My eyes open to the dimness of morning light. A faint scent of strawberries lingers in the air. Chloe! A smile tugs at my face and I give in to it. I turn on my side and find a blonde haired beauty sleeping next to me.

Her mouth is slightly open and she looks so cute with the way her lips move a little in her sleep! I reach for her, and pull myself close. She opens her eyes at my touch, her grey eyes clouded by sleep.

“Morning, Max,” she says. Max Caulfield. That’s my name. That certainty fills me as I kiss her cute ear. I’m feeling a bit frisky and slip my hand under her shirt. She catches it with a sad little smile. “Sorry, babe,” she says, “I… I’m not really up for that this morning.”

Sadness fills me, matching her smile, but I respect her wishes. “Are cuddles ok,” I ask and she nods. I pull myself tight against her. She’s laying on her back, and I’m on my side tucked against her. We fit together like puzzle pieces and I wonder if we can stay like this all day.

A pressure from my bladder says no. I delay it as long as I can, but finally, I slip from the covers into the cool morning air and go to the restroom. I read the cards inside as I use the toilet then wash my hands. When I return to the bedroom, Chloe is gone. An emptiness opens inside me, stealing the moments of happiness I had.

Instead of returning to bed like I wanted, I follow the instructions on the cards. Ater a refreshing shower, I put on the warm clothes waiting for me on my bed. Chloe must have set them out for me. I move to the full length mirror to complete my bedroom ritual. Next to it is a picture of Chloe and I, with her arm around my neck and her chin on my shoulder. It brings a smile to my face and a thrill to my heart. I kiss my finger and touch it to Chloe’s face.

The cards lead me to my door, then down a hallway into a large room. Kitchen, dining and living area all occupy the space. Chloe is dressed for the day, tucked into the corner of the couch. Her hands are wrapped around a steaming mug. “There’s fresh coffee in the pot,” she says when she spots me. “Grab yourself a mug and come join me.” The hint of a smile plays around her face as she speaks.

A silver urn is on a counter with a coffee mug and sugar container next to it. It’s a matter of a few moments for me to prepare my mug then make my way to her. I tuck myself into her side like she’s tucked into the couch. She wraps an arm around me and I snuggle closer.

The only sounds are our breathing and sipping. There are no signs of my parents or anyone else. So much for that reminder card. “Have you seen my parents?”

“They’re doing something in the back of the house.”

We sip our liquid breakfasts in silence with my head resting on her shoulder. Much like our time in bed, I want this moment to stretch into eternity. But I’m the one to break the moment. “What do you want to do, today,” I ask when my cup is half empty.

She doesn’t answer and I look up at her. Her brows are furrowed and her eyes are focused on something I can’t see. When she sees my look, she gives a little smile. “What would you think of going to town,” she asks, “maybe walk around the parks, eat at one of the cafes?”

“Have we done that before,” I ask. It’s an honest question because I wouldn’t remember if we did that even yesterday.

“No,” she says. “We’ve spent most of our time around the house. I respect that for you, every day is new, every repeated thing is a new discovery. I… I need a little variety, Max. Is that ok?”

I turn and kiss her. “Yes, love,” I say. Did she frown a little when I said that? “I’m sorry. I should have paid more attention to what you like, your interests and what you want to do. I…” My voice trails into silence, uncertain what I should say. How can I really care for someone, when I don’t know what happened yesterday? That thought sends a sharp jolt through me.

A tear trickles down one of her cheeks and I gasp. “Chloe! What’s wrong?”

“Oh, Max,” she says, and puts her face into her hand. “You… care for me so much, and you… you are the best girlfriend I could ever ask for.”

I put my mug on the nearby table and turn so I can pay full attention to her. My hand caresses her cheek as worry and confusion replaces the comfort I felt moments ago. “I’m sorry for not noticing sooner that you needed something different.”

She looks at me and I can’t read her expression. “Max,” she breathes, “I don’t expect that. You can’t remember what happened yesterday. How would you know from one day to the next what I need or how to help me? How to help me be happy…”

She shakes her head, “No. That’s why I’m telling you. Let me wash my face and we can go. I’ve already told your parents. They’re fine with it.”

“You’ll be alright?” I say, worried at this sudden change in her. An insatiable desire to do whatever is needed to bring her happiness grabs me and won’t let go. “Getting away from the house and spending time in town will help you? If you need something else, please let me know so I can help you!” I’m almost pleading, I’m so consumed with making her feel better.

She smiles and it’s so sad my heart hurts. Why isn’t she happy? Why aren’t I making her happy? “You’re the best,” she says, and kisses me lightly on the lips. “Now, let’s go get cleaned up.”

Chloe goes to the guest bath, while I go to the one in my bedroom. My heart is so heavy within me I expect it to crash to the floor. I splash water on my face, dry it, then look at my reflection. “You need to do a better job at being a girlfriend, Caulfield,” I whisper. “You aren’t the only person in this deal. Chloe is as important as you, and you need to act more like her partner.”

My reflect looks at me sternly to match my words. I waggle my finger at it, then shut off the light and leave.

Minutes later, we’re out the door and getting into the car. She opens the garage door before starting the car. We back out slowly and I’m filled with a pensive nervousness. Deep within I know this is a change to my routine and I feel like I’m walking on glass. Any moment, I expect my world to crack and fall apart, dropping me into the unkown. Beyond the driveway is a world I’ve never experienced. I don’t know its rules or expectations. But I’ll have Chloe with me, and with her by my side I can face anything! And this trip is for Chloe! Not me! Be her strength, Max!

Chloe smiles at me and squeezes my hand. Then, we’re on the road and my worries melt away as I discover an entirely new world! She smiles at my exclamations over things that are mundane to her. The ducks and ducklings that cross the road. I roll down the window to listen to them quack and grab her arm as I squee over their cuteness. The pond with tall reeds around it with cows drinking from it. And many other things. She never tells me to be quiet. Each discovery and excited description is met with a warm smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

The trip to town takes around fifteen minutes and all my discoveries make it go by quickly. My head whirls with an overload of scenes when we drive by buildings and trees and people to park in an empty spot next to a tree-lined park surrounded by little shops and cafes. We get out and she slings a backpack over her shoulders.

For a while, I can’t move. Sights and smells and sounds I could never imagine pummel my mind removing my ability to think and move. She waits patiently for me to take it all in. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” She asks with a grin. “A world you’ve never explored, never imagined, only minutes away from your house.”

“It’s…” words escape me and I tell her that. “Can we come here again tomorrow? Why haven’t we come here before?” I’m so distracted by everything that I don’t notice her lack of response.

She hooks her arm in mine, points across the street, and says, “Let’s start there.”

The first shop is filled with clothing and small plush toys. My fingers have to touch everything, to experience the sensations that hide within the store. We spend a long time in there. Even though the trip is for her, she looks at me in a way that touches my heart, like she wants to savor each moment and treasure it forever.

We spend the morning exploring and finding little kitschy items in the shops that make us laugh. She convinces me to try on some clothes at a small boutique, and purchases a new pair of jeans and several pairs of t-shirts for me. She decides I also need a new backpack and buys one for me.

As we go through the stores, she finds other things to purchase and my new backpack starts filling up. The experience is very strange for me. I don’t have money of my own to purchase anything for her and I feel bad about that. She smiles and gives me a gentle kiss and hug when I finally tell her that. “Oh, Max,” she says with her sad smile. “I’m so glad I got to know you. Please, never stop being you.”

Her words confuse me and I don’t know what to say. Then she’s laughing and leading me by the hand to a little cafe. She orders food for us to go and we take it to a table and chairs in the park. We eat and laugh and enjoy each other’s company. I love the way the sunlight brings her hair to life with a golden glow. I love her laugh and the way it makes her eyes sparkle.

“I love you,” I whisper and a troubled look crosses her face. A smile quickly replaces it, but there is a hint of strain to the smile.

She clears away the trash and says, “how about some ice cream?” She leads me with a bright grin, pulls me really, through the park to an ice cream stand where she orders two cones, both chocolate-dipped. I hold my concoction at a distance and look at it doubtfully, uncertain of it. It’s so cold and I don’t remember eating ice cream.

She shows me how to eat the cone, laughing when I get some on my nose. For her, it’s an opportunity to kiss my nose which sends flutters through me. I want to wrap my arms around her and show her my love, but the ice cream prevents that.

Her laugh now is tinged with sadness and I don’t understand. She’s doing all these wonderful things for me and we should be happy, but she’s not. And that brings me down. I thought coming here and doing these things would bring her happiness. Why isn’t she happy? What did I do? “Is this working?” I ask finally, “coming to town, shopping and other things? Is it giving you what you need?”

Instead of answering, she laughs and hooks her arm into mine. She guides us through the park, following a winding path among the trees and plants. Our ice cream cones are held in our free hands.

“You should always have ice cream, Max,” she says after taking another bite. “No matter where you go, you should always stop to enjoy a nice chocolate-dipped cone.” We finish our cones and throw the wrappers away. We’re still in the park, surrounded by flowers and trees and she takes me into her arms.

She leans close, peering into my eyes, and kisses the tip of my nose. My heart speeds up at her closeness. “Promise me you’ll remember this,” she whispers.

“I… I can’t,” I say and a great sadness fills me, because I know that’s true. “Tomorrow I’ll wake up and this memory will be gone.”

Her eyes glisten and she nods. “Then I’ll remember for us,” she says and her voice is choked. She pulls me close, hugging me so tight it drives all the air from me. And she doesn’t let go.

“What’s going on,” I ask when when we finally separate. A tear trickles down one of her cheeks. “Why are you crying?”

Her answer is to take my hand and lead me down the meandering path through the park. We’re among the trees and flowers and bushes and everything should make me delight in new discoveries, but her sad smile wipes out all the cheer and joy that exists in me. It pulls at her face and my heart. She doesn’t speak as she leads us, only flashes me little looks that I can’t read.

We’re far away from the cafe and ice cream stand and car, but she keeps pulling. Toward us comes a woman, walking brisk with black stretch pants and a bright blue jacket. Dark glasses hide her eyes, though in the park the sunlight is hidden by the tress. A plain baseball cap covers her hair. As we near her, Chloe stops and looks at me. “I’m sorry,” she says.

The woman stops within arms reach of us. “I wish,” Chloe says with a great sigh, “I wish so many things, but most of all… I wish this had never happened to you.” She takes off her backpack and hands it to the woman. “Everything you need is in there,” Chloe says to her.

“What’s going on,” I ask again. My voice is rising in pitch, fed by anxiety.

Chloe ignores me. “Are they ready? Are they nearby?” The woman nods and beckons us to follow her.

Something sinks inside me and my chest tightens as Chloe turns to follow the woman, leading me after her. I try to resist, pulling on her hand, but she’s focused and I can’t stop her. Again I ask, though my throat is so tight it hurts, “What’s going on?”

“You need to know some things,” Chloe says as we walk. “I never meant to hurt you. I know intent doesn’t mean jack shit when the outcome proves otherwise, but I truly didn’t know what I was getting into.”

Her words confuse me. With all the strange activities happening, and her words, it’s like my world is both exploding and collapsing and I’m scrambling to hold on. My grip tightens on her arm.

Ahead of us is a minivan. As we approach it, the side door opens. The woman we follow goes to the other side and gets into the front passenger seat. We stop at the side door. There are two other people in the car. Directly opposite me is a woman with blue hair and blue eyes.

“Max,” Chloe says and I look at her. Her fingers come up to stroke my cheek. “My name isn’t Chloe, it’s Jess, and I’m not your girlfriend. Though after the past few months, I really wish I was, though… I’m not worthy of you. I’ll never…” She shakes her head as if to clear it.

“What are you saying,” I protest and my world is slipping away.

She points into the car, at the blue haired woman. “That’s your girlfriend, that’s Chloe. The real Chloe. The reason I’m not in your thirteenth birthday picture isn’t because your parents were mad at me or disgusted at our being gay! It’s because the other girl in the picture is her!”

“I lied, Max, I lied!” Tears flow freely down her face and I don’t understand her words. Her voice is choked as she speaks. “And I hurt you so much!”

“You are my girlfriend, Chloe,” I protest. “I love you! You’re always there for me! You haven’t hurt me! You’ve helped me! So much with my memory problems, guiding me each day. I feel I’m getting better because of you!” I raise my hand to touch her face, to reassure her, but she grabs it and keeps it away from her.

Her head shakes vigorously. “No, I’m an actor, paid to play this part by Doctor Smith! And those people you think are your parents? Also actors. Your life here has been nothing but an elaborate lie to control you!

“I’m so sorry, Max. Please don’t forgive me. I don’t deserve it, not after what I did.”

My head shakes also, refusing to believe what I’m hearing. It’s so outrageous it has to be a trick. A mean, horrible trick!

“Max,” she whispers and it commands my attention. “You need to go with them. You need to get in the car and go with them.”

“No. I won’t leave you!”

She draws close to me, her face so close to mine I feel its heat and her breath. “You must. You aren’t safe here. Not with me, not with your parents. And certainly not with Doctor Smith. Leave, Max.”

I’m falling and there’s no one to catch me.

My mind is far away and my body doesn’t know what to do. She gently pushes at me, helps me into the car and on the seat. Fog clouds my mind. I don’t resist or say anything. I’m confused and empty and exploding and feeling and it’s all too much! She doesn’t look at me the entire time.

“Chloe,” I say but she shakes her head.

“My name is Jess,” she says in a voice not her own.

“Please don’t send me away,” I beg, “I’m sorry for whatever I did. Please take me back! We can do more things like you want to do! Please, Chloe, don’t send me away!” But she doesn’t answer me. Tears stream down her face and she avoids looking at me.

The driver’s window rolls down. “You should come with us,” the driver says. Chloe shakes her head.

“It’s not safe,” she says, her voice still broken and cracked. “They have trackers on me also. I disabled all of hers, at least all the ones I know about, but I don’t know which ones they put on me.”

“If you stay, they’ll likely kill you.”

What! “No! No! No!” I struggle from my seat, my body at last knowing what it needs to do.

She places hands on my shoulders, again keeping me from touching her. I try to speak, to convince her to stay or come with me. She shakes her head and repeats my name until I stop speaking.

“No, Max,” she whispers. “You need to go with them and I need to stay here.”

“No! Not if… not if… that means someone will kill you! I can’t lose you! I won’t! I won’t!”

Chloe smiles and it’s so sad but I lack the strength to resist and she gently guides me back to the seat. My heart is in pieces, as is my life. “That’s possible,” she admits. “After the things I did to you? Not forced to do, willingly did, I don’t know if I can live with myself.” She reaches across and fastens my seatbelt.

“Thank you,” comes a choked voice from my left. The blue haired woman.

Chloe ducks and peers into the van. She brushes my cheek again, then takes my right hand and places it on the hand of the woman to my right. “Max, I want you to meet Chloe. The real Chloe. Your girlfriend.” Her eyes drift to the other woman. “Take care of her, please?”

“You fuckin better believe I will!” Her voice is thick and tight also, but I barely notice with all my attention being on my girlfriend.

She steps back, taking her hand with her, and the door closes. The van starts and pulls away from the curb. She stays there, her eyes watching us go. “No,” I whisper. The van moves toward the main street. “No,” I say louder. “We can’t leave Chloe! We have to bring her with us!”

The others don’t say anything, but I think a sob comes from the front seats. I try to get out of the seatbelt but there’s something wrong with it and it won’t unlatch! “Chloe,” I cry and begin to hyperventilate. I turn in my seat, trying to find her. A hand touches mine and I hear a voice.

“Chloe, I’m sorry,” I cry louder and I can no longer see. The woman next to me says words I don’t understand. My heart is in my throat and everything is so tight. The world presses in even as it leaves me upon nothing.

“Chloe!”