Adam and Ava walked down through New York City talking about old times. Ava couldn't stop smiling, laughing at every small thing he said. She felt like she was floating somewhere else, like she and Adam were in some world where nothing bad ever happen, no problems, no Dawn, no drama, just the two of them. But deep inside she kept warning herself not to be stupid, not to be delusional because reality was waiting for her at the corner.
Meanwhile Adam was talking but his mind wasn't fully there. He kept seeing someone in their house. Before it was just some shadow passing by but now… now it was a lady. Clearer. Almost like she was right there but he couldn't see the face. He stopped walking and held his head so tight like it was about to crack open.
"Adam?? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Ava asked him, worry all over her face.
"I… be honest with me Ava, who is living with us?" Adam asked and Ava just froze. Her chest dropped. Not now. God, not this.
"Ava, please. Just tell me the truth."
"Adam, I know it hurts losing someone you love but you're imagining things. You're thinking about your father," Ava lied, her voice shaky.
"My father is dead, I already know that. The person I'm seeing is a lady," Adam said and Ava's face fell.
"You're still recovering, it's probably hallucination," she muttered.
"You're lying to me. I know it," he said and walked off angrily, heading home. Ava just stood there grinding her teeth. She tried. She tried to keep herself together for him but he's pushing her straight into the fire. He's trying to remember Dawn. She panicked, didn't know what to do, then ran after him calling his name.
* * * * * *
Dawn walked into a restaurant. The place smelled too fancy, too calm for how she felt inside. She saw Tara at the far end and marched straight to her.
"What do you want, Tara? Why can't you just leave me and my family alone? Why can't you just disappear?" Dawn snapped.
"Look, I'm not here to fight. I came to apologize… before I travel," Tara said, looking oddly serious.
"Traveling? Tara, is this another trick? Because I'm not stupid," Dawn said with a dry laugh.
"I'm sure Ava already told you what I did. I want you to forgive me," Tara said.
"So you're dragging Ava inside this now?" Dawn hissed.
"She didn't tell you?" Tara looked confused.
"Tell me what?" Dawn asked, now lost.
Tara breathed deep. "I… I came into your house to poison you. I didn't know you were pregnant that time."
"What?? You did what?" Dawn shouted, standing up so fast the chair almost fell.
"I'm sorry," Tara whispered, but Dawn slapped her, hard enough that Tara fell to the floor. Dawn wanted to do more but the staff rushed in, trying to separate them. She pushed them away and stormed out. Tara held her face, crying like a child.
* * * * * *
Adam sat with Ava, his mind just running in circles, too many thoughts bumping into each other. Ava sat beside him pretending to be calm, but she kept dodging his questions, praying deep in her chest that he won't remember Dawn so soon. Just when she finally felt a little bit of happiness again, it looked like everything was about to scatter… again. Daphne walked in.
"What's going on? Why the long faces?" Daphne asked.
"No one is telling me the truth, that's what is going on," Adam said.
"What truth?" Daphne asked.
"He said someone else is living with us. I'm trying to tell him he's hallucinating but he won't listen," Ava said.
"Who?" Daphne asked.
"I don't know. But she's a lady," Adam said. Daphne's heart almost leaped but she hid it quickly.
Right at that moment Dawn walked in. Her eyes were red, her face swollen from crying. Everyone stared.
"What happened? Why are you crying like this?" Daphne rushed to her.
"It's Tara, mom… she… she's the reason we lost the baby," Dawn cried.
"What?" Daphne gasped.
"Ava knew. Ava knew and she didn't tell us," Dawn said, staring at Ava with burning eyes.
"Ava… is this true?" Daphne asked.
"I don't even know what's happening again," Adam said but nobody answered him.
"Ava, answer me!" Daphne yelled.
"You don't have any damn right to blame me!" Ava snapped back. "I found out the truth myself. I don't owe anyone anything."
"Somebody explain what's going on!" Adam shouted.
"How could you hide that from me? From us?" Dawn yelled.
"How could you blame me for poisoning you?? For killing your unborn child?? I left this house but nobody came to look for me," Ava cried.
"You left? Why?" Adam asked again, still ignored.
"I told you I loved kids, I told you I didn't do anything but you pushed the blame on me," Ava cried harder.
"I'm sorry, Ava… I really thought it was you," Dawn said, trembling.
"And someone I loved so much didn't trust me because of you," Ava said, stabbing Dawn with her eyes.
"I didn't know. We only found the fake mustache. We didn't know who. I didn't want to think Tara would go that far," Dawn cried.
"That still doesn't justify accusing me! You ruined the relationship we were trying to fix. I don't want you here. Stay away from my husband," Ava said, pointing to the door.
Daphne just stood there, confused and stunned because, honestly, Ava had a point. Adam kept asking what was happening, getting ignored over and over until he suddenly held his head again.
He saw the woman clearly this time—so clear it felt like reality—and then his body dropped.
"Adam!" they all screamed as he hit the floor.