His Beautiful Addiction

Nicklaus walked to the bed and without saying a word, he hugged her.

Tiana didn't know what to do, she just stayed there and cried.

She didn't know this person. She didn't even know herself. The thought that she had slept for a whole year made her bawl the more.

Nicklaus was patient with her as he let her cry till she was done.

Taking out his hankie from his pocket he wiped her face.

Tiana looked at him, he must feel sad knowing that she couldn't remember him.

What were they like? Did she love him?

He was good looking, maybe she did. She wasn't sure, she watched him wipe her tears for a moment and then she took the hankie from him.

"Thank you." She said in a low tone.

Nicklaus watched her. She acted a little scared around him, she really didn't remember anything.

"You were in an accident."

Nicklaus said.

"The driver didn't survive,"

Tiana blinked but didn't say a word, as though telling him to go on.

"The doctors say you would remember everything soon, I don't want to stress you by making you thinking about these things."

"What if I can't remember?"

Tiana asked and Nicklaus grew quiet.

"Then we'll wait till you're okay, for now, you're not ready to hear these things."

He said.

We'll?...

Tiana thought. She wished she could remember him. If he was really her husband and she loved him, he should be the first person she remembered.

Tiana but her lip and looked down at her hands,

"My sister… where is she?"

Surprise flashed through Nicklaus' eyes and he was quiet for a moment.

"She went out of the country for a shoot, she's a model too you know, she won't be back anytime soon."

He said.

This was not the time to tell her the evils her sister did to her.

She won't even believe because she didn't even remember him.

He would let her recover before he told her about Gwen.

The room grew quiet. Tiana stared at her hands for a while.

"How long were we married?"

She asked.

"Almost a year, before the accident."

Tiana nodded.

She wanted to ask him if she loved him, but it sounded foolish so she kept quiet.

She didn't know if she did, because at that moment, she didn't feel anything for him.

He was just a good looking stranger, who was always around when she opened her eyes.

"How much can you remember?"

Nicklaus asked. He needed to know just how much she could recollect.

"The memories are just here and there, I know I have a sister and we're poor, and I know I'm a model and I have a friend Claire, but I can't remember where we met or how, but I just know she's my friend.

My parents are dead and my dad owed someone some money…"

She stopped and looked at him.

Nicklaus' heart pounded.

What if she remembered upto the point he hurt her? That would be terrible. She really hated him at that time, what if all she could remember was her hate for him?

Nicklaus clenched the bed tightly, his knuckles turning white.

She was staring at him but not saying a thing. It was as though she was trying to fit him into the picture.

Sweat broke out on his back.

"That's all, nothing else."

She said and he breathed out in relief.

Before he could reply there was a knock on the door and a woman walked in with a wheel chair.

"Good morning, how are you today?"

She smiled walking to the bed where Tiana lay.

"I'm good."

She greeted Nicklaus briefly and said,

"I was assigned to help her start walking on her feet, and making use of her arms."

"oh, the physiotherapist."

Nicklaus asked and she nodded,

"Correct and the doctor asked to meet you."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Nicklaus said to her and left the room.

"Retrograde Amnesia. It will take a while but talking about the past and going to places you've visited before would help."

The doctor said.

"She seems to be remembering every other thing, but I'm not in the picture, why is that? "

Nicklaus asked.

"Hmm," the doctor paused,

"It means that you were a very painful part of her memory or someone she had thought about before she went into coma, her brain had shielded itself from that memory mostly because it hurt so much at that time. These kinds of memory take longer times, but she would remember definitely."

Nicklaus nodded.

"She would be discharged as soon as she gets back on her feet. She needs time to rest and get used to her surroundings. That's all for now."

"Okay doctor."

Nicklaus said and left the office.

"Your husband must be the happiest man on earth right now,"

Miss Sheela, the physiotherapist, said as she placed Tiana's hands on the both ends of the long steel,

Tiana who had been thinking of how long her hair had grown, it was almost past her hips, she looked at the lady,

"Uh? Oh?"

It took her a moment to remember that she was married.

"He has been waiting for you to wake up for months, just these few days since you woke up, he looked happier than he had for the past year."

Tiana smiled faintly.

He must really like her. She thought.

The woman stretched Tiana's bones, pushing her legs forward one at a time.

"And he's very good looking. Most of the nurses have a crush."

The woman said, a blush forming on her chin.

Tiana rolled her eyes,

She was obviously included in the list of those crushing on him.

For the rest of the exercise, Sheela spent most of the time talking about Nicklaus.

Tiana's ears hurt. She knew she had to learn to walk as quickly as possible.

Finally, the woman took her back to the room and helped her lay down.

"We'll continue tomorrow,"

She said, and Tiana smiled,

"Bye.".

Nicklaus was not in the room when she returned, the room felt a little empty because he was always around.

"Should we fix the wedding now. Tiana is awake."

Diana said as she watched Michael place little kisses on her stomach, her fingers in his hair.

After he woke up, she didn't leave his side. No matter what he asked for she had heeded without complaint.

Just that brief moment when she saw life almost leave him told her that she shouldn't waste any time she had to spend with him.

"Mm, but we should wait till she's on her feet again."

"Yeah," Diana nodded with a sigh.

"I don't know why mother nature made Nicklaus' life so complicated, any time he finds happiness, something must come between it. Just when we think it's over, another antagonist arises from God knows where."

She rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe Gwen was that evil all along. It's so hurtful knowing she did all those to Tiana. I wonder how Tiana will take the news."

Michael sighed,

"I just hope everything will turn out fine in the end."

"yea, me too."

…

"Such a cute boy."

Tiana smiled as she held Claire's baby in her arms.

The boy stared at her with a smile plastered on his face. He was as beautiful was his mother.

"What's his name?"

"Zayne."

"Mm, such a beautiful name."

Tiana smiled as she rubbed the baby's cheeks.

"He looks so much like Claire, I can't see any resemblance of his father, or the hair."

Tiana laughed.

"And the nose, " Leo said. Everyone said he looked like Claire, and it was obvious but at least, he got his nose.

"Mm, I can't say, you both have the same shape of nose, so it's definitely from Claire too."

Tiana laughed. Claire tried to carry him from her, since she was still recovering, but the baby cried and clung unto Tiana.

They all laughed.

"That's quite surprising, this is the first time he chose someone else over me."

Claire laughed.

"Awnn, that means he missed me a lot."

"No, it means he's seeing a baby in you."

Tiana looked at Claire in surprise.

"Where did you hear that?"

She asked with a chuckle.

"Everyone knows that. When babies are attracted to you, you tend to have a baby soon."

"That's not true. Wait, hope I don't have a child yet?"

Tiana asked with raised brows,,

Claire laughed and shook her head.

"No, you don't."

"Oh thank God, I can't imagine raising a child I can't remember having, I don't even know what I'll say to him or her."

They all laughed.

"You're getting better really quickly. Soon you'll be on your feet."

Claire smiled, taking Zayne from Tiana, she gave him to Leo, and said,

"Darlin, can you go sit over there, I want to have some girl time with my baby."

The three of them laughed and Leo went to the couch far away from them and sat down.

When he was gone, she drew her chair closer,

"Have you guys done it yet?"

Tiana frowned.

"Done what?" Tiana frowned

"Sex?"

"What? I can't even remember him, how do you expect me do that! Plus my legs are still weak, Claire!!"

Claire laughed,

"I was just joking, but it's surprising that you can't remember him but you can remember almost everyone else."

"Not exactly, I know you're my friend but I can't remember the details, my memory is coming back little by little."

"Okay. But I really thought he would be the first person you would remember, given how much you liked him."

Claire said. Tiana was quiet for a second,

"Did I like him?"