The Shape of Absence

I was born naturally dazed, living every day as if I were tipsy.

So when Adrian Blake forced his way into my life, I thought he was only playing with me.

Every time I failed to run away and he caught me again, I gave him a thumbs-up.

"Your hide-and-seek skills are improving fast. I only hid for half an hour and you already found me."

And just like that, I muddled through three years of a game where I ran and he chased.

Until today. I found out I was pregnant after nausea and vomiting, and I took the report home, wanting to tell Adrian Blake, whom doctors had diagnosed as infertile.

But then he got into a car accident and lost his memory. His childhood sweetheart cried as she blamed me. "If he had not rushed back to celebrate your birthday, none of this would have happened."

"He has forgotten you completely. I am begging you. Stop clinging to him, okay?"

I slowly walked away for a while, my lower belly aching faintly.

I had the feeling I had forgotten something.

Forget it. I would think of it when I remembered.

I stood under the streetlight for a while and scratched my head.

Then I remembered.

I turned around, went back, and pushed the door open.

I poked my head inside and held out my wrist, revealing the silver-gray tracker on it.

"I left in too much of a hurry and forgot this. Can you help me take it off?"

Vanessa Hale raised an eyebrow and hesitated. "What is that?"

I explained calmly, "A tracker. It is paired with the one on Adrian Blake's wrist.

"If you want me to stop showing up in front of him, help me unlock this bracelet first."

He was the one who had insisted I wear this tracker. I had thought it was harmless. It was not as if I had ever planned to run somewhere he could not find me.

But things were different now. He had forgotten me.

Mr. and Mrs. Blake's expressions changed slightly. They exchanged a look.

Vanessa clenched her fingertips, then looked at the assistant. "Did you know about this?"

Adrian's assistant looked troubled and stammered.

"Mr. Blake ordered that this bracelet could never be taken off for the rest of her life, so no one ever considered a removal plan. If it is removed by force, it will break."

Mr. Blake slammed his hand onto the table, his voice sinking. "This is absurd. A grown man doing something like this? If word gets out, what will people think?"

He turned to the assistant. "Call someone to remove it. Now."

A specialist arrived quickly and simply cut it open with pliers.

Vanessa took the two bracelets and tossed them into the trash. "There. You can go."

I had just reached the door when a hoarse murmur came from behind me.

"No... Do not go..."

My steps paused, and I looked back.

On the hospital bed, Adrian's eyes were closed, his brows tightly furrowed.

Vanessa stepped forward and grabbed his hand. "Adrian, I am here. Do not be afraid."

As she spoke, she turned and shot me a look.

"Leave. Now."

Mr. and Mrs. Blake stood on either side of me and escorted me out of the room.

Once we were outside, Mr. Blake handed me a check.

"The Blake family will not shortchange you on what you are owed. But Adrian and you do not belong in the same world. His wife can only be Vanessa.

"We will choose a child from an adoption agency and have Adrian and Vanessa raise him together.

"Every trace of your existence will be erased. From now on, this has nothing to do with you."

Only when I reached the airport did the sadness come slowly, belatedly, rushing up inside me.

Adrian used to always say I was silly.

Actually, I was not silly. I was just a beat slower than other people.

But now he was the truly silly one. His brain had been damaged in the crash.

I crouched in front of the boarding gate and dry-heaved for a long time.

When I straightened and wiped the corner of my mouth, I finally remembered.

Oh no. I forgot to tell them I was pregnant.

The doctor had misdiagnosed him. Adrian could have children after all. They did not need to adopt an heir.