This is it, I have dementia!

“I love you,” says David as we snuggle in under the covers.

“And I love you,” I return.   I contentedly sigh.  “Life is good.”

“Life IS good.”

“Yep.” 

Smooch.  Smooch.

You know how sometimes your brain  goes off on these weird tangents?  One minute, I’m kissing my husband and the next I’m doing math.  Rissa is 14.  In 4 years she’ll be 18.  She’ll be leaving home in 4 years!  David will be 45.  I’ll be 50.  We’ll be celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary!!!  Last year, to celebrate all these events,  we had a huge party – The 45-40-15-13 PARTY.  We invited all our friends and family, rented a fancy hall – David did the lighting design.

Sometime in the midst of all the math, I realize that David’s still smooching me. 

“What did we do for our anniversary this year?”

“We went out to dinner.”

“We did?”

“Yeah.  You have the most beautiful blue eyes.” Smooch.  Smooch.   

“Where?  Where did we go out for dinner?”

“Hmmm….  Wasn’t the Northside… Wasn’t Cafe Marca…  El Camino…  It was El Camino.”

“It was?”

I have a moment of sheer terror in the pit of my stomach.  I can’t remember our anniversary dinner!  I don’t remember going to El Camino!!

“Was Rissa with us for the dinner?”

“No.  Just us.”

More terror pools.

Rissa had come home with homework from her English class, she had to recall a sense memory of food.  Maybe food would jog my memory…  “Quick!  What did we eat!?!” 

“Tapas.”

“Yes, but what tapas?  What exact tapas?!?”

“I… don’t know…”  Now David’s eyebrows are down, he tilts his head, swings it a bit, trying to knock free the menu.  “I know that I got you a card…”

I remembered his card.  “And I forgot your card…”

We usually forget the anniversary.  Almost every year.  We’re always doing other things when it comes around: moving, travelling, renovating.  We high five each other if we both come down with cards in hand on the actual day.

I close my eyes. I will the terror to abate.  I can do this, I can do it.   Calming breaths…  There, just there… in the back of my mind, behind my left ear, almost there…  almost there…”

“No, we didn’t!!“

“We didn’t?”

“No, our anniversary was on a Friday, we were driving to my parent’s place, I think we stopped and had A&W at the On Route.”

“You’re right.  You’re totally right.  We had a glass of wine and toasted when we were in the family room in front of the TV.  You parents weren’t home yet.  I must have been thinking of the Father’s Day Brunch we did in June.”  He looks sheepish.   “Sorry, didn’t mean to Gaslight you.”

“Oh thank Christ.  It’s not dementia.”  I feel the panic slide away.  “I totally get my Auntie Laraine now.”

“You do?”

” ‘Certain things you remember with no recollection at all.’  We’re there now.  At least I’m there now.  You, Sir, are so screwed.  You better pray that I become one of those happy senile people.”

“Every day.”