She glared at the man some more, what did he want from her? Well there was only one way to find out.

                “What do you want?”

                “I came here to give you a memory.”

                “A memory?”

                “A memory.” He said then added “Your memory- it belonged to you once.”

                “Right.” She crossed her arms again. “All this for a memory.”

                He held his arms wide. “All this for a memory.”

                “Me?”

                “Yes, you. You are more than you remember that you are.”

At that she cocked an eyebrow, then in a gutsy move she swiveled her chair away from him and looked out the window.

                “I don’t believe you.” She said silently hoping that he would just go away.

                “I need you to remember- as far as you believing… that will come later.”

Damn this man and his calmness. Damn him for coming into her office with this silly demand. Then she had the impression that like a foolish girl she had turned her back on a parent.  Angered warred with resentment as she turned back around to face him, only to find him standing right in front of her desk.

She jerked back in surprise, reflexively. He waited. She breathed slowly trying to slow her heart.

                “What if I don’t want the memory?” She asked pensively, damn it- could she stop sounding like a teenager.

                “You can’t always get what you want.” He said.

                “That’s a song.”

                “Does it make it any less true?”

                “So I guess this means that I need it.”

                “Yes.”

                “You think?”

                “I know.”

                “How?”

                “I can see right now that you are missing something in your life- something unanswered, I am surprised that you do not.”

                “Suppose I ‘take’ this memory, will you go away?”

                “Yes.”

                “And not come back?”

                “If you wish.”

                “Oh I wish.”

                “I thought that you would.”

She scowled at him for a moment, and then frowned before nodding.

                “Okay, let’s hear this memory of yours.”

                “Memories are to be relived not just heard. It is your memory not mine.”

                “I see.”

                “This won’t be like a movie.”

                “Oh?”

                “No, it is your memory thus you will be in it.” He said lifting his left hand towards her. “Close your eyes, Vanessa, it will make it easier.”

                “Easier? You think this is easy? Letting some weirdo touch me-“

                “Close your eyes, Vanessa.  Close your eyes child.” And she did.

Then she felt his touch, cool and soft on her forehead. He spoke something, a word, a nameless word and everything around her thrummed like a woodwind instrument. In the vibration, Vanessa remembered.