“I remember.” Elle froze for a moment, then laughed. “My mother married when I was a teenager. He was a good guy, I liked him, but before I had had all my mother’s attention and then...not so much. I suffered. I really did. I moped around and inflicted dramatic sighs and long silences on them. He paid attention to me, making up for my mother’s distraction. Things smoothed out and—” She interrupted herself in exasperation. “Would you please tell me why I can remember that kind of anguished adolescent stuff that I don’t want to remember, and not who tried to kill me?”

“Ain’t it hell?” Rune didn’t seem concerned.

Adam jumped in. “No, really. Why does she remember stuff that is so unimportant—” He caught himself, turned to her and said, “Not that I’m dismissing your teenage years. They helped make you the person I admire.”

Elle grinned at his polite nod to her past and filled their water bottles. “Thank you, Adam.”

Adam turned back to Rune. “But we’ve got problems here, and what she knows would help us focus on how to resolve them. Why can’t she remember?”

“Adam, her mind has to recover on its own schedule.”

Adam picked up the laden lunch tray and strode out onto the porch.

Rune followed. “Please realize she’s doing well. The wonderful thing about the memories she has recovered is that they indicate a healthy brain.” Picking the leather-bound journal and pen off the porch table, Rune smiled at the scrawl of ink on the pages and placed them on the railing.

Adam put the tray down.

Elle came out carrying two stacking tables from the living room. “I have no brain damage?”

“When you consent to go to a doctor, we’ll have tests run.” Rune settled into a wicker rocking chair, hung her beaded handbag on the arm and draped her shawl behind her. “As badly as you were hurt, an injury to the brain is a dreadful possibility and could have horrible repercussions.”

“As I told you,” Adam said.

“Repeatedly,” Elle agreed.

“Having Elle remember her teen angst is reassuring and, may I point out, the return of memories is accelerating,” Rune said.

“There is that.” Adam stepped back to allow Elle to place a stacking table beside Rune and hand her a paper plate. “Help yourself.”

Rune took a corned beef sandwich and a handful of baby carrots. She nodded at the notebook and pen. “I see you’ve been journaling. Did it help? Do you remember any more about the night you were attacked? More than the lights and the hulking monster?”

Elle stared with narrowed eyes at the turquoise leather. “Yes. I remember how badly I hurt him.”