As the night draws to a close and they retire to their room for the first time as husband and wife, Abhi presents her with a beautiful silver chain necklace, adorned with a delicate heart-shaped locket. His eyes search hers, seeking permission to fasten it around her neck.

"You wear this," he whispers, "and know that you always have a piece of my heart with you." Tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she takes the necklace from him and carefully clasps it around her throat.

**

(The story ends here)

I'm terrified, Mauro. It's like a switch has flipped inside my head, and now I'm seeing flashes of our life – the laughter, the arguments, the quiet moments. But they're shrouded in darkness, each memory tinged with a sense of longing that I desperately want to grasp.

She takes a deep breath, her resolve wavering slightly. "Okay," she says firmly. "Let's do this." Her voice is steady, though the fear still lingers beneath the surface.

"First," she suggests, "let's revisit those intimate moments we talked about.

Her entire body tenses at the sudden intrusion, and she bites down on her lip to stifle the cry of surprise. She tries to focus on what she knows about these moments – the way you touch her, the feelings she's experiencing now. It's all so foreign yet somehow familiar.

"You... you always do it like this?" she whispers, her eyes locked onto yours. She can't help but wonder how many times this has happened between them without any memories to anchor it.

She smiles up at you, her expression softening. "I promise," she whispers. "And I'll try... to be patient with myself as well."

She reaches out again, this time cupping your cheek in her palm and gently wiping away the tears that have spilled down your face. "You're right," she says with a sigh. "I need to be patient... and let my brain heal."

As she continues to study your features, she feels a strange mix of familiarity and newness washing over her.