the section marked “new arrivals,” she found the book that had been reviewed in Sunday’s newspaper and added it to her pile. She then searched the card file on the computer for a book about amnesia. She scanned the shelves and picked one that seemed simple enough to understand.
Jonathan was thrilled with the books and fascinated by the idea there was a place where one could borrow books. Marnie explained that they could keep them for two weeks but then she would have to take them back to the library.
“I can get more books when I take these back,” she explained to him. “And if you get tired of these, I can return them early and borrow others.”
Reading became a more enjoyable part of their daily routine. After lunch most afternoons, Marnie settled on the couch in the TV room and read to Jonathan, who snuggled close to her and looked at the pictures as she read. They had discussions about dinosaurs, earthmoving equipment, and the plots in the books she had chosen for him.
In the late afternoon, Jonathan returned to Mrs. Tucker’s care, and Marnie retreated to her bedroom to dress for supper with David. She changed from jeans into a skirt or dress. Since ridding the racks of clothing she considered to be unacceptable, she didn’t have many options, but she didn’t mind wearing the few things over and over. She liked the pink knit dress and the swirly blue and green skirt. Lately, she had started wearing trousers and a silk blouse with a scarf or necklaces as accessories. She was able to put together several outfits with the separates she kept.
After showering and dressing, she took a few minutes to read the novel or study what the book on amnesia had to say. She wasn’t learning anything new, since it said the same thing Doctor Means had told her. Namely, amnesia could be caused by a lot of things, most commonly trauma, either physical or emotional, and the memory usually returned at some point.
By five-thirty, she was in the kitchen helping Mrs. Grady. She set the dining room table with places for David and herself. She seldom saw Ruth, who no longer ate supper with them and left the room without speaking any time Marnie walked in. Marnie helped carry the bowls and platters of food into the dining room right at six o’clock so it would still be hot when David arrived to eat. She was finally able to convince Mrs. Grady and Mary she could get anything they needed, including the dessert left on the counter for them, and she could clear the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and run it if it was full.
One afternoon, Marnie was dragging her two bags of clothing along the hall. Having determined they were too large to fit in the dumbwaiter, she approached the top of the stairs when David came bounding up.
“What in the world are you doing?” he asked.
“Getting rid of clothes I’m not going to wear anymore,” she panted, out of breath from trying to fit them into the dumbwaiter.
“Where are you going with them?”
“I’m giving them to Mary to take to her church thrift shop. They outfit people who need clothing and don’t have money to buy any.”
David doubled over with laughter. “I can’t imagine anyone who needs clothing bad enough to wear any of your castoffs,” he said. “Sequins and miniskirts and tee shirts with sexy sayings on the front.” He chuckled. “And what does that leave you to wear? Are you planning on a whole new wardrobe?”
“I have plenty to wear, thank you very much,” she tartly replied and pulled the sacks, bumping, down the stairs.
Marnie entered the dining room for supper wearing dark gray wool slacks and a lighter gray silk blouse. The blouse plunged a bit deeper than what she was comfortable wearing, but she liked the color and style, so she kept it from the discard pile. She used a colorful scarf to pull the collar together a little higher.
“You look very nice tonight.”
“Thank you,” she said, glancing down at what she was wearing.
They ate in companionable silence until dessert.
“You look nice every night. I’m sorry I haven’t told you before,” David said.
She patted her mouth with her napkin. Unable to find anything more appropriate to say, she simply repeated, “Thank you.”
They cleared the table together, as had become the custom, and David retired to the TV room while Marnie finished wiping off the counters. Since