Hi! It’s me! Lily!
Or… Yuriko. Today.
So today started out like normal. Well, the new normal. We got to the store a little later (we open late on weekends), and there was a line around the building!!! OMG!!! I guess people were watching the news!!! So Beth didn’t go outside to try to drive traffic, she got behind the counter and started serving people! Sabby immediately went in back and started baking. She’s really prolific when she bakes but she had a hard time keeping up!!! People LOVED it!!!
But that’s not the thing that made me say OMG.
Eventually after lunchtime things started to clear out a bit, but they stayed pretty busy. Around closing time a woman walked in. She was older and a little overweight, but had a distinctive and kindly face.
“Yuriko?”, she said.
“huh?”, I said eruditely. I hadn’t told anyone that name. My name is Lily.
“How did you know that name?” I asked.
“It’s you!”, she said. “I never thought I’d see you again!”
Not going to lie… you know me. I always have something to say. But this time I didn’t. My mouth just dropped open.
“I saw you on the news! Some people sent me a YouTube and said ‘isn’t that Yuriko?'” I said “no, that’s Lily,” but… but you really looked like Yuriko, and… and it’s you!”
“I’m sorry,” I said, very flummoxed. “Who are you?”
Her face fell. “You don’t remember?”
“I don’t remember anything, I was found by the side of the road with nothing, including my memory.” I said.
Her face fell. “I… I didn’t know,” she said quietly.
“Beth, can you doot for me?”
So Beth went to doot, and I sat at a table with… the lady.
“How do you know me?,” I asked.
“I was your piano teacher. You always showed such promise. And then, one day… you just vanished. Like you never existed. I called your parents and no one ever answered or returned my calls. I… I never heard from you again.”
“I didn’t forget how to play piano.”
Her face brightened. “Really?”
“Really,” I said. “I forgot everything about who I was, but… but I remembered everything else. I.. even accompanied my best friend at her violin recital. And I’ve continued taking lessons. I forgot all the scales and stuff, but I remembered how to play.”
She smiled. “I’m so happy to hear that.”
Sabby came out.
“Lily, who’s this?”
“My.. old piano teacher. She saw me on the news.”
She looked at the lady, then me. “We have questions.”
“I probably don’t have answers,” she said. “But I’ll tell you what I can.”
“What’s your name?”, Sabby asked.
“Marilyn Doily,” she said.
“Alright, Mrs. Doily. I’m her adoptive mother, Sabby Smith. Come to dinner tomorrow night. Lily knows nothing at all about her past and, I have to admit, we’re both a little curious.”
“It’s miss Doily,” she said quietly. “My husband died a while ago. But I’d be happy to.”
Well, Sabby gave out our address, and, well, she’s coming over for dinner tomorrow. We’re closing the shop on Sundays anyway.
I… don’t know what to say or think. Maybe I’ll at least have some answers now.
I have such a good life right now. I have a family, and a boyfriend, and some sisters, and… well… It still makes me so sad that I was just abandoned like that. Twice, if I’m being honest. I’ve made my peace with Emiko. But I don’t even know who to make my peace with now. Maybe I’ll find out.
And to my “benefactor”, thanks for all you’ve done, but don’t ruin this. Please don’t ruin this.
On the plus side, if business stays like this, we’ll be doing very well. I’ve been told it’s really hard to get people to buy your stuff, but her cookies are just that good. Sabby is talking to a recruiter to see if we can get another baker and a dooter or two.