She smiled at me, like any stranger would. And I knew that I would marry that girl someday. That first meeting turned to coffeehouse dates, which turned to first kisses, which turned to engagement, which turned to ten years of happy marriage. She was the smartest person I knew, which was saying something, I knew some real sharp knives. She never forgot, always remembered the small details you would always forget or overlook. Which is why the diagnosis came as such a shock. --- Early onset dementia. It wouldn't start off as much , but in a year, two if we were lucky, she would be gone. My beautiful girl, a shell of herself, I couldn't imagine it. But it was real, so so real. The woman I knew and loved would forget everything, every late night, early morning, long talk, small argument, everything. My dreams of kids and old age would never be fulfilled. I could never love another. We hoped we would be lucky, two years, maybe a little more than that… She lasted 8 months. At first, it was just small things. Her car keys, an old friends name, things that everyone forgot once in a while. But then, she forgot her name, our anniversary, even where we lived. I was always the forgetful one, but now I had to remember everything. Meds, and doctor visits, when the roof guys came, where the cumin was. Small things she did for me, I now had to do for her. I got used to the late night wake ups, where she would forget everything, where she was, her name, her life. I would hold her, remind her of the big and the small, try to smooth her worries and her fears. It hurt to see her eyes so full of panic, And even more when she forgot my name. --- The last clear, good day was four days before the end. She woke up, her eyes were bright with that sweet mischief that I had missed in the past few months. We ate together, toast and jam, and two cups of tea. We talked, her sweet voice like a song, a melody I would never forget. We went to the park, fed the ducks, sat on a bench and watched parents and kids play together. We went home, watched a dumb rim com movie, and fell asleep, perfect and together. And in the morning, her eyes were clouded again, and I went back to remembering. --- Four days after the clear, she was gone. She went to a facility, it was deemed I couldn't care for her, she needed so much help. Sometimes I passed the facility on my lonely walks. Our eyes would meet. Her. My Lizzie. She smiled at me, like any stranger would.
'The story both starts and ends with the exact same sentence, the last in a sad way. "She smiled at me, like any stranger would" Drift Away Omnicord- Trillian
