.

“I know you’re still feeling weird and confused, but I really need to ask you some questions. Is that okay?” He asks.

She nods her head. “Do you know what I am?”

“A doctor,” she responds.

“Good, and what is the place you’re in right now? A hospital or a house?”

“A house,” she says looking around her.

“Do you understand when I say you were in a car accident and my friends found you?”

“Yes, I understand?”

Henry then decides to ask her some more questions about herself, hoping his words can bring back memories.

“Do you know where you were headed when your car crashed?”

“I can’t remember.”

“Can you remember your family? A husband perhaps,” and once again he receives a negative response from her.

“It appears you’ve only forgotten your own life, but you seem to understand everything else. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes, I know what you’re saying. I can’t remember my name-“ But then she stops as tears invade her bright blue eyes.

“Why are you crying?” He asks, attempting to comfort her.

“I don’t know why I can’t remember. Everything about myself is blocked from my brain, and I’m scared.”

“I know you’re scared, but you understand when I say you can’t remember because you injured your head severely, right?”

He watches as she slowly nods while wiping her tears away.

“I really wish I could remember my name,” is all she mumbles, and seeing her so sad and desperate makes Henry feel so sorry for her.

“How about I give you a name, until you remember your own?” She gazes up at him with a contemplative look on her face. Henry can see the profound desire to remember her life, deep within her eyes.

“Diane, how does that sound?” And a wholesome smile takes over her, and Henry immediately feels such warmth seeing how happy he’s made her.

“Ok, then Diane. There’s something I need you to know.” And Diane listens to him with such attention as he speaks.

“Your lab results came back… I need you to take this news as calmly as possible.”

She nods.

Henry takes a deep breath, and then reaches for her hand. “Your lab results indicate you’re pregnant.”

The woman’s eyes go wide to his words. “It appears you’re eight weeks at most. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Pregnant?” She utters in disbelief

“Yes, Diane. There’s a baby inside of you. It’s a miracle your baby survived the accident.”

And the tears well up in her eyes once again as it appears that’s all she’s able to do since she woke up in a world of lost memories.

“That’s why I asked you about a husband. There has to be someone looking for you.”

“I can’t remember,” she cries in despair.

“It’s okay, Diane. Everything will be okay, I promise.” Henry instinctively wraps his arms around the crying woman.

Yet, he can’t help smiling at the thought of a baby, and he has a strange yet comforting feeling everything will be okay.

———

He stares at the test for hours at a time, the result clear as day. He almost couldn’t believe it when he found it on the counter of her bathroom all those days ago.

And now that she’s gone, Gabriel feels as if he were slowly dying. Nathalie, his love and joy has disappeared, and with every second that goes by, Gabriel is sure he is at the verge of insanity.

He wishes she was here, and then he’d inhale her scent deeply and run his hands over the soft skin of her stomach. He’d let the dim moonlight emanating into the bedroom reflect onto her beautiful face while he’d kiss her pink lips.

There isn’t much he does since she disappeared. He cries for the most part, and then unwittingly blames himself for her absence. If only he hadn’t been an idiot, his Nathalie would be here tonight.

Gabriel stares out the window of his dark and depressing bedroom. The full moon and trillion stars are a vague reminder of her beauty because nothing can compare to her.

The living life has left his soul since she vanished, and this feeling of emptiness and desperation is all too familiar. He needs her so much. He needs to remind her how much he loves her. He needs her to know how happy he is that the proof of their love is growing deep inside her womb.

Chapter Text

March glides through and the fresh new growth of the early flowers, and the smell of the vivid green grass announces the arrival of Spring. The sun is warm and the sky is an intense blue with white fluffy clouds scattered across it.

Mid afternoons, the sun shines at its fullest, giving the green fields a homely vision. Except at night, the temperatures drop once again, and they all must dress in layers in order to keep warm.

Upon Diane’s own insistence Henry has allowed her to do light work around the cottage and sometimes the farm. She’ll walk through the field crops and collect the ripest fruits and vegetables. When she enters the cottage with her basket full of them, a smile is always drawn on her face. She spends long minutes washing each produce carefully and gently.

He’s realized that one of her favorite things to do is go into the stable and simply watch the animals. She specifically focuses on the white and brown horses. Her eyes get lost on the little foal who nurses with all its willingness.

Henry enjoys observing her, and he can’t ever seem to understand the strong desire inside him, to know more about the woman who without warning entered his life more than a month ago.

Her mind continues in a haze and the more time that goes by, the more Henry loses hope. Nevertheless, he tries to remain optimistic.
The woman he calls Diane needs him to do so.

Sometimes, he’ll find her crying in fear and despair, so very angry at herself for not being able to remember anything about her past life. Other times she’ll sit on the rocking chair on the front porch of the cottage, merely staring at the sunset. Her deep blue eyes are in an apparent trance and Henry thinks about how hard she must be trying to remember something… Anything.

She still doesn’t speak much, although he has realized she enjoys it when he does initiate a conversation with her. Her eyes gain a little glimpse of joy as she hears him speak about anything and everything. She hardly ever responds, but when she does speak, Henry thinks he can feel his own heart skip a beat.

Her voice is such a calming tune in the air. It’s soft, but at the same time firm and clear. He often wonders what she was like before she lost all her memories. Even in her state, Henry is able to observe she’s a person of serious emotions. She isn’t talkative and maybe that’s just her nature. She seems to be a naturally quiet person, very reserved, and very taciturn. She’s also extremely intelligent and he would even say sophisticated. Her ability to learn quickly always impresses him.

And yet, all those characteristics give her such an inexplicable and almost angelic touch. There’s something about her that makes Henry want to protect her. She seems so helpless, so very defenseless, but at the same time so resilient.

It’s something he simply cannot explain.

Sometimes he thinks she’s a fallen angel who probably didn’t have a life before she arrived at the door of his cottage injured and disoriented. But then he remembers she is pregnant, and that alone is the greatest proof that she did have a life.

A life where someone might’ve loved her and she loved them back. A life where her heart belongs to someone else…

She never talks about her pregnancy or the baby growing inside her womb. She never really talks about anything. Although recently, Henry discovered something new about her.

Diane enjoys it when he talks about the baby. She seems to focus all her attention on that, and her eyes glow every time she listens to its heartbeat through the small monitor.

At times, he’ll observe as she lovingly strokes the soft curve of her stomach. She’s already twelve weeks into her pregnancy, and the smallest curve has appeared. It always warms his heart to know she loves the baby. Even if she can’t remember anything.

When Diane enters the small kitchen, Henry is quick to offer her an iced lemonade. He watches her take a seat with her hands wrapped around the iced cold cup. She takes small sips, and when Henry takes a seat at the table as well, he thinks he should tell her about the small dinner they’ll be having in the evening.

“Alba and Tim will be here for dinner tonight.”

She doesn’t respond, only giving him an affirmative nod. It’s when Henry stays quiet as it seems he wants to say something else that Diane gives him a questioning look. She sets her glass down, waiting for him to speak.

“A friend of mine will also be here for dinner tonight,” he finally says. “Her name is Julia, and she’s been out of town for the past months. Julia is the one who helps me with the patients and she’ll be returning to work soon.”

Diane listens to him with such attention. Attempting to take in the information the best she can.

“I think we should tell her you’re a friend who’s visiting.” Henry eventually tells her.

“Why?” Diane asks. Henry takes a deep breath before he answers. They both know this is a complicated situation.

“I don’t want people to freak out when they know your situation,” he says. “I will soon be receiving more patients, and people might not understand if we try to explain what’s going on. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand,” is all she responds and Henry gives a warm smile to her quick understanding.

———

Later that evening, before dinner, Diane’s eyes feel heavy with sleep while she sits on the couch in the living room area of the cottage. She tries her hardest to stay awake until dinner, but the exhaustion beats her and her eyes close in defeat as her head softly tilts to the side.

A wave of lightness slowly takes over her body. And her eyes are tightly closed as her body rests on the warm couch, however her mind is wide awake.

Fogged up images enter her hazed brain in the form of a dream.

And there he is. A person she can’t fully distinguish, and he seems to tower over her as he slowly walks in her direction. And it’s not that she’s short, it’s simply that he is so very tall. He embraces her, and then those sweet words flow right in as if a beautiful melody were slowly playing.

“I love you,” the faceless man mumbles against her cheek while he laces his fingers in between her hair. “I love you so much, my dear.”

They walk through the long corridors of a beautiful house with their hands clasped together. Then the man leans in to shower her face with gentle kisses, and those kisses make her melt right into his arms. She feels so loved by him, and the sensation of overwhelming happiness takes over her body in such a glorious way.

Except it doesn’t last long. Her lovely dream slowly transforms into a nightmare.

That long hallway subsequently becomes a dark and isolated road, and the charming man who whispers love into her ear vanishes. And there she is, driving at full speed behind a steering wheel, she seemingly has no control over.

She attempts to break over and over again as she approaches the cliff, but the brakes are dead. All she can do is screech in terror and fear while the car flies off the steep cliff.

“No! Help … Help me!” She screams, and her heart drops down to her stomach at the exact moment a pair of hands shake her awake.

“Diane! Diane, wake up!” Henry utters, and her eyes snap open.

She’s sweaty and panting uncontrollably. Her lungs desperately gasp for air as she tries to control her pounding heart.

“It’s okay, Diane. Everything is okay.” He says, attempting to calm her down.

“Henry,” she utters in relief. She hugs him so tightly as if her life depended on it.

“What happened? He immediately asks the frightened woman.

She doesn’t answer right away. She’s still trying to process what has just occurred. It didn’t feel like a dream or a nightmare. It felt more like a memory. Like if at some point in her life, Diane had actually experienced the scenarios that invaded her mind just minutes ago in the form of a dream.

“I don’t know,” she eventually replies after a couple of long seconds. “I think I had a dream.”

Henry’s brown eyes go wide to her words. “More like a nightmare,” he then says. “You were trembling so much.”

Diane recalls the vague and foggy images of the man in her dream. “No, Henry. It did start off as a dream,” she barely speaks. Her eyes are fixed straight ahead of her as she recalls the blurry images once again.

“I was in a house,” she tells him. “It was a really big and fancy house and then he came.”

“Who came?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t see his face, but I think,” she pauses for a second, “I think he loves me.” Henry is sure his heart has stopped beating at that exact moment from pure joy and maybe even something else.

“Oh, Diane. This is such an amazing sign.” He takes her hands into his own. “Did anything else happen?” He needs to know.

She nods her head. “I think I remembered the car accident. I was in a car and I was trying to brake and turn away from the cliff, but it was too late. The car flew off, and all I could do was scream.”

She remembers it, not clearly but the memory is there. It felt so real, just like the man who muttered tenderness into her ear.

“Ugh, I wish I could remember more,” she says in desperation. And the tears of frustration betray her as they escape her deep blue eyes.

“Don’t force yourself, Diane. At least you’ve remembered something and that means you’ll most likely remember more, just give it time.”

“You’re right,” she mumbles. “Thank you so much Henry, for all that you’ve done and for being so patient with me.”

They slowly lean towards each other, sharing a friendly embrace. And Henry feels the immense sympathy he has for the woman he knows nothing of, settling in his chest once again. However, that sympathy has slowly become something more.

Something he has been trying to avoid for a while, however he isn’t sure he is capable of holding it in much longer.

———

“What takes so long?” Gabriel yells in desperation. “It’s been more than a month, and I’m paying you a fortune. Why haven’t you found her?”

“These things take time, Mr. Agreste. You need to be patient, we will find Ms. Sancoeur.”

Gabriel dismisses the detective from the atelier and when he is left alone, he locks the door behind him and switches the lights off. The darkness allows him to mindlessly cry as his body is led through an immense burden of despair and sorrow. He could almost drift away in sadness, and not care about anything else.

Except the knock at the door reminds him there's still another person who needs him so very much.

“Father?” Adrien calls. “Are you in there?”

“Yes,” he replies.

“Will you open the door?” Gabriel can barely move as his sore body walks to the door and unlocks it to let his son in.

The darkness blinds him the moment he steps inside. He switches the light and immediately hears his father groan in discomfort.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien whispers. “Is everything okay?” He asks.

“Yes Adrien, everything’s fine.” He replies, taking a deep breath. Except, Adrien isn’t buying it this time. He knows something is terribly wrong.

“What is going on, father? Please tell me … Does it have to do with Nathalie?” He needs to ask, he’s tired of remaining in the dark. Besides, Adrien hasn’t seen his father’s assistant in such a long time.

The question startles him to the core. Gabriel knew his son would eventually ask him about her whereabouts, but he wasn’t expecting to have to answer now.

The young boy only needs to look at his father’s pale face and glistening eyes to know something has indeed happened.

“Where is Nathalie?”

Those words crush him in an instant and before he is able to contain himself, Gabriel collapses onto the marble floor of his office. The tears well up in his eyes from the pain of not having her by his side. The pain that has slowly been consuming his soul since the moment she disappeared.

“I don’t know,” he nearly cries out. “She’s missing, Adrien. Nathalie has been missing for more than a month.” Gabriel eventually reveals.

“Missing?”

“Yes, we had a fight and that was the last time I saw her.” His voice seems to break in despair.

“A fight?” Adrien is taken aback. “But don’t you love her?” He lets out without even thinking.

Gabriel's teary eyes go wide in shock. He slowly brings his head up to meet his son’s eyes from his position on the floor.

“How do you know?” He barely breathes as his heart seems to shake. “I never told you anything.”

“I saw you two,” he mumbles in a sheepish tone. “It was one morning when I was getting ready for school, you and Nathalie were… kissing… I just thought you would eventually tell me.”

Gabriel feels like a complete idiot after hearing his son’s words. Nathalie had pretty much begged him to reveal their relationship to Adrien, and he firmly refused. And now it turns out his son knew all along.

“I’m sorry for not being honest with you since the very beginning,” he sniffles. “Maybe if I had been honest with you, Nathalie would be here today. I’ve ruined everything and now, I might never have the chance to meet my child.”

“Child?” Adrien utters in shock and evidently confused.

Gabriel nods, “Yes, Adrien. Nathalie is pregnant,” he confesses, he won’t keep secrets anymore.

Adrien walks to him until he’s able to help his father stand up from the floor. He settles him on a chair, to then wordlessly lean in and hug him with so much affection. Gabriel’s aching heart settles around the fact that he still has his son beside him.

Still, he can’t and will not stop looking for her. His entire body calls for her, and her name echoes in his brain in a never ending cycle of pain and agony.

Something he knows will not go away until he sees her again.

———

There’s a little sting of discomfort when Diane sits down for dinner with the other four individuals. She feels so out of place as she hears them speak. The young woman whom she’s just met speaks and speaks, not acknowledging Diane at all.

Maybe it’s the woman’s disregarded behavior towards her that has her so uncomfortable, but Diane cannot wait until dinner is over. Especially since her appetite has been extremely low. Although she’s nearly in her second trimester, she is still experiencing some nausea.

She could attribute her current state of nausea to her pregnancy but in reality, it’s because of the discomfort of sitting there, not knowing anything that it has made her utterly sick.

How she wishes she could remember. She yearns for that and nothing more. Yet, Diane can remember the man in her dream, and it’s as if a little sparkle of hope was born. And maybe, just maybe she and her baby do have someone who is searching for them after all.

“What did you say your name was?” The woman abruptly asks, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Her name is Diane.” Henry quickly answers Julia’s question.

“And what brings you to town?”

She stays quiet as the woman waits for her to answer. She frankly isn’t sure what she should say. “I… uh-“

“Diane is simply visiting, Julia.” Alba says. “She’s a friend as Henry’s mentioned. She doesn’t know how long she’ll be staying, isn’t that right, Diane?”

“That’s right,” she responds.

Julia gives them an unconvincing glare. She senses they aren’t being completely honest, but leaves it at that.

“Well then, I hope we can get along nicely. I’ll be here in the mornings to assist Henry with the patients.”

“Of course.” Diane says with a light smile.

Alba quietly observes as Henry walks Julia to the exit while she and Diane clear the dinner table. She isn’t surprised by Julia’s flirty and touchy behavior towards Henry. After all, it seems the months she spent away from town weren’t enough for her to lose interest in the doctor.

She quietly sneaks up behind Diane, whispering to her, "Don't get startled by Julia’s talkative behavior, she’s always like that.”

“Oh, okay,” she replies as they both look over at Henry and Julia standing by the door.

Julia touches Henry’s shoulder as she laughs loudly at whatever he is saying. Swaying her long brown hair in the process.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Julia's been crushing on Henry for a long time now. So that’s why she behaves like that.”

“Makes sense.” Diane says in a somewhat goofy manner. And they giggle as they proceed to leave the dishes at the sink.

———

The freshness of spring amples away, and the essences of summer makes its way through the calm town farm.

The shade from the cottage porch protects her from the intense July sun, maintaining her cool and fresh. Diane strokes her swollen belly, trying to imagine the face of the baby growing in her womb. Then the little human inside her moves, kicking hard and fast, and Diane giggles at the baby’s rapid movements.

Henry watches with an entranced gaze through the kitchen window as she sits outside, happily rubbing her swollen belly. He wonders how anyone can look so perfectly beautiful, so ethereal, like the way she does.

He goes to the kitchen drawer where he knows the gift is. Henry hasn’t been brave enough to give it to her, and he isn’t too sure what prevents him from doing so.

He retrieves the vintage pink journal along with the small stuffed animal. The courage finally peaks in, and he walks outside towards the porch.

“Hey,” he softly mumbles.

“Hello,” she responds.

“Isn’t summer absolutely beautiful on the farm?”

“It’s perfect,” and Henry smiles at her words and at the sweet look on her face.

He pulls a chair out and takes a seat beside her. Diane quickly notices the items in between his hands.

“I want to give you this,” he finally says. “A journal, so you can write whatever you want and this teddy bear. Let it be the first gift I give your baby.”

Her eyes immediately glisten with tears at his kindness towards her. “Thank you so much Henry,” and she takes them into her hands.

They may seem like meaningless objects, but in her world of lost memories, those simple gifts mean everything.

It’s the first thing Diane feels hers.

“I’m glad you like them.” The joy of seeing her smile is the greatest satisfaction for Henry’s enamored soul.

“I have to finish some work, I’ll talk to you later,” and he gets up to go back into the small cottage.

Diane contemplates the little white teddy bear over and over again. It has a yellow ribbon tied around its neck and the left foot has a yellow heart imprinted on it.

She’s sure her baby will enjoy this teddy bear very much. Upon that thought, the child inside her begins to move once again.

The constant tapping on the side of her stomach has Diane lift her blouse in order to see the movements against her skin.

No matter how many times the baby moves, the magic and pureness of pregnancy always impresses her. Diane can see the gentle swirling on the outside of her skin, and her finger pokes her stomach in hopes of getting a greater reaction.

But when a surprised voice coming from behind enters her ears, Diane barely has enough time to conceal her swollen belly with her loose blouse.

That’s when Julia exclaims in disbelief, “you’re pregnant?”

Chapter Text

There isn’t much she can say after Julia’s unexpected discovery, so Diane only stands there, mindlessly paralyzed with vulnerability as the woman stares at her in astonishment.

“Is that why you’re here?” Diane shakes her head to the woman’s question.

“Then, why are you here?” Julia’s eyes have gained an intense glare of pure aversion towards her while she waits for her to say something.

Diane feels too overwhelmed with uneasiness to answer right away, but as she pushes the hair away from her forehead, she suddenly attains the courage to answer her.

“I’m here because Henry and his friends are nice people who have lent me a hand.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Her nettled voice asks.

“Like I said, they’ve allowed me to stay, and I am extremely grateful for that.”

The rhythmic click of footsteps enters Diane’s ears, and before she is able to say anything more, the doctor’s voice makes its way through the opened door of the cottage.

“Julia-“ Both women hear him say, causing them to tense in an instant. “What’s going on here? Are you okay?” He asks Diane.

He steps onto the porch of the cottage, and he only needs to look at Julia’s angry and questioning face to understand something is going on.

“Diane?” She faintly hears, through the loud pounding of her beating heart. Diane can feel him graze her upper arm with his fingertips, causing her to shiver at the sensation.

“Nothing is going on Henry, I-“ Except Julia’s angry voice interrupts her.

“Why didn’t you tell me she was pregnant?” She asks in anger and annoyance. “Are you the father of her baby, Henry?”

Henry’s eyes go wide to Julia’s absurd conclusion. “How can you possibly think such a thing, Julia?”

“What else am I supposed to think? There’s something you aren’t telling me. You and everyone else is acting so mysterious. I need to know, tell me now!”

Diane feels terrible as she watches them argue, and before they’re able to say anything more, she runs back into the cottage and straight into her bedroom.

The pink journal and white teddy bear lie on the floor of the dusty porch.

“Diane,” Henry calls. “Look at what you’ve done,” he tells Julia.

“Why do you care so much anyway?”

“And why are you so cruel to her? She hasn’t done anything to you.”

Julia simply rolls her eyes at him. She doesn’t even care about Diane. It’s Henry’s overprotective behavior towards her that angers Julia. She must admit she is jealous of her. After all, Julia has been interested in Henry for a long time.

“I know you Henry, I’ve known you for years. You’ve fallen in love with that woman, haven’t you?”

Her words strike the doctor with great force. His cheeks unwittingly stain a red color as he looks away from the woman’s demanding glare. “Aren’t you going to answer”, she says.

“You’ve fallen in love with her, right?” Henry remains quiet, too afraid to admit what his heart has begun to feel for the lonely pregnant woman who arrived at his cottage door months ago.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to answer. I already know you have”, Julia mumbles.

“It’s obvious, Henry. But I need to know what the mystery surrounding her is, please tell me,” she utters in an anxious voice.

Henry takes a deep breath as he realizes he should’ve never kept the truth from her. At the moment, he believed he was making the right decision but now he knows he was wrong in hiding the real reason behind Diane’s stay at the farm.

“Diane had a car accident, Julia.” He finally says. “Tim and Alba found her. It was a miracle she survived along with her baby. The problem is that she can’t remember anything… Diane’s lost her memory”, Henry reveals.

Julia is left even more surprised than before. First she finds out Diane is pregnant and now that she’s also lost her memory.

“Just remember that sooner or later, she’ll recall her past life and when does, ‘Diane’ will leave this place forever. So don’t get your hopes up.”

Julia then storms off, leaving Henry alone and with an immense feeling of sorrow settling in his chest. Even if it hurts to admit, Julia is right. The day will come when Diane remembers her past life and when she does, she’ll leave.

Diane will leave, forever.

———

“Can I come in?” Henry asks through the slightly open door.

“Sure,” responds Diane.

He slowly approaches the wooden chair she's sitting at to then take a seat on the bed in front of her. He places the journal and stuffed animal on the nightstand beside them, except Diane doesn’t even turn to look at the gifts that just moments ago had made her so happy.

Her eyes are wet with tears, and Henry unconsciously lets his thumb stroke her cheekbone, wiping the tear before it rolls down.

Without saying a single word, Henry examines the sad look on her face. Even in such a state, she’s beautiful. Maybe it’s the fact she lives in a world with no memories, but there’s something about her that gives her a touch of innocence and kindness. Her beauty is captivating, and Henry is sure he can spend an eternity simply admiring her without ever getting bored. Her angelicness and ethereal form is what has made him fall in love with her.

He knows it’s wrong, especially given the state she is in, but he couldn’t stop himself. His heart had created a mind of its own, and before he knew it, Henry was in love. Sometimes he wishes he would’ve never met. Yet, he can’t imagine not having met the beautiful woman who sits in front of him with no memory at all.

“I’m sorry for what happened with Julia, I-“

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s my fault for not being able to remember. I wouldn’t be here, causing you problems, if only I could remember,” she whispers in a trembling voice.

“Don’t say that Diane, you aren’t causing me problems. It’s actually my fault for not being honest with Julia since the beginning. You need to understand it was a shock for her to find out you’re pregnant.”

She sniffles at his words as her puffy and swollen eyes reflect all the anguish building up inside her.

“I need to remember something, Henry,” she suddenly sobs in desperation. She’s at the verge of losing all hope, and she tries to grasp onto the little hope she does have left as if her life depended on it. “My baby can’t have a mother who can’t even remember her own name.”

“You will remember Diane, you just need to be patient…” She closes her eyes, slouching over while she wails in despair and frustration. Henry can only lean in and embrace the sobbing woman.

Because she wants nothing more than to remember and yet, nothing ever comes to mind. The blurred dream of the man and the car accident haven’t returned in months, and the closer she gets to giving birth, the more desperate she becomes.

There are times when Diane walks through the green fields with her basket in hand, and she’ll pick a flower from the colorful bushes nearby. She’ll inhale the sweet scent of the flower in hopes it’ll take her back to an event in her past life. But it never does, all she feels are the movements her baby makes as it moves inside her. It’s as if her unborn child spoke to her, and told her everything is going to be okay. She’ll stroke her belly and the aspirations begin to sparkle once again. Except at night, they drift away and she feels as empty and as desperate as ever. She stares at the shiny bright moon, praying for a miracle until her eyes flutter in exhaustion and sleep claims her.

Henry can only wait in anticipation and sometimes fear. He feels selfish when he allows his brain to imagine a life by her side. Maybe he could be the father of her baby, and at some point, Diane could love him.

But then he discards those thoughts, knowing very well he is doing wrong for imagining such things. Diane deserves to have her memory back, even if that means she’ll leave him forever.

After all, there must be someone out there who loves her … Perhaps even more than him.

Someone who Diane also loves.

Someone who is suffering with her absence.

———

He pushes the cart through the long corridor until he reaches his father’s bedroom door. He knocks, not too loud, but enough for Gabriel to hear it.

“Yes, Adrien?” He sounds tired… He sounds weak.

“I brought you some dinner,” says the boy through the still closed door. “Will you open?”

“I’m not hungry, please take it.”

“Please, father. You need to eat something, you haven’t eaten a proper meal in days.”

Gabriel drags his now angular body out of bed as he approaches the door to let his son in. He doesn’t even glare at him, merely returning to bed once he opens the door.

Adrien pushes the small cart into the bedroom, and the warm smell of roasted chicken and mash potatoes fills the room. Except, the smell isn’t appetizing to Gabriel at all. If anything, it causes a feeling of nausea to fill his stomach.

“I know you’re trying to help Adrien, but I’m really not hungry.” He pushes the cart away as he incorporates himself into bed, wrapping himself with the wrinkled and disorganized bedsheets.

“You can’t continue like this, you need to eat something. Do it for Nathalie and the baby. They need you to be healthy when we find them.”

Adrien’s words feel like a knife has gone through his hurting heart for what seems like the millionth time since she disappeared. It’s as if the stab wound that already exists has gotten deeper and more painful. Those words are the bitter reminder that Nathalie isn’t by his side.

“I just need her here and if she doesn’t appear, I won’t survive.”

Adrien kneels down, grasping onto his father’s arm so very tightly. Gabriel’s face is pale and his eyes are dark. His clothes are hanging off of him, and the sight of hopelessness and despair is so evidently present. He’s almost lifeless, and the bluish-gray color of his eyes are barely visible through all the tears forming.

“Don’t say that, father. I still need you very much.” And Adrien feels the wetness forming in his own eyes and Gabriel can only look down to then run his fingers through his son's blonde hair.

“Thank you for being here. I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you too,” responds the boy.

———

Summer departs from the farm and autumn wriggles in. The sun doesn’t shine so vigorously anymore and the morning mist causes the cottage windows to fog up. The trees are half bare and the fields are filled up with countless red, orange, and brown crunchy leaves. The air is crisp and the weather is slightly cold.

Her belly is big and round, and with only days left for the arrival of her daughter, Diane gathers the little onesies and overalls Alba and Henry have gifted her.

She stares at the tiny clothes, counting the hours until her daughter's arrival. Because even in her situation, Diane is happily waiting to cradle her baby girl in between her arms.

Chapter Text

Diane watches the screen with mesmerized eyes as Henry performs the ultrasound. Most likely her final ultrasound since her baby should be here any day now.

“She’s ready, Diane.” Henry tells the soon to be mother. “Are you happy?”

“More than happy, I can’t wait to see her little face.” Her smile is one of immense excitement.

Julia suddenly enters the cottage with a small stack of white forms in between her hands. She doesn’t acknowledge Diane at all as she approaches Henry.

“There’s a couple of prescriptions that still require a signature. Can you sign them or are you still busy?” She asks in an overly cold tone.

Diane can see the annoyance on her face, she knows very well Julia doesn’t like her. “We’re done, I can do it now,” responds Henry, reaching for the forms.

Just as Diane is getting up from the examination bed, a loud pop is heard and before she knows it, water gushes from in between her legs onto the wooden floor beneath her.

“What was that?” She gasps.

Both Henry and Julia turn to look at her, seeing the clear liquid covering the floor.

“Your water just broke, Diane,” says the doctor with shock and joy at the same time.

“What?!” She exclaims, equally surprised.

Henry abruptly gets up, completely ignoring Julia to take a hold of Diane’s hand. “Let's go to the bedroom.”

Julia’s eyes follow them until she watches them disappear into the room. She fills with anger as she once again notices how Henry leaves her to be with Diane.

“You’re starting to get in my way, Diane…”

So many hours later, and it’s well into the night. The window is open, allowing the autumn wind to blow through the bedroom.

Diane takes a look at the clock positioned on the nightstand, and the time reads 2 am. She’s been in labor for more than twelve hours. They’ve been timing her contractions and they are now two minutes apart.

The contractions are so intense, and Diane isn’t able to find a single position that can help alleviate her pain. She’s sweaty and panting heavily. The striking pain emerging from her lower abdomen and back are nearly unbearable.

A sudden pressure unlike anything Diane has felt tonight takes over her lower back along with the urge to push. She feels a stinging sensation in between her legs and her thighs tremble in response. Diane can’t take it anymore, she needs to push.

“Henry!” She calls out, the air escapes her lungs at a rapid speed.

“What is it?” The man asks as he enters the room.

“I feel like I need to push now,” she tells him in a breathy manner.

“Let me check.” He takes a look, and realizes she is exactly ten centimeters dilated. “I can see her head, Diane. You won’t have to push for long”

She’s in too much pain to react to his words and now that she’s so close to cradling her daughter in between her arms, everything seems to be going by incredibly fast. With the baby almost here, and it’s definitely a surreal moment for the both of them. Henry positions himself ready to indicate to her when she must push.

“When you feel the next pain, you must push. Do you understand?”

Diane barely nods and in that moment the next striking pain hits her once again making her shoot her body forward.

“Henry… I’m scared.” She says in a trembling voice.

“Don’t be, she’s almost here. Now push!”

And so she does, with all her strength and her all willingness, Diane pushes in order to deliver her baby girl into the world.

“The head is out!” Henry exclaims.

The most unimaginable pain takes over her as she feels her baby’s head slip out of her. Diane sobs in agony as the tears leave her eyes. Her raven black hair sticks to her sweaty neck and forehead while she hears Henry commanding her to push once more.

“Another big push, she’s right there.”

And the moment she gives another push, her daughter comes flying out of her.

“She’s here!”, and before she’s able to reach forward, Henry places the newborn infant onto her chest and Diane’s eyes snap open to then look down and examine her daughter’s swollen face. Almost immediately, the most unexplainable love and happiness fills Diane's heart as her crying baby lies on her chest.

The umbilical cord is still attached to her tiny belly button, and Henry cuts the chewy cord to then clamp it.

“She’s perfect,” she says in between tears. She kisses her baby’s slimy hair and strokes her chubby moist cheek. Her daughter’s little cheek feels as if Diane were touching the petals of a rose. It’s so soft and smooth.

“She’s beautiful, Diane. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Henry,” she responds with the purest smile drawn on her lips.

The sunrise peaks through the window, and Diane is awakened by the cries of her hungry baby. She’s exhausted to say the least, but her daughter was worth it every part of it.

As she begins to sit up on the bed, Alba quietly enters her room. “Do you want me to give her to you?” She asks.

“Yes, please.”

Alba carefully reaches into the straw basket to lift the crying baby and place her onto Diane’s arms. The moment Diane exposes her breast, the baby latches onto her immediately.

“She’s breastfeeding so well. You’re lucky, Diane.” Alba tells her while looking at the baby with fondness.

A soft knock at the slightly opened door has both women turn around at the same time.

“May I come in?” Henry asks in a sheepish tone. “Unless you’re uncomfortable, I can go.”

“It’s okay,” Diane tells the doctor. “You’re the one who helped me deliver my baby. It’s not a big deal if you're in here while she eats.”

Henry gives her a soft smile. “Have you thought of a name for her?”

Diane nods while looking down at her sweet daughter's face. “Rose. I will name her Rose.”

Seeing the woman he has learned to love cradling her newborn daughter is the greatest joy Henry has felt in such a long time.

It’s as if baby Rose has brought the gift of hope and happiness since the moment she entered the world only hours ago. Because no one can deny the sense of joviality that has now invaded the little cottage.

———

She stares at her face for hours at a time. And she simply cannot fathom that something so pure and perfect came out of her. Six weeks since Rose arrived and it still feels surreal. She often thinks that if she turns away, her little angel will vanish back into heaven, so she keeps her close at every moment. She’s probably getting too used to being held all of the time, but Diane can’t help herself from wanting to hold her every second of the day. After all, Rose won’t remain little forever and Diane wants to hold her as much as she can.

Every part of her is perfect. From her tiny toes to her big bluish-gray eyes. Diane often wonders where her daughter obtained such gleaming features. She doesn’t need to ponder on it too long. Her daughter must resemble her father more than herself. It’s obvious since her daughter doesn’t look like her at all. Her fluffy blonde hair and gray eyes are a contrast from Diane’s own physical features.

On most days, she’ll close her eyes and try to imagine his face. Her brain will make up an image in her head, yet she’s never able to fully picture him. She’ll then open her eyes in frustration, but as she looks down, her daughter's big gray eyes are always staring at her and that instantly brings tranquility to her conflicted soul. It’s as if her daughter wondered what her mother thinks with such profundity.

Diane’s been keeping track of Rose’s milestones, writing them down onto the pink journal Henry gifted her months ago. At six weeks old, her little daughter had a sudden growth spurt. Most of her newborn clothes are harder to button up, and Diane can feel a bittersweet sensation fill her heart realizing how fast she is growing.

Rose is so aware of her ever expanding surroundings, and now has a reaction to her mother’s lullabies. She sometimes smiles in response, and Diane can feel her heart melt every time.

During tummy time, Rose lifts up her head and follows her mother with her eyes as she moves around her. And then sometimes they’ll sit out and watch the cloudy sky together. Her daughter falls asleep in no time, and her little cooing sounds fill in the quietness of the farm.

She’s absolute perfection. The best thing that has ever happened to her. Because Diane doesn’t need to recall her past life to know that nothing she could’ve possibly experienced is as wonderful as her little Rose.

As for him, it’s strange to say the least. Because even if Henry had known she was pregnant and would eventually give birth, it had never sunk in properly.

Maybe because he always expected for her to remember before the time came for the baby’s arrival. However, now that the baby has been here a full six weeks, Henry isn’t sure how he ever lived without her and her mother.

They’re the greatest joy he’s had in such a long time. And now that he has them, Henry knows he doesn’t ever want to let them go.

Even if the voice inside of his dazzled brain screams to him that this won’t last forever.

———

Tim collects the red and green apples from the trees near the road. He’s so many acres away from the farmhouse. Neither Alba or himself tend to come this far out. Especially during the cold autumn windstorms, but someone must bring the apples back to the cottage.

A car suddenly pulls up to the side of the road, rather close to where he is collecting the apples. A man exits the car with a cellphone and car keys in between his hands.

“Hello, sir. Do you live around here?” The man asks Tim.

“Yes, can I help you with something? '' answers the older man.

“I was walking along this road and I found the remains of a vehicle up ahead. Would you know what happened there?”

Tim nods. “Yes, a friend of ours had an accident out here a couple of months ago.”

The detective cautiously scans his surroundings to then slowly walk towards the ditch where he knows the remains are located.

“What’s your friend's name?”

“Actually, we don’t know. The poor woman hasn’t been able to recover her memory since the accident.”

“Are you a police officer?” Tim asks as he watches the unknown man walk down the trail of dirt to examine the wrecked vehicle.

“Something like that…”

Tim would like to stay and ask more questions to the man, but the raindrops begin to descend from the sky, wetting his throat and back. He can’t risk catching a heavy flu at his age, so he simply grabs his apple-filled basket and quickly heads back to the farm house.

Meanwhile, the detective searches through the wreckage. The material is nearly unrecognizable, and so tough to grab. There’s ash and dust everywhere. But he is able to find a black wallet in between the remains. He opens it, looking through the various cards inside.

And there it is, everything he was looking for…

———

He had begun to work again. It helped him from wanting to sleep all day… It helped him with the pain.

He’d even begun to hand make many of his latest designs rather than sending it off to production so others could do it for him. Except, those dresses he had sewed with his own hands were for her and no one else. He’d made them specifically for her.

Every bead engraved and every zipper added was made thinking about her.

When his phone rings, Gabriel immediately sees the detective’s name on the screen. He isn’t in the mood to talk to him. It’s probably his weekly update on what he’s done throughout the week. He never progresses, and Gabriel is frankly exhausted from hearing his words of encouragement. Of hearing him say that he must be patient.

But he figures he should answer. After all, the man is only doing his job.

“Yes,” he barely speaks into the phone.

“I found her, Mr. Agreste!”

“What?” He utters in disbelief. His ears must be playing tricks on him. “What did you say?!” He can hardly speak.

“I found Miss Sancoeur. I will send you the address in an email.”

The unexpected news sends his body in a sudden freeze, and he can feel an electrifying jolt overpower him in an instant. Gabriel simply cannot function after what he has just heard. He must be dreaming. Probably one of his constant night episodes where he imagines the detective telling him he has found his Nathalie.

“It can’t be … Where is she? I need to talk to her now. Tell her I’m on my way … Put her on the phone now!” He yells, the tears gushing from his desperation.

His breathing fast, too fast. The detective can hear him as he tries to speak. “Calm down, Mr. Agreste.”

“Like I said, I have sent you the location. But there’s something you need to know. Miss Sancoeur has lost her me-“

He can’t finish. Gabriel doesn’t allow him to. As soon as he hears the chime from his email, Gabriel hangs up the phone.

He is shocked to see her location. “Pays de la Loire?” “What is she doing all the way over there?”

It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s going to go get her and finally bring her home.

“Adrien!” Gabriel calls out from the atelier.

“What happened, father?” Adrien asks with a bit of fear, but also confusion.

“We’re leaving, pack a few things for a long car ride.”

“What … Where?” He is more than confused.

“Nathalie, we finally found her,” he says with immense happiness.

“Oh my goodness,” he rushes towards Gabriel and the two share a comforting embrace. “I knew we’d find her.”

“But father”, says Adrien. “It’s past midnight, are you sure you want to drive out now?”

“I’ve waited too long. I can’t wait anymore, we have to go now.”

“Okay,” responds the boy.

They arrive at the farm town at the break of dawn. A nearly four hour car ride, it was longer than they anticipated. Adrien fell asleep about an hour after they left the mansion.

And Gabriel filled himself with coffee in order to stay awake and make it to her. He almost can’t believe that he’ll soon have the opportunity to embrace her again, to kiss her, to tell her how much he loves her.

“Adrien, wake up.” Gabriel says as he taps his son's arm.

“What happened?” Asks a still sleepy Adrien.

“We’re here.” They scan the town with curiosity, wondering what in the world is Nathalie doing all the way out here.

When they arrive at the road the detective had sent them through email, they aren’t surprised to see he isn’t there. They weren’t expecting the man to wait for them for four hours on the side of a freezing cold and dark road.

Gabriel parks his car and as he gets off, he realizes there isn’t much around them.

“What is this place?” Adrien asks as he too exits the vehicle.

“I don’t know. This is the location he sent me…”

They continue walking around, and when they hear a voice call out to them, they quickly see a man standing behind a white farm gate.

“Can I help you gentlemen with something?”

“Yes.” Gabriel quickly replies. “I’m looking for her”, he immediately shows Tim a photo of Nathalie

“A detective was here yesterday, and he told me she is here. Have you seen her?”

Tim is in disbelief as he stares at the photo of the woman they call Diane. He can’t believe someone has finally come searching for her.

“Yes … Yes. Get in your car and follow the trail until you reach the little cottage.” Tim opens the gate to let them in.

As Tim follows right behind them in his mini tractor, he thinks about how everyone will react to these two individuals and their sudden presence.

Especially Diane…

Chapter Text

The trail up to the cottage is a long one. There’s cattle and horses across the fields. As well as clover and hay stacked up against the white farm gates. Gabriel can see many of the cows eating through the blocks of hay.

Why did Nathalie decide to leave Paris and hide here? He simply cannot comprehend it. Anxiety is beginning to build inside him as he realizes he is only moments away from seeing her once again.

What will she say? … Will she be happy to see him?

The suspense is killing him.

When they arrive at the cottage home, Gabriel stations the car in front of it as Adrien and him wait for the older man to tell them where they should proceed.

———

“Good morning, my little Rosie Posie,” Diane coos to the wide awake baby. She’s taken on a habit of calling her Rosie.

She reaches into the bassinet to then place her onto her bed. Rose's little high-pitched content sounds always brighten her morning.

She begins to unwrap the light pink swaddle from her, and the moment the baby feels free from her tight confinement, she raises her tiny arms up and begins to stretch and grunt as Diane watches her in adoration.

“You had a good stretch, didn’t you?” She talks to her with love. “Come on, let’s get you ready for the day.”

As Diane enters the living room area, she isn’t surprised to find Henry up and already working on his computer. He’s always up early.

“Good morning,” he greets as he sees her walking towards him.

“Good morning,” she replies.

“How was Rosie during the night?” He asks while looking down at the baby who is chewing on her chubby fist.

“She’s hungry all of the time.”

Henry giggles at her words. “That’s normal. As she gets older, she’ll stop wanting to eat at nighttime.”

The loud banging at the door startles them both, and they look at each other in confusion, wondering who knocks with such desperation.

When Henry opens the door, he finds Tim with an anxious look on his face. “What’s going on Tim? Why are you knocking so loudly?”

Tim motions for him to step out and as he does, Henry closes the door behind him. He immediately notices the luxurious car parked outside the cottage.

“Who’s in there?” He asks Tim with great curiosity. He’s never seen such a costly car in this part of town. The windows are dark, preventing him from gazing inside, but that car is worth more than any of them can make in years. It’s a type of vehicle he’ll only find in the wealthiest neighborhoods of Paris.

“They've come looking for her.”

“Looking for who? What are you talking about Tim?”

“Diane… They’re looking for Diane.”

Henry's eyes blow up in complete shock, and his heart immediately sinks down to his stomach. “Are you sure?” He simply cannot believe it. After so many months, someone has come searching for her.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Henry steps off the cottage porch to cautiously approach the vehicle. He waves in the direction of the dark windows, waiting to see who exits it.

Almost instantly, a man and a teenager open the door, hopping off to approach him.

“Can I help you gentlemen with something?” Henry asks the strangers.

“Yes, we’re looking for her,” he shows him a photo on his cellphone. Henry’s heart shakes, there’s no doubt, it’s Diane.

“Is she here?” He asks in desperation. But Henry doesn’t answer. He is still overly shocked by their unexpected presence.

“She’s here,” Tim confirms.

Gabriel and Adrien embrace themselves as Gabriel cries from the joy of having found her. “Oh my goodness, Nathalie … She’s here, father.”

“Nathalie?” Henry is quite literally trembling as he speaks.

“Yes, Nathalie.” Gabriel says. “Nathalie is here, right?”

“She’s inside the cottage, but there is something I should inform you about. She’s-” But Gabriel rushes past the doctor and onto the steps of the porch, cutting Henry off.

Meanwhile, Henry doesn’t understand why he can’t be happy. He feels selfish and even cruel. He’d always known deep within his heart that this day would come. But he didn’t expect to feel so miserable. It’s as if the joy of having Diane and her daughter with him everyday, has been ripped off like an old bandage.

His soul is aching, and it hurts immensely.

Gabriel slowly enters the cottage. It smells so fresh, and a floral scent roams the air. The entry has a grange ambience, appearing very homely and appealing to the eye. It’s simple, but very neat.

As Gabriel turns his attention to the living room, his heart explodes. There she is … His love and heart, sitting on the sofa with a baby in between her arms. Seeing her there is too much for him, Gabriel thinks he will collapse.

“Careful, father.” Adrien holds onto him as he sees him stumbling, helping him regain his balance.

Except, Nathalie has no reaction to either of them. She merely watches them enter as if it hadn’t been months since she last saw them. She appears calm, and Gabriel would even say that she appears disoriented. Something is different about her. Maybe it’s because she isn't wearing her glasses, however, Gabriel isn’t sure.

Her deep blue eyes have no reaction to him whatsoever. “Nathalie,” he utters in a shaky voice.

She squints her eyes to him in confusion as she tightly holds onto her daughter.

And Gabriel can’t understand why she is behaving so weird. It’s starting to worry him. Could it be that she’s still angry at him?

“Nathalie, my dear, I finally found you… You aren’t going to say anything?”

She shakes her head, staring at him in bewilderment. Gabriel tries to speak once again, but Adrien quickly intervenes. “If you’re still angry at my father, you can talk to me.”

“Who are you?” They hear her ask.

“What do you mean?” Both Gabriel and Adrien turn to look at another in confusion. They don’t understand why she’s acting so strange.

“Are you still angry with me, is that why you’re acting this way? Why did you run away from me, Nathalie?” Gabriel is starting to panic with her odd behavior.

She slowly gets up from the sofa, and Gabriel’s gaze focuses on the baby. The little baby is so unaware of what’s going on as Gabriel examines her little face. She snuggles herself more into her mother’s arms while her white knitted sweater barely allows her tiny hands to be seen. The pink bow on her hair stands out in contrast to her bright blonde hair. She’s absolutely beautiful, the most lovely baby girl Gabriel has ever seen.

“Will you say something?” And in that moment he attempts to get near her and touch the baby, and he watches her flinch away.

She swiftly gets away from him, and goes to Henry for answers. “Henry, what’s going on?” She asks with obvious fear. The insides of her stomach are swaying and it makes her feel as if she will soon throw up.

“Calm down, Diane.”

“Diane? What’s going on here? Why are you acting this way, Nathalie?”

“Nathalie?” Diane utters so very confused.

“I can explain,” Henry tells him. “Nearly a year ago, we found her under the ditch at the end of the road. She had a car accident, and when we brought her back to our cottage, we realized she had no memory at all. That’s why she can’t recognize you.”

That single revelation is the worst thing Gabriel has heard in the past months. It hurts him more than all those nights he’d spent weeping from her absence. To know that she can’t remember him is as if he had never found her at all.

“It can’t be!” He exclaims and the baby shakes to Gabriel’s loud holler, yet she doesn’t cry.

He begins to approach her once again, extending his hand to try and touch her. But Nathalie retrieves him almost instantly, until her back is pressed against the wall. She stands there, trembling in fear from him.

“Don’t run away from me,” he says. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. Nathalie, don't you know who I am? I love you.”

And he watches her shake her head. Her eyes brim with tears of horror and confusion, and this by far the worst thing Gabriel has experienced since the moment she disappeared all those months ago.

There had been a point where Diane had lost all hope of anyone coming to look for her. Her only hope was that at some moment in time, she would recover her memories. She’d yearn for someone to enter the cottage door, and call her by her name. Someone who could tell her who she is.

And at the time, Diane had believed that that would bring her all the happiness she needed. But now that these two strangers are here, she isn’t happy at all. She’s actually petrified, more than she has ever been. And it’s that stranger who says he loves her that scares her more than anything.

Who is he?

“Nathalie…” sounds more like a desperate cry as he gets near her. Gabriel is at the verge of losing his mind once again. “You couldn’t have forgotten me, my love.”

He instinctively tries to touch the baby’s foot, but Diane turns away from him almost violently. “Don’t touch my baby,” she commands.

“Your baby… Then that means she’s my baby too.”

“You?” She utters in shock. “You’re the father of my daughter?”

He barely nods his head. “What’s your name?” He hears her ask.

“Gabriel Agreste,” he can’t believe he’s actually introducing himself to her. To his Nathalie…

She looks at him from top to bottom. Deeply examining his face. Gabriel feels rather exposed with the intensity of her gaze. “Who’s this?” She then asks, looking at Adrien.

“He’s my son Adrien, but he’s only my son.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t remember either of you.” And both Gabriel and Adrien watch as she runs out of living room and disappears into the hallway.

He wants to call her back, but it’s probably not the best idea. After all, the Nathalie he knows isn’t here. She’s been replaced by a woman who doesn't remember him or their love story.

Chapter Text

Gabriel had made up a thousand different scenarios in his head during his lonely and depressing nights. He’d imagine them finally reunited as he’d kiss her and embrace her tightly.

That was his most frequent fantasy.

Other scenarios consisted of him on his knees, imploring for her forgiveness. He’d think of the proper words he’d say to her while making an earnest plea for her return home. Kissing her feet and knuckles, and wetting them in the process with his desperate salty tears.

His little fantasies always ended with her agreeing to return, and them finally living at peace and most importantly, in love.

However, this reality isn’t at all similar to any of the things he’d imagined. This reality is something he wouldn’t have been capable of ever picturing, not even in his wildest dreams.

Because this reality is the worst thing that has ever happened to him. It’s a reality where Nathalie doesn’t remember him. A reality where Gabriel Agreste doesn’t exist in her memories.

Their love story has been painfully erased from her mind, and the taste of this reality is sour and so very distressing.

“Have a seat, father. You’re looking extremely pale.” Gabriel doesn’t speak, only lets his son guide him to the sofa in the middle of the living room.

Tim quietly exits the cottage, and Henry is left alone with them. He doesn’t know what to say. After all, their presence was so unexpected.

Although, he should’ve known better. Even if he tried to avoid himself to think about it. Henry should’ve known not to dodge the thought that one day someone would come searching for her. And now that this day is finally here, Henry isn’t too sure on what they should do.

“I know this is difficult for you, but you must know that as a doctor, I believe her amnesia is temporary. We must be patient, she will remember.”

Gabriel brings his head up to give the man a displeasing glare. He’s sad, yet angry at the same time.

The doctor’s words aren’t any comfort to his distressed and exhausted soul. Then he examines the doctor for a couple of long seconds. His ruddiness complexion, dark brown eyes, and simple attire show his honesty and genuineness.

But that doesn’t stop Gabriel from being angry. He's angry at everyone, especially at himself. If only he’d been honest about their relationship from the beginning, none of this would be happening.

“Why didn’t you try to contact us?”

Henry squints his eyes in confusion. He isn’t too sure what Gabriel is talking about.

Gabriel then stands up almost aggressively from the sofa. “You were hiding her, weren’t you?!” He says in an accusing tone.

“What? No, of course not.”

“Yes you were. I can’t believe you’ve been with her for months and didn’t try to find her family.”

Henry’s heart pounds with the horrible sensation of anxiety as he tries to defend his actions.

“I never hid her. All I’ve done is help her since the moment she arrived at the door of my cottage. I always hoped she remembered soon because that was the only way I could contact someone. She came with nothing but the clothes on her back. What else was I supposed to do?”

“You had many opportunities to-“ But Adrien intervenes, not letting him continue.

“Please calm down, father. I think the doctor is telling the truth. We should be grateful that he’s taken care of Nathalie and my baby sister these past months. And you heard him, he said she will remember. We simply must be patient.”

Gabriel collapses onto the sofa once again, burying his face into his palms. He’s desperate and he’s afraid. Afraid that she’ll never remember him again.

Adrien attempts to get near him, but Gabriel moves away.

“Let your father be.” Henry quickly says as he sees Gabriel’s indignant reaction. “He’s worried, and that is completely normal. My name is Henry Martin.” He stretches his arm out, and Adrien quickly shakes the doctor’s hand.

“I’m Adrien Agreste and my father, Gabriel Agreste.” Gabriel doesn’t pay attention to them, he's shut in his own world of agony once more.

“I’ll go talk to Diane… I mean Nathalie,” he says, shaking his head. “And try to get her to come out again.”

Henry disappears into the hallway at the same time Gabriel retrieves his cellphone from his coat. He isn’t planning on leaving this place until Nathalie decides to go with him. He calls Placide to prepare them a load of clothes and toiletries and bring it out to them immediately.

He’s willing to remain on this farm as long as he needs to. Until the memories of their love flow back into Nathalie’s memory, and she’s able to recognize him once again.

———

She stares at Rosie, trying to find some comfort in her daughter’s angelic face. She can’t seem to understand the feeling of fear settling in her chest, if this is what she had desired since the moment she arrived at the cottage.

It’s the man that provokes such an intense feeling of agitation in her. She’s been trying to remember his face in some type of memory, but nothing comes to mind.

She’s as blank as before.

Why can’t she remember him? And how can she be sure he really is who he says? Hundreds of questions invade her all at once, and this time, Diane is sure she will lose her mind. After all, she has gotten used to being on the farm with Henry and his friends. They’re like her family now, and she isn’t sure she wants to leave, even if these strangers state they know who she is.

“Diane,” she hears Henry call from the other side of the door. “Will you open? We need to talk.”

She goes to the wooden door, and carefully removes the latch. She doesn’t bother to open as she goes back to her bed where her daughter peacefully sleeps.

“Are you okay?” He asks as he steps into the bedroom.

“What’s going on, Henry? I’m scared.” He can see the terror, but also the confusion in her.

“They say they’re your family, Diane. Come out so we can talk to them, please.”

She shakes her head. “How do I know they’re telling the truth? What if they’re lying? What if it’s a trick in order to steal my daughter from me? What if-“

“Shh, calm down,” he says as she begins to speak too quickly while breathing heavily. “This is why I need you to go talk to them. I’ll be there with you at all times.” He walks towards the bed and carefully takes a seat, trying not to wake Rose up.

“Diane,” Henry whispers. “That man, do you remember him?”

“No,” her voice is barely audible.

“He said he is the father of Rosie. What do you think about that?”

“I-” But she can’t continue anymore. She simply glances down at her sleeping baby. Her little chest rises and descends as she sniffles in her sleep.

She’d never really thought about him other than when she attempted to imagine a person who could potentially resemble her daughter’s features that are so obviously different from her own. But it was never in hopes to remember someone she could’ve loved at some point in her life. And now that the man is here, claiming to love her as well as being her child’s father, Diane isn’t too sure what to make of him.

She plainly cannot remember ever loving him. Because all he provoked in her was fear and not an ounce of love or affection.

“I don’t know.”

“That’s okay, don’t think too hard. How about we go talk to them? I’ll be with you at every moment, I promise.”

She rises from the bed to then gently grab her still sleeping baby from the soft mattress. Rose squirms for a few seconds, but quickly returns to her sleeping state the moment her mother places her into the bassinet.

Diane looks up at Henry, “let’s go.”

She walks behind him as if she used him to protect herself from an upcoming danger. When they make it to the living room area, Henry moves from in front of her, and Diane suddenly feels extremely exposed and uncomfortable.

There he is.

The stranger that just moments ago came to turn her world of lost memories upside down. The man who claims to be her daughter’s father. The man who claims to love her.

“Diane decided to come out again.” The doctor’s voice invades his ears, and Gabriel instantly looks up to see her once again. She appears absolutely terrified. The sparkle he knows isn’t there, it has been replaced with a dull gaze of fear and confusion.

“Nathalie,” he mumbles contentedly. She can see the light smile forming on his straight lips.

As he approaches her, Diane harshly takes a few steps back. She’s still so obviously afraid of him.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” he quickly says. “I guess it's instinct.”

“Will you talk to me now?”

He watches her slowly nod her head. “Let’s take a seat,” Henry guides her to the living room area, and the four individuals take a seat on the soft brown couches in the middle of the room.

Diane’s heart begins to tremble inside her chest. The horrible sensation of nervousness and agitation begins to creep in all over again, making her think that this probably isn’t the best idea.

“I’m not too sure what I should ask you,” Diane says as she gazes up at Gabriel and his son. “I can’t remember either of you.”

Adrien takes a hold of his father’s trembling hand as he watches him close his eyes in sorrow. The wetness of them is so much that the tears unwittingly roll down his cheeks. Gabriel simply cannot stand seeing her this way. He still cannot wrap his head around the fact that Nathalie has lost all the memories of their life together.

“Nathalie,” his voice cracks as his throat closes up. “Come back home with me. Let’s return to Paris, I know you’ll remember everything once you’re near all the places you are familiar with.”

His words are a shock to her. Diane doesn’t want to leave, she doesn’t know him. He hasn’t made her feel safe at all since the moment he stepped into the door of the cottage, and the words he has just spoken cause her to become even more afraid.

“No!” She suddenly exclaims, standing up from the couch. “I will not go anywhere with you. I don’t know you, I think you’re lying.” She says in an accusing tone.

“If you really love me the way you say you do, then why can’t I remember you?”

Gabriel’s eyes blow up to her sudden outburst. “No, my love. You don’t understand-“ Gabriel tries to speak. He tries to explain, but she doesn’t allow him to do so.

As he too rises from the couch, he once again attempts to grab her, but this time, she roughly pushes him away. “Don’t touch me!” And she inevitably slaps his hands off of her.

“Nathalie wait-“ Gabriel true to stop her. He can feel the burning sensation on his now red hands. He watches her move away from him at a quick speed, and Henry notices she lost control of herself once again. “Diane, you need to calm down,” he utters, evidently worried.

But the panicked woman moves away from him as well. “You two,” she speaks to both Gabriel and Adrien. “You are imposters aren’t you? You’ve come to steal my baby from me, but I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Nathalie, please calm down. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Adrien says at the same time Nathalie crashes into the small coffee table located in the middle of the room.

“Just listen to us, please.” They both beg, but their pleading doesn’t continue for long as they once again watch her run away from them.

Gabriel groans in frustration. He nearly yanks the glasses from his face and tugs at his hair. He is at the verge of insanity with Nathalie’s behavior.

“I’m so sorry,” Henry finally mumbles after a couple of seconds. “I didn’t think she’d react this way. I think we need to give her time.”

Gabriel rushes towards the front door of the cottage. He needs fresh air immediately. The warmth of the cottage feels like it’s suffocating him.

His eyes scan the green fields while he wonders how he even ended up in this situation. The most painful situation he has ever experienced.

———

Gabriel nor Adrien have seen Nathalie since she ran away from them in the morning. They’ve spoken to another, trying to understand the difficult position they are now in.

Henry hasn’t tried to have an in depth conversation with them. He supposed neither of them is in the mood to speak, so he simply left them alone for the remainder of the day.

When he watches both father and son exit the cottage, Henry peaks out the window. Another extremely costly and luxurious vehicle is parked outside. It makes him wonder who this man is. He’s very well dressed, and so is his son. They are wealthy indeed. And for some strange reason, they look familiar to him, but Henry isn’t sure from where.

What is it that he does for a living? Since when has Diane been in a relationship with him? He remembers him saying that the teenager is only his son, so could it be that Diane and him haven’t been together too long?

Just as more and more questions invade his mind, Henry hears the cottage door open again. This time, Gabriel and Adrien are accompanied by a man, who has two luggages in between his big bulky arms.

“We’d like to make a request.” Gabriel speaks in a clear manner.

Henry nods at him, and Gabriel proceeds. “I can’t leave this place without Nathalie, so I ask that in name of the kindness you’ve shown to her, would you please let us stay here at your cottage? I can’t be away from her again.”

Henry isn’t surprised with their request. It was expected. After all, they are her family…
“Of course you can stay here,” he responds. Yet, his heart still shakes at their presence. This is all so sudden, and the constant pressure in his chest tells him this is just the beginning.

“Who’s this?” He asks, glancing over at the silent man.

“This is my son’s bodyguard, Placide. I asked him to bring us a few things, but it’s too late for him to return to Paris now.”

“I understand.”

Gabriel can hear the light wheezing of his son as he lies on the cot, letting him know the boy is fast asleep. It was a long day, still Gabriel cannot get sleep to claim him. He’s tired, but that’s not enough for him to drift off into a slumber. Not when the thought of an obilivated Nathalie continues to roam through his head.

He plainly cannot believe what’s happened. To know that all these months, Nathalie has been living with no memory at all. He hadn’t ever thought of what she might’ve been doing all this time she was away from him. All Gabriel thought about was on her return. But now that he’s found her, he isn’t sure what’s worse. If all those nights he spent weeping for her absence or this.

This terrible reality where Nathalie can’t even remember his name.

And worst of all, Gabriel knows it’s his fault. He closes his eyes, the darkness of the small bedroom is a constant reminder of the endless void in his heart. Although the room is small, barely big enough for Adrien and himself, it feels so empty.

He just wants to run out there with Nathalie and his children. He wants to return to Paris, and live the joyful lives they deserve. Except, he can’t, it appears they’re trapped here until she remembers him.

Gabriel thinks about his daughter.

He has a daughter, he almost can’t believe it. His heart pounds with joy and love thinking about her. It's a rather uncanny feeling because even if Gabriel had discovered Nathalie was pregnant on the first day of her disappearance, it had never properly registered in his heart-rending brain. He was too consumed in his depression and desperation to even think about their baby.

Yes, he thought about a baby, and how it was their child, but never as an actual human living outside her womb. He’d never even tried to imagine her pregnant, and now he wonders what she looked like when she was pregnant. He’s missed out on so much these past months, and that only adds more into the sadness of his wrinkled heart.

Gabriel closes his eyes, and his mind takes him to one of the last long weeks Nathalie and him spent together. Days after Christmas, they had made a trip, only the two of them.

They hadn’t told anyone. It had been rather easy to say they were leaving on a work trip, and no one would suspect a thing. Now Gabriel thinks of how sad Nathalie must’ve felt being his secret. However, there was no present sign of her sadness during that week they spent together away from Paris. Her laughter and love were enough for him to turn blind to the fact that their romance was a secret to the world. To ignore the fact that Nathalie had already asked him how much longer.

He can almost hear her voice calling his name, through the darkness of the room he is now in.

“Gabriel,” her heavenly voice sounded as she reached into the radiant and colorful flower bush. He caught up to her in an instant, and quickly pulled onto the flower her soft hand was attempting to grab.

“Is this what you wanted?” He said, stroking her blushed cheeks with the soft petals of the lavender rose.

“Yes,” she mumbled against his lips. Gabriel reached up and placed the lovely rose behind her ear. Then he let his lips kiss her nose. “There, you look even more beautiful now.”

The Mediterranean garden located in the French Riviera was the only place Nathalie had truly been excited to see.

With his eyes tightly closed, Gabriel recalls their time spent at the almost mystic garden. It was a shade brighter in the rain. It was as if the gift of the sky wasn’t water, but a magical liquid descending, making everything seem even more perfect than it already was. She walked through the meadow and green grasslands. Her fingers dipped into the moist soil as she inhaled the sweet scent of the exotic flowers.

Afterwards, they spent their evening at the top of the mountains which gave them amazing sea views. Their picnic table was packed with food, and they laughed and kissed their way through their outdoor dinner.

They hadn’t gone out much besides that one time on their one week trip. Most evenings were spent in the coziness of their luxurious hotel suite. That’s what they needed when they decided to leave Paris and vacation at the French Riviera right after the Christmas holidays. They needed to be able to kiss one another’s lips every second of the day, and remind themselves how much they love each other.

He recalls the softness of her skin, and the glowing of her eyes as he kissed her in an endless pattern of love and affection. Their fingers entwined as he sweetly made love to her. He would call her name in glee and so would she. Her lips used to be so close to his ear as he would kiss her neck while she’d mumble how much she loved him. And her fingers would disappear through his hair as he’d kiss every part of her body while he too whispered that she owed his heart.

Gabriel opens his eyes, bringing himself back to reality. The tears welling up inside him make him wish he could turn back time and relive every second they spent together when it was only the two of them and no one else.

When he had everything, and didn’t even know.

He rises from the cot. It’s pointless to lie there, he simply will not be getting any sleep. Gabriel quietly abandons the room, and walks into the hallway of the cottage. He feels cold, and he feels thirsty. He hugs his arms over the black robe he is wearing as he makes his way towards the kitchen.

The kitchen door is slightly open, and when he slips through the open door, he is so surprised to find her there. She’s sitting at the small breakfast table while peacefully feeding her baby.

Nathalie’s arms cradle her while the child nurses with all her willingness. The suckling and high-pitched sounds of her hungry baby fill in the quietness of the small grange kitchen. And he can see how she stares down at the child in between her arms with all the love and tenderness of a mother. It makes his wearily soul lighten with joy seeing the woman of his life in such a state. Something so pure and so perfect, and he hadn’t had the opportunity to witness it until now.

Gabriel thinks he should exit the kitchen before she notices. Except that thought comes to an end when Nathalie’s deep blue gaze realizes he is right there. She gasps in shock, but also fear. Almost immediately, she reaches for her daughter’s yellow blanket and places it over her bare chest, attempting to cover up.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t know you were in here.”

She’s terrified once again and without uttering a single word, Gabriel watches Nathalie grab her belongings ready to leave the kitchen.

Ready to run away from him again.

“Wait,” Gabriel abruptly says, getting in front of her. “Don’t run away from me, I promise I won’t hurt you.” Her eyes glow in the dim light of the almost silent kitchen. “Have a seat, and finish feeding your baby, Nathalie.”

She stares deep into his gaze and for the first time since he arrived, Nathalie is able to see the truth in him. Her heart shakes as she realizes that the two bluish-gray globes that look down at her are undoubtedly the same color as her baby’s eyes.

Could he be telling the truth after all? She slowly proceeds to take a seat once again, and observes him with such attention as he searches through the kitchen. After a couple of seconds, he finds a glass and fills it up with clear water to then gulp it down in one sip.

He’s strange to her. He isn’t like Henry at all, they’re two completely different people. This man is very tall, has a strong brow bone, and straight lips. As her eyes continue to scan him, the sudden realization of just how much he resembles her daughter comes to her. It’s so obvious, and now she cannot unsee it.

She peaks under the yellow blanket where her daughter unlatches from her breast and turns her face away. It’s clear that her baby’s had enough for now. She wipes away the traces of milk from the corners of the baby’s mouth with her thumb to then button up her own pajama top. She places Rose in an upright position and begins to gently pat her back, waiting for her to burp after all the milk she’s drank.

She’s so concentrated on her child, that she doesn’t notice him as he watches them in adoration. It’s not until he slowly reaches for a chair to have a seat that she turns to look at him again.

His raspy deep voice invades the silence of the kitchen causing her insides to tremble. “Let’s talk, my darling. Just you and me with no interruptions.”

He seems so kind and so honest, that this time, Diane can’t deny his request. “Okay, let’s talk.”

Chapter Text

Nathalie observes him in silence, waiting for him to speak. It’s not until her daughter releases the air from her full tummy, that she drifts her gaze away from him to look at the baby resting on her lap. She then grabs the pink washcloth and wipes the spit from around the child’s lips and tiny chin.

Gabriel watches her cradle the baby in her arms again. He watches as she slowly leans towards the baby until she is able to press a kiss onto her temple. She rocks her in between her arms until the infant's gray eyes begin to flutter and sleep takes over her precious face.

“Motherhood suits you,” he can barely speak without becoming emotional. “What’s her name?” Gabriel asks.

“Rose.”

Gabriel gives her a soft smile, attempting to control the tears prickling at the corners of his watery eyes. “You couldn’t have picked a better name for our daughter, Nathalie.”

“Rose,” he whispers to himself.

He instantly recalls all the beautiful roses Nathalie and himself saw at the Mediterranean garden at the French Riviera. How Nathalie wanted to take every single colored rose with her, and how he had to stop her because the basket was too full. How he decorated their bed with red and pink roses to then lift Nathalie off the floor, and place her onto the rose covered mattress. And how he took a red rose into his hand, and touched her entire body with the soft petals of the bright flower while he made sweet love to her.

“How old is she?” He asks while wiping at his eyes.

“Six weeks.”

“That means she arrived in the middle of September,” Gabriel says, and Nathalie nods in response.

He smiles at the realization that all the roses they had encountered on their trip were actually a glowing sign of their daughter’s arrival. The roses were indeed telling them that exactly nine months later they would have their own real life rose to take care of and watch grow. Nathalie really couldn’t have chosen a better name for their child.

Only a handful of things were capable of robbing Henry’s sleep, and the previous events that had taken place at the cottage were definitely one of them. He quietly exits his bedroom as he ponders about the man’s unexpected arrival.

His footsteps are light against the wooden floor of the small cottage. His feet guide him towards the kitchen door, and when he finds it slightly open, Henry cautiously peaks through to see who’s inside.

The sight is surprising to say the least. Diane sits at the breakfast table with her daughter sleeping in between her arms. In front of her is the man who she had refused to speak with just hours ago. She appears calm and untroubled. No present sign of the fear she had displayed when she first saw him.

Henry feels he should go, but there’s something in him that doesn’t allow him to do so. He simply remains behind the door, ready to listen to their conversation, even if he’s well aware that what he’s doing is wrong.

“Have you ever wondered how you ended up here?” Henry hears the man ask.

“Everyday,” Diane responds.

“Oh my dear, you have no idea how much I regret this. This is all my fault.”

Gabriel slowly moves his chair closer to her. His action is so gentle that Diane doesn’t notice until he feels rather close to her. “What do you mean it’s your fault?”

“I was an idiot, Nathalie. You should know that on our last day together, you and I had an intense argument. I knew I was hurting you, but my pride got the worst of me my darling, and I’m so sorry for that. I guess you had enough and decided to drive away from Paris. Drive away from me.”

“An argument?” She asks in confusion. “I can’t remember.”

Gabriel reaches for the napkin holder located in the middle of the table to slowly grab one of the many napkins there. He wipes the wetness from his nose and eyes as he tries to control his tears.

“We’ve been through a lot together, I can’t even begin to tell you because, if I do, you’ll most likely have an irrational reaction so it’s best I wait.”

She isn’t too sure what to make of his words. What can he possibly mean by that? However, Diane isn’t brave enough to ask him, she isn’t sure she wants to know. “How did we meet?”

It feels so surreal for her to ask him such a question, yet he still answers. “We’ve known each other for years, Nathalie. Ever since Adrien, my son was a small child.”

Gabriel realizes he should probably be more specific. “We work together, you’re my assistant.”

“Assistant?”

“Mm-hmm. You’ve helped me manage my company for years, and trust me I couldn’t have done without you.”

“Where’s your son’s mother?” She asks and Gabriel immediately takes a deep breath as he closes his eyes to her sudden question.

“Emilie died nearly four years ago, but that’s a whole other story.” She’s stunned to learn that, but she doesn’t interrupt as he continues speaking.

“You were there with me, every step of the way. Even when I committed some rather insane mistakes. You never left my side, and that’s what made me fall deeply in love with you. You watched over my son, and over my brand as I fell into a dark hole of desperation, and it was you who helped me out, my love. Three years after Emilie’s death, my heart healed and I fell in love with you, Nathalie.”

He reaches over to place his hand on her forearm, hoping she doesn’t retrieve it. “You were the medicine that cured me, we love each other so much, Nathalie. I wish you could remember it, my dear.”

Gabriel suddenly brings his head low, staring at the tile floor beneath them. “But now it seems I ruined everything with my absurd secrecy.”

“What do you mean by secrecy?” Her obliviated brain attempts to keep with the rhythm of his soft voice.

Gabriel shakes his head. “I’ve never been good with change. I thought our relationship was good enough as it was, and I wanted it to remain just between us. Except, I didn’t realize how much I was hurting you with that.”

Gabriel brings his gaze up to examine the expressions of her face, and notices that Nathalie listens to him with attention, but also in bewilderment. As if her brain were trying to create scenarios for every word he speaks.

“I guess after a year of having a secret relationship with me, you decided you had enough.”

Nathalie adjusts her still sleeping baby in her arms, and with her eyes glued on her child’s angelic face she asks her next question. “Did you know I was pregnant on the day we had that argument?”

“No, no, of course not.” He quickly tells her. “You never told me anything.”

“Hmm,” she mumbles. “I wonder if I knew I was pregnant at that time.” Her fingertips stroke her daughter’s smooth and fluffy blonde hair while she speaks.

“You did,” he answers almost immediately, and Nathalie looks up at him with obvious confusion. “The next day after your disappearance, I went to your apartment searching for you. There I found a positive pregnancy test resting on the bathroom counter. I behaved like such an idiot, I suppose you thought I didn’t deserve to know at that moment.”

“That day, you told me you wanted to tell me something, but we ended up screaming at each other, and you left without saying a word. I guess you wanted to tell me you were pregnant.”

Gabriel brings his face down to his hands as the tears are now impossible to control. “I’ve been so stupid, and I ask you to forgive me.”

He moves his hands from his face, and the earnest look in his eyes tells her he's honest. Then she notices something else in his shiny gray and teary eyes. Is it love? But she’s too afraid to answer that question.

”I forgive you,” is all she says even if she can’t remember anything at all.

“Thank you my Nathalie.” And he tries to kiss her hand, but this time, she does pull away.

“I’m sorry,” he quickly apologizes, hoping that his hasty action doesn’t ruin everything. “It’s instinct, that’s all.”

The soft look in her blue blue eyes tells him she isn’t angry, only somewhat uncomfortable with his sudden reaction. But he supposes that’s normal in her state. “Have you been treated well here?” Gabriel needs to know.

“Yes, Henry and his friends have been so kind to me. Henry took care of me throughout my pregnancy and also helped deliver my daughter. I’m very grateful for that,” she says.

“Then I am as well. If he’s the one who helped us with having the healthiest most beautiful baby girl ever, I will forever be grateful to him.” He slowly moves his hand until it hovers over the baby’s foot.

“May I?” He asks her. He can see the reluctance in her, but she soon agrees with a nod of her head. He gently touches the baby’s foot, and the tears once again betray him the purest way ever. His hand feels as if he were touching porcelain, making his heart warm up with the love only a parent can feel for their child. That love he recognizes as the one he has for his son. But now it isn’t only his son he loves in such a way, now it’s also his daughter. A daughter that belongs to him and Nathalie.

A daughter that they made with all the love in the world. “If only you could remember how much I love you, Nathalie. Our daughter is the living proof of our love.”

He looks deep into her eyes when he speaks his next words. “I love you.” He says, and she watches his hand rise to gently lace his fingers through her dark shimmering hair. She wants to push him away, but for some strange reason she doesn’t move. “I love you so much, my dear.”

And just like that, her brain travels to the dream she had all those months ago. Where a faceless man had mumbled those same exact words to her as he touched her hair with fondness. It’s too much for her, she thinks her heart will burst out of her chest from the rapid pounding.

He slowly gets up from the chair to then lean down until he’s able to press a kiss onto his daughter’s forehead. The baby squirms for a moment only to soundlessly return to her precious slumber. “Good night, my Nathalie,” and he quietly goes to exit the kitchen.

As if his life depended on it, Henry sprints across the living room and into the hallway to make it back to his bedroom. He wipes his tears as he realizes how much that man loves Diane.

Henry was right, there was someone out there that loved her more than he could ever imagine.

———

Early the next morning, Adrien is awoken by the chirping of the birds and the rustling of fabrics. The chilly autumn wind blows through the cracked window as he eventually rises from his cot.

He quietly observes his father slip a navy sweater over his white button up dress shirt to then slip his shoes onto his sock covered feet.

Gabriel notices Adrien’s drowsy face through the mirror in front of him and quickly turns to face his son. “Are you still tired?”

Adrien shakes his head. “No, but it’s always weird sleeping away from home.”

Gabriel approaches him and gently strokes his son’s messy hair. “I know, but I promise we’ll leave this place as soon as possible. We just need Nathalie to remember us again.”

“She will, father. You’ll see.” And Gabriel smiles at the boy’s encouraging words.

They walk side by side, and when they enter the living room area, they find the doctor filling out some forms.

“Good morning.” Henry tells them.

“Good morning,” Gabriel responds.

“I hope you slept well. I know it’s small, but that’s all I have,” he nervously giggles.

“We did, thank you so much for your hospitality,” Adrien says.

A knock at the door alerts him of Alba and Tim’s arrival. “Excuse me,” Henry says as he goes to answer the door.

Gabriel watches an old age couple enter the cottage with food baskets in between their hands. He immediately recognizes the older man from yesterday morning. They seem kind and modest.

“These are my friends, Alba and Tim. They own the farm and the acres around here. They also rent me this cottage where I receive my patients.”

Gabriel extends his hand to the couple. “It’s been so nice to have Diane here with us,” Alba tells Gabriel as she shakes his hand. “She’s a wonderful person.”

“Thank you for taking care of her.”

She nods at his words. “Please have some breakfast,” and the older woman guides them to the large dining table.

When Gabriel and Adrien take a seat, they see Nathalie appear from the long corridor and into the dining area. Her little baby rests in between her arms. Gabriel’s eyes light up at the sight, but he contains himself, not wanting to scare her away.

She glances at him, and Gabriel gives her a soft smile, but Nathalie quickly averts her gaze. It hurts him, but at least she isn’t afraid of him anymore.

“Hello Rosie, don’t you look so cute today.” Alba talks to the baby with fondness. “She’s getting so big, Diane,” and Diane smiles at her words. “Have a seat, we brought some breakfast.”

Diane slowly takes a seat and the fact that he’s there, staring right at her makes her heart pound and her face warm up. Last night’s conversation kept her wide awake. His words rang through her brain as she tried to remember something about their past life, but nothing came to mind.

After recognizing her daughter’s features in him, Diane is now sure he is indeed her child’s father. Still, that doesn’t give her the confidence or courage to leave this farm. It’d be too much for her weary soul.

Adrien lets Placide into the cottage the moment the silent man informs he’s outside. Alba didn’t have much information about him when she allowed him to spend the night at their farmhouse, so when she watches him enter, she feels the urge to ask.

“Is he family too?”

“He’s my son’s bodyguard,” Gabriel responds.

Just like everyone else, Alba has seen the costly cars stationed outside the cottage. And just like everyone else, the curiosity of knowing who these people are has taken over her.

“Bodyguard huh, so what do you do for a living sir? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

Gabriel and Adrien turn to look at one another, and then Gabriel looks over at Nathalie. Her expression tells him she also waits for his response. He didn’t tell her last night, and she obviously didn’t ask him either.

“I’m a fashion designer.”

Henry closes his eyes at the realization of who they are. No wonder they looked so familiar to him. He’s a wealthy fashion designer and his son is that famous model whose photographs are all over France and the world.

“Forgive us for not recognizing you sooner. We don’t travel to Paris often, what everyone calls the fashion capital of the world”, Henry tells him. “I suppose many people do recognize you over there, don’t they?”

“Sometimes,” is all Gabriel says as he observes Nathalie and his daughter.

———

He was lucky he had a spare sketch book in his car as well as a book or two. He sketches and sketches because that's what he can do during the long autumn days.

October is in its final weeks, and as he slowly watches it wriggle away, Gabriel has started to become desperate. There hasn’t been much of a difference since the moment they arrived at the farm a week ago. Nathalie hasn’t warmed up to him at all, and he hasn’t been able to have much alone time with her or his daughter.

All he can do is pray for her memory to return.

His nights are short, but his days are long. His daughter’s cries fill in the calmness of the cottage, and Gabriel wishes he had the freedom to get up and cradle her in his arms. He wants to hold her and comfort her. He wants to be able to sleep knowing that she’ll be beside him when he wakes up.

It’s been so incredibly difficult for him to remain calm. Especially when Nathalie is so distant towards him, she barely acknowledges him and that crushes his soul. He knows it’s because of her obliviated state, but that doesn’t diminish his pain. How he wishes she would remember him, that’s what Gabriel yearns for and nothing more.

Gabriel feels the sudden urge to wash his hands for some strange reason. He leaves his sketchbook aside to then slowly walk through the kitchen door where he switches the faucet on. The water flowing through the faucet is cold and clear. He lets the water wet his hands and fingers, and rubs it thoroughly until he feels it touch his wrists.

The soft light from the autumn sun shines through the kitchen window above the sink, and when he looks up, he sees Nathalie sitting on the porch with his daughter on her lap. A children's book rests in between her hand, and her lips move in a slow rhythm as she reads the sweet words to her.

There’s a mixture of happiness and sadness settling in his chest. Happiness because of the love he has for them, and sadness because he isn’t a part of that.

A small car pulls up in front of the cottage, and Gabriel immediately recognizes it as Henry’s vehicle. He watches the doctor exit the car with a pink baby rattle in his hand. Henry shakes the rattle in front of Rose, and the small bells trapped inside ring with all their might. Rose’s soft giggle makes Gabriel’s heart skip a beat as her gray eyes are mesmerized with the noisy toy.

Nathalie lets out a sharp breath in shock. “She laughed, Henry. Did you hear that?”

He nods. “Look Rosie, you’ve made your mama so happy.” Henry says to the baby. “Now laugh again,” and he shakes the rattle once again.

And as if Rose understood his words, she giggles again to the sound of the small bells.

Henry takes a seat on a nearby chair as he hands the rattle to Nathalie. He’s suddenly become quiet and rather pensive. Gabriel observes the expression on his serious and almost nervous face, and that makes him remain by the kitchen window, ready to listen to his words.

“We’ve hadn’t had the opportunity to talk since your family arrived,” Henry says. And now Gabriel is sure he wants to listen to their conversation.

“Is there something you want to tell me,” asks Diane.

Henry takes a deep breath. “There is actually,” and Diane gives him a look of curiosity as she waits for him to speak.

“Forgive me Diane, please forgive me,” says the doctor in a trembling voice.

“Forgive you for what?”

His next words stuns her to the core.

“Forgive me for having fallen in love with you.” Diane’s eyes go wide to his sudden revelation, and Gabriel’s heart drops down to his stomach. Anger and jealousy fills his soul almost immediately.

“What?” Diane mumbles in shock.

“I tried to stop it, I really did. But you should know that some feelings are impossible to control.”

Diane scans the expressions of his face. He seems flustered, but also truthful. And that’s what frightens her the most.

Henry Martin is telling her the truth.

Henry Martin has in fact fallen in love with her.

“I … I,” she stutters. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know”, he utters in a soft manner. “I don’t know how much longer you’ll be here, and I didn’t want you to leave without me having confessed my feelings to you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Henry.”

“Not yet,” he quickly responds. “But the day will come when you’ll remember your past life, and when you do, you’ll leave this humble farm forever.”

His words inevitably create a stabbing pain in her heart, and her gleaming blue eyes glisten with tears. Tears she doesn’t want to let go, but it’s nearly impossible to hold them in. She feels nostalgically sad and isn’t sure why.

Henry sees the tears rolling down her cheeks, and he lets his thumb wipe a few away. “Please don’t cry. My intention wasn’t to make you cry.”

He slowly leans towards her until he’s able to press a soft kiss against her pale cheek and before he’s able to retrieve, a loud holler invades their ears, startling them both.

“Get away from her!”

They’re both equally surprised to see Gabriel standing on the porch. There’s anger in his stormy gray eyes as he watches them in shock.

“We aren’t doing anything wrong.” Henry immediately tells him, standing up from the chair.

Gabriel lets out a sarcastic laugh. “You aren’t doing anything wrong?!” He yells. “I just heard you confess your feelings to the mother of my daughter, and you want to tell me you aren’t doing anything wrong?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Henry attempts to defend his actions.

“There is when you know I’m here. Nathalie is with me, she loves me. And you’ve taken advantage of her condition to try and get close to her. How dare you!” He screams, and this time his loud voice frightens his daughter, making the baby cry out.

“Shh”, Nathalie tries to comfort her baby as she rises from the wooden chair. “Henry hasn’t done anything wrong. Your reaction is irrational.”

“You’re defending him, Nathalie?” Gabriel says in disbelief at the same moment Adrien exits the cottage to stand next to his father on the porch.

“What’s going on here?” Asks the boy in confusion. “Why are you yelling?”

But Gabriel ignores him. “That’s it, we're leaving from here at this instant, and Nathalie and my daughter are coming with me.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she quickly responds.

“How could you want to stay here, Nathalie. It’s in Paris where we belong.” He’s desperate and he’s furious.

“I said, no. I’m not leaving this farm.”

“This is all your fault,” he yells at Henry.

“I won’t let you treat him this way. Henry has been nothing but kind to my daughter and I,” Nathalie exclaims.

Except Gabriel ignores her words as well. “You never tried to call anyone, you robbed her from us.” He aggressively paces towards Henry, grabbing the doctor from his jacket.

“And now you have the audacity to tell her you’ve fallen in love with her!”

“I have, and I’m not embarrassed to say it,” Henry tells Gabriel in his face, pressing his hands against Gabriel’s which hold him in a tight grip. A physical struggle begins between the two men, as Nathalie and Adrien attempt to break them up.

“You need to stop, father.” Adrien holds onto his father’s arms, trying to pull him away from the doctor. “Stop it!” He says.

Rose cries with her strength from all the commotion, and it’s not until Nathalie’s pleading voice begs for them to stop is when they freeze.

“Stop, now!” And just like that, they let go of one another.

“Nathalie, you need to understand-“ Gabriel tries to speak, but her hand in the air silences him. He’s breathing heavily and his clothes are a wrinkled mess.

“It’s no wonder why I ran away from Paris… And from you.”

She then vanishes into the cottage with her crying baby, leaving an immensely regretful Gabriel behind.

Chapter Text

A gush of wind hits his face as Gabriel stands under a nearly bare tree. His cheeks and nose are red and so very cold. Except, his soul remains hot as he continues to fill himself with anger and bitterness. He’s so many acres away from the cottage home, but he couldn't remain there after what occurred.

Gabriel admits he probably overreacted, yet every time he closes his eyes, he can see the doctor and how utterly close he was to her.

It made him feel as if his blood were boiling. But more than angry, it made Gabriel feel afraid.
Afraid that he might be losing her forever.

There’s been a shearing ache in his heart since the moment he heard the doctor’s love confession directed at his dear Nathalie. It’s another bitter reminder of her lack of memory, but it’s also a reminder of the immense appreciation she has for the doctor.

He recalls the glare of disappointment and almost resentment she gave him before she entered the cottage with their daughter. The regret he felt was instant as it shot through his entire body, and it was then when Gabriel realized the terrible mistake he had made.

His outbursts aren’t making anything better. But how else could he react? It’s not the same anymore, and he fears it might never be. Nathalie has never been as distant as she's been now.

He's well aware it's because of her oblivious state. However, that doesn't make him feel any better. She's never been so close, yet so unattainable. So distinguishable, yet so different.

He’s losing his mind for sure.

The endless sight of branches and shriveled leaves hanging above him remind him of all the time that has transpired since the day she disappeared until now.

If only he could go back in time and mend his mistakes.

His eyes prickle with tears and his hand reaches up to grab onto a middling tree branch. Gabriel pulls it with great force, holding onto it in a tight grip. He fiddles with and when he thinks he’s had enough of that bent twig, he throws it far away from him to then grab another one.

He isn’t sure how much time has passed when he hears the rustling of the dry leaves on the dirt trail being continually stepped on.

“Hello,” the voice of a woman sounds.

Gabriel turns around to see a woman approaching him. He’s seen her before at the cottage, but never paid much attention to her. “Allow me to introduce myself,” she says, “I’m Julia.”

She extends her hand to him, and Gabriel wordlessly shakes it.

“Unfortunate event that happened earlier, I’m sure this must all be very difficult for you. And believe me when I tell you that I want nothing more than for Diane to recover her memory.”

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel says. “Why are you telling me this?” He’s so obviously confused with her sudden appearance, but the woman continues talking.

“Henry is a kind man, he’s caring and protective of those around him. All I can say is that it wouldn’t be difficult for any woman to fall in love with him.”

Gabriel’s eyes go wide to her words. What is she trying to tell him?

“Are you saying-“

“Yes,” Julia responds. “I think Diane has fallen in love with him. Why else would she be so reluctant to return home with you, when you’re her family.”

Gabriel turns around, not wanting the woman to see how vulnerable her words have made him. They’ve crushed him more than anything.

Could it be true? Could it be that Nathalie has fallen in love with the doctor? He doesn’t know what to think.

“I suggest you take her away from the farm as soon as possible.”

Gabriel turns around to meet the woman’s glare once again. “She won’t come, I’ve already asked her more than once.”

“The longer she stays here, the harder it’ll be for her to remember anything at all.”

Julia then scans the agitation on his face. Pleased with the words she’s delivered, she turns away from him to then walk back up the dirt trail. Getting Diane away from Henry shouldn’t be too difficult now, she thinks to herself.

———

The following week had felt like a dejected dream, so mundane and hazy. The cottage seemed as if it was drifting away from the farm and into a hole of gloominess and sadness.

He’d foolishly believed that once he’d confessed his feelings to her, Henry was going to feel better. Except that wasn’t the case at all.

He feels worse than ever before. The altercation he had with Gabriel Agreste has unwittingly distanced him from her and that’s what hurts him the most.

Henry can’t take it anymore, he needs to find a way out of this mess. With his soul aching and his heart pounding, he gathers all his remaining courage to go and talk to her.

It’s now or never.

“Diane,” his voice barely audible through the loud beating of his heart.

“Yes, Henry?” She doesn’t turn to look at him. She’s too submerged in the soft giggles of her joyful baby who lies on her back in the middle of the living room. A soft blanket placed under as her mother speaks to her over and over again.

It appears that Rose is the only person who’s able to genuinely smile at the cottage.

“I wanted to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”

She turns her face in his direction, but doesn’t meet his eyes. “Henry, I-“

“It’ll only be a minute, please.”

She watches him take a seat on the sofa, and as she waits for him to speak, she realizes this is the first conversation they’ll have since last week’s argument with Gabriel.

Everyone has been rather quiet and on their own. Diane wasn’t sure if it was because of the embarrassment of the situation or because of Henry’s love confession.

Henry’s words continue to echo in her brain, but she hasn’t allowed herself to think about it much. It’s definitely been a cycle of confusion and unanswered questions since that day.

She hears him take a deep breath. “I think you should return to Paris with your daughter’s father,” Henry lets out.

His words are a shock to her.

“What?” Her eyes are blown out, and her mouth hangs slightly open as she wants to say more, but she can’t. The words are trapped within her.

“There’s no point for you to stay here any longer,” he says. “In Paris, you’ll be around all the places you were once familiar with, and I’m sure you’ll recover your memory much faster that way.”

Diane rises from the floor with her baby as she also takes a seat on the sofa.

“Henry,” she finally lets out. “I don’t want to leave, I want to stay here.”

“You can’t stay here anymore,” he says in a somewhat aggressive tone.

She’s immediately taken aback by his tone, so he calms himself down. “Return to Paris, please. I beg you, Nathalie.” He whispers her name.

Her real name.

Without even knowing what she’s saying, Nathalie lets out her next words. “I’ll leave for Paris, but only if you come with me.”

“What?” He nearly exclaims. “That’s not the point, you must go without me.”

“I can’t,” she utters in near desperation. “I only feel safe when you’re around. You’re my friend, you’re like family to me. And I don’t know if I’ll be able to manage without you guiding the way you’ve done it all these months.”

It’s a difficult decision, but maybe he should try. Henry needs her away from the farm as soon as possible.

“Ok, I’ll go.”

She softly smiles at him.

———

“Can we talk?” Her voice snaps him out of his drawing activity, but Gabriel instantly puts the notebook aside and gives her all his attention.

“Of course, my dear.” Nathalie’s footsteps are light around the bedroom, and her nerves rise as she prepares herself to speak.

Her eyes scan the small bedroom. She spots a black jacket which she’s seen Gabriel wear on most days. Luggages and more clothing are scattered around the room, and then her eyes land on the sketchbook he left open.

The dress is a wonder indeed, she thinks on how it’ll look in real life. But then she realizes she’s taking too long to speak while Gabriel’s staring at her, so she pauses her thoughts.

“I’ve decided that I’ll return to Paris with you and your son.”

The excitement Gabriel feels in that moment is too much. He attempts to embrace her, but she puts her arms up, not allowing him to do so.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “You don’t know how happy this makes me, Nathalie. You’ll see that once we’re there, you’ll recover your memories.”

“I hope so, but there’s something else I want to tell you.”

“Of course, dear. What is it?”

“I’ve asked Henry to come with us, and upon my insistence, he agreed.”

Gabriel’s heart trembles at the revelation, and his mind immediately travels to Julia’s words. Could it be that Nathalie has fallen in love with the doctor?

Too afraid of her changing her mind, Gabriel doesn’t dare say anything and simply agrees. “If that’s what you want, Nathalie then it shall be that way.”

“When do you want to leave?” He asks her.

“Tomorrow morning.” She then exits the room and leaves an excited yet fearful Gabriel behind.

They load the vehicle with their belongings, and Nathalie places her baby onto the car seat behind Gabriel’s car.

She’s nervous to say the least.

She isn’t sure this is a good idea, but she also couldn’t reject Henry’s plea. After all, it’s his cottage, and she couldn’t refuse when he so desperately asked her to return to Paris.

When Gabriel switches the engine on, Nathalie unconsciously turns her head to give the cottage one last glance. They drive up the dirt trail while slowly exiting the farm. She can see Tim and Alba standing by the porch as they wave goodbye one last time.

Something inside her tells her she won’t ever see them again or their humble farm that so warmly took care of her and her daughter these past months.

Nathalie’s blue eyes glisten with tears and her throat closes up as she slowly reaches for her daughter's tiny fist for comfort. But when she turns around and spots Henry’s car right behind them, Nathalie's aching soul relaxes for a moment.

At least his presence is there to accompany her way through Paris, and the life that awaits her.

Chapter Text

The vehicle makes a steady turn, and when she glances out the window, Nathalie spots a tall black iron gate. The moment Gabriel moves the car in front of it, the gate pushes open.

It reveals a quiet luxury mansion with vintage accents. It exudes the essence of elegance and comfort so nicely. And Nathalie scans her surroundings with great curiosity as they continue to move inside.

When Gabriel finishes parking the car, he exits almost immediately to assist Nathalie and his daughter.

He’s nervous to say the least. This isn’t how he expected her to return home. So many months have gone by since the last time she was here. Since that unfortunate evening where he behaved like a complete idiot. But now that she's here with their daughter, a glimpse of hope has begun to sparkle deep inside him.

Maybe this is all she needs for her memories to return. But when he spots the doctor’s vehicle entering the driveway of his home, Gabriel feels a sense of fear take over him.

Fear that Henry’s presence continues to block the memories from her still hazed brain.

Gabriel pulls the car door open, revealing an anxious Nathalie, holding on to her daughter’s fist.

“We’re home, my dear,” he sweetly says.

She seems reluctant to exit the car. So Gabriel kindly extends his arm out to her, attempting to make her feel safe. “This is our home, please don’t be afraid, Nathalie.”

She slowly takes his hand, and the moment her feet hit the ground, Nathalie feels slightly dizzy. The long car ride has been exhausting, and the sensation of her legs stretching out is a relief to her tired body.

“May I grab Rose?” He asks for her approval, Gabriel doesn’t want to frighten her more than she already is.

Nathalie nods. And Gabriel carefully reaches for his daughter, unbuckling the straps from her small and fragile body. “We’re home, my sweetheart.” He speaks to the child with fondness.

Excitement begins to expand through his body as Gabriel realizes this is the first time he’s held his daughter. Rose feels like a feather in between his arms as she stretches after many hours of being on her car seat.

They had stopped once. Only for Nathalie to feed and change their baby, but Gabriel had given them their space. With his arm wrapped around Rose’s bottom, he can feel a bit of wetness emerging from her clothes.

The dampness must be uncomfortable for her. “Nathalie,” he calls her name. “Rose needs to change from these clothes, let’s go inside.”

“I need her things,” Nathalie says, looking at the back part of the vehicle.

“Placide will bring them inside.”

As they begin to walk up the stairs, Henry finally exits his car. He seems tired as well, and even as Gabriel wants to ignore him, he doesn’t want to upset Nathalie.

“Henry,” he says with great effort. “Welcome, I hope you feel at home while you’re here. Placide will guide you to your bedroom, and feel free to grab anything from the kitchen.”

“Thank you,” is all the doctor says.

“Let’s go,” he mumbles with his daughter still resting in between his arms.

Nathalie watches Gabriel press the buttons on the keypad above the lock of the door. After a few seconds, the door makes a loud click, indicating the door has unlocked.

He pushes the door open, revealing the sizable home. As Nathalie moves inside, she scans the foyer, and everything around her. Nothing seems familiar at all, it’s as if this were her first time ever setting foot inside that home.

“Does anything look familiar?” Adrien asks her.

“No.”

“Upstairs are the bedrooms, and this door to the left is where my father’s atelier is located.Straight ahead is the kitchen, and the living room is over there.”

“Do you like it?” Gabriel needs to know.

“Yes, it’s a nice home.”

“Let’s go upstairs, Rose needs to be changed.”

There isn’t much she can say to his request. Her daughter needs a change of clothes and maybe even a bath. But it’s incredibly awkward for her, and if Nathalie had the option, she’d return to the farm in this instant.

This place doesn’t feel like home at all.

The farm does.

The place where she could hear the chirping of the morning birds, and smell the coziness of the green fields. All she can hear now are the busy streets of a noisy Paris, and it isn’t a pleasant experience.

She gives Henry an apologetic look before making her way upstairs. There’s an intense feeling of selfishness settling in her chest. Asking him to leave his home and come to Paris with her was something that emerged in the moment. But now she isn’t sure it was the best idea.

Especially knowing that he loves her.

Although, Nathalie is convinced she wouldn’t have had the courage to leave that farm if Henry hadn’t come with her. There’s only a sense of real safety when he’s around, and that’s probably the worst part of it all. Knowing that he won’t be able to stay here forever.

How she wishes she’d recover her memory. Then maybe this all won’t matter anymore, and she’ll remember the love she once felt for Gabriel Agreste.

———

Gabriel observes in adoration as Nathalie undresses their daughter with all the gentleness possible. Rose lies on her back over the soft mattress located in the middle of one of the many guest rooms.

She’s two months old, and more alert than ever before. She looks straight at her parents with her sparkling gray eyes, and Gabriel's heart fills with the purest love possible.

This is the closest he’s been to her so far, and he thinks they’re already off to a great start. Nathalie hasn’t pushed him away, and that’s more than Gabriel can ask for.

“I want to take her a bath,” Nathalie tells him as she takes the baby into her arms.

Gabriel guides them to the large bathroom located inside the bedroom. The baby tub she brought from the farm is already placed inside the large porcelain tub in the bathroom.

Nathalie gets on her knees, placing Rose inside the baby tub.

“Do you want me to turn the water on?” Gabriel asks, trying to assist in something.

“Yes, please.”

“Can you bring her shampoo and soap that’s inside her diaper bag?” She then asks him.

When he hands her the items, Gabriel asks in a sheepish tone, “May I stay and watch?”

“If you’d like.”

Gabriel had forgotten many things about babies. He’d forgotten what it was like to bath a baby, how to change them, and how delicate they really are.

Adrien is a teenager now, and it’s like starting all over again with Rose. It’s an overwhelming start since he’s already missed out on so much.

But knowing his daughter will be with him for the rest of his life makes the time lost feel like nothing. He just needs Nathalie to recall their love, and everything will be perfect once more.

Nathalie sits on a sofa chair located inside the large bedroom. A freshly bathed Rose lies in between her arms. The baby begins to turn her head, seeming somewhat uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong my little Rosie Posie?” Nathalie says, and hearing her call their baby such an lovable sobriquet, warms up Gabriel’s heart.

It's charming indeed, but Rose’s whimpers begin to turn into loud cries as Nathalie attempts to console her. And that snaps Gabriel out of his daze.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Nathalie takes a few seconds to respond. “She’s hungry and she’s sleepy.”

She then looks up at Gabriel’s concerned gaze. “Do you mind stepping out so I can get her to nap, please?”

He doesn’t want to leave, but he agrees anyway. “I’ll be in the bedroom down the hall if you need anything.” Is all Gabriel says before exiting the room.

Nathalie gives him a quick nod, and with that, Gabriel is out of the room.

———

Gabriel spends the remainder of the evening in the atelier, attempting to clear his mind. His work has always been a great way to keep his mind active.

Except, this time around, Gabriel isn’t sure working is his best escape. Too much is going on, and even if he wanted to sketch something on his computer, he couldn’t.

Henry’s presence continues to roam through his still conflicted brain. How he wishes the doctor would have remained at the farmhouse, and only Nathalie and his daughter would’ve come with him.

But what else was he supposed to do? He simply couldn’t reject Nathalie’s petition.

The sound of laughter suddenly invades his ears, and Gabriel walks towards the large window located inside the atelier. His heart drops down to his stomach when he finds Nathalie with his daughter, and the doctor chatting and giggling outside.

Except, this time, Gabriel controls himself immediately. Causing a scene like the one before, isn’t the best route to go. Nathalie had shown her displeasure with him on that day, and nothing hurt more than her attitude towards him after the incident.

It made him regret his actions.

Gabriel decides to contain the heat rising inside him as fast as he can. It’s a mixture of jealousy, but also sadness.

Sadness that Nathalie and himself aren’t the ones spending time together. That she doesn’t acknowledge his presence anymore. That he's nothing but a stranger before her eyes.

Now she spends her time with someone who he knows loves her too.

Then the words of Julia flow back into his brain. The thought that Nathalie could love the doctor causes a sickening sensation to enter his stomach, and suddenly, Gabriel feels so very nauseous.

There’s a knock at the atelier door, informing him dinner will be served momentarily.

When Gabriel arrives at the dinner table, he finds Adrien already seated.

Gabriel turns to look at Placide. “Tell Nathalie and Henry dinner will be served.”

The silent man obeys, and as Gabriel takes a seat at the dinner table, he gives Adrien a worried glare.

“How are you holding up with all of this?” Adrien asks.

He takes a deep breath before he answers. “It’s difficult, but I’m hopeful Nathalie will recover her memory soon.”

“She will, father, you’ll see.”

They fall silent when they see Nathalie and Henry enter the dining area. Rose rests wide awake in her mother’s arms.

“Please have a seat,” Gabriel tells them.

They both awkwardly take a seat as they wait for dinner to be served. The smell of the warm food invades the large dining area, and when the kitchen staff place the meals in front of them, Nathalie realizes she’s rather hungry.

She hasn’t eaten much since their arrival at the mansion. Most of her time has been dedicated to making her daughter feel comfortable. When she spotted Henry on the patio outside, she didn’t hesitate to talk to him.

They spent their time laughing, even as she attempted to apologize for dragging him to Paris with her. Henry’s kindness has always had an immense impact on her.

She can’t seem to understand why he’s the way he is. But when she recalls he loves her, and all her questions are answered.

He doesn’t seem upset with her at all, and that’s what makes her feel the most guilty.

Guilty to the thought that perhaps one day she’ll recall her past life, and Henry will remain in the shadows of a life that never really existed.

“So, Henry,” Gabriel suddenly says, cutting into the silence of the room. “Have you ever visited Paris?”

“Mm-hmm,” the doctor mumbles before he swallows the warm chicken in his mouth. “I have the opportunity to come out once or twice a year for a convention where doctors all around the country meet.”

“Do you enjoy being a doctor?”

“Very much, I do. I’ve focused my career in assisting sick children around Europe and other continents. It wasn’t until recently that I settled in Pays de la Loire where I see patients from the farm towns nearby.”

“That’s nice.” Henry is a kind soul, and there’s no doubt in that.

Rose squirms in her mother’s arms as Nathalie attempts to eat. “Do you want me to hold her while you eat?” Gabriel asks Nathalie.

“Aren’t you still eating?” She looks at his almost full plate.

“I’m not having much of an appetite tonight, but if you don’t want me to hold her-“

“No, it’s okay.” And Nathalie hands the baby to him.

Gabriel isn’t lying when he tells her he isn’t hungry. The wave of nausea that it caused him seeing Nathalie and Henry together hasn’t abandoned him yet.

Nathalie on the other hand, is very hungry. Breastfeeding seems to strip away the nutrients her body receives from one single meal. She knows she must be well fed to keep her milk production high. Her baby is still feeding continuously, and hasn’t yet adapted to sleeping through the night.

Rose seems to enjoy the company of her father. She stares at him with great intensity as Gabriel speaks to her with all the love in the world. “Hello darling,” he says with such sweetness.

And Nathalie’s heart tingles as she hears how kind he is to her baby.

The most endearing sound invades the dining room as Rose lets out the softest giggle. He then looks up at Nathalie, “she’s giggling.”

Nathalie smiles at her daughter. Yet, she’s surprised the baby has gifted her father such a wonderful action. Rose has only laughed a few times, so it’s definitely surprising seeing her giggle so quickly to Gabriel.

She must really like him, Nathalie thinks to herself.

Gabriel gently strokes her blonde hair. “Her hair reminds me so much of when Adrien was a baby.”

“Do you have photos of when he was Rose’s age?” Nathalie asks.

“Yes, but I have to say they look nothing alike. Adrien is so much like his mother.”

Nathalie turns her attention to the teenager. Even as Gabriel says his son doesn’t resemble him, there’s something in the boy that reminds her of him. She isn’t too sure what it is. Maybe the glare of his eyes, even as they’re a different color. They remind her so much of Gabriel Agreste.

His physical height is also a part of his father. Adrien is only a teenager, but he is nearly as tall as his father. The height is definitely genetic. Something else Rose seems to have inherited from him. She’s so much longer than other baby’s, and Nathalie is sure her daughter is going to be very tall.

Although, that single feature is something she has inherited from both her parents.

Adrien looks at his baby sister’s precious face with great intensity before he speaks, a little chuckle leaving his throat. “And Rose looks so much like you, it’s incredible.”

Gabriel focuses on his daughter’s face. “She does, doesn't she?”

Nathalie nor Henry can deny it, Rose is the spitting image of her father. And for some strange reason, that causes their worlds to shake in their very own way.

Nathalie and baby Rose disappear into their room after dinner. Dinner was fine overall. Gabriel was extremely polite with Henry, and that brings peace to Nathalie’s soul.

Still, there’s so much she wishes she could understand.

She walks into the bathroom, switching on the shower faucet to the desired temperature. When Nathalie enters the stall, her tense body relaxes as she feels the sprinkling warm water soak her entirely.

Her wet hand wipes the fogged up shower door in order to gape down at the baby who quietly rests on the bouncer.

It’s their routine every time Nathalie needs to shower. Her daughter will lie on the bouncer in front of the glass doors of the shower stall while Nathalie cleans herself up. Rose is calm, her eyes fixed on the spiral toys dangling above her on the blush pink bouncer chair.

She rarely cries while her mother showers, although Nathalie never takes too long either. Even as Rose is right in front of her, she doesn’t like to keep the baby waiting.

After her quick shower, Nathalie slips out of the stall and reaches for the robe. She then takes a hold of her baby, immediately pressing a kiss onto her cheek.

Those chubby cheeks she knows she can kiss all day, everyday, for the rest of her life.

“I love you Rosie,” she whispers into her daughter’s ear before placing her into the crib Gabriel brought into the bedroom, earlier in the day.

As soon as Rose’s soft snuffles invade the bedroom, Nathalie quickly dresses herself to then incorporate herself into bed. Her eyes flutter shut as sleep begins to claim her, not allowing her brain to begin its constant pondering process.

———

Time hangs slightly heavily, and the days have turned into weeks, and the nights come and go. Now, Paris is pitch black, with almost every single soul trapped in a nightly slumber.

Some sleep soundly while others are accompanied by the horrors of their darkest dreams.

“Please don’t let go, I beg you!”

“I won't, my dear, hold onto my hand. I’ll pull you up!” But even after her pleas and his immense effort, Gabriel slips away from her. Nathalie attempts to grab him, holding onto him as tightly as she can, but her sweaty palm gives up and she falls into the blackness of the cliff below her.

“Gabriel!” She yells, and in that moment her eyes snap open.

Her heavy breathing and the darkness of her bedroom makes her realize it was only a nightmare.

“Why am I having these nightmares?” She mumbles before scanning the room where she spots the crib in which her daughter soundly sleeps. Her soft wheezing is comfort to Nathalie’s restless soul.

The fogged images of her recent nightmare slowly creep in. Nathalie sees herself hanging off the cliff where her car had rolled off all those months. She’s never had such a nightmare, especially not one where she vividly saw Gabriel Agreste.

Why was she begging him to not let go of her? Why him and not Henry Martin?

Then the thought of Henry makes its way through her conflicted brain. Henry has already promised her endless times he isn’t going anywhere, still there’s fear inside her heart.

Fear, but also the fact that Nathalie feels incredibly selfish.

Should she really ask him to stay with her? What kind of a person does that make? Although, she can’t allow him to leave her either.

Weeks have passed since they arrived in Paris, and her memory remains in its haze. Gabriel had recently taken Nathalie to her apartment. He assured everything remained the same, just as she had left all those months ago.

Except nothing seemed familiar. All she came across were items that belonged to a life she once had, and now doesn’t remember. Henry had also accompanied them, and even as Gabriel is polite with him, she knows very well he dislikes his presence.

Nathalie feels as if she's being cruel to both men. Begging one to remain by her side, and pushing the other away as she simply cannot warm up to him. Gabriel loves his daughter, Nathalie has seen him with her these past weeks and still, there’s something that doesn’t allow her to feel secure around him.

It’s complicated indeed, and if only she’d recover her memory, this wouldn’t be happening. But as of now, there’s no escape to these things, not until her brain leaves its hazy state.

However, the feeling that wandered through her soul in her nightmare was different from anything Nathalie had felt before. She’s felt afraid, confused, and even angry towards Gabriel. But in her night terror, it appeared she trusted him more than anyone and anything. She begged him to not let go, and his face showed all the willingness in him to keep his hand grasped around hers.

Even as she was afraid to fall into the blackness of the cliff below her, Nathalie trusted him. It’s almost as if she loved him … And that simple thought causes her head to spin, and her heart to tremble.

Could she be remembering the love she once felt for Gabriel Agreste?

Nathalie shakes her head to thought as she reaches for her glasses on the nightstand. She hadn’t realized how poor her eyesight was until Gabriel showed her the spare pair in her apartment.

She sees much better with them now.

She slips out of bed, walking towards the crib where her daughter sleeps. The clock on the nightstand reads 3am, she supposes Rose will wake up soon and want to eat. She eats once or twice at night, but will sometimes spend hours awake.

Slowly and quietly, Nathalie walks towards the door of the bedroom, closing it with absolute silence.

The blue robe on her body is made of a silky material. Gabriel has given her many pieces of clothing in the past weeks, including lovely sets of sleep ware.

Nathalie didn’t have much clothes in her possession since arriving in Paris. And even as she was somewhat shy, she allowed herself to choose from all the garments he had shown her.

Her feet guide her to the dim kitchen of the mansion. She pushes the door opened, and when she walks in, Nathalie spots a bowl of apples and peaches resting on the counter. Her hand reaches for a single peach, feeling the softness, but also its fuzzy flesh.

They have a nice color. Yellow and pinkish-red, they’re a lovely sight.

“Peaches are still your favorite,” the voice startles her to the core as she quickly turns around.

Gabriel sits on the breakfast table located inside the kitchen. In front of him is his sketchbook and a drink.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve not spoken so abruptly,” he says apologetically as he notices he has frightened her.

“It’s okay.” Her eyes stare at the drink before him as she slowly approaches the wooden table.

“It’s cognac,” he tells her, noticing how her eyes are fixed on the glass. “It helps with my restless nights. Do you want some?”

She shakes her head even as she smells the sweetness of the drink, a mixture of fruit with a note of vanilla. “Rose will be up soon, I can’t drink before she eats.”

“Oh, that’s right.” He says, smiling at the thought of their baby girl.

There’s a certain curiosity in her as she recalls the sketch of the dress she’d seen when they were at the cottage. And with a spike of courage, her next words flow right through.

“What are you sketching?”

“Come and have a look,” and Gabriel pulls the chair beside him, so she can take a seat.

Her steps are slow as she eventually takes a seat beside him. Nathalie comes across the same dress she’d seen all those weeks ago, except this time, it’s complete, and he’s even added color to it.

It’s adorned with a pair of long gloves, and a lace
around the waist. It’s the true essence of sophistication and elegance. Nathalie likes it very much.

“It’s beautiful,” she shyly mumbles.

“I’m glad you like it. And now that I know you do, this dress won’t be worn by anyone but you.”

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“Only one version of this dress will be made, and it’ll be just for you, Nathalie.”

She doesn’t know what to say, it’s a spectacular gift indeed. “I’m-“ she struggles with her words. “Thank you,” she eventually whispers.

That feeling of trust begins to flow in. That feeling she had felt so strongly for him in her nightmare. But besides that trust, Nathalie feels serenity and safety. Something she’s never felt when near him. And the question returns … Could she be recalling her love for him?

Gabriel’s hand suddenly reaches to place the loose strands behind her ear, and he looks at her with all the love in the world. Nathalie can feel the intensity of his love through the strong yet soft glare of his gray eyes … She doesn’t push him away.

Then, his sweet yet saddened voice invades her. “I wish you could remember all those nights I’d cradle you in my arms, and we’d whisper how much we loved each other.” He murmurs close to her.

“I’m scared, Nathalie.” His sorrow betrays him, and the tears slowly escape his eyes.

“Scared of what?”

“Scared you will never remember our love.”

She feels guilty. “I’m trying, I’m really trying, but-“

“Shh,” his index finger on her lips silences her, and that causes her heart to race. “I know, my darling. And I also know it's not your fault… It’s mine.” He stares at the marble floor beneath them.

“How I wish I could go back in time and mend my mistakes.” He faintly whispers.

Nathalie isn’t too sure what she’s doing, but the sudden urge to embrace him takes over her. Her trembling hand reaches for him and when he looks up at her once more, she slowly leans in.

He doesn’t feel like a stranger this time.

It feels as if she’s known him forever, as if her heart were reminding her who he is, even as her brain refuses to recover its memories. It’s a weird feeling because her earliest memory of him was when he first appeared at the farm all those weeks ago, and he caused nothing but fear in her.

However, in this moment, her soul discerns him as someone who loves her very much, and maybe someone who she loves as well. After all, Gabriel Agreste isn’t a stranger. He might’ve felt like one since she can’t remember him. But one thing’s for sure, at some point in her life Nathalie loved him, and there’s no doubt in that.

So much so, her innermost organ was able to create a beautiful baby girl… A baby girl who belongs to both of them.

Gabriel is immediately taken aback. This is something he wasn’t expecting. But he doesn’t reject it either, he’s missed the warmth of hugs.

“Nathalie,” he whispers with his chin resting on her shoulder and so close to her ear.

Her scent is the same hypnotizing one, and Gabriel could almost float away with no care in the world. His hand moves up and down her upper back, and his fingers disappear into her long raven hair.

As they slowly pull apart, he sees the look on her deep blue eyes. It’s that same one she’d give him before he’d press his lips against hers all those months ago. Before Nathalie’s able to retrieve, he grabs her by the face, and in one bold move, their lips unite.

And she doesn’t stop him, so that gives Gabriel the freedom to continue. It's a wave of emotions, feeling her lips after so many long and torturous months. He guzzles her in, slowly yet greedily.

He could forget all his suffering with this single kiss.

Nathalie isn’t too sure what she's doing or if it’s even okay. How did she even end up here? With Gabriel Agreste kissing her with all the softness of a lover.

She also isn’t too sure why she’s responding to it, but she’s lost herself since the moment his lips grazed hers. He tastes so sweet, so fruity, like the drink that rests on the table, and she inhales him with such intensity as her fingers vanish into his hair.

It doesn’t seem like a kiss, there’s too much confused emotions and lost memories to call it something so simple. But they continue taking in the attention of the other.

One of her hands abandons his hair and travels to the ends of her robe. Her hand tugs at the fabric as she trembles in fear.

Why is she so scared?

Everything seems to be spinning around her, and when Gabriel’s hand lands on her bare knee, Nathalie pushes him away almost instantly. It’s a wake up call to what is happening.

How can she be kissing a man she can’t even remember? This isn’t right, it isn’t right at all.

“Nathalie-“ But she doesn’t let him speak.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She rises quickly from the chair. “I don’t know why I did this. It’s not right.” Nathalie’s panicked voice nearly exclaims.

“No, no, it’s okay. It was just a kiss.” He attempts to explain.

“I need to go, Rose is probably awake by now.” She sprints out of the kitchen before Gabriel is able to say anything more.

He had wanted to explain. Tell her that everything was just fine, but he couldn’t.

Nathalie wasn’t the same anymore. Although, the realization that they’ve finally shared a kiss, after such a long time, makes his soul lighten up.

Maybe, just maybe, all isn’t lost.

Chapter Text

A nearly undetectable breeze pushes through the slightly open window yet it’s enough for Nathalie to close it shut. Although she keeps the curtains open, the soft golden light illuminates the room nicely.

The coos of her baby make sound through the almost silent bedroom. The only other sound she can hear is the pounding of her uncontrolled heart. Nathalie doesn’t want to leave the bedroom, she doesn’t want to face Gabriel Agreste.

She isn’t exactly sure how she made it to her bedroom last night. The trembling in her knees was threatening to make her collapse. But even as Nathalie ran away from him, it seems as if the gentleness of his kiss has remained lingering on her lips forever.

It’s an odd sensation.

That single kiss has caused a wave of unexpected emotions to take over her. However, that doesn’t diminish the immense embarrassment crippling inside her chest since the moment she escaped the dimness of the kitchen hours ago.

Maybe it isn’t as horrible as it seems. Gabriel certainly didn’t seem offended, and even attempted to calm her down, but the mortification was too much for her obliviated brain.

Now she wonders what would’ve occurred if she had stayed in that kitchen.

What would’ve he said?

He wasn’t upset, and that’s for sure. The look on his face showed a slight shock, but also deep affection. No one has ever looked at her that way, not even Henry.

Nathalie thinks about her own feelings. There was a mixture of fear yet intimacy of it all. It was as if her heart had recalled the love she feels for him, even as her brain refuses to leave its hazed state.

Gliding through a world of lost memories, Nathalie has realized that everything beyond these walls are the things she’s missing out on.

Things she hadn’t noticed before.

She isn’t giving her daughter the opportunity to grow up with a real family. Not when she can’t even feel comfortable with the baby’s father.

Gabriel was right. It was only a kiss, and still she can’t leave the room.

If only she’d recall her life with him.

What were they like?

Nathalie has a vague idea from the things he’s told her, yet there’s so much of their moments together, she’s completely unaware of.

How she wishes she’d recover her memory. The sadness of not remembering anything at all hangs heavily over her today. The last time she felt this sad about her oblivious state was back when she was on the farm.

Nathalie’s first months of pregnancy were rough on her, and the fact that she couldn’t recall anything, made matters worse. Her evenings were spent weeping in agony, but also anger.

Except, those feelings had abandoned her after she hit the endings of her pregnancy. But after last night’s events, they’ve returned with great intensity. That single kiss has come to turn her world of lost memories upside down.

Nathalie reaches into the crib, and retrieves her small Rose. It appears her little daughter woke up with extra energy today. She’s eaten already, and Nathalie recently changed her. And now, they’re simply locked in their bedroom since she cannot find any courage in herself to leave.

She moves towards the middle of the bedroom, rocking Rose in her arms.

The joyful look on her daughter’s face seemingly adds onto her melancholy state, and Nathalie isn’t sure why.

Maybe because Rose is so innocent to it all. It's a heartbreaking reminder of the life that awaits them if Nathalie doesn’t recover her memories soon.

The tears unwittingly escape her eyes, wetting her cheeks as they roll down. Rose’s tiny hand unconsciously pats her mother’s cheeks, wiping away the tears. But Nathalie’s pale skin remains moist from the wetness of her salty tears causing her hair to stick onto her face rather easily.

Nathalie makes no attempt to push the hair away, she remains focused on her daughter as she thinks about how sad her life is.

If only her memories would return.

The knock on the bedroom door frightens her, causing her to hold her breath. Could it be Gabriel?

“Yes?” Her trembling voice sounds, the air barely escaping her lungs.

“It’s me, Henry. May I come in?”

Nathalie shakes at the man’s words. She doesn’t want to talk to him, she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Except she has no choice but to let him in, he might suspect something if she pushes him away.

It takes her a few seconds to respond, “sure.”

Henry pushes the door open, and the creaking sound it creates causes him to feel oddly tense, and he isn’t too sure why.

Perhaps because he’s aware of what he wants to tell her, something that has been on his mind for days now.

He peaks through the slightly opened door of the bedroom, and immediately catches sight of Nathalie in the middle of the room. She’s rocking her baby at a slow yet constant speed. The baby in between her arms, kicks her legs and wiggles her feet, contentment so obvious on her precious face.

Except, Henry can’t say the same about Nathalie. There’s a shadow of anguish hanging over her.

Something’s definitely happening.

“Good morning, Nathalie.”

She attempts to give him her best smile. “Good morning, you’re up early.”

He shakes his head. “It’s not too early, I just wanted to see how you were doing,” she watches him slowly enter the bedroom. “May I?” He points at the bed, the mattress is covered with floral bedsheets and a white teddy bear rests on the front of it.

The same teddy bear Henry had gifted her all those months ago. When it was just the two of them, and her child growing inside of her at the small cottage on the quiet farm.

“Of course,” she replies, and the doctor takes a seat at the foot of the bed.

Nathalie walks towards the white rocking chair, located across the bed, and also takes a seat, waiting for him to speak.

“These weeks have felt rather slow, you know.” He starts, the uneasiness so quickly present on his face, causing Nathalie to feel anxious as she is unaware of what he wants to say.

“What will happen after all of this?” He suddenly asks her after a couple of long silent seconds.

“What do you mean?” She’s evidently confused with his question.

“I won’t stay here forever, you know that very well. I need to know what will happen.”

“Don’t ask me that, Henry. You know I don’t have an answer.”

He turns his gaze to the baby on her lap, softly smiling at her, he then slowly brings his eyes back to Nathalie’s blue blue orbs. The sudden urge to speak about his feelings comes upon him once more.

“If only you’d love me a portion of all that I love you. That would be enough, I promise.” He drops those words like nothing and everything.

She trembles at that moment. It's been so long since he spoke about his feelings, Nathalie doesn’t know what to say.

“Henry-” She mumbles in a saddened voice. Although, a sensation of tenderness inevitably invades her soul to his sweet yet heart wrenching words.

“You’re the most lovely person I’ve ever met. It breaks me knowing one day I’ll be nothing to you, maybe just a memory. Because then you’ll remember that you love Gabriel Agreste, and I’ll be nothing but a stranger.”

“Don’t say that-“ Except he interrupts her.

“But it’s the truth, and the worst part is that I can’t seem to get rid of the love I feel for you. It only appears to grow day by day… It probably wasn’t for the best that I came to Paris with you.”

Nathalie realizes the immense pain she’s caused the man who has done nothing but help her since the moment she met him. “I’m so sorry,” she sniffles as the tears begin to form. “Can you ever forgive me?”

“I don’t have to forgive you, Nathalie. You know I love you.” He then rises from the bed, and quietly exits the room.

The sense of guilt settles deep within her as she watches him leave. Now she knows she should’ve never asked Henry Martin to come with her to Paris.

He’d asked her, nearly begging her to leave the farm, and she wouldn’t go unless he came with her.

How selfish was she, knowing very well he loves her. What would he think if he were to find out she kissed Gabriel Agreste?

Now, Nathalie is paying the consequences of her foolish request.

If only she could go back in time.

———

Gabriel wasn’t able to sleep for the most part. He isn’t sure if he should be happy or worried about what occurred in the kitchen last night.

Nathalie was absolutely terrified as she fled from him, and that isn’t something he wants. He doesn’t want her to feel afraid when she’s around him. He wants her to feel safe and loved.

Maybe he shouldn’t have kissed her. But as he closes his eyes, he can see her full pink lips under the dim light of the kitchen, and Gabriel remembers how he couldn’t resist himself anymore. It’s been too long since the last time he tasted her lips.

How he missed them … How he missed her.

An entire month since they’ve arrived in Paris, and nothing has changed. Last night’s kiss was something that erupted in the moment because before that, Nathalie’s behavior towards him was as distant as before.

As Gabriel exits his bedroom, he is entirely dumbfounded when he finds Henry leaving Nathalie’s room. The doctor doesn’t see him, but Gabriel watches as the man exits to then head for the long staircase.

It makes the fire build inside him for what seems like the millionth time since he met Henry. He simply desires to vanish him from his home forever, but he can’t risk Nathalie wanting to go with him if he would.

What is it that causes her to feel so safe with him? And why can’t Gabriel produce that same sense of safety when he’s around her?

The stranger here is Henry, not himself.

Those are the questions that torment him, and he needs to find an answer for them soon. He considers going into her bedroom at this instant and asking her straight up. But after recalling her reaction to last night’s kiss, Gabriel doesn’t deem it appropriate, so he contains himself.

As he thinks of it now, he should ask Henry what he was doing inside her bedroom. It sickens him to know Nathalie gives him all her attention, meanwhile Gabriel has to drag himself in front of her, and still gets nothing at all.

He begins to imagine the worst scenarios possible. What if Nathalie has fallen in love with him, and now they’re plotting to run away from Paris, taking Rosie with them. Or what if they’ve already begun a romantic relationship, and Henry’s brainwashed her to the point where Nathalie never recovers her memory.

Gabriel rushes down the hallway and into the staircase, attempting to catch up to the doctor.

Once on the staircase, he calls his name, “Henry.”

The man turns around in an instant as Gabriel’s voice still echoes through the high ceilings of the foyer.

“Yes?”

Gabriel descends from the stairs, his eyes fixed on the lissome man. “What were you doing in Nathalie’s room?” He sounds upset, anger and jealousy so obvious on his face.

Henry can’t help but chuckle at Gabriel's question. “I suppose you’re asking me that because your imagination is going wild, right?”

“Maybe, so answer the question.”

“Nathalie views me as her friend. I can assure you that our relationship is completely friendly.”

“But you love her,” Gabriel spits out in anger.

“Yes, you already know that.”

“Then why go into her bedroom when you know it bothers me?”

Henry’s eyes go wide to Gabriel’s senseless words, he’s confused on what he’s trying to get at with all of this. “I didn’t know that would bother you. We were just talking, that shouldn’t bother you.”

The frustration begins to build inside of Gabriel’s jealous soul. “You can talk out here, there’s no need for you to enter her bedroom. It makes me think there’s more to your friendship…”

Henry shakes his head to Gabriel’s absurdities, he can’t believe they’re actually having this conversation. “I would never disrespect this home, and I would never disrespect Nathalie. As I said, she views me as her friend, that should be enough for you to understand that we weren’t doing anything wrong. Besides, your daughter was in there, how can you think I would disrespect Rose’s presence?”

He seems to control himself as he hears his child’s name. The doctor is right, and now Gabriel looks like a fool.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I just-“

“Don’t apologize,” Henry coldly cuts him off. “I have a meeting with a few colleagues at the hospital downtown, I don’t want to be late. Good day, Gabriel.”

He watches him leave the house, and Gabriel is left behind, feeling more stupid than ever before.

———

The clock ticks away, and the morning has turned into a late afternoon. Now, Nathalie’s trapped in a slumber with her daughter sleeping beside her since she hasn’t found the sufficient courage to leave her bedroom.

Once again, this slumber is accompanied by the gloominess of a dream.

She searches for the sound of his voice through the darkness of the night where the outlines of her sleep vision take place.

“Nathalie”, he sweetly mumbles. She quickly turns around as she realizes his voice is coming from behind, the loud waves of the sea make it difficult to hear.

“Gabriel, where are you?”

He giggles. “Right here, love.” Nathalie’s impressed as she finds him sitting on the ground with a blanket, a food basket, and card games. The beach is nearly empty as the sun has disappeared from the high skies above them, and their surroundings are now solitary.

“Do you like it?” He asks.

She quickly gets on her knees to sit beside him, pressing a kiss on his jaw. “I love it.” She then looks him straight in the eyes. “Will I always be this happy?”

“I promise.” He kisses her ever so passionately causing her heart to tremble in response. His fingers entwine with hers, and as she feels the intensity of his kiss increasing, Nathalie presses her palms against his chest.

“We’re not in the room, Gabriel. We’re outside, remember?” She mumbles those words completely out of breath and so close to his swollen lips as she too was devouring him.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. I love you so much.” He lovingly rubs his nose against hers.

And Nathalie’s eyes suddenly snap open as she realizes it was all a dream.

Her chest heaves as her entire body trembles to the realization of what she has just dreamt. Did she and Gabriel ever experience that? Was this actually a memory in the form of a dream?

She quickly rises from her bed, turning her attention to her baby. She confirms the child is still deep asleep, so she slowly walks herself to the large mirror of the bathroom.

There, Nathalie stares at her reflection, catching sight of her lips, and she can’t help but touch them as she recalls last night’s kiss … As she recalls the kiss from her dream.

It felt so real. Like if he had actually kissed her that way.

Henry’s words suddenly make way through her conflicted brain as the essence of Gabriel’s kiss continues to linger on her lips, even after so many hours.

She stares deeply and angrily at her reflection knowing well the hypocrisy of her actions. Because she knows she’d collapse to her knees if Henry ever tried to leave her side. She’d beg him to stay once more even after all those heart wrenching words he spilled. Even after Nathalie accepted she’s been selfish.

This situation is so extremely complicated, and she isn’t sure what she should do.

The creaking the door creates as it pushes open has Nathalie exit the bathroom immediately. Her heart jumps as she finds Gabriel standing beside the large mattress, quietly admiring their sleeping baby.

He hasn’t noticed her, so she decides to turn away and wait in the bathroom until he’s gone. But her attempts to escape are spoiled as her elbow crashes into the wall next to her, creating a rather loud noise.

Gabriel turns around, and finds Nathalie with red cheeks and glistening eyes sheepishly attempting to run away again. And he can’t deny her actions are hurting him very much.

“You were going to run away from me again?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she foolishly attempts to deny.

“I gave you your space all morning, thinking you’d eventually come out, but I haven’t seen you or Rose all day. It’s past lunchtime, Nathalie.”

She ignores his words, searching through the drawers of her dresser. Gabriel observes her in silence as she retrieves a black cardigan and slips it on.

———

The warmth of the mansion blocks away the coldness of the Paris winter streets.

Henry slips into the door, immediately making his way upstairs. He intends to make his way through the long corridor and enter his room, but the loud voice emerging from Nathalie’s bedroom stops his feet from moving anymore. He can see the door is open, although he isn’t brave enough to peek, too afraid to be seen by whoever is inside the room.

“Is it because of what happened last night?” Henry can hear Gabriel ask, and now he knows he’s inside the bedroom with her.

“Can you stop ignoring me, please. It’s driving me crazy.” He’s so incredibly desperate, watching Nathalie do everything, but give him any attention.

“Nathalie?“

She drops the baby clothes in between her hands, into the small laundry basket, finally meeting his desperate gaze.

“I’m busy, Gabriel. I need to do Rose’s laundry, I don’t have time to talk.”

He can’t believe her vague words as she pushes him away for what seems like the millionth time since they reunited. It's obvious she’s avoiding him, and that’s ripping him apart.

“Don’t you see how much you’re hurting me with your behavior, Nathalie?”

He slowly approaches her, and when he’s in front of her, Gabriel pulls the basket out of her hands, placing it on the floor beneath them. “You’re this way because we kissed last night,” he takes her hands into his own, feeling how cold they are yet slightly sweaty.

Nathalie wants to move, she wants to run away as she did last night, but her legs don’t react. She looks deep into his bluish-gray eyes, noticing the faintness of tears prickling on the sides. Her eyes scan his face, and when they examine his lips, she can feel her insides tremble once again.

She rubs her own lips together, recalling the gentleness of his kiss … Recalling the intensity of the one in her dream, she could almost collapse in front of him with the simple thought.

“Nathalie,” he breathes so close to her. His fingertips slowly reach for her face, stroking her cheek with such sweetness. “It was only a kiss, you don’t have to be so flustered because of it.”

This is too much for her hazed brain. The way he’s holding her hands, and speaking so kindly is making her want to embrace him just like she had done last night before he kissed her. But when his fingertips land on her full pink lips, Nathalie flinches in fear.

This time, she tries to move, but Gabriel holds her in place. “Wait-“ he abruptly says. His grip is strong on her upper arms.

“Gabriel, don’t make me feel worse than I already feel, I beg you.” She speaks with his fingertips still on her lips, her breathing rising, her heart pounding.

“Why do you feel bad about the kiss, my dear?” He asks, slowly leaning towards her until their faces are only millimeters apart. “I’d kissed you so many times before.” His hands move to her tense shoulders. His touch is light, but at the same time heavy. It’s a strange sensation indeed. “I’d hold you in my arms, and kiss every part of your body while I made love to you, please remember.” He says those last words in desperation.

Nathalie swiftly pulls away from him this time. His words have caused the fear to grow inside of her one more time.

After all, they’ve never before spoken of such things. He’s never before spilled such intimate details of their life together in the way he’s doing now. Nathalie’s cheeks are burning as her brain tries so hard to remember something.

“Are you afraid?” She hears him ask, her back turned to him.

“It’s the truth, my love.” He turns his gaze to their sleeping daughter. “Our little Rose is the proof of it.”

“What if I never remember, will you still love me the same?”

Nathalie’s question crushes him. He can’t even allow himself to imagine a life where she’ll never remember their past, that’s his biggest fear.

“Don’t say that, Nathalie. You will remember, I promise you.”

Nathalie turns around to face him once again. “You didn’t answer my question, Gabriel. Will you still love me the same, even if I never recover my memory?”

He vigorously nods. “Of course, I will never stop loving you.” He quickly moves towards her, not allowing her to react as he kisses her with such intensity.

The desperation of his kiss reflects all the anguish he’s been living in since the moment she disappeared. Gabriel holds onto her face, moving his lips at a fast pace against hers.

And she doesn’t push him away, but accepts everything he’s giving her in that moment. Her hands hold onto his arms as she too kisses him as if her life depended on it. Hoping this revives the memories of the life they once had.

Unbeknownst to them, Henry’s heard the words they’ve spilled out to one another. Passing through the corridor, his eyes unwittingly catch a glimpse of them as they desperately devour each other causing his enamored heart to wrinkle in pain.

Now he knows that no matter the circumstances those two souls are meant to find themselves every single time.

Their love is stronger than anything. And Henry is condemned to love someone who will never ever love him in return.

Chapter Text

She’s lost herself. His hands hold onto her in a tight grip, but as she stumbles sideways onto the edge of the bed with Gabriel over her, Nathalie snaps back to her senses.

She moves her face away from him, but that doesn’t stop his continuous kissing. Gabriel kisses her jaw, her neck, in a desperate need to feel her next to him.

“Gabriel, stop.” She says, except he doesn’t react. He guzzles her in with such need.

The air leaves her lungs as she feels his fingers touch the exposed skin her displaced cardigan leaves.

“Stop!” It’s louder this time, causing him to pause in an instant.

Gabriel removes his hands from her body, letting her sit up once again as he rises from the mattress. Standing away from the bed, and looking down at her, he realizes the immense mistake he was about to make.

Her hands quickly adjust her sweater and the top that’s underneath. The look on her eyes shows the confusion and fear in her.

And how could those feelings not be present?

Her memory is in a haze, and instead of helping her, Gabriel seems to be making everything worse.

“We can’t be doing this.” Her shaky voice barely mumbles.

He scans the room, not able to respond. Their baby shifts on the bed from all the commotion seemingly leaving her dozy state. The door is wide open, and now he looks like an idiot who isn’t able to control his emotions.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He gets on his knees, attempting to take her hands into his own, but Nathalie flinches away.

There’s tears welling up in her eyes for what seems like the millionth time since the day she woke up in a world of lost memories.

Gabriel can’t help but feel guilty about it all. “Do you want to have this life with me?” She asks, blinking away her tears. “A life where I may never recall anything ever again.”

He shakes his head. “You will remember, dear. We simply need to be patient.”

“No,” she exclaims, nearly pushing him away as she roughly rises from the bed. “That wasn’t my question. Besides, it’s nearly been a year, and I’ve barely progressed at all.”

He too rises from his position, attempting to grasp onto hope as it seems that’s all there’s left for them.

“You have this idea of me, that no longer exists, Gabriel.” A shadow of anguish crosses his face to her words. “I need to know, how long are you willing to wait?”

“As long as I need to. I love you, Nathalie.”

“You love me?” She asks as if it’s the first time she’s heard those words from him when in fact, he’s told her many times before since they reunited.

“With all that I am,” he responds with such sentiment.

Nathalie suddenly recalls their first conversation at the cottage. How Gabriel admitted the reason she had ended up so many miles away from Paris was because of an argument they had. An argument which consisted of Gabriel’s unwillingness to make any progression in their relationship.

Because before any of this occurred, Nathalie was his secret … His painful secret.

“You love me, but you couldn’t give me my place, right?”

“What?” He says in confusion.

“You love me, but I had to beg you to stop hiding me, and even so you refused? You love me, that I ended up miles away from Paris because only God knows how you made me feel. Is that how much you love me?!”

Guilt is heavy on him, and Gabriel collapses onto his knees as he acknowledges it’s all his fault. That no one else is responsible for her suffering but him.

That Nathalie would’ve never lost her memory if he hadn’t been so stubborn.

He’s sobbing to her words. Desperate tears leave his eyes, but Nathalie continues anyway, propelled by a set of emotions which has been consuming her since the day she saw him at the cottage for the first time.

“I was pregnant, and I apparently decided not to tell you because all you ever gave me were crumbs.” She asks one more time to a defeated Gabriel who sits on the floor, “Is that how much you love me, Gabriel?”

He crawls towards her, looking up at her from his position on the floor. Now Gabriel feels like the most insignificant man in the world.

“Forgive me, Nathalie. I beg you.” He pleads between sobs, and she gapes down at him with anger growing in her eyes. “How can I ever mend my mistakes?”

Gabriel reaches for her hands, bringing them close to his lips, wetting them with his salty tears. “If only I could go back in time.”

“There is no such thing as going back in time, what’s done is done.” She harshly pulls her hands away from him.

“Do you doubt I love you?” Gabriel needs to know.

She doesn’t answer immediately as she recalls all those times he’s appeared in her dreams. And no matter the circumstances of her night visions, there’s always a sense of safety and love roaming in her soul. Nathalie feels so loved by him, and that is something she cannot deny.

Her fingers graze his sharp jaw as he looks up at her with lost teary eyes. “I think you do love me, but how does that change anything?”

“It changes everything, my dear.” Gabriel moves off the floor as he now towers over her. “All I need is for you to know that I love you so much. I’ll wait as long as I need to. Until the memories of our past life return. I know it wasn’t what you deserved, but we had so many loving moments together.”

Nathalie doesn’t say anything as she’s hurting even more.

His spirit is crushed. Because now Gabriel feels he’s so far away from her. Further than before. Her blue eyes have gained an unrecognizable look that seems to grow as the days progress, and that’s slowly draining him.

“Nathalie,” his lips barely move. “I was so stupid, so inconsiderate to your pain back then. You had every right to be angry. Every right to say I was treating you like my mistress, and not the woman I claimed to love, and I realized my mistake the same night you disappeared.”

“What do you mean?”

“Regardless of what you may think, I’ve always wanted you by my side. So the next morning, I had made up my mind. I was ready to end my absurd secrecy, but when I arrived to your apartment, you had already vanished.”

His heart trembles as he recalls that awful morning. And now, he can barely breathe as he knows he won’t be able to speak for much longer. “I haven’t stopped loving you, please believe me.” His voice is a near whisper.

Beyond his guilt, there’s anger. An immense anger towards himself as he realizes how close he is to losing the woman he so deeply loves. And her words are only there to make him feel as if she’s truly slipping away from him.

“And is having your love some type of curse? Is this what I was meant to go through in order for you to love me?” She’s broken, and so is he. And Nathalie doesn’t know if her words were a predictable response to his emotions, but she isn’t surprised when she sees him sniffle uncontrollably to them.

“No, my darling.” He hiccups between tears. “And I’m sorry if it feels that way.”

They can’t say anything more, so they simply remain silent. Gabriel’s hands unconsciously bring her into a hug to then press a kiss to her forehead. And Nathalie doesn’t push him away, feeling him cradle her in his chest. They weep, like never before. The tears aren’t going to turn back time, but it’s something they allow themselves to do for the time being.

The walls of her bedroom may have seen better days, and still, Nathalie thinks there may be a solution to all of this. Because even as she feels so worn out, there might be hope for them after all.

Although, it doesn’t mean it isn’t difficult. Nathalie had created a strong shield around when she hit the endings of her pregnancy. Her daughter, the farm, and those around her were all she had. She was Diane, and Diane had convinced herself there was no one searching for her.

Her entire life was on that farm.

But then he came. Gabriel Agreste was the thunderstorm that dissolved her shield. And now she feels she must start all over again.

At least until she recovers her memory.

Slowly, Nathalie moves away from him. Her gaze drifts off to the mattress where Rose lies wide awake. There’s no fuzziness or discomfort, her little baby patiently waits until someone comes to pick her up.

“Hello Rosie.” He can’t help but smile at them. Gabriel observes Nathalie take their daughter into her arms, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

He slowly approaches them. “Adrien will be home soon. Can I expect you two for dinner?” He asks.

Nathalie nods. He leans in to give his daughter a gentle kiss on her tiny fist. “See you later, my sweetheart.”

And Nathalie watches him quietly exit the bedroom to then close the door behind him.

———

Henry couldn’t bear it. After he witnessed them kissing, he quietly yet quickly rushed down the hall, unable to see or hear more.

The pain was too much for his enamored soul.

It feels an eternity has gone by until Henry manages to close the luggage. His heart is heavy with the sense of betrayal even as he knows he hasn’t actually been betrayed. His relationship with Nathalie has never gone beyond friendliness, still that doesn’t diminish the pain deep within him.

Maybe because he had allowed himself to believe that one day Nathalie would love him. Even as she would recover her memory, Henry thought he might have a chance with her.

He was foolish indeed, and now realizes the mistake he made when he accepted to come to Paris.

His actions are quick and precise as he grabs a sheet from his notebook, and quickly writes a note for her to find later. His hand trembles, and the sorrow tears unwittingly wets his face.

Henry leaves the note on the bed to then slowly and quietly exit the room. He glances down the long corridor, making sure it’s clear before dashing through it, and eventually making his way out of the home.

There’s no turning back now.

The engine makes an undesirable loud noise as he switches on the vehicle. Henry drives away from the mansion, but his heart seems to have stayed behind forever.

———

Dinner arrived sooner than anticipated. Nathalie wasn’t in the mood to leave her bedroom, but was aware Gabriel would be expecting her.

She slowly descends the long staircase and as she makes her way into the dinning room, she finds Adrien already seated.

The boy uses his cellphone, unaware of her presence. It’s not until her daughter sneezes that Adrien brings his eyes off the screen. Her tiny nasals clear and her button nose scrunches while her tiny hand reaches up to rub herself.

“Bless you, Rose,” says the boy in a sweet tone.

“Hello, Nathalie. My father isn’t here yet, but please have a seat.”

Nathalie gives him a soft smile to then take a seat beside him. “How have you been feeling at home?” He asks as soon as she incorporates herself.

The question is somewhat ironic to her. Especially after what happened earlier with Gabriel.

“We’re getting by, day by day.”

He takes a deep breath at her response. “I know you’ll recover your memory soon, you’ll see.”

“I hope so,” she mumbles.

Adrien remains silent for a couple of long seconds, a pensive expression lingering on his face. He’s no stranger to the difficult relationship his father and Nathalie have had these past weeks. Gabriel himself has expressed Nathalie’s distant behavior to him, and Adrien has been present in many of their uncomfortable interactions.

Maybe there is something he can say to ease things up.

“I probably shouldn’t say this,” his voice has Nathalie bring her attention to him once more. “But I think my father suffered more during your absence than when my mother died. I’ve never seen him so destroyed.”

And Adrien isn’t lying in the slightest when he speaks those words. He is saying it because they’re the truth. Gabriel has never before suffered as much as he did when Nathalie disappeared.

Her sparkling eyes go wide to his words. She doesn’t know what to say, Adrien’s words are so unexpected.

Could it be that Gabriel Agreste really loves her as much as he says he does?

Could it be that perhaps they do have a future together? Regardless of the state of her memory, anyway.

“It’s been difficult for us,” he continues. “And I know it’s been difficult for you as well, but you should know that my father is really trying to make things right.”

It seems as if he’s recalled the terrible moments they experienced in her absence as Nathalie watches his green emerald eyes transform into a haze of sorrow. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve gone through. It must be hard to live without your mother, and now I come along to make things worse.”

Adrien quickly shakes his head to her words. “No, don’t say that Nathalie. None of this is your fault, it was an accident, that’s all. Besides, you should know how much I love you.”

The sweetest sensation invades her as he speaks. Adrien is such a kind and gentle boy, and regardless of her situation, Nathalie is so very proud of him.

Proud he is her daughter’s brother.

“Thank you for your kind words, Adrien.” He smiles, looking down at his sister with such fondness. “She’s so beautiful, I still can’t believe I have a baby sister.” He whispers.

Rose’s big gray eyes follow her brother's face as he speaks.

Nathalie watches Adrien stare at the baby with such devotion. It makes her feel strongly connected to him, wishing she could remember her past with the teenager.

“Do you want to hold her?” Nathalie suddenly asks. She doesn’t really wait for an answer as she places Rose on his lap.

Adrien grabs onto his sister’s small body.

“Hello Rose,” Adrien says. “Aren’t you the most beautiful baby ever?” The little child smiles at him, showing off her toothless grin.

“She’s so adorable.” And at that moment, Gabriel enters the kitchen.

Nathalie immediately tenses to his presence, but attempts to act as normal as possible.

“I’m sorry I’m late, I was finishing up some work.” Gabriel takes a seat at the large dining table, noticing Henry isn’t there.

“Is Henry not joining us?”

“He’s probably not here yet”, Adrien says. “I didn’t see his car when I was coming into the house earlier.”

Gabriel discreetly observes Nathalie’s reaction. She doesn’t seem any different, yet it still hurts him.

He hasn’t a clue what’s going to happen, especially after what occurred in her bedroom earlier.

How he wishes the cloud over her brain would vanish. It’d be a treasure for him if the light of his eyes were the ones to clear the haziness from her obliviated brain.

Except, he isn’t sure that would fully fix their problems anymore. Too much has happened, and it wouldn’t matter if she has a memory or not, Gabriel knows she’s angry.

Her words were a bitter reminder of what occurred on that dreadful evening, months ago. And he can view it from all directions, and it’ll still be his fault. All for this absurd desire for something that wouldn’t have lasted forever.

How foolish was he to think he could maintain a secret romance with her?

Now Gabriel Agreste is painfully paying the consequences of his actions.

———

The morning sun is barely shining through the large windows of her bedroom as it’s still so early.

Nathalie wraps her wet body into a towel as she exits the shower stall to then make her way into the room. Gabriel has given her the space she needs, and although she’s still recovering from yesterday’s conversation, Nathalie is certain they’ll be able to mend it all.

It seems wrong to have no hope, when she now knows how much he loves her. Adrien’s words were only a further confirmation of it all.

Still, it’s a long process. She hadn’t meant to say such hurtful words to him, it was something which erupted in the moment.

Nathalie peeks into the crib where her daughter is still deep asleep. She smiles at her as she proceeds to get dressed for the day.

As Nathalie is changing, the thought of Henry comes to her once again. She hadn’t seen him since yesterday morning, and he didn’t appear for dinner. She thinks the conversation they had yesterday morning might’ve triggered his unwillingness to appear for dinner, although Nathalie isn’t entirely sure.

After all, he had said he wanted to leave as soon as she was settled in. Nathalie grimaced to his words, not wanting him to leave ever, and she thinks he must’ve noticed because the days have slowly bled into an entire month, and Henry is yet to leave.

And of course she doesn’t want him to leave. There sometimes seems no valid explanation as to why she insists so much on him remaining in Paris, but then she realizes the sense of safety he produces.

The safety she has so dearly craved for since the day she woke up in a world of lost memories. That’s exactly what makes her want to keep Henry by her side. Even as there might be part of her which seems to know better. To know her actions aren’t correct.

Not when he loves her.

“I love you … With all that I am.” Gabriel’s words make way their through her brain again. She’s heard those words on repeat since he first spoke them. And if she keeps those words echoing inside her heart forever, then maybe she can learn to let go of Henry.

With Rose still deep asleep, Nathalie decides to go and talk to him. Hoping she can rid herself of the guilt of having him stay in Paris.

———

The knocks to his door are soft, yet firm, and still there’s no answer.

She wonders if he is still sleeping, but Nathalie is well aware of Henry’s early day tendencies. He never sleeps longer than usual, and then the sudden urge to enter his bedroom comes upon her.

It’s strange as she pushes the door open. The silence seems stronger than usual, and when Nathalie finally enters the bedroom, she finds an empty room, dominated by quietness and coldness.

“Henry,” she calls out. Hoping he exits the bathroom, but after a couple of more silent seconds, Nathalie realizes there’s no one there either.

Her eyes wander throughout the entire room, and when she spots a folded sheet of paper over the mattress, Nathalie’s heart drops down to her stomach.

Quickly, her hand retrieves the paper, unfolding it with trembling hands.

Dear Nathalie,

My time in Paris has come to an end. Please forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye, but I couldn't carry the burden of seeing your pretty blue eyes shining with tears to my departure. I hope you’re able to find the happiness you deserve, and don’t worry, I know you’ll recover your memory soon. Kiss Rosie goodbye for me.

With all the love in the world,

Henry.

P.S. I beg you, don’t come searching for me. It’s for the best.

A broken Nathalie collapses onto the floor with the wrinkled note pressed against her chest. She sobs, loudly and desperately. The blood runs cold through her veins, and as her quivering body rises from the floor, Nathalie frantically exits the room and returns to hers.

Searching through a few unpacked bags, Nathalie finds all that she’s looking for. Her fingers grip the blushed pink notebook Henry had gifted her all those months ago.

Harshly, she flips through the pages until she finds that single page. It can’t end this way. She needs to find him.

At least talk to him one last time.

Chapter Text

Gabriel had trouble sleeping last night, but that wasn’t a surprise. His sleep pattern had been altered since the day Nathalie disappeared, and it’s yet to return to normal.

If he hadn’t been so consumed in trying to get to sleep, Gabriel thinks he would’ve eventually stood up from his bed to go and talk to her one more time. He doesn’t feel comfortable with the way their conversation ended yesterday. Although they didn’t end entirely bad, he still feels a sting of discomfort from it all.

Except, Gabriel had no energy whatsoever. His body was literally aching in exhaustion even as he couldn’t get his eyes to shut. He’s sure he would’ve looked more like a walking zombie than an actual human if he had gone and spoken with her. So he remained in bed, thinking about anything and everything. Thinking of a way to fix the mess he feels he has created. But even after so many hours of overthinking, he couldn’t come up with a decent solution.

The only solution would be for Nathalie to recover her memory, but now he’s afraid of the future, regardless of her state of memory. Nathalie can very well remain angry and distant towards him, even after she recovers her memory, so Gabriel really isn’t holding his breath for that anymore.

Sometimes, he’s sure she loves him. He can see it in her eyes. Especially on those two separate occasions in which they’ve kissed. The movement of her lips against his were a reminder of the way she used to kiss him before.

At least that hasn’t changed.

She still has her same habits. Her same likes and dislikes. He can recognize them each time. The way she unconsciously adjusts her glasses when she wants to have a closer look at something or the way in which she moves her hair behind her ear even when it’s not in the way.

Her voice is still firm and clear. That calming tune in which Gabriel fell in love with.

But other times, Gabriel feels like she’s a stranger next to him. And that hurts more than anything. Viewing the same Nathalie he loves and adores acting like a different person.

A person he doesn’t recognize anymore, and Gabriel knows it’s not her fault, however he can’t help the agony building inside his already aching soul.

The woman who was once Nathalie Sancoeur is deeply yet lightly hidden by another version of herself. A version he is so desperately trying to understand.

He then wonders how he should cope with this all. He wonders how much longer. It appears he’ll be condemned to a life of sorrow and unhappiness if he hasn’t already.

Because that sprinkle of hope has begun to fade, and that's what frightens him the most.

Gabriel makes his way through the corridor of the mansion, ready to meet his son for breakfast. As he spots Nathalie’s bedroom door, still a few feet away, he wonders if she’s awoken already.

He wants to pass through discreetly, not wanting to invade her space, but as he gets closer to the door, the sound coming from inside startles him.

The sound of heavy breathing and sobbing invades his ears, and now Gabriel needs to know what’s going on.

“Nathalie?” He calls out while knocking on the door.

“Nathalie, what’s going on?” He can’t hear much over her sobbing, but he’s sure he has at least heard some incoherent words being mumbled by her.

“I’m going to come in,” Gabriel says.

When he pushes the door open, he finds Nathalie in the middle of the bedroom, thrown on the floor with various items in front of her.

He quickly goes to her, kneeling down beside her. “What’s going, why are you like this?”

She doesn’t answer. It appears she’s mute with some type of nervous breakdown as all she can do is sob uncontrollably.

“You’re scaring me, Nathalie. Are you in pain, do I need to take you to a hospital?”

She nervously shakes her head. Gabriel looks down at the items on the rug. He sees a pink notebook, a wrinkled sheet of paper, and the room’s phone pushed under the bed behind her.

It’s clear she’s having some sort of panic attack, and will be unable to respond. But then her trembling voice manages to say a few words.

“He’s- He’s gone … He’s gone.”

“Who’s gone?” Gabriel asks, evidently confused. “What are you talking about?”

He doesn’t wait for her to answer, and only takes a hold of the paper on the floor. Reading the words written on that sheet of paper has Gabriel understand the situation, and he can’t help the pain making way through his heart again. Seeing the woman he so dearly loves, sobbing uncontrollably for someone who had no part in their lives before.

For someone Gabriel feels he must compete with.

“Calm down, dear. It has a solution, we can find him, just calm down, please.”

He can’t believe he’s just said that. He’d think he’d be happy about the doctor’s departure, but seeing his Nathalie this way causes no happiness whatsoever.

It only adds to the pain that already exists.

Nathalie abruptly rises from the floor, racing to the closet and pulling a jacket from there.

“Let’s go now, I beg you.” She desperately clutches Gabriel’s arm, pulling him towards the door. “I need him back now!”

“Nathalie, wait. We don’t know where he is, we can’t just leave the house to blindly search for him.”

Those aren’t the words Nathalie wants to hear. She yanks the jacket off, her breathing labored, and her forehead is filling with sweat.

“You-“ she manages to say through her rapid breaths. “You don’t want him back … That’s why you don’t want to go.”

He tries to calm her down. “It’s not that at all, we just don’t know where he is.”

She begins pacing through the room as if she were losing her mind. Gabriel watches her completely horrified, he’d never before seen her in such a state.

Nathalie continues her out of control pacing, when she suddenly feels Gabriel’s long fingers wrap around her right arm.

Before she’s able to react, Gabriel swiftly turns her around to face him. “You need to calm down, this isn’t helping.”

“Don’t touch me!” She yells so loudly, it wakes her daughter up in an instant. Except, Nathalie doesn’t turn her attention to the now crying baby, she’s too lost in her nervous breakdown to even notice her.

“You’re worrying me,” he still holds onto her when suddenly, Nathalie collapses in his arms, losing complete consciousness.

“Nathalie!” He calls her name in fear as he catches her limp body.

Gabriel picks her up, taking her in between his arms.

As he places Nathalie’s unconscious body onto the bed, Gabriel retrieves his cellphone, sending Adrien a message.

-Come upstairs to Nathalie’s room now.

Within minutes, Adrien enters the room, a worried expression already roaming his face. “What’s going on, father? What’s happened to Nathalie?”

Gabriel doesn’t answer. “Take Rose into your bedroom, and wait until I come and get you.”

Adrien limits himself to asking anymore questions, and takes the still crying infant into his arms to then leave the room.

The family doctor had appeared rather quickly, and is now examining a still unconscious Nathalie.

“What’s wrong with her?” A nervous Gabriel asks.

The doctor prepares a light dose of a relaxant medication, injecting it into Nathalie’s bare arm.

“From what you tell me, she’s had a severe panic attack. This will help her rest it off and she’ll feel better when she wakes up.”

“Will she be okay?”

“Of course,” the doctor responds. “Her vitals are normal, blood pressure is a little low, but that’s what caused her to faint.”

The older doctor can see the worried expression on Gabriel’s face. “Don’t worry Gabriel, she’s going to be just fine.”

“Thank you, for coming so quickly”, Gabriel says, shaking the man’s hand. He begins to guide him towards the exit.

“Anytime, and call if anything changes.”

———

When Gabriel enters the bedroom, he finds his children lying on the bed. Adrien attempts to calm the baby who’s cries have seemingly turned into whimpers after long minutes of restless crying.

Her mouth moves, wide open, showing off her plain gums. Her eyes are tightly closed, but the ends are prickling with tears. And her face is extremely red.

“I think she’s hungry,” Adrien says as soon as he notices his father.

Gabriel examines her a little closer, and watches her bring her tiny fist up to her mouth. Rose desperately chews on it, attempting to find some comfort in her state.

“She is hungry, but Nathalie won’t wake until a couple of hours.” Gabriel says in a worried tone as he tries to figure out what they should do.

He takes the baby into his arms, and it causes Rose to open her big bluish-gray eyes, and start a crying fit all over again. “Go with Placide to a pharmacy and grab formula and baby bottles, I’ll see if I can get her to eat with that.”

Adrien rushes out of the room, while Gabriel attempts to console his little Rose.

“I know my love, I know.” He rocks her in his arms.

By the time Adrien returns, Gabriel is desperate, not knowing what to do with the crying baby.

In the kitchen, together they read the instructions as Rose continues to cry her lungs out.

“We need to boil the bottles first.” Adrien says.

After a good twenty minutes, Gabriel and Adrien prepare a freshly warm bottle for Rose, hoping it’ll be able to alleviate her hunger.

Except, when Gabriel puts the silicone nipple against the hungry baby’s mouth, she is only silenced for a few seconds. Her big eyes squint in confusion, and her tiny tongue rubs around the silicone for a second. The milk drips out of the bottle and onto her mouth, and she then scrunches her little face in disgust.

Almost immediately, she turns her face away, starting a new fit of unconsolable cries and whimpers.

“She doesn't like it.” Gabriel says, stressed out. “What are we going to do?”

Adrien leaves the kitchen, only to return a few minutes later. “Her pacifier, it's better than nothing.”

And he gives the light yellow pacifier to his father. Gabriel places it into Rose’s mouth, which she gladly accepts.

“But, she’ll still be hungry.” Gabriel tells his son.

“I know, but it’ll keep her calm. At least until Nathalie wakes up.”

“You’re right,” and Gabriel glances down at his beautiful daughter who’s little whimpers can still be heard through the suckling of her pacifier.

———

A few hours later, Nathalie is awoken by an intense pain to her arm. It takes her a few seconds to understand where she is as her vision slowly adjusts to her surroundings.

When her eyes eventually focus, she spots Gabriel half asleep beside her with their daughter in between them. Rose whimpers in her sleep, seemingly having cried so much. She’s only in a diaper, which looks clean, maybe even freshly changed.

Nathalie slowly sits up as she recalls what occurred earlier, realizing the mess she’s probably made.

Her sudden movements wake Gabriel immediately.

“Nathalie,” he says in a relieved tone.

“What’s happened?” She asks in confusion.

“You fainted earlier. I called the doctor, and he injected you with a relaxant. How are you feeling now?”

Her hand slowly reaches to rub her upper arm. “I see why my arm hurts now.”

“Nathalie-“

“I feel better, Gabriel, don’t worry.” She softly smiles at him, trying to reassure him she is fine. And that’s relief for Gabriel’s troubled heart.

“How long has it been?”

Gabriel gazes down at his still hungry daughter. “A few hours,” he whispers.

“Hours?” Nathalie exclaims. “Rose, has she eaten anything?”

Gabriel shakes his head. “She won’t have the baby bottle.” There’s compassion in his eyes as he speaks. “Our poor daughter exhausted herself from all the crying, she eventually gave up and fell asleep.”

She quickly takes her into her arms. “I’m so sorry, Rosie.” Rose opens her eyes, immediately recognizing her mother’s face.

Nathalie gives her no time to cry as she quickly opens the buttons of her blouse, giving the baby access to the milk in her breast.

She’d never before seen her eat so fast and for so long. Rose is truly hungry. Gabriel and Nathalie only watch their daughter in adoration as she fills her empty stomach.

“I’m so sorry for making you suffer, my love.” Nathalie presses a kiss to her temple.

“She’s fine now,” Gabriel says.

“I’ll have to start freezing up my breast milk, in case of emergencies. Also find a silicone nipple she’ll like.” She looks over at Gabriel. “She’s only just turned three months, I haven’t had much time to think about these things since we arrived in Paris.”

Gabriel runs his finger down Rose’s puffy cheek. “I think that’s a good idea, I’m here if you need any help.”

“Thank you,” she whispers.

And then they simply remain silent while Rose continues her rapid suckling. Gabriel’s too afraid to ask her anything about what occurred earlier. Afraid he’ll trigger another panic attack, so he only keeps his thoughts to himself.

But he wonders if Nathalie still wants Henry back. Or is she willing to let him go?

He doesn’t know, all he knows is that he wants her happiness, and it breaks him knowing his presence alone isn’t enough to give her the happiness and peace she deserves.

There had been a calming ambience to the bedroom as Nathalie and Gabriel tended to their daughter.

Gabriel helped Nathalie bathe her, and after Rose was cleaned and dressed, her eyes began to flutter shut. It had been a long morning for her as well, it was no surprise she wanted to nap so soon after her bath.

“I have a conference call I must attend.” Gabriel whispers just as Nathalie places their baby into the crib. “Get some rest, dear and try to eat something.”

He gives her forehead a sweet kiss, and then Nathalie watches him quietly exit the bedroom.

When she’s sure he has disappeared from the hallway, a much calmer Nathalie goes for the phone she left under the bed. The relaxant medication had done a nice effect on her, and her nerves were under control. Yet, that doesn’t eliminate her increasing desire to find out where Henry is.

The pink covered journal is still thrown over the rug in her bedroom. As she picks it up, Nathalie thinks about what she’s doing. She recalls the last words Henry wrote on the note left for her.

“I beg you, don’t come searching for me. It’s for the best.”

But how can it be for the best? Apart from her daughter, Henry is her only source of safety and comfort, and now he’s gone.

Without much more thinking, Nathalie flips through the pages of her pink journal. There she finds Alba’s phone number.

She needs to speak to her, ask her about Henry.

The ringing created by the dialing of the number is louder than usual. Maybe because Nathalie is calling from so far away. But she waits, hoping for someone to pick up.

“Hello,” a woman’s voice answers.

She smiles in satisfaction. “Alba, is that you?” Nathalie asks.

“This is Alba, who is this?”

“It’s Nathalie or Diane, if that helps.” She sort of nervously giggles at her own words.

“Diane,” Alba says in an excited tone. “How have you been, we’ve missed you all so much.”

Nathalie’s heart wrinkles to the older woman’s words. So many months of living on her farm, she had learned to love her.

“Listen, Alba, I need to ask you something. Do you know where Henry is?” Nathalie can hear the confusion in the woman’s voice. “What do you mean, isn’t Henry there with you?”

“No, I think he left yesterday night, and I need to find him. Please help me.” The desperation begins to creep in once again.

They come up with a plan.

A plan which involves Alba figuring out where Henry is while not alerting him about Nathalie’s desires to locate him. She feels bad, asking Alba to keep secrets from Henry, knowing well he loves the woman as if she were his mother. But Nathalie has no choice.

Within an hour after ending her phone call with Alba, the woman calls back. It’s a relief to know Henry is still in Paris. Alba gives her the address of a hotel located in downtown Paris. Now she must figure out a way to meet with him, without anyone finding out.

———

A couple of days had gone by since that phone call. Nathalie hasn’t found the sufficient amount of courage to leave the house on her own, especially knowing her memory wouldn’t be able to navigate the city on her own.

From her phone calls with Alba, she’s found out that Henry plans to remain in Paris for a while, although she isn’t exactly sure why. He’s still in the same place, and as the days go by, Nathalie fears he might leave somewhere and be too far away from her to reach. And now it’s been too many days since his departure. Nathalie gathers her courage and calls a cab to wait for her at the outside of the mansion.

The days have been a cold cycle of tears and hopelessness. And she has never felt as selfish as she feels now, and yet Nathalie can’t stop herself.

Gabriel informed her he’d be out for the most part, working on his latest collection with his production team. Nathalie knew this was her only chance.

She softly knocks Adrien’s door and seconds later, Nathalie hears the teenager’s voice allowing her to enter.

“Nathalie, is everything okay?”

She’s more than nervous. Especially given the request she’s about to make. Nathalie has never been away from her baby.

“Adrien, I need to go out, but I can’t take Rose with me.”

Adrien squints his eyes in confusion. “Does my father know about this?”

She takes a deep breath. “That’s the thing, could you please do me the favor, and not tell him?”

“It’s about Henry, isn’t it? You’re going to see him.”

Nathalie’s cheeks burn in embarrassment as she realizes how quickly Adrien has caught up to her intentions as to why she wants to leave the house on her own.

“Adrien… I’m sorry-“

But Adrien interrupts her. “Don’t apologize, Nathalie. I know how much he means to you, and I’ll gladly watch Rose until you return.”

Nathalie smiles at the boy’s kindness. “Thank you so much, Adrien. I’ve left a bottle of freshly pumped milk on the nightstand. And don’t worry, I’ve already confirmed she likes that silicone nipple.”

Adrien nods. He then asks, “how are you getting there?”

“There’s a cab waiting outside”, Nathalie responds.

“No, I’ll have Placide take you. It’s safer that way.”

The silent man drives her to the curbside of a standard hotel located in the middle of Paris. Her eyes scan the tall building as she slowly exits the car.

She’s nervous about it all.

Nathalie has submitted herself to Gabriel’s wishes in the past days. And they aren’t bad things whatsoever. They’re good things. Things which have helped her remain calm and more relaxed.

Like eating adequately and resting more. He’s very insistent, but also extremely kind and gentle. Nathalie feels as if she’s betraying him by coming here without his knowledge.

Except, Gabriel hasn’t once brought up the topic of Henry in the past days, and Nathalie has been too embarrassed to ask him anything, especially after the scene she caused. But even after Gabriel’s attention towards her, Nathalie has been on edge. She hasn’t the courage to view her reflection in the mirror. The hypocrisy of her actions torment her. And now she doesn’t know what would change if she were to recover her memory.

As she steps into the elevator, she leans her back against the wall, her hands hold onto the bars, feeling how cold they are against her sweaty palms. Her stomach is in a knot, and her brain in an everlasting haze.

What is she doing?

The chime of the elevator indicates she’s arrived at the desired floor. She needs to calm down, she needs to find the correct words.

Her feet guide her through the long corridors of the silent hotel space, and when she arrives at the door, Nathalie watches her hand tremble as she firmly knocks.

And she’s sure an eternity hasn’t gone by, yet it feels as if it has from the shaking of her knees and the pounding of her heart. Just as she’s about to knock again, the door pulls open.

His eyes widened to her presence. Gazing at her standing in the hallway, Henry is left breathless.

“Nathalie,” it’s barely audible. He appears sleepy, almost as if he’s just woken up. Strange, given how late it is.

“Can I come in?” She nervously asks.

He doesn’t answer. He simply remains silent, feeling how his soul slowly drifts away.

“Please.”

He moves away from the door, so she can enter, and Nathalie suddenly remembers the things he told her on the morning she last saw him.

“If only you’d love me a portion of all that I love you.”

What is she doing to him?

The room is dark, it’s hard for her to make her way through as she squints in the gloominess. “The lights, can you turn-“

She hears his plain voice through the darkness. “The switch is on the wall next to you. You can turn them on.”

Her still trembling hand reaches for the switch, and when she turns it on, Nathalie is blinded by the bright light above her.

“I was sleeping, I have a night shift at the hospital,” he mumbles.

Nathalie feels worse. “I’m so sorry, Henry. I should’ve not come.” She begins to walk towards the exit. “I’ll let you rest.”

“Nathalie,” he calls, making her pause. “You’re already here, what do you need?”

Now Nathalie thinks she is the stupidest person alive. She’s not even sure what she wants to say. He was right when he asked her not to go searching for him.

“Why did you leave?” She finally asks.

Henry doesn’t hesitate. “You knew I wasn’t going to stay forever, I had already told you many times.”

“But why so abrupt, you didn’t even say goodbye.” She sounds broken, and Henry can’t look away from the tears glistening in her blue eyes. It’s been days since he last saw her, and it feels like an entire lifetime has gone by.

How he’s missed her, how he’s missed Rosie. Yet, he isn’t brave enough to reveal what his eyes saw on his last day at the mansion. Henry knows he’s no one to question her, but he can’t deny it still hurts his enamored soul.

He begged her not to come searching for him, and yet, she’s here. Standing in front of him, seeming more broken than ever before.

“Don’t you understand how much I love you?” He lets out as he turns his gaze away from the angelic face he fell in love with.

“I love you so much, it hurts … It hurts to be near you.” He whispers that last part.

Hearing those words, and the sorrow in his voice makes her think his love for her will eventually turn into hatred. She can’t believe how much she’s hurting him.

“I’m sorry I’ve caused you all this pain, but you should know that you’re my safety, my comfort. You’re the first person I saw when I woke up in this nightmare. Not even Gabriel is able to give me this safety I yearn for.”

“But you love him, don’t you?”

Nathalie squints her teary eyes to his question. “What?”

“It’s a simple question, Nathalie. You love Gabriel Agreste, right?”

She’s heard herself think that question hundreds of times since the day they left the farm. And not once has Nathalie been able to answer it.

“I don’t know,” she eventually says. Perhaps she’d fallen into this idea where she believed she’d be able to keep Henry by her side as long as she wanted to. Now she sees the foolishness of her actions. She’s mute, not able to answer his question.

“You do love him, you just don’t remember you love him. But the day will come when you remember that love, and then you’ll realize that you don’t need me at all.”

She shakes her head in denial. “No, Henry. I do need you, I need you very much.” She rushes towards him, wrapping her arms around a stunned Henry.

He can feel her sobbing in his chest, the moisture of her tears wetting his shirt. He doesn’t complain or push her away as she tightly holds onto him. Her warm arms are also a comfort to his heart, he could drift away from earth and into the blue sky above them. Holding her in an everlasting embrace.

He loves her too much, and then her weeping voice makes way again. “You can’t leave me, Henry, I beg you. I feel like I’m dying, please.”

“Nathalie-“ He attempts to say.

There’s a mixture of shock and shivers that makes way through his body as he feels Nathalie’s hands trail down to the sides of his face. He nearly catches sight of her swollen eyes when her lips are on his. The warmth of her mouth causes his stomach to explode, and the liquid around her lips is thick from all the crying. Henry feels her tighten her grip on his face as she continues her messy kiss.

It doesn’t last long as he responds to her kiss for only a moment, barely allowing himself to indulge. Henry then pushes her away from him, staring at her in such bewilderment.

Nathalie moves her hands away from him, and now she’s sure he hates her.

“Don’t do that.” He can barely manage to say as his heart pounds out of control. “You’ll regret it later.”

“I-“ she wants to explain her actions. But there’s nothing she can say anymore.

“You don’t love me, Nathalie.” He slowly approaches her, taking her hands into his own. “I’m not part of your real life. Your life is with Gabriel, his son, and your daughter.”

Nathalie closes her eyes in despair. It hurts her immensely, and she wants nothing more than for him to return home. “Just please come back, I still need you so much.”

He shakes his head. “You should leave me alone if I’m not who you want.”

“But I do want you…”

“No Nathalie, you want the comfort I give you, but you don’t love me. Please go back home to your family, and don’t come here again. It’ll be for the best, I promise everything’s going to be okay.”

He gives her a soft smile.

Henry then watches a disheveled Nathalie walk towards the exit, her face is a mess from all the crying and begging. And he can slowly feel his damaged heart leaving with her as she shuts the door behind her.

The uncertainty wriggles in his brain as he collapses onto his knees. A pain that’s tearing him apart. Something he hadn’t ever felt is now consuming.

How will Henry Martin ever forget Nathalie Sancoeur?

Chapter Text

She’s numb as ice. Her legs are threatening to give up, but Nathalie continues her way through the hotel, and when she finally steps outside, she captures a glimpse of the pieces of snow descending from the cloudy sky above her. The freezing air entering her nostrils makes her think there’s truly no escape to the coldness invading her soul.

Placide opens the car door, and she must be in some sort of trance because she doesn’t even notice him. It’s not until he taps her now glove covered hand, Nathalie is able to react. Her swollen eyes stare at the silent man in confusion.

She’s a mess, and there’s no doubt in that.

As the temperature continues to drop, she’s sure the tears on her cheeks will ice up if she doesn’t quickly enter the car. So with her last remaining strength, Nathalie takes a seat on the backseat of the vehicle, and watches the hotel slowly disappear from sight.

What did she do?

Nathalie removes the gloves from her hands, and slowly lets her trembling fingers trace the outlines of her lips.

Why did she kiss him? She isn’t even sure.

Maybe the desperation in her as she stupidly begged for him to return. Still, she’s well aware her actions were wrong, and what hurts the most is Henry’s refusal to return. But what else could she expect? He’s right in everything he said and now Nathalie is left feeling worse than before.

She closes her eyes, and even through the blackness of it all, Nathalie can see the sadness in his face. She can feel his lips against her own, and how he only moved them for a split second before pushing her away. She can feel how his warm hands took a hold of her cold ones as he promised her everything would be okay.

Her eyes open again, and Nathalie’s met by the reality she’s forced to live in. A city she doesn’t recognize, a family who can’t produce that safety she yearns for, and a memory that seems to fade day by day as she desperately latches onto a man who tells her he isn’t part of her real life.

And it’s like Henry has shown her everything between fantasy and reality. But the fantasy is what she wants. The fantasy of the farm and everything on there. The fantasy of having him by her side as long as she needs to. Because this reality doesn’t feel like home at all. This reality is, in all, painfully cruel.

When the mansion appears in sight once again, Nathalie’s heart sinks down to her stomach. A home covered by the freezing white snow of the sky awaits her. The windows are foggy, not allowing her to catch a single glimpse of what may be going on inside. She slowly exits the car, feeling defeated, but also embarrassed.

She thinks of it now, and she was wrong about it all. Henry was clear on his note. His time by her side has come to an end, and she needs to learn to deal with it, no matter how much it hurts.

The warmth of the mansion slips in through the thick sleeves of her coat, and Nathalie lets her still cold fingers undo the buttons to then remove it from her body.

She drags herself upstairs, and when she arrives in her bedroom, Nathalie finds Adrien and Rose playing in Rose's play gym. The baby laughs, and Nathalie’s heart warms up even though the sadness still exists.

“Hello,” says Adrien the moment he sees her.

“Hello, Adrien.” Her voice is low, her eyes still swollen from the tears she shed. “Thank you so much for watching Rose.”

The boy takes his sister in his arms as he approaches an obviously upset Nathalie. “What’s wrong Nathalie, are you okay?”

She sadly smiles at both faces staring at her with such innocence. “I’m fine, Adrien. It was a long ride home, I need to rest a little before dinner.”

“Were you able to speak with Henry?”

Nathalie slowly nods to his question. Adrien doesn’t need to ask how it went, he can see the answer written all over her pale and teary face. She reaches for her daughter, and immediately places a kiss to her cheek, attempting to find some comfort for herself.

“You know,” says Adrien, and Nathalie brings her gloomy gaze to meet his sparkling green eyes. “You have always been there for me. When my mother died, you were the shoulder I cried on until I fell asleep at night.”

Her hazy brain seems to flutter with his words. “You were my company on my lonely days when I had no friends. You convinced my father to allow me to attend school, and that’s how I met all the friends I now have.” Adrien takes her hand into his. “You are truly like a mother to me Nathalie, I love you so much, and now I’m here for you. Just how you were for me back then.”

The sweetest words she’s heard since the day she woke up in a world of lost memories have been spoken by the boy she now sees, but doesn’t remember. However, there’s something in her that makes her feel a great sense of love for him. And she doesn’t need to have her memories back in order to recognize that she loves him very much.

“Adrien,” Nathalie mumbles in tears. He leans in, giving her a hug. “Everything will be okay, you’ll see.”

“I hope so,” is all she whispers.

———

They had dinner on their own. Gabriel had called in, informing them he wouldn’t be able to make it on time since he was so caught up with work.

It was a dinner Nathalie had enjoyed. Adrien spoke about a variety of things. About Nathalie’s early years at the mansion, Gabriel’s brand, Paris, and a secret villain who had taunted the city for a while until he mysteriously disappeared. He then showed her a number of photographs. Some were family photos while others were of Gabriel and herself at different fashion shows throughout the years.

She’s by his side as his assistant and nothing more. It’s odd to have seen such photographs. They have a daughter and there’s not a single photograph which shows them in a different position other than working. No couple photos, no romantic poses, no family vacations, nothing.

And Nathalie didn’t feel upset about it. It was just odd, that’s all.

Adrien called it a night after hours of chatting and laughter. It was nice to laugh for once. It was nice to forget the mess she lives in for just a moment.

Now she’s alone in her bedroom. Her daughter is deep asleep, and Nathalie only stares out the black window. It’s too dark to see anything, all she can see is her own reflection staring back at her. The dimness of her room unwittingly reminds her of Henry’s hotel room.

The laughter is now over, and the gloominess has returned.

Why isn’t this home enough? Why aren’t Gabriel and Adrien enough to fill the void in her hurting heart?

If only she were to recover her memories, then maybe all this pain wouldn’t matter anymore. She could forget it all through the remembrance of her past life.The tears once again betray her, and Nathalie curls up into the armchair as she watches her daughter’s small chest rise to then descend in a slow yet constant rhythm.

When she hears the door of her bedroom being pushed open, Nathalie quickly turns her gaze to the door, waiting to see who appears.

Gabriel pokes his head in, clearly surprised to see her awake. “Nathalie,” he whispers. “I didn’t think you’d be awake, my dear.”

“You’re home, at what time did you arrive?”

Gabriel quietly enters the room, and she can see he’s wearing his pajamas. A black robe wraps around his long body.

“About an hour ago.” He says as he approaches her. “I headed straight for the shower, and I intended to go to bed, but I wanted to check on you first.”

He looks down at his sleeping angel who peacefully rests in her crib.

“I love you, Rosie.” He says, and she smiles at his words.

He looks at her sad face. “Why are you still up, can’t sleep?”

Nathalie shrugs her shoulders to his question, and Gabriel suddenly extends his hand to her, and she takes it an instant. The closeness is what she needs.

Gabriel guides her to the front of the bed, pulling the sheets as he lets her slip into bed. Nathalie examines the caring expression on his sleepy yet relaxed eyes. The way he cares for her always lightens her heart.

“Get some rest, dear. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He grabs her hand one more time, leaning in to press a kiss to her knuckles. Just as he’s about to let go, Nathalie tightens her grip on him.

“Wait,” she stops him.

“What is it?” Gabriel asks.

“Will you-“ Nathalie stutters. “Will you please stay tonight?” She finally lets out.

Gabriel’s gray eyes widened to her request. “You want me to stay here… Stay in bed with you?”

Nathalie nods. “I can’t be alone, Gabriel.” She murmurs through the haze of her sorrow, the tears instantly making way through her shining blue eyes.

And he wordlessly walks around the mattress as he removes his robe. He slips into the warm sheets of the massive bed, and Nathalie instinctively moves close to him as he adjusts himself.

Gabriel hadn’t thought she’d do that, but Nathalie moves around him regardless of his surprise. Her face pressing against his chest as she breathes him in, and he doesn’t say anything. It’s more than he would’ve thought from her, it reminds him of the nights she’d spend in his bed. Their limbs entwined, and he’d stroke her hair and back until sleep claimed them both.

Gabriel presses a kiss to her forehead before he reaches for the lamp on the nightstand. Switching the light off creates a sense of intimacy to it all. Nathalie curls up even more against him, and all Gabriel can whisper is, “I love you.”

Nathalie wakes sometime before sunrise. These were the times she’d expect her baby to be up for her second feeding, but Rose has gotten used to sleeping through the night. She rarely requires eating at night. Not until the morning sun reaches through the curtains of the large bedroom is when she has her first feeding of the day.

The clock on the nightstand reads 5:10am. So close to another morning, another day.

What will this day hold? More tears and sadness or can she forget it all and live for her daughter and nothing else?

Nathalie turns her gaze over to a deeply asleep Gabriel Agreste. The soft light of the morning moon shines onto his face. She isn't quite sure where the sudden courage to ask him to stay last night came from, but Nathalie couldn’t be alone. Her sadness was consuming her, she needed the warmth of a human body by her side. And it’s so nice to sleep next to Gabriel Agreste. He’s so warm and smells so good.

She wonders if it was always this lovely. Maybe, just maybe, they can start all over. He loves her and there’s no doubt in that. Except, Henry’s words continue to echo in the back of her hazed brain.

It’s so hard to forget … It’s so hard to remember.

Can she do both?

A headache, the result of her constant overthinking begins to wriggle in. Nathalie decides to incorporate herself in bed once again. She moves so close to him, the closest she can get, breathing him in with such delight. Gabriel shifts in his sleep, and Nathalie smiles at him, hoping they could remain this way forever.

The next time she wakes up, the morning sun is shining softly through the foggy windows. Nathalie moves around, trying to find his warmth, but when she opens her eyes, she realizes Gabriel isn’t there. She sits up, taking a look at the crib where her daughter rests. Rose’s soft wheezing can still be heard through the bedroom letting Nathalie know the baby still sleeps peacefully.

Then the bathroom door pulls open, and Nathalie sees a drowsy looking Gabriel walking towards the bed one more time.

“Good morning,” he says in a slightly deeper voice than usual.

“Good morning,” she responds to him.

“How did you sleep?” Gabriel moves the blankets, slipping into the still warm and cozy bed.

“Good, really good actually.”

He gives her a sweet smile. “I'm glad you did.”

He allows Nathalie to rest her head on his chest as they both sit on the bed in complete silence. She quietly listens to the beating of his heart. It’s a calming tune, so steady yet so loud.

The guilt of her actions begin to haunt her. Gabriel is so kind to her. What would he do if he were to find out she willingly kissed Henry Martin?

That single question torments her.

Nathalie allows her hand to trail up his chest, she can feel his collarbone under her fingertips, and the beating of his heart against her palm. He inhales deeply, her head moving with his breaths.

“Gabriel,” she whispers in a broken voice.

“Yes, dear?”

“I want to tell you something that happened yesterday.” Nathalie moves off of him, looking straight into his bluish-gray eyes.

“Tell me Nathalie, I’m listening.”

“I-“ She can’t get the words out. But as Gabriel takes her hand into his own, she feels a wave of reassurance. “I went to see Henry.”

She watches his stormy gray eyes widen to her words. “On your own?” He utters in disbelief. “That was so dangerous Nathalie, you could’ve gotten lost.”

Nathalie shakes her head. “Placide drove me while Adrien watched Rosie.”

Gabriel is taking in her words in complete shock. His son and the bodyguard were both in this? He can’t believe it.

“Okay, so you went to see him. Why are you telling me now?” He seems hurt or upset, Nathalie isn’t sure.

She begins fumbling with her hands, looking everywhere but at Gabriel’s intense gaze. “It was a mistake, I should’ve not gone.”

“Why, what happened?” He asks, evidently worried. “Did he do something to you, was he rude?”

“No not at all, Henry would never. It’s me who’s the problem.” She feels Gabriel’s fingers touch her chin until he brings her face up letting their eyes meet one more time. Her throat closes up to the warmth of his hand, to the kindness of his actions.

“Nathalie, you’re-“

“I kissed him-” She suddenly interrupts him, leaving Gabriel mute. “I kissed him on the mouth.”

And just as quickly his hands were touching her, they’re away, holding onto the sheets of the mattress in a tight grip.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers after a couple of silent seconds.

“No, I’m sorry,” he whispers in return. “I’m sorry I can’t be enough for you. I’m sorry I’ve let you down, I’m sorry you ever lost your memory, it’s all my fault.”

She can see a single tear running down his cheek.

“No, don’t torment yourself with that anymore, Gabriel. I was the one driving that night, probably even recklessly. You weren’t there, how is it your fault?”

Nathalie closes her eyes, and she can instantly see the road ahead of her. The road she’s seen countless times in her nightmares. She can feel the car rolling off the high cliff at a rapid speed, her screams invade her ears, and then she opens her eyes. Breathless and afraid.

“Gabriel-“ Her voice shaking with every breath. “Are you angry?”

He sadly smiles at her. “I could never be angry at you, my love. It’s myself who I’m angry with.” Then the single question invades his soul, and he can’t stop himself from asking her.

“Do you love him?” He needs to know.

“What?! No, no-“ she pauses for a moment. “I don’t know.”

Her hesitation breaks him, it’s the destruction of his heart. Seeing the woman he loves utterly confused in her own feelings. “I don’t know why I kissed him, it was a stupid thing to do.”

“Did Henry think it was stupid?” Gabriel asks.

“What do you mean?”

He looks at her beautiful face, his eyes falling to her pink lips. His heart aching to the fact those lips were on someone else’s yesterday, someone who wasn’t him. Someone who also loves her.

“How did he react to your kiss, Nathalie? I want to know.”

She gives him a questioning glare. “Does it matter?”

The jealousy unwittingly settles in his chest. “No, but I want to know. Can you tell me or is that a secret?”

“It’s not a secret, but if you really want to know, Henry pushed me away.” She says in complete embarrassment and humiliation. “He told me over and over that I don’t love him. That I love you, but I don’t remember it. He said the day I remember that love will be the day I’ll realize I don’t need him at all.” She harshly gets up from the bed. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

Gabriel shakes his head in regret, he should’ve not asked. “Nathalie-“

“What if I would’ve told you something different, what would’ve you done?” She goes for her robe at the foot of the bed, slipping it on as she tightens the belt around her waist. Maybe a little too tight as she feels it uncomfortably pressing against her ribs. “What if I had told you that Henry responded to my kiss with all the passion in the world, would that have changed the way you view me?”

Gabriel gets up from bed, desperately running his fingers through his hair. The anger is so clear on her face, and now he feels like an idiot.

“I view you as the woman I love as the mother of my daughter as the person who saved me, and nothing will ever change that Nathalie.”

He gets close to her, reaching up to let his fingers lace through her soft dark hair. “The doctor is right, darling. You just need to remember you love me because the day your brain wakes up, so will your heart. And I’ll be right here, waiting for you.”

He gives her forehead a tender kiss before leaving the room, and Nathalie’s stomach flutters to the sweetness of his words.

Will her heart ever wake up?

Gabriel felt as if Nathalie had been avoiding him. It hurt, but as usual, he decided to give her the space she needed.

———

His eyes disappear into the fierce flames of the fireplace before him. Warm enough to protect the home from the cold winter weather reigning outside, but still too far to warm up his aching and cold soul. He recalls her words from this morning. He recalls the hesitation in her voice as he asked about her feelings towards the doctor.

But even through the pain of her indecisiveness, Gabriel allows the hope to glimmer again. Because he has to admit, he’d allowed it to switch off after their argument in her bedroom all those days ago.

He’s blinded by that glimmering light of hope. The words he spoke earlier ring continuously through his heart. “You just need to remember you love me, because the day your brain wakes up, so will your heart. And I’ll be right here, waiting for you.”

Gabriel wasn’t lying, he’ll be right there, waiting as long as he needs to. He’ll wait forever.

Then the sounds of giggles and coos invade his ears, and Gabriel watches Adrien enter the living room area with Rose in between his arms.

“Hello you two,” he greets his two children and takes a seat.

“Where’s Nathalie?” He asks.

“She’ll be down in a minute, she was putting some of Rose’s clothes away.”

Gabriel gets closer to them, reaching for his daughter until he softly pulls her out of Adrien’s arms. “I want to show her something,” he tells Adrien as he walks her to the large window in the living room.

“Look, Rosie, there’s snow outside.” His hand wipes the cloudy glass before him. “Look at all the white snow outside.”

He adjusts the baby in his arms. Her small back leaning against his chest as her bluish-gray eyes get lost in the whiteness covering the garden. She pays attention to it all. Gabriel then flips her around, and little Rose watches her father’s face intently. The sounds coming from the back of her throat are the beginning of babbles that warm his heart. He slowly walks them to the coffee table where a vase rests filled with white roses. The clear water keeps them alive and fresh.

He gently pulls one out. “A pretty rose for my pretty Rose.”

And he then touches her chubby cheeks with the sweet scented flower causing her to giggle at the lightest tickling sensation it causes.

Gabriel and Adrien are too lost in Rose’s little giggles, they don’t notice as Nathalie quietly enters the living room. She watches them in adoration as they give her daughter all the love in the world.

“You’re Rose and this is a rose.” He wiggles the rose in front of her.

“And you want to know a secret?” He whispers to his baby. “You’re the prettiest rose of them all.”

Nathalie melts in that instant. She won’t have to remember anything to know that Gabriel loves them, he loves them so very much.

———

The days were long, and Nathalie noticed how December was coming to an end. The last week has been oddly peaceful.

She wasn’t thinking of the upcoming holidays much, simply enjoying the time she had with her baby. Except, something had been bothering her, something that wasn’t going away. She’d push it off her brain, and hours later it’d return. It remains there, she’s in daze at times, thinking if she’s right or wrong for having such thoughts.

It’s the urge to see Henry one last time. Their first encounter at the hotel hadn’t gone as expected. She was nervous, she was crying, and she was an idiot.

A sense of readiness had invaded after her last in depth conversation with Gabriel. They’ve been sleeping in the same bed since, and it’s been so calming to her soul. And still, there’s something that stings in her heart. A little sting telling her she should speak with Henry one last time. Thank him for everything, and wish him the best.

Only that way would Nathalie be able to continue with her life in absolute peace.

This time, she didn’t want to go behind his back. Nathalie wanted to tell Gabriel and at least get his opinion on the situation. She’d realized that acting on her own wasn’t the best route to go, so with a great deal of courage, Nathalie goes to the atelier in hopes of speaking with him.

The door is slightly open, and Nathalie slowly pushes it only to find Gabriel removing the hooks around a large painting on the wall of the atelier.

“Nathalie,” he says as he hears her light footsteps.

She scans the room with curiosity realizing it’s the first time she’s stepped in since she arrived at the mansion. “Are you busy?” She asks.

“Not too much. A few handymen will be here in the afternoon to take the portrait down, I’m getting these hooks down, that’s all.”

He watches Nathalie stare at the painting with immense curiosity.

“It’s Emilie, Adrien’s mother.”

The resemblance with the boy is incredible, Nathalie thinks to herself as she stares at the portrait with lost eyes.

“She was pretty,” Nathalie whispers.

Gabriel gives her a soft smile. “I spoke to Adrien about this, he agreed on it coming down.”

She casually lets her eyes wander through the entire atelier. She sees mannequins with dresses which are half completed. A runway, and then a desk straight ahead.

Nathalie walks over to the corner where the desk sits, and Gabriel follows her. “That is where you used to sit, dear. We’d work for hours, and there you were, helping me in everything.”

It makes her nostalgic knowing they have such an extensive past, and she can’t remember one bit of it. She touches the desks, and opens the drawers. There she finds a calendar marked with different events and weekly plans. It’s so surreal finding the items she’d kept in that life. The life she so desperately wants to remember. But first she must rid herself of the fantasy that her life had been for nearly a year.

“I came here because I wanted to make a request.” Nathalie finally says.

Gabriel listens to her with attention. “I want to see Henry one more time.”

His heart shakes the moment he hears her words. Nathalie can see the shadow of anxiety cross his face.

“One last time, Gabriel. I need to thank him, but I also need to say goodbye. It’s the only way I’ll be able to live my life alongside you and our daughter in complete peace.”

She sees his glare soften behind the clear lens of his glasses, his lips forming a smile. “Your peace and happiness is what matters the most, and if seeing him one more time helps, you should go.”

“Thank you, Gabriel.”

“Don’t thank me Nathalie. You’re free to do as you please, just have Placide take you.”

He then embraces her, running his hand down her back hoping this encounter with Henry Martin truly brings her the peace she yearns for. Nathalie looks up at him, a gaze that takes him to the past.

A past in which they’d embrace in this very atelier, and then he’d kiss her lips so very sweetly. This time, Gabriel only lets his lips meet hers in a soft peck which Nathalie accepts. He then watches her leave the atelier, and his heart pounds a little faster as she does.

———

Nathalie walks down the hallway of the hotel with her hands in her pocket, and her steps steady and precise.

She doesn’t feel the way she felt last time.

Last time she was a mess, but this time she’s completely relaxed. Nathalie isn’t planning on staying long, the words are sitting at the back of her tongue as she prepares to say her goodbye.

When she arrives at the door, Nathalie is quick to deliver a firm knock. Seconds go by, and when the door pulls open, she’s left in shock.

“Diane,” says the woman with fire immediately growing in her eyes.

“Julia,” Nathalie mumbles in surprise.

Chapter Text

Nathalie stands uncomfortably before an obviously upset Julia. All the words she had prepared seemed to drift away to the woman’s unexpected presence. She feels nervous all over again.

“I’ve come to speak with Henry,” Nathalie finally says. “Can you please tell him I’m here.”

She attempts to look through the room, but Julia stands greedily in front of the doorway, not allowing her to have a peek inside. “What are you even doing here?”

Nathalie looks at her in confusion. “Can’t you leave Henry alone? He’s suffered enough, and here you are again, disturbing his peace.”

“That isn’t my intention, I simply want to talk to him, say-“

“He doesn’t care what you have to say anymore.”

Nathalie looks at her with sad eyes. “Why have you always been so rude to me? I’ve never done anything to you.”

Julia rolls her eyes, contempt so obvious on her face. Her behavior isn’t a surprise to Nathalie, she’s been that way since the day she met her all those months ago. However this time, Nathalie feels extremely exposed, and she isn’t too sure why.

“You have no place in Henry’s life. Aren’t you living with your family now, I don’t understand what you’re doing here?”

“I just want to talk to him, please-“

Julia opens the door widely this time, allowing her to have a clear view of the room. “He’s not here, have a look for yourself.”

Nathalie slowly enters the room, and immediately finds various belongings scattered across the bedroom which appear to be Julia’s. A coat and a purse hang off the clothing hooks near the door, as well as women's boots, and a laptop.

She thinks of how long it’s been since Julia arrived in Paris. Did Henry call her, was he expecting her?

The thoughts come to an end when she hears the woman’s voice again. “Now that you’ve seen he isn’t here, I suggest you leave and don’t come back.”

“I want to talk to him. When will he return?”

Julia shakes her head while slightly chuckling at Nathalie’s insistence. “Don’t you understand that he doesn’t want you here?”

Nathalie gives her a questioning glare. “Did he tell you that?”

“He told me a lot of things.”

Nathalie suddenly recalls what he said the last time she was there. “Don’t come here again.” He said it with pain in his voice, but also kindness as if he was trying not to hurt her. He then promised her everything would be okay. That single promise has stuck with her so vividly during the past days.

“I’m not here with the intention of disturbing his peace as you claim, I only-“

Julia speaks over her, causing Nathalie to pause. “Aren’t you going to ask about what Henry said to me?”

“I don’t know if it matters,” Nathalie says in a soft tone.

“It does matter, it matters a lot actually.”

Nathalie squints her eyes in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Julia slowly approaches her. “He despises you, Henry hates you more than anything.”

“What?” She can barely breathe.

“It’s the truth, Nathalie. I’m only repeating what Henry said to me.”

The day she set foot in that hotel, Nathalie was convinced Henry did in fact hate her. Her presence there had seemingly opened a fresh wound in his heart, but his kindness towards her was the same just as it had been since the day she met him. And even as she left that place with her soul crushed, Nathalie was convinced Henry didn’t hate her. He couldn’t, she could see the love in his eyes even through the sadness of it all.

“You look surprised,” Julia tells her as Nathalie stares blankly ahead of her with teary blue eyes.

“Henry would never-“ Nathalie attempts to say.

“Oh, but he did. He spoke about your ridiculous insistence of wanting to keep him near.”

Nathalie’s heart drops to that single revelation.

“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re a pathetic woman. How could you think Henry would want to stay by your side as you uselessly try to get your memory back. Who do you think he is, your personal doctor?”

Nathalie doesn’t say anything.

She can’t. Julia’s words are too much for her already confused soul.

“Henry has other patients he must tend to, he needs to make a living.” Julia continues. “He isn’t ridiculously wealthy like your daughter’s father. I’m sorry, but you’ve only been wasting his time.”

The beginnings of a shearing headache make way through Nathalie’s hazed brain. Her feet stumble and she holds onto the wall next to her, feeling as if everything were spinning. She’s never felt so betrayed as she feels now.

In this life of stranded memories, there was only one person Nathalie thought she could blindly trust.

Henry Martin was her safe spot, he was her rock. He had taken care of her since the very beginning. He cleaned her injuries and fed her. He put a roof over her head, and watched over her pregnancy. Before her daughter arrived, he was the only person Nathalie truly loved. And now she finds out it was all a lie. That she’s been nothing but a burden in his life, and that everything he said the last time they spoke were the remains of broken and false words.

His promise was a lie … Everything isn’t okay, and she doubts it’ll ever be. She’s confirmed for a second time that coming here was a mistake.

Gabriel selflessly allowed her to come here only for Nathalie to destroy herself even more. It hurts, it hurts immensely.

“Are you okay?” Julia hypocritically asks.

Nathalie shakes her head. “I don't know, my head hurts a lot.”

The woman takes a hold of Nathalie’s trembling hand pulling her towards the exit. “I’m sorry if I was too honest, but someone needed to tell you the truth. Don’t come here again, Henry doesn’t want to see you ever again.”

An overly dizzy Nathalie barely manages to open the door, and Julia watches her leave with clear amusement. Not feeling at all guilty for all the lies she just spoke.

As the door closes, Julia walks over to the edge of the bed, and the moment her eyes get lost in a single spot in front of her, she recalls the day she saw Henry for the first time since he arrived in Paris.

It was a loud knock, she wanted to make sure Henry heard it. As she had expected, Henry’s face was of pure surprise when he saw her.

“Julia, what are you doing here?” She recalls him saying.

The woman walked straight into the room, wanting to make sure he was truly alone. “I made Alba give me the address of where you are staying,” she said as she settled her belongings down.

She turned to face him. “When were you planning to return to the farm Henry? It’s been over a month.”

She watched him walk to the small sofa located in the room. Julia was quick to take a seat next to him. “It’s been very hard for Nathalie to let me go,” he whispered and Julia huffed in annoyance as she heard the woman’s name.

“Don’t tell me you’re still in love with that woman. She’s practically useless, she has no memory. That’s who you want by your side?”

“I don’t like how you express yourself about her, have some compassion, Julia. She can’t remember anything, just think of how that may feel. It must be a terrible experience.”

And Julia spent the next hours hearing him talk about Nathalie and her daughter with such love. It annoyed her knowing that Henry still had strong feelings for her. He even spoke about Nathalie’s recent appearance at the hotel. How Henry was forced to dismiss her even as his heart ached. Julia pretended to understand, but it made her furious that even after all this time, Henry was still so obviously in love with her. He is a kind soul, and as Julia expected, he allowed her to stay in his hotel room since she claimed she had nowhere else to go.

She lied of course. Lied about everything Henry ever told her. She has wanted Henry Martin for herself for a long time, and if cynically lying in order to get Nathalie out of the way was what she needed to do then there was no time for second guessing.

Now she’s truly convinced Nathalie will never come searching for Henry ever again.

———

There was no intention of exiting the hotel the way she had entered, Nathalie simply wanted to get out of there. She’s lost in some type of trance, and the headache she currently feels is consuming her.

A white blanket of melancholy covers the ground as Nathalie walks through the streets of Paris with no real destination. Placide isn’t there, making her realize she’s on a different side of the large building. But Nathalie walks away from the hotel, not caring at all to meet with the silent man, not caring at all to return home. Her feet drag against the snowy pavement, feeling as if she were stepping onto fluffy white feathers.

The minutes transpire quickly and Nathalie gets the notion she’s been walking forever. There’s no sight of the hotel, all she can only see is an iced garden in the middle of a park.

Which park?

She isn’t sure.

The pieces of snow cover the bare branches and the pale green bushes in a sweet whiteness. There’s flowers peeping through the snowy pieces of ice, and the sight takes her back to the little cottage on the farm. There’s a bench at the park, and Nathalie slowly takes a seat. A breath so heavy leaves her lungs, and then those cruel words begin to loudly echo in the back of her brain.

“He despises you, Henry hates you more than anything.” It was a bullet going through her heart as Julia coldly repeated Henry’s words.

“How could I be so stupid”?” Nathalie mumbles in tears. Her face and hands are ice cold, and it seems nothing could warm her up.

“What’s wrong with me?” She says again while remembering the kiss she gave Henry. “It’s no wonder he hates me.”

And as she gets up one more time, a flash of the car accident invades her. She has seen it numerous times since the night of, except this time, something is different. Her aching legs walk out of the park, and continue a path towards nothingness.

Her heart startles in fear as she sees the image of the solitary road in her head. There had always seemed to be a cloud over that road, it’s like her brain could never get the full picture, but this time it’s clear as day.

The night was intense and the road was dark. The car blinked, telling her it was low on fuel.

Nathalie gasps to that clear view of her car being low on fuel. She leans against a street pole, needing to catch her breath. She’d never before seen such a clear flash of that night.

Another flash, Nathalie fumbled with the GPS while her car was at full speed. It appears her eyes had drifted away from the road, but the next time she looked up, it was too late. The cliff was right there, and there was no escape whatsoever. Her screams were loud, and then she vaguely covered her torso in an attempt to protect the life inside of her.

“Oh my god!” Nathalie exclaims as her hands grip the pole bringing her back to reality. “I was trying to protect my baby as the car rolled off the cliff, I remember.”

A touch on her shoulder frightens her. “Are you okay, Miss? You seem disoriented, should I call for help?” A man stands behind her with obvious worry.

“No, no”, Nathalie says out of breath. “I’m fine, thank you.” She doesn’t allow the man to continue, quickly walking away from him and into an alleyway.

Leaning against a brick wall, Nathalie holds her head as a series of flashes invades her along with a throbbing pain.

“Nathalie.” She can hear his voice in concern almost as if he were truly there, beside her. “What’s wrong dear, you look sick?”

“I don’t know, I suddenly thought I would faint.” Nathalie held his hands that were around her waist. He tried to say more, but she unexpectedly leaned over the bin near them, and loudly spilled her stomach contents into the trash bin.

“Go home, Nathalie. Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow, only if you’re feeling better.” He tried to kiss her lips, but Nathalie turned away in an instant.

“No Gabriel, I just threw up.” She shyly told him. He sweetly smiled at her, and gave her forehead a kiss instead.

The next flash was herself in the bathroom of her apartment, and Nathalie can feel all the nervousness she felt in that moment. Her shaky hand reached for the test, and when she had a look, the test read positive.

“Oh, no.” She whispered in shock. The flashes stop for only a moment as Nathalie attempts to process what she’s just seen. Her nails scratch the brick wall behind her in desperation feeling its roughness under her fingertips.

“Are these some type of dreams?” She asks herself in confusion. But then the realization comes in that these aren’t dreams at all. They’re memories, Nathalie is remembering her past.

The next flash invades like a bolt of lightning. Her voice was loud and demanding. “Gabriel, say something.”

He didn’t say anything. “Where is this sudden urge to reveal our relationship to him coming from?” She could see his anger, his lack of willingness.

“I’m tired of hiding, I’m tired of being your secret.” She yelled in anger. “I’m tired of you treating me like your mistress and not the woman you say you love!”

Nathalie gasps as she recalls herself speaking those words. Gabriel had repeated those exact words to her when they had their last argument, except Nathalie couldn’t remember saying them, not until now.

“What’s going on?” She says in fear as her headache continues to grow. It’s impossible to believe she’s actually remembering their past, after all this time.

There it is again, a flash that leaves her completely breathless, and this time, Nathalie collapses onto the wet and icy pavement.

“I won’t do this anymore Nathalie, I can’t.” She didn’t really let him finish, she simply threw herself on him and embraced him so tightly.

“What would happen if my son were to ever find out? I’m risking him, I’m risking myself, and I’m risking you as well.” His chin resting on her shoulder as he spoke with teary gray eyes.

“Shh,” she mumbled, her finger grazing his lips. “It’s over now.” She grasped the brooches in her palm. “We’ll hide them, and no one will ever know, it’ll be our secret Gabriel.”

“Thank you for everything. Thank you for saving me, Nathalie.” They embraced again as they stood in front of the large painting in his atelier.

A wave of darkness enters her now somewhat hazed brain for only a moment. Nathalie drags her legs against the ice, wetting her knees as she shakes in fear and shock.

The garden looked the same, except it was early spring. His voice was full of affection. “I think I love you.” He whispered only millimeters away from her face, they stood by the rose bushes behind the mansion. “I love you, I don’t know at what time it happened but I love you so much Nathalie.”

Her hands lightly clutched his face. “I love you too.”

Slowly he reached for her lips, their noses touched while they breathed each other’s scent. Nathalie was too afraid to reciprocate, but when he tried to pull away from her seeing the reluctance in her blue eyes, Nathalie held him in place and kissed him. She kissed him with all the love that exists in her heart.

It was soft and sweet, and the love was there to help make everything right.

Nathalie cries with immense sentiment as the memories of their life shine bright inside her brain.

It’s now unstoppable as the flashbacks flow in one after the other. It’s giving her hazed brain life yet it’s also making it hard for her to adjust to her surroundings.

How will she get out of this alleyway?

No more time for that thought as another flash makes its way through.

They were tangled up in the sheets of his bed, and Gabriel rubbed her naked back and laced his fingers through her hair. Nathalie could see his skin fill with goosebumps as her nails stroked his bare chest while her legs rested over his thighs. The walls of his bedroom had seen how they had made love to one another so freely and so passionately.

Those walls had heard them murmur the words “I love you,” countless times in that single night.

“I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love you.” Her voice sounded through the dimness of his bedroom. She lifted her head to meet his lovely gaze. “I love you, Gabriel.”

Gabriel leaned in to peck her lips. “I love you more.” The feeling of utter happiness filled her soul, and Nathalie knew she’d never love anyone the way she loves Gabriel Agreste.

Her hands are trembling from the coldness, but also the memories. Nathalie buries her face into her arms as she sobs to it all.

“Gabriel,” she says in between her tears. “I need to get home to you and our daughter.” Nathalie crawls out the alleyway noticing the proximity of the sunset.

How long has it been since she abandoned the hotel?

Maybe a few hours, and now she has no clue where she is. Nothing looks familiar, and fear begins to invade her. She walks at full speed, hoping something around the large city gives her an insight of where home may be.

“Gabriel,” she calls out again. “Where should I go?” She’s lost her way home and the fear of never seeing her baby begins to fill her pounding heart.

Her breathing is rapid, and her body is in shock. Her steps slow down as everything begins to spin.

An unfamiliar voice makes its way through one more time. “Are you okay, Miss?” This time a woman approaches her with worried eyes. “You look really pale.”

Nathalie shakes her head. “I need help,” she tells the woman.

“What can I do for you?”

“I need-“ She’s too afraid, and can’t quite get the words out. “I can’t find my way home.”

The woman’s response slowly dies out as Nathalie begins to lose consciousness. A wave of rapid noises rings inside her head. The cries of her daughter, Gabriel’s voice, along with all the street noises begin to echo all at once, and before she knows it, Nathalie collapses.

———

Gabriel stares out the window with a knot forming in his throat. It’s been more than two hours since Nathalie left the mansion and she is yet to return.

“Where are you my darling?”

His phone suddenly rings, and when he sees Placide's name on the screen, Gabriel’s heart shakes. The fear is real, and it’s quite literally suffocating him.

“Yes?” He answers in pure terror.

It had been more like a nightmare covered with the most terrifying memories which flashed before him the moment he heard the bodyguard’s words.

Nathalie never made it out of the hotel.

That’s what Placide said. He informed Gabriel he had been searching the city in hopes of finding her, but there was no sight of Nathalie anywhere.

“Adrien!” Gabriel calls from the top of his lungs.

The boy appears within seconds. He stares at his father with a look so familiar, something is happening, the pit of his stomach begins to tighten.

“Adrien”, he breathes in fear.

“What is it father, you’re scaring me.”

“I can’t believe this is happening again.” Gabriel whispers in disbelief.

“What’s happening?”

He rushes towards his son. “Nathalie is missing, Placide can’t find her anywhere.”

Adrien is left mute to Gabriel’s unexpected and horrifying words.

“No!” Gabriel suddenly yells. “I refuse, this will not happen again. I will go out to search for her, you stay and watch Rose.”

He drives around the snowy streets of Paris, hoping to spot Nathalie. As he makes his way up to the hotel, the ringing of his cell phone can be heard for a second time.

Gabriel retrieves it from his jacket, and doesn’t recognize the number. “Yes?” He answers clearly upset.

“Gabriel?” A man’s voice says through the phone.

“Who is this, where’s Nathalie?”

“This is Henry Martin. I’m in the emergency room at the hospital downtown, they’ve just brought Nathalie in a few minutes ago.”

“What?” Gabriel exclaims not understanding a single word. “What did you do to her? I knew I should’ve not let her meet up with you.”

Gabriel turns his car into the direction of the hospital.

“What are you talking about?” Henry asks in confusion. “I had a sixteen hour shift today. I was just about to leave when I saw an unknown woman entering the hospital with Nathalie. She’s unconscious, and really cold. I think she’s been roaming the streets for a long time.”

“I’m on my way there, how is she doing?”

“Like I said, she’s cold and she’s wet. Her clothes are dirty, and she’s unconscious. I’ll have her admitted and I’ll start an IV drip, ask for me when you arrive.”

Gabriel agrees, and drives towards that hospital with a feeling of desperation creeping in. She has to be okay, he won’t be able to deal with this a second time.

———

Henry takes a hold of Nathalie’s ice cold hand. She mumbles a few incoherent words as the nurse pushes the gurney in which she rests into a large room.

“Bring an IV bag immediately, I need to start the drip, she must be dehydrated.” The nurse obeys and Henry begins to remove the coat from her trembling body.

It instantly reminds him of when he first met her. The day she arrived at the door of his cottage injured and disoriented. It’s odd to be in this same position again. He recalls Gabriel’s words when they spoke on the phone earlier. He said that Nathalie went to see him at the hotel, and yet Julia hasn’t mentioned anything all day.

Henry touches Nathalie’s freezing and red cheeks. He didn’t think he’d see her again, especially not in these conditions. “Nathalie?” He calls her name as she begins to shift uncomfortably on the leather bed.

“Gabriel, Gabriel,” she calls for him with such need.

Henry sadly smiles at the sound of her voice. “It’s okay Nathalie, he’ll be here any second. Hang on for just a moment.”

With the help of the nurse, Henry is able to remove her wet clothing and get her into a hospital gown. Her breaths are shallow, and her head moves from side to side as if she were recalling something terrible.

“Gabriel,” she calls out again.

“Shh,” he mumbles in hopes of bringing her soul comfort. “You’re okay, Nathalie. Gabriel will be here soon.”

He’d never love anyone with the same intensity he loves her. Nathalie has engraved herself in his heart, and there’s nothing he could do about it. Henry could’ve chosen to go home, and have another doctor watch over her, but the thought of leaving her behind was too much. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he was physically exhausted. The constant desire to protect her is still present, and it will not go away.

The nurse covers Nathalie with a couple of warmed up sheets upon Henry’s request. She has chills, and a light fever has made its way through her cold body. Too many hours out in the freezing snow has made her ill.

He wonders what occurred, why she ended up alone in the streets.

A loud noise emerges from the door behind him, and before he knows it, Gabriel Agreste is standing at the foot of the bed.

“Nathalie,” he says in relief but also anguish.

“She’s fine.” Henry quickly informs him. “She has a slight fever and chills, but we’ve started medication.”

Gabriel closes his eyes in real relief. “Thank you, Henry.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

Gabriel slowly approaches a still unconscious Nathalie. He takes her cold hand into his own, and once again, she calls for him in her dozy state.

“Gabriel…”

He leans in to kiss her cheek. “I’m right here my love.”

The room fills with an odd peace, almost as if Nathalie has understood that Gabriel is in fact beside her, and he will not let go.

Chapter Text

Henry scans the key card and after a few seconds the door makes a loud click, indicating it has unlocked. When he enters his room, he finds Julia working on her laptop while eating a few crackers.

“Henry,” she says in excitement the moment she sees him entering the room. The woman quickly approaches him, attempting to wrap her arms around his neck, but Henry puts his hands up, not allowing her to do so.

“I’m really tired.”

“Of course, I’m sorry.” Julia watches him settle in, and she can’t ignore the troubling look on his exhausted face.

“How was your day?”

He doesn’t answer, simply searching through the drawers in the room in complete silence. A feeling of uneasiness begins to fill Julia’s chest as she notices Henry’s distant behavior.

“Are you angry at me?” She asks as he continues to ignore her.

Henry sets his clothes down, turning his attention over to Julia who stares at him in confusion. “I will ask you something, and I will only ask you one time, so I need you to tell me the truth. Do you understand?”

“Was Nathalie here?” He asks her.

Julia’s stomach trembles to the doctor’s words. Her eyes begin to fill with anxious tears as she realizes the mistake she’s made.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She foolishly attempts to deny it.

“I told you to tell me the truth.” His voice sounds demanding, but he also seems hurt and maybe even betrayed.

“I’m sorry.” She says as she falls onto the sofa. Her hands covering her face while she cries in complete humiliation.

“What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything to her. She came looking for you and then I told her… I just wanted her to leave you alone!”

“Wait, you lied?” He says, evidently confused. “What did you say to her?”

She gets up from the sofa as she once again approaches him. Her hands try to touch him, but this time Henry pushes them away. He’s always been so polite and kind with her, never before has Julia seen him this angry.

“Nathalie was lost for hours in the freezing snow, she could’ve caught hypothermia.” He yells in anger. “She was brought to the hospital completely disoriented, and Gabriel said she had come here, looking for me. What did you do to her when she arrived?”

Julia cries to Henry’s harsh voice. “I didn’t know she’d get lost. I did lie to her about things you said, I told her you hate her and that you never wanted to see her again. I told her to never come searching for you again, but I promise I didn’t do it with the intention of her getting lost.”

Henry listens to her words in complete shock and disbelief, it makes him sick knowing how cruel Julia was to Nathalie… It makes him sick knowing Nathalie thinks he could’ve actually said such cruel things about her.

The person he loves the most.

He stares at her in anger. “How could you, Julia?”

She asks for forgiveness in between tears of desperation. “Forgive me Henry, I-“

He interrupts her. “I thought you were my friend, we’ve known each other for years. How could you do something so vile, so cruel to someone who hasn’t done anything to you.”

“You know I love you!” She exclaims, trying to save herself from his wrath. “I viewed Nathalie as an obstacle between us, can’t you understand that?”

Henry shakes his head to her pathetic excuses. “What I understand is that you don’t really love me, because if you did, you wouldn’t have been so cruel to a person I care about so much.”

He takes his clothes and slowly walks to the bathroom door. Before pushing it open, he turns to look at her one more time.

“It’s late, so I won’t ask you to leave now.” Julia’s eyes widened to the plain tone of his voice. “But tomorrow I want you out of here, I can't be around you after all that you’ve done.”

Julia immediately regrets her actions, and now realizes that she has lost any and all opportunities with Henry Martin… She has lost him forever.

———

The night had been long and exhausting, and when Henry enters her room, he finds Gabriel half asleep on a chair beside her bed.

Gabriel wakes to the sounds coming from around him. “Henry?” He says in a still sleepy voice. “Is it morning already?”

The doctor nods. “Yes, there has been a change in shift, so I’ll be watching her now.” Henry catches up with the nurse as to Nathalie’s progression while taking notes on the information he is given.

“How is she doing?” Gabriel asks the moment the nurse leaves.

“Much better, the antibiotic helped, and the fever has gone away. Although she won’t wake up until later, they’ve administered her a strong dose of sedation medication.”

Gabriel sighs in relief at his response.

“I have a few other patients that I must check on, I’ll be back in a while.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel says as he watches the doctor leave the room.

He glances down at her sleeping face, and can’t help but smile at her with such love. “You're going to be okay, Nathalie.” He grabs her hand, pressing a gentle kiss to her pale knuckles.

A certain thought had been roaming his head all night long, and as Gabriel lets go of her weak hand, he recalls the doctor’s kindness towards them. Through the time that Henry spent at their home, Gabriel was able to see he is a kind soul. He is patient, and he loves her.

Henry Martin loves Nathalie Sancoeur, maybe even as much as Gabriel Agreste does. There’s this specific honesty about him. The way he speaks and expresses himself. The way in which he cares for her, it’s different from some type of physical attraction or physical affection. It appears Henry genuinely loves her. It’s a pure love, and Gabriel never thought he’d be grateful for the love Henry has for her.

At least not until now.

That love used to cause nothing but anger in him. It made him nauseous, and it made him upset. But now Gabriel must admit Nathalie wouldn’t be alive if it hadn’t been for the kindness of the doctor. Henry saved her, and that’s more than he could ask for.

And as if Nathalie could sense the internal peace Gabriel has obtained through the circumstances of it all, the lightness of her dreams have begun to accompany her. Even as she physically lies on the hospital bed with Gabriel beside her, Nathalie’s soul is elsewhere.

It's a strange phenomenon, because the sins of their past life are the first to return, and they are now chasing her in dreams. It's that over everything else.

The clouds across the sky were dark and intense, and on that day, she walked through the corridors of the almost silent mansion with an anxious heart. When she entered his bedroom, she found him sitting at the foot of his bed with a stack of papers in between his hands.

“Gabriel?” She whispered.

“It’s all done,” is all that he told her.

Nathalie approached him, taking the documents from him. “That’s what you wanted, right?” She could see his tentative behavior.

“Yes, but I’m still afraid.”

“Don’t be, we’ve left no trace behind. No one will ever know.”

Nathalie recalled their previous conversation, their plan had been flawless. They had created a sentimonster to lure the heroes and once they had them out, the giant sentimonster in the form of a messenger dove would deliver the magical jewels.

They had watched on as the media made full coverage of it all. The young heroes were at a loss for words. The moment the dove extended its wing revealing the two magical brooches, they retrieved in shock and fear.

Ladybug was sure it was a trap, but when Cat Noir cautiously approached the bird, he was able to see that it in fact had the real brooches tucked under its feathers. A single note read, “I will not fight anymore, these brooches are all yours.” And then the note vanished since it had been written using magic. They had wanted to leave no trace behind.

Nathalie ripped the papers into hundreds of tiny little pieces. They had needed to physically write their plan out, but as it was now over, there was no need for them. She retrieved a small bin from Gabriel’s bathroom, and threw the torn pieces of paper into it. The match head slid across the red part of the box, and as the flame appeared, Nathalie dropped it into the bin. The papers burned into nothingness before their eyes, and she could almost feel the relief of his soul.

Nathalie took his hand into hers. “No one will ever know you were hawkmoth.”

She gasps as she comes back to her senses. Her dream comes to an end, except those last words continue to echo through her head. “No one will ever know you were hawkmoth…”

“Gabriel,” Nathalie calls out as her dreamlike vision comes to an end.

And in that single moment of her voice calling his name, everything falls back into place. Their true destiny is only one, and it had been covered by a hazy cloud for months, but now that cloud has disappeared. Nathalie can remember him in her dreams … She can remember him in real life.

It’s clear and yet it is so very confusing.

“Gabriel.” He stood up from the chair, taking her hand into his own.

“I’m right here, Nathalie.” Her face wrinkles in discomfort while her eyes remain glued shut.

“Henry,” Gabriel says as he watches the doctor enter the room again. “She’s mumbling, but she won’t open her eyes.”

Henry retrieves a lightweight pen from the pocket of his white coat, he lifts her heavy eyelids, shining the light into her gloomy blue eyes.

“Nathalie, can you hear me?”

The sound of the voice next to her frightens her. “Gabriel-“ She calls again in fear.

“Nathalie, open your eyes.” Gabriel tells her. “I’m right here next to you.”

His touch feels heavy around her weak arm. She lets her eyes flutter open, and Nathalie suddenly realizes how much her body aches. It’s sore and stiff. She coughs, her throat burns with every breath she takes. A sensation of immense thirst comes upon her, unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

“Water,” she can barely speak.

Henry is quick to bring her water in a small paper cup. The blurriness of her vision makes her brain shake, her surroundings aren’t clear. The smell of mint and medicine invades her nostrils, and when the cup grazes her lips, Nathalie swallows the water greedily and with such need. It feels fresh and cold as it enters her body, crystalline and pure through her dry mouth and burning throat.

“How are you feeling?” Nathalie turns her head in the direction where the voice is coming from.

She blinks slowly, allowing her eyes to adjust to all the light in the room. “Nathalie,” the deep voice rumbles through her ears again. The touch on her arm feels heavier than before.

The voice which calls her name is one she recognizes, it’s the voice of Gabriel Agreste.

“Gabriel?” Her head turns only a few more degrees in his direction. A bright light shines behind him, maybe the window on the wall, but Nathalie isn’t sure. It’s hard to make out the features of his face, and she squints her eyes, attempting to get a clear view. But it’s him, Nathalie knows it’s him.

“Gabriel, is that you?” She asks anyway.

“Yes darling, it’s me.”

She wants to sit up, she needs to sit up. A breathy groan escapes her lungs as she attempts to move her overly exhausted body. However, she’s in too much pain, she hardly makes any movement at all when a wave of dizziness flows in.

“Don’t push yourself.” A voice tells her coming from the other direction. “You need to relax, you’ve just come off a strong sedative medication.”

Someone holds onto her shoulder wanting to bring her back down, but Nathalie continues to sit up regardless of the pressure on her stiff shoulder.

“I want to sit up,” she insistently mumbles.

As she sits up, Nathalie gets a clear view of the room. She won’t look at the worried faces which stare at her in silence, she only focuses on everything else. Her weary eyes catch sight of a saturated colored painting hung on the wall across her bed.

The painting shows a cottage in the middle of a farm field, there’s flowers and cattle all around.

Then she spots a single lavender butterfly resting over a white rose…

The images of her dreams return… The images of her visions return. Everything has truly returned to its place.

Nathalie swiftly turns her head in his direction, ignoring the shearing pain in her head. She stares at him with lost eyes, the life she once had has returned to her memory.

“Gabriel,” she says. It’s different this time, because now she speaks his name as the person she knows, as the person she’s known for years.

“Yes, dear. How are you feeling now?” He can see something has changed from the expression on her pale face, but he isn’t quite sure what it is.

She swallows roughly, her tears making way through her gloomy blue eyes. “Gabriel,” she reaches for his hand. It’s as if she hasn’t touched him in forever.

“You’re right here, I know you're here… I can see you.”

Confusion invades Gabriel with her words. “What are you talking about, Nathalie?”

Nathalie shakes her head. “You don’t understand!” She nearly exclaims.

“I remember the car accident, I remember the argument we had before I drove away from Paris. I remember you were calling me, and I wouldn’t answer the phone. Then I ended up near a farm, and when I was trying to make my way back home, the car flew off a cliff.”

She pauses for a moment, recalling as she attempted to protect the baby inside her the day the car rolled off the cliff. “I was afraid for the baby inside of me the moment I felt the car roll off the cliff, I remember that vividly.”

Her eyes go wide as she remembers her baby. “My daughter Gabriel, bring her to me right now!”

“Calm down, Nathalie.” He’s crying now, there’s a mixture in his emotions. Gabriel isn’t sure if he should be happy or afraid with all of this.

She holds onto his wrist, her nails clawing at him desperately. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” Nathalie says in a frantic manner.

He shakes his head to her question, Gabriel isn’t sure what she’s talking about.

“I love you.” Those three words are the key to it all, he won’t need anything more.

“You what?” He cries with joy filling his weary heart.

“I love you, Gabriel. Do you remember what I always used to say?” Nathalie asks him.

He gently nods, dying to hear those words one more time. “I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love you.”

Gabriel wraps his arms around her in a desperate embrace. “Oh my darling, I love you so much.”

She closes her eyes, and the images of the day prior come crashing in one by one. The hotel, the cruel woman who spoke evil words to her, the cold snow scraping her knees, and the flashbacks.

“I remember the day you told me you’d end it all.” She speaks so close to his ear while he still embraces her tightly. “that day you swore your pursuit for-“

“Shh,” Gabriel mumbles looking up at the doctor who continues to stand beside the hospital bed. The details of their sinful past must not be revealed for the sake of their family.

Nathalie lets go of him, turning her head to meet the doctor’s eyes. They’re shining with tears, and he quickly wipes them away as she stares at him in slight shock. His familiar yet undistinguished face floods her brain with countless memories.

Some are joyful while others are full of immense sorrow. “Do you remember me the way you remember Gabriel, Nathalie?”

“Or have you forgotten me now?” Henry needs to know.

Nathalie shakes her head in response. “You took me in when I was disoriented and with no memory at all. You fed me and put a roof over my head. You were with me all night while I was in labor, you held my hand when I brought my daughter into the world.”

“Yes Nathalie, that’s right.” The fact that he continues to live in her memory brings peace to Henry’s soul. Because even if Nathalie will never love him the way he does, Henry now has the certainty that their months together still exist in her brain.

“I know you hate me for dragging you to Paris with me, please-“

“No, no.” Henry interrupts her. “Don’t say that, Nathalie. I don’t hate you, I could never hate you.”

Nathalie looks at him in obvious confusion, recalling the cruel words that were spit in her face. “But Julia said-“

“That was a lie, Julia lied about everything she told you. Please believe me.”

The truth glows behind his watery brown eyes. “I believe you, Henry.” And she doesn’t know what else to say.

Gabriel wordlessly extends his hand to him, and the doctor shakes it as he prepares to leave.

“I have more patients I must check on.” He then disappears from the room leaving Gabriel and Nathalie alone.

———

He’d prayed for this day, prayed for the miracle of her restored memories. Gabriel stares at her, finally recognizing the glare of love in her eyes. It’d been too long since the last time he’d seen it. He holds her tight, afraid of losing her. Afraid of losing this little intimate moment they’ve now created.

Nathalie’s glance is sleepy yet lovely. “Is this real?” Gabriel eventually asks after many minutes of utter silence.

“I think it is.” She sounds tired as she softly smiles at him.

“Tell me something … Anything so I could know it’s real.”

Nathalie lightly giggles. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Gabriel kisses her hand.

She reaches for him, her thumb gently stroking his cheekbone. His soft expression tells Nathalie that Gabriel is absolute peace.

“How did it all come back?” He’s dying to know.

Nathalie takes a deep breath at the same time she recalls the flashes she experienced. “It was strange, I don’t really know how to describe it. I feel the same as I’d felt before except with the memories of what my life was these past months.”

“Do you remember everything from our life before all of this?”

Nathalie nods. “Everything, as if I had never lost my memory. Except, I can also remember what it felt when I had no memory at all. I remember the way I viewed you and Adrien. I remember that sense of safety Henry would produce, I remember the fear I felt when he left the house.”

“Does that fear still exist?” Gabriel suddenly asks.

“No, it doesn’t exist anymore,” she responds. “I had this cloud over my brain, and when I first woke up after the accident, Henry was the first face I saw. I felt that I needed him in order to be safe.”

Gabriel unwittingly recalls their argument on that terrible evening. “I need to ask for your forgiveness one more time, Nathalie. I’m sorry I made you feel the need to run away from Paris-“

Nathalie interrupts him. “I didn’t want to run away from Paris forever, I simply needed to clear my mind, but it seems I ended up with a hazed mind instead.” Nathalie motions for him to come closer, and he does.

“I promise you I was planning on returning home, I was just angry. I had just found out I was pregnant, and I wasn’t sure how you’d take it. After all, a baby wasn’t in our plans at the time, and to make matters worse, no one knew about our relationship. It was a lot for me, I was a mentally a mess.”

“That’s why I ask you to forgive me, dear.” Gabriel says in between tears. “I’m the one who made you feel that way.”

“That’s the past Gabriel, don’t mention it anymore.”

He sadly smiles at her. “I know, but it’s been a long year, my darling. Too many tears, too much sorrow. It makes me sad knowing that we had to go through all of this.”

“I know, but it’s over now. We have our daughter, and she makes this all worth it.”

———

The afternoon holds the essence of snow tapping against the large windows of the hospital room. Its coldness penetrates into the glass, and slowly into the room, Nathalie wraps the sheets around her cold arms.

Time dissolves into nothingness when there’s love, that is what he’d told her before he left. Nathalie couldn’t agree more. The time lost isn’t really lost at all, it’s only served them to love one another more and more.

She had listened to the soft footsteps which guided him away from the hospital room. Nathalie asked him to bring their baby, she needs to hold her again. She stares at the space where he had been seated. Where Gabriel cried and begged for forgiveness for what seemed like the millionth time since this all occurred. Nathalie cried as well, she kissed him. The weight of his lips continues to linger even after his short departure.

Strange, everything is so strange. The manner in which she’s recovered her memory. Her current state of mind is different from what it had been only a few hours ago. Most importantly, Nathalie remembers the love she feels for Gabriel Agreste.

It’s as if the love never abandoned her heart yet she remembers everything she felt when the cloud of obliviousness covered her brain. It’s so very strange to think of it all with her memories now restored.

There has been another person living within her. A person Nathalie herself had created. She thinks of Henry and his kindness, but also thinks of the love he has for her.

It crushes her. He’s so kind, so honest, and he saved her. He protected her.

And as Nathalie continues her thought process on Henry, the doctor suddenly appears in her room for the third time today.

“Henry.” She whispers.

The man notices the difference in her. This is her real self, and something dies to the realization of the fact that he’ll never again speak to her in the way that he used to.

“Nathalie, I’ll be leaving in a few hours. I just wanted to say goodbye, I won’t be coming down to this floor for the remainder of the day, and I know you’ll be discharged tomorrow morning.” He clears his voice, wanting to rid himself of the painful knot that is forming.

“I wanted to say goodbye one last time.”

Nathalie extends her hand to him, and he reluctantly takes it. “That’s exactly why I went to the hotel. I needed to say goodbye one last time, but also say thank you for all that you’ve done for me.”

He feels breathless, he feels lightheaded. He feels the love that exists in his heart keeping him from collapsing in front of her.

How he loves her.

Henry should’ve run away, he should’ve not come here and say goodbye, but he did none of those things. It would’ve destroyed him more if he hadn’t come to see her face one more time. It’s a harsh sting to reality that this may be the last time he sees that angelic face he fell in love with.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Nathalie.” He wants to sound strong, even as his heart beats slower almost as if he were dying. “As I wrote in my note, I hope you’re able to find all the happiness you deserve, and also kiss Rosie goodbye for me.”

It’s more heart wrenching hearing him physically speak the words, but Nathalie remains silent to them. “And I was right, you did recover your memory.”

They smile at one another, he then releases her hand. “I did this with all the love in the world. Goodbye Nathalie.”

“Goodbye Henry.”

Nathalie watches him leave the room, and a stinging pain enters her heart. That chapter of her life is over, and the way it hurts is so very overwhelming.

Chapter Text

Nathalie slowly takes a seat at the edge of the bed, and within seconds, Gabriel kneels down to remove the shoes from her feet. Her now bare feet sink into the soft carpet as the light weight on his hands resting on her knees makes her bring her gaze up to meet his pale gray eyes.

There’s something whiffing in the air along with the scent of applewood and cinnamon. Something Nathalie cannot describe, and it might have to do with the sudden and strange manner in which she’s recovered her memory, but this something is so heavy around them both. Slowly, so extremely slowly, Nathalie caresses his left cheek. The smile his lips form instantly reminds her of the words he’d spoken to her days before she recovered her memory. The words were intensely yet sweetly spoken, and the remembrance of them is a flit in her memory.

She motions for him to sit beside her. “You were right, you know that?” She says the moment he sits on the bed.

“Right about what?”

“All I needed was for my brain to wake up so that my heart would as well. So I could remember that I love you.”

Gabriel blinks his tears away as he now realizes his words have become the truth. The sweetest truth of them all. “Your brain waking up was the key to it all, Nathalie.”

His hands gently reach up to tuck the loose strands of hair behind her ear, and he allows himself to breathe her in as he moves closer to her.

And as he continues his soft movements on her hair, Nathalie adjusts her brain in order to understand what it is that she feels whiffing in the air. Perhaps a sublime feeling of rightness and warmth. It’s all shifted back into place, and even if her brain has recovered its memories, there’s this strange urge for peace, and Nathalie continues to search for it in between it all.

She leaves his side, going to the window which faces the garden behind the mansion. It’s lightly covered in snow, yet the rose bushes still bloom through the coldness they’re surrounded in. Nathalie closes her eyes, picturing her own Rose playing in the white garden, and the nostalgia comes upon her in an instant.

This nostalgia peeks through like a cloud in the skyline, and it’s slightly painful.

What does her horizon hold now that the haziness has abandoned her? There’s fear, and there’s pain, but there’s also love to help make it all better.

“Nathalie,” his voice is a near whisper, barely audible in her ears. His hand, light as a feather, touches her arm. “What’s wrong, darling?”

“There was no time to talk before I left this home months ago. I know I didn’t want to talk about this at the hospital, but now-” She pauses as she turns to face him, and Gabriel can see the wetness prickling on the corners of her deep blue eyes. “I need to talk about this … I didn’t even have the opportunity to tell I was pregnant. It all happened so fast, so unexpectedly, and for me it’s as if we’ve returned to that day Gabriel. There were so many things I wanted to say, and-“

He softly interrupts her. “Say them now Nathalie, we have all the time in the world.”

Knees trembling, hands sweaty. Because even if life doesn’t appear in a haze bubble anymore, there continues to exist this fear inside her heart. A fear Nathalie cannot escape from, at least not until she spills on that’s trapped inside her.

“Sit down.” He guides her to the sofa near the window, the sound of the snow tapping the foggy glass invades the quietness of the bedroom.

Nathalie sits on the sofa extremely still. “I never had the opportunity to tell how much it hurt when I was forced to be your secret. I know it’s changed now, but would it have changed if I hadn’t been in that car accident?” Nathalie grimace’s to the images her brain unwittingly creates of the accident that stole her memory for so long.

Shock is an understatement since Gabriel is at a loss for words to this conversation Nathalie has initiated, but it feels wrong to not speak of it. Nathalie had wanted a response from him that day, and she simply didn’t get one. Probably it’s because of the manner in which they began their relationship which had her utterly confused, and now Gabriel regrets most of his actions.

“It would’ve changed, of course it would’ve changed. I had made up my mind the very next morning, that’s why I went to your apartment. I knew I was hurting you, and I couldn’t continue causing you that pain, do you doubt me now?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you. I need to hear it from your mouth, Gabriel. I need to hear you tell me that you would’ve eventually ended the secret manner in which we initiated our relationship.”

“I promise you those were my intentions.” Such an elusive thing is what he was attempting to have. A secret romance with Nathalie had been their undoing in those months. All along he’d thought it was for the best of their relationship, but now he’s realized he’d only been searching for his own comfort and convenience at the time. He found it easy not having to explain anything to anyone, but the mess that secret romance has created is more than anything he could’ve imagined.

“There was no point to my secrecy, anyway.”

Nathalie squints her eyes in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Adrien knew about us before I’d even told him anything … He’d seen us kissing.” Nathalie silently gasps to his words. “It was foolish of me trying to keep it all a secret.”

“Can you forgive me?” He asks, looking at her with all the regret in the world.

“You’ve already asked me to forgive you.”

“I know, but I need to hear it one more time.”

Nathalie gives him a soft smile. “I forgive you.” She says, knowing well he needs to hear it again. “And can you forgive me?”

Gabriel narrows his eyebrows to her in bewilderment. “Whatever for?”

“For running away, I should’ve not done that. You called me numerous times while I drove away from the city, and not once did I attempt to pick up. It was childish of me, and if I hadn’t behaved so immature, I would’ve never been in that horrible car accident.”

He shakes his head, clutching her face in between his palms. “Of course I forgive you, but I need you not to think of that accident anymore. It’s the past, and it has damaged us too much, I don’t want to think about it ever again.”

Her hands grab his wrists, gently pulling his hands away from her face. There’s one more piece missing. Something else she needs to say.

“Do you want to know what was one of the first memories that returned to me?” Sadness evident in her voice.

“What was it?” Gabriel asks.

“The malicious plans we concocted, the scheming we did in order to retrieve those jewels.”

Gabriel’s heart shakes to that. Because that’s a little piece of their past he’d like to erase, but no matter what happens, it seems it'll remain engraved in their memories forever.

“Nathalie-“ His voice shakes.

“A fear has come upon me thinking our daughter or Adrien could ever find what we did. What would happen if-“

“They’ll never know. As you said so yourself when we returned the brooches, we’ve left no trace behind.”

He’s right, Nathalie remembers saying that. It was in her dreams when she was sedated in the hospital. And even if that somewhat diminishes her fear, they continue to exist.

“Promise me the children will never find out. Promise me that, Gabriel.” She holds his hands in a tight manner.

“I promise, Nathalie.” He then leans in to kiss her forehead.

Her eyes meet his, and for the first time since they were reunited, Gabriel can see himself in her pretty blue eyes. He can finally recognize that glare, and that’s all he needs in order to know that everything is going to be just fine.

———

The following days were an emotional roller coaster for all of them. A strange adaptation to the world that had been forgotten for many months.

In her past mind, Nathalie had various thoughts about her life. But now that everything has returned to its place, it’s hard to comprehend her thoughts of only a few days ago. She was herself, trapped in a haze which didn’t allow her to view the life she had once lived. And even if it’s over now, there is still so much healing going on within her now cleared brain.

But her best form of healing is her daughter. No medicine is more soothing than having Rose in between her arms.

“Mama loves you so much, Rosie.” Nathalie beams with joy as Rosie smiles back with her precious toothless grin.

“Do you think Rosie will ever know that she came into the world when I was so far away from home and lost in a haze?”

She looks up at Gabriel searching for an answer. Her question catches him by surprise. Gabriel wasn’t expecting her to ask such a thing as he’s barely entering the living room.

“Does that worry you?” He asks while taking a seat next to her.

“Not much. It’s just a thought I have, that’s all.”

He’d thought about that as well. The past days have been a long cycle of silent thinking amongst themselves. Gabriel wasn’t able to come up with an answer then. It’s hard thinking of the future because even if there’s love, there also exists some uncontrolled fears.

Fears which sometimes steal their peace, but they’re working on it.

“We can tell her as she gets older if you’d like.” He gently pulls her out of Nathalie’s arms. “My priority is that she’s always happy, and that she knows how much we love her.”

Nathalie reaches for her daughter’s hand, pressing a kiss to her tiny and chubby palm. “Can you believe this is our daughter?”

Gabriel shakes his head. “Still feels surreal at times, she’s the most beautiful thing that could’ve ever happened to us.”

Gabriel takes a deep breath, a shadow of melancholy crosses his face.

“What’s the matter, Gabriel?” Nathalie reaches out to caress his cheek.

“I think of those moments I’ve missed out on. I missed out on your pregnancy, I missed out on Rosie’s birth, I even missed out on her first weeks.”

A sense of guilt fills Nathalie’s still healing heart. If only she hadn’t run away that evening…

“I’m sorry.”

He quickly attempts to reassure her, seeing the guilt painted on her beautiful face. “No, no, Nathalie. I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty, it’s just a thought I had. We have the rest of our lives with her, and that’s all that matters.” He lifts Nathalie’s head up with his fingers lightly touching her chin.

“You’re right.” Nathalie responds. “But I know I would’ve had a completely different experience if I had lived my pregnancy here by your side.”

“How was it… Your pregnancy, I mean.”

Nathalie closes her eyes for a moment. Thinking back to those months is different this time around. Looking back to the immense grief and sorrow she felt during those first months of her pregnancy causes a bitter taste to enter her mouth. She’d feel this tremendous grief in her chest in those days, almost as if she had lost someone she loved dearly, except Nathalie couldn’t remember who it was.

Now she realizes her heart was grieving the loss of her past life. The life she couldn’t remember, but continued to exist at the very back of her brain. Nathalie had never felt such sorrow as she’d felt during those first months at the farm.

“The first months were horrible,” she eventually says. “I of course had forgotten I was pregnant when I woke up from the accident, so it was a huge shock when I found out days later. As the weeks progressed, I fell into a deep depression. Now I see my heart was grieving the loss of your love … The loss of not having you near.”

A tear rolls down her cheek. “Tears, so many tears, Gabriel. I cried with such intensity, in a way that I had never cried before.”

“I’m so sorry, my dear.” It hurts to hear the truth of what she experienced.

“I know it was hard for you too, Adrien told me.”

Gabriel looks away in embarrassment. He didn’t want her to know of the weakness of his heart in her absence. He was quite literally slipping away.

“I thought I wasn’t going to make it.” He whispers.

Nathalie leans in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “We’re here now, and so is our daughter.” Her glare shifts to the baby in his arms. “To think Rosie survived the car accident, she truly is a miracle. You know-“ Nathalie says as she laces her fingers through her daughter's blonde locks. “She was my last thought before I lost consciousness the night of the accident. I wanted to protect her so badly, I didn’t know how, but I needed to do it.”

“And you did, Nathalie. Our little Rose is right here. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a father one more time.”

And he kisses her with such love, and Nathalie kisses him in return. Their daughter squirms in between them as Gabriel and Nathalie express all the love that exists inside their hearts for one another. A new beginning has emerged from this story which has already concluded. It's a rather strange feeling because Nathalie continues to search for peace in between it all, and she’s almost sure she has found it.

Chapter Text

Nathalie lifts the child off the floor, and the small girl's arms quickly wrap around her mother as Nathalie attempts to talk sense into the toddler.

“I will get you an ice cream in the afternoon, do you understand?”

Rose shakes her head in denial, she wants the ice cream now. A pout adorns her face as she turns around to see all the ice cream flavors behind the clear glass. Her eyes fixed on the cookies n’ cream bucket. Her favorite.

It was a mistake, Nathalie didn't mean to walk past the ice cream shop, and she can’t blame Rose either. It’s a great temptation for the small child who loves sweet treats.

“Listen, Rosie.” She grabs her daughter’s face, gently rubbing her cheek causing the child to look back into her mother’s soft glare. “It’s too early for ice cream, baby. You haven’t even had breakfast, will you be a good girl and wait until the afternoon?”

It’s a gift more than anything. Nathalie truly has the gift of patience with her daughter. No matter what the situation is, she always remains calm, and her patience generally comes with a reward. Rose is an intelligent child, stubborn at times, but has the ability to understand she must wait on certain occasions for the things she wants.

The child finally gives in. “Okay mama.”

Nathalie smiles at her daughter. “Thank you, baby.”

As she sets the child down, a voice coming from behind calls her name.

“Nathalie?” The familiar voice echoes through all the other noises around her. A voice Nathalie hadn’t heard in such a long time, and her heart tightens for a single moment when her eyes land on him.

“Henry?”

He hasn’t changed much since the last time she saw him at the hospital nearly three years ago. His lips form a kind smile. That smile Nathalie was so used to seeing in the past. The smile which was her safety zone during the darkest times of her life.

He approaches them, his eyes fixed on Rosie who stands timidly behind her mother’s leg. And then there’s this certain feeling tingling inside him.

Is he nervous?

Maybe.

Henry hasn’t seen Nathalie and Rose in years, it’s an odd coincidence finding them. Yet it seems wrong to not approach them. It’s not like he has any hard feelings towards Nathalie. He should be able to say hello without feeling so nervous, so Henry takes a deep breath, attempting to calm his sudden nerves.

“Well look at this young lady.” He says the moment he’s in front of them. “You’re all grown up, aren’t you Rosie?”

The little girl looks up at her mother with curious eyes. “Say Hello, Rose.”

Rose hides her face behind her mother’s leg, but her soft little voice can still be heard, and it immediately warms up Henry’s heart.

“Hello.”

Henry giggles at her shyness.

“She’s beautiful, Nathalie. Believe it or not, but I see a lot of you in her.”

“Thank you, Henry.”

The doctor then extends his hand out to her, and Nathalie quickly places hers into his. For some unexplained reason, it isn’t a surprise when he leans down to press a soft kiss over her knuckles. It feels so friendly and so pure, just as Nathalie remembers him being.

And then she realizes she is nervous.

They don't know it, but finding one another is simply part of their destiny, just like everything else was. And meanwhile, Nathalie wonders for a single moment how her life would’ve turned out if she hadn’t ever met Henry Martin in the circumstances she did. She probably wouldn’t have found her peace.

The frightening thing is that she now wonders about his own reality. The last words he spoke days before she recovered her memory, now blow through her brain like wind in a thunderstorm.

“Don’t you understand how much I love you? I love you so much it hurts.” Words which had been left in the past now return almost as if the clock had rewinded for a split second. Nathalie shakes away those heart wrenching words, and focuses on the present. The past is the past, and she has no way of knowing what he truly feels in this moment. But he seems so happy to see her, it suddenly relaxes her pounding heart.

Her hand leaves his light grasp, and then the doctor’s eyes land on her round and swollen belly.

“So is Rosie having a baby brother or a baby sister?”

Nathalie strokes her round belly over the fresh summer dress she is wearing. “It’s another girl.”

“A girl,” he says, overly thrilled. “That’s wonderful, I’m sure she’ll be a great big sister.”

Nathalie smiles, glancing down at her firstborn. “Well, she’s been a little bratty lately.” Her feet move over the glossy floor of the large mall as she steps closer to Henry. “I think she’s a bit jealous.” Her voice is a whisper, not wanting to alert the child they’re speaking of her.

“It’s normal, she’s been an only child for three years. It’s a big transition for her, but she should adapt just fine.”

Nathalie pauses for a moment. Her eyes land on the cafeteria across from them, and the smell of the fresh baked goods causes her hunger to rise.

“We were on our way for breakfast, would you like to join us?”

The surprise on his face is exactly what she was anticipating, but it won’t hurt to at least ask.

“Unless you’re busy-“

“No, let’s go,” he accepts the invitation.

They settle on the chairs located inside the small coffee shop. Nathalie lets out a sigh as the pressure on her lower back starts to ease up.

“How’s this pregnancy going for you?”

“It’s completely different from the first one. I think this little girl will eventually break my ribs, she kicks so much more than Rose did. She’ll probably be a soccer player or a marathon runner.”

Nathalie gasps, her hand clasping around her upper belly. “I don’t think she liked that, there she is again, wanting to fracture my ribs.”

Together they laugh at her silly words, while Henry wipes away the coffee from around his lips. It’s so gratifying to see her happy and well. It makes him know it was all worth it. He’d think about her often in the first year after he left. He’d think about her day to day life, think about Rosie with such fondness, sometimes wishing he would’ve been their happiness.

As the years progressed, Henry has learned to let go of her. The light of her blue eyes had given him so much happiness as it did sadness, but at the end of the day, it was never meant to be.

“So, what have you been up to?” Nathalie finally asks after a few seconds of silence.

“Working for the most part. I’ve been to various conventions throughout the country in the past months, and I’m also working on opening my own clinic here in Paris.”

“That’s incredible, you deserve it Henry.”

His warm smile makes way once more. It reminds her of the farm and the cottage. The animals, and the green fields which could be seen from miles away. It reminds her of those little things she’d forgotten they lived together when she had no memory at all.

“You won’t return to Pays de la Lorie anymore?”

“I did, after a few months of working at the hospital downtown, but I wasn’t receiving any patients so I decided to return to Paris.”

“How are Alba and Tim?” Nathalie asks.

“They’re great, I keep in touch often. They continue working on their farm, and I go visit whenever I can.”

It’s nice to hear the people who had taken such good care of her are doing well. Nathalie had thought about them occasionally as the years went by, and she’d always wanted to know how they were doing. She’ll never forget how kind they were to her daughter and herself.

“And Julia?” Nathalie isn’t even sure why she asks about her, but she doesn’t attempt to withdraw her question. Maybe there is a certain curious thought roaming Nathalie’s mind for the woman as well. A curious thought she didn’t know existed until now.

A somber expression crosses his face as he hears the woman’s name along with a breathy sigh.

“We had a terrible relationship after what she did to you on that day before you recovered your memory, I couldn’t go past that. Besides, Julia continued all these lies and scheming against you. I had to cut ties with her completely.”

Nathalie sets her buttery croissant down, narrowing her eyebrows in confusion to Henry’s words. “What do you mean?”

“She was practically speaking nonsense to Alba and Tim about you, things I won’t repeat.” His voice sounds embarrassed as he recalls the woman’s words. “She was obsessed with the idea that I couldn’t start anything with her because of you, which wasn’t the case at all. I had always viewed Julia as a friend and nothing more. Eventually, Alba had to ask her to leave the farm since she was starting to be a problem for them.”

Nathalie can still recognize the kindness of his heart. It makes her feel a mixture of peace and melancholy, and she isn’t sure why.

“Thank you so much for everything you did for my daughter and I. Thank you for being there when I needed you the most, I won’t ever forget those moments.”

His eyes drift away from the woman he had so dearly loved. A love which had saved him yet crumbled him all at the same time. A love which he has learned to let go of, even as her unexpected presence causes his heart to tremble all over again.

The breakfast transpires in a friendly manner. Henry even asks for Gabriel and Adrien, and Nathalie can see the genuineness in him through it all.

Usually, Nathalie doesn’t have such intense emotions when coming across someone she hadn’t seen in a long time, but with Henry it’s completely different given their history. As they exit the coffee shop, a strange sensation comes upon them both, feeling as if they will never cross paths again.

“Goodbye, Nathalie.” The doctor kisses her hand one last time.

He then allows the back of his hand to caress Rose’s cheek. “Goodbye, Rosie. I hope you continue to grow up healthy and happy.”

The little girl smiles at him, all the shyness has disappeared as her eyes glow with joy.

“Goodbye, Henry.” And this time, Nathalie knows it’s forever.

Unbeknownst to Henry, only a few short months from this encounter, he is destined to find the woman who is truly meant to make him happy. A person who will give him the unconditional love and happiness he wasn’t meant to find in Nathalie.

———

The weeks had transpired quickly, and Nathalie is only a few short weeks away from giving birth to her second daughter. They sit in the living room, and the warm rays of the summer sun shine through the large window lightening up the room.

The sweetness of the summer breeze blows continuously through the cracked windows, along with the scent of freshly cut grass. It’s a pleasant afternoon for them all. Nathalie takes a deep breath leaning her head against his shoulder, feeling her baby’s continuous movements inside her womb.

“Collette. What do you think of that name?” Gabriel rubs her swollen belly as he waits for her answer.

She remains silent for a few seconds, a pensive look on her glowing face. “I like it, Collette it is.”

Gabriel gently strokes her belly again. He can feel the life inside her womb move with force as his daughter fiercely kicks her mother’s insides. It makes him smile with joy and love.

“You’re so beautiful, the most breathtaking woman I have ever seen.” His whisper falls close to her ear as he presses a tender kiss to her forehead.

When she lifts her head off his shoulder, Gabriel can see the blush of her cheeks. There’s love and there’s excitement sparkling in those blue eyes Gabriel adores. She’s perfect, ethereal even. Pregnancy really suits her. It makes her even more beautiful than she already is.

How he loves her.

“You’re a lovey-dovey Mr. Agreste, but I like it.” Her finger taps his nose.

“And you’re the woman of my dreams.” He can’t resist the urge to compliment her every second of the day. He wonders how winded up so lucky.

The sound of their eldest daughter striding through the living room makes them smile as the little girl runs towards them with a black cat plushie. It has deep green eyes and prominent whiskers.

Adrien follows his sister who beams with joy.

“Mama, Papa,” exclaims Rose. Her arms wrap around the black cat.

“Look at this, Adrien gave it to me.”

Gabriel extends his arms, lifting the child and setting her on his lap.

“It’s a cat.” Rose says as she adjusts herself on her father’s lap. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.” Her parents respond.

“Will you share it with your baby sister?” Nathalie asks, and a frown immediately comes across Rose’s face.

She hugs the plushie a little tighter against her small body. “Adrien said he got one for her too.”

Adrien chuckles at Rose’s sudden change of attitude. He takes a seat beside his father, but looking straight into Rose’s gray eyes.

“I did get one for her, but will you also share this one with her?”

She remains pensive for a few seconds, and the expression on her face softens as she finally answers.

“Okay.”

“Thank you, Rosie.” Adrien raises his hand up to her, giving her a quick high five.

“So have you decided on a name for the baby?” Adrien asks, looking at both his father and Nathalie.

“Your father chose it, and I agreed. We’ll name her Collette.”

“Collette, that’s a lovely name. I’m so happy, now I’ll have two sisters.” He reaches up to tickle Rose’s belly and the girl falls back in laughter over her parents legs.

As Gabriel and Adrien continue a conversation with Rose, explaining the importance of sharing, Nathalie gets lost in her own thoughts.

Three years ago, she’d been lost in what seemed like an endless dimension of haziness and gloominess. She cried, feeling hopeless and lonely while grieving the loss of her past life.

Except, Nathalie didn’t know she needed this. She didn’t know she needed this happiness until she obtained it. Gabriel missed the entirety of her first pregnancy, and to experience the gift of growing life beside him is more than she could’ve asked for.

His daughters have made him a better person, and he’s subsequently become a better father to his first born. Adrien has noticed the change in him as well, and their relationship as father and son has never been better. And Nathalie has also changed. She isn’t the woman she was three years ago. Her daughters are the light of her life, and she couldn’t trade them for anything.

Now she knows that she was meant to live in a world of stranded memories in order to have everything she has now.

Stranded memories no more. Life is as clear as day, and as sweet as honey.