My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

"What happens next?" Marcus asked seriously.

Technically, he was the only person who had been around Peter at that time. He remembered that dinner vividly, but one thing was clear-Peter back then was nothing like the man he had become.

The Peter he remembered was a first-class womanizer, the kind of guy who could walk into a bar alonenoveldrama

and leave with two or three women. He woke up next to a different woman or women-every morning, drank heavily, never took things seriously, and prioritized money above all else.

The life he had chosen in recent years was nothing like the one he had lived back then.

"Dr. Wagner, can we see him?" Celeste asked, her voice full of concern.

"Mrs. Palmer, I know your husband was very agitated earlier, and I understand your worry. But I want to reassure you no matter what he said or did, as he stabilizes, we'll be able to talk to him. However, at this moment, the only person he feels comfortable with or wants to speak to is Mr. Bartz."

"What?" Everyone turned to Marcus, who looked just as bewildered as they did.

"Mr. Bartz, I know this is surprising to hear, but you have to remember what I just told you-Mr. Palmer believes he's 27 years old. I haven't told him anything yet because this is a delicate matter, and we need to break the news to him carefully."

"So, what do you recommend we do?" Celeste asked, her face filled with worry.

"I believe the best course of action is for Mr. Bartz to go in and try to explain the situation to him."

"What the hell are you saying?" Maximus snapped, visibly frustrated.

"Uncle, we all knew something like this could happen. We need to stay calm and deal with it properly," Alden said, trying to mediate the situation. "Dr. Wagner, can you tell us if this memory loss is temporary or permanent?"

"Ladies and gentlemen... I can't give you an exact timeline. But what I can tell you is what I've said before -Mr. Palmer had a high risk of suffering complete memory loss. We should be grateful that he still remembers most of his life."

"But what happens from here?" Celeste asked in a barely audible voice.

ret

"We need to monitor his progress. The important thing is that he still retains essential memories. Many patients with this type of memory loss forget how to do basic things, like walking, speaking, or

Love

recognizing numbers and letters. In M. Palmer's case, he's simply confused about the years."

"Well then, if we don't have another choice, I'll talk to Peter and explain things as best I can," Marcus said, fully aware that the Peter of that time was nothing like the man he was now-and that he was the only one who truly understood what that meant.

"Why the hell should I let you do this?" Maximus asked angrily.

"Maximus, let's be real-given what Peter remembers, you're the last person who should be in that room. I know you both have made peace in recent years, but based on what the doctor just said, I doubt it would be a good idea for him to see you right now. Do you remember what your relationship with him was like when he was 27?"

Silence filled the room. Celeste had only heard bits and pieces about the brothers' past relationship, but she knew that, back then, Maximus had been the person Peter disliked the most.

"Fine... but you better not turn him against me," Maximus muttered.

"How could I? He already hated you—at least, according to what I remember," Marcus said with a smirk.

"Maximus, Marcus, can you two stop for a second and think about Peter?" Celeste interrupted, looking at them both intently. "He trusted you both at different points in his life. Right now, Marcus, you're the only one who can help us make him understand what's

going on without overwhelming

him."

It was obvious that the person who wanted-no, needed to be by Peter's side the most was Celeste.

But how could she, when he didn't even remember her?

For now, they were stuck. Their only hope was that Marcus could get through to Peter and explain the truth.