up to Nick’s mouth and fed him a spoonful.
My knees began to tremble and my heart began to race when I looked over at the door to see Jamie entering. My hands were shaking so bad that Nick had to grab the plate from me. “Hope, what’s the matter?” Nick asked, turning his attention to the door.
“Jamie, what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to hide the emotion in my voice. “Oh, Nick, this is my husband, Jamie. Jamie, this is my old friend Nick.”
“How you doin’, man?” Nick said, extending his hand. “Hope, I’m going to go in the back and get my dad’s dessert order from your mom.”
“Yeah, okay,” I answered, still focused on Jamie.
I pushed a stray hair behind my ear. “What’s going on?” I asked, almost not recognizing him. Dark circles completely encompassed his sunken eyes and I could tell that he had lost weight just within the last week. He looked broken and vulnerable. I couldn’t stand seeing him this way, knowing that he was in so much pain.
“I had a meeting about a half-hour away and I…umm…”
“Ah, Hope, you have all the guys flirting with you. I don’t stand a chance today,” Marty interrupted as he came up to the counter and grabbed a napkin.
I managed my best smile. “Actually, Marty, this is my husband.” Or was my husband. I wasn’t quite sure of anything anymore.
“Uh oh, she didn’t tell you that I was flirting with her did she? Don’t believe her!” Marty joked.
“I told you!” Penny shouted from the table
“Well, allow me to say this…you are a very lucky man to have such a kind and beautiful wife. Cherish her. That’s the secret to a long and happy marriage,” Marty said, placing his hand on Jamie’s shoulder.
Jamie gave his best smile and nodded, but it was almost like Marty’s words pained him.
“Do you have a minute?” he asked, once Marty walked away.
My mother was so deep in conversation with Nick when they came walking out to the front that she almost didn’t even notice Jamie. “Jamie!” she said, looking almost as surprised as I was. She looked him over from top to bottom and I could see the shock on her face, feeling the same way that I was upon seeing him this way. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him hug.
“Mom, do you care if I just go -.”
“Yeah, go ahead. I got this covered,” she said without hesitation.
We walked across the street to the pond and took a seat on a bench. I focused my attention on the people enjoying the beautiful spring day…the runners, the dog walkers, the mothers pushing strollers. I watched two baby bunny rabbits playing in the grass, trying my best to focus on anything but the reality that I needed to face sitting beside me.
Jamie ran his hand through his hair and stared straight ahead, like he was deep in thought. He finally turned his attention to me, staring at me the same way he always did whenever we would get in an argument. I saw so much of Charlie in him that it pained me to look at him. “I’m sorry, Hope. I’m sorry for what happened the other day. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to see you.”
I looked away and nodded. I was still so upset over the whole thing. I wasn’t sure if it was over coming face-to-face with this woman, or the fact that I actually thought that what she and Jamie had was more special than anything that the two of us ever did. “Did you guys get a good laugh at my expense after I left?” I just couldn’t help myself.
“What? Hope, no! I know that the damage is already done, but that’s over. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking when I did that. I just feel like I’m losing my mind. What I did to you that day that you left…I can't get it out of my head and I'm so sorry. I would never hurt you and I would kill anyone else if they ever did.”
I looked out at the water. “You know, Jamie, sometimes emotional pain can hurt worse than physical pain. I would rather endure that day over and over again, rather than
My knees began to tremble and my heart began to race when I looked over at the door to see Jamie entering. My hands were shaking so bad that Nick had to grab the plate from me. “Hope, what’s the matter?” Nick asked, turning his attention to the door.
“Jamie, what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to hide the emotion in my voice. “Oh, Nick, this is my husband, Jamie. Jamie, this is my old friend Nick.”
“How you doin’, man?” Nick said, extending his hand. “Hope, I’m going to go in the back and get my dad’s dessert order from your mom.”
“Yeah, okay,” I answered, still focused on Jamie.
I pushed a stray hair behind my ear. “What’s going on?” I asked, almost not recognizing him. Dark circles completely encompassed his sunken eyes and I could tell that he had lost weight just within the last week. He looked broken and vulnerable. I couldn’t stand seeing him this way, knowing that he was in so much pain.
“I had a meeting about a half-hour away and I…umm…”
“Ah, Hope, you have all the guys flirting with you. I don’t stand a chance today,” Marty interrupted as he came up to the counter and grabbed a napkin.
I managed my best smile. “Actually, Marty, this is my husband.” Or was my husband. I wasn’t quite sure of anything anymore.
“Uh oh, she didn’t tell you that I was flirting with her did she? Don’t believe her!” Marty joked.
“I told you!” Penny shouted from the table
“Well, allow me to say this…you are a very lucky man to have such a kind and beautiful wife. Cherish her. That’s the secret to a long and happy marriage,” Marty said, placing his hand on Jamie’s shoulder.
Jamie gave his best smile and nodded, but it was almost like Marty’s words pained him.
“Do you have a minute?” he asked, once Marty walked away.
My mother was so deep in conversation with Nick when they came walking out to the front that she almost didn’t even notice Jamie. “Jamie!” she said, looking almost as surprised as I was. She looked him over from top to bottom and I could see the shock on her face, feeling the same way that I was upon seeing him this way. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him hug.
“Mom, do you care if I just go -.”
“Yeah, go ahead. I got this covered,” she said without hesitation.
We walked across the street to the pond and took a seat on a bench. I focused my attention on the people enjoying the beautiful spring day…the runners, the dog walkers, the mothers pushing strollers. I watched two baby bunny rabbits playing in the grass, trying my best to focus on anything but the reality that I needed to face sitting beside me.
Jamie ran his hand through his hair and stared straight ahead, like he was deep in thought. He finally turned his attention to me, staring at me the same way he always did whenever we would get in an argument. I saw so much of Charlie in him that it pained me to look at him. “I’m sorry, Hope. I’m sorry for what happened the other day. I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to see you.”
I looked away and nodded. I was still so upset over the whole thing. I wasn’t sure if it was over coming face-to-face with this woman, or the fact that I actually thought that what she and Jamie had was more special than anything that the two of us ever did. “Did you guys get a good laugh at my expense after I left?” I just couldn’t help myself.
“What? Hope, no! I know that the damage is already done, but that’s over. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking when I did that. I just feel like I’m losing my mind. What I did to you that day that you left…I can't get it out of my head and I'm so sorry. I would never hurt you and I would kill anyone else if they ever did.”
I looked out at the water. “You know, Jamie, sometimes emotional pain can hurt worse than physical pain. I would rather endure that day over and over again, rather than
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