One Foggy Christmas

Prologue

NASH

“Sadie, do you know where you’re at?” Dr. Hatchet’s voice is calm—something that would soothe a crying baby.

Sadie’s brown eyes shift nervously to her mother, not me. I ignore my disappointment, silently watching from the foot of the bed with my hands in my pockets.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Lynette Bradley squeezes her daughter’s hand, gently nudging her to answer. Behind her, Sadie’s dad smiles despite the worry in his eyes.

The reassurance is enough. Her gaze darts back to the doctor, and she answers. “The hospital.”

“That’s right.” Dr. Hatchet smiles. “You were in a bad skiing accident.”

The way she gasps breaks my heart.

“You’re okay, but you suffered severe head trauma, were on life support for a few days and in a coma for several weeks.” Dr. Hatchet hesitates, giving her a second to process.

Traces of panic build behind Sadie’s eyes, causing her mom to jump in.

“You’re okay,” Lynette consoles, pushing her daughter’s matted brown hair back from her face. “Everything’s okay.”

Sadie’s eyes travel over her body, taking in the hospital gown, the IV in her arm, and the pulse monitor until she focuses back on her mom as if she were her only lifeline.

Another beat of disappointment.

I’m Sadie’s lifeline.

It should be me sitting beside her, brushing her hair back, keeping her calm.

I fight the negative thoughts, knowing this moment isn’t about me or us. I’m glad the Bradleys are here for their daughter—something good that came from this accident. Sadie is alive and awake. That’s all that matters. Everything else will sort itself out in time.

“I’m okay?” Her words are coarse and feeble.

“Yes, you’re very fortunate,” Dr. Hatchet answers. “Besides a few lacerations, the doctors have mostly been treating your brain trauma and swelling.”

Sadie’s brows cinch together in the most adorable way, and I can’t help but smile as my eyes fill with moisture.

“Is my head okay?” Her fingers move along her forehead, checking for injuries, stopping on the bandage that covers stitches from one of her deeper cuts.

“It’s much better.” Dr. Hatchet smiles through her words. “But we still need to check some things out. Is it okay if I ask you a few more questions?”

Her hand drops into her lap. “I guess.”

“Do you remember your name?”

Confidence flicks through her eyes. “Sadie Marie Bradley.”

Technically, her name is Sadie Carter now, but seeing how she woke up from a coma thirty minutes ago, and she’s been confused up until this point, I’m not holding it against her.

“Do you know who these people are?” Dr. Hatchet looks at the Bradleys.

“My parents.”

“Do you know their names?”

“Jay and Lynette Bradley.” Her lips slightly lift as she stares at them.

She smiled.

It was barely there, but I’m counting it.

“Good. Good.” Dr. Hatchet pats her arm before diving into her next question. “Do you know who your husband is?”

My breath halts like I can’t be bothered with breathing right now. All that matters is Sadie’s answer.

Her brows drop, and a frown pushes her lips downward. “No…” She shakes her head. “I don’t… I’m not married.”

Her confusion collapses my heart, and now I can’t breathe because of the pain.

She looks at her mom for confirmation, for her to tell Dr. Hatchet that she’s wrong, but Lynette Bradley is visibly crying. Sadie’s eyes drift from her parents to me with a vacancy in her expression I’m not used to. A soft smile holds across my lips, waiting for the same flicker of recognition she’d given her parents moments ago, but her eyes are void. The vacancy should’ve been my first clue, but it doesn’t sink in until she speaks again.

Her forehead lines deepen. “Where’s Stetson?”

Stetson Roeshine—Sadie’s fiancé before she fell in love with me.

The room tenses, like we’re inside a giant balloon, but instead of blowing air in, it’s getting sucked out, pulling things tighter.

I feel every eye on me. Not just gazes but sad stares. Pity stares.

“Stetson?” Dr. Hatchet questions.

“My husband?” It’s the most confident thing Sadie has said, but her confidence wavers as she reads the mood in the room. “Did he get hurt in the accident too? Is that why he’s not here?”

Nothing in life can prepare you for this kind of hurt.

It stuns and crushes.

I step forward, wanting to tell her myself, needing her to remember.

“Sadie”—I gently place my hand on her ankle, the best I can do from the foot of the bed—“ I’m your husband. You married me.” A hesitant smile forms as I await her response.

She stares blankly back at me, the blankness terrifying me as the milliseconds creep on. Then she retreats into herself, pulling her leg from my grasp.

“No.” She shakes her head as her eyes plead with her mom. “He’s not my husband. I love Stetson.”

My heart pounds in my chest as my life unravels before me.

“Sweetie,” Lynette’s voice quivers despite her resolve to be strong. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this all out.”

I slowly backpedal to the door, looking for an exit from this Hell.

My wife doesn’t remember me.

Doesn’t remember falling in love.

Doesn’t remember the magic that is us .

Three and a half years of life just erased in an instant.