Marie,” he said. “I’ve been trying to tell you all week, but whenever I called, you had some work problem that demanded your attention and we couldn’t chat.”
She blinked, certain she’d misunderstood him. “You’ve…met someone else?”
“Yes, a woman from my office, who’s closer to my own age. We have a lot in common.”
“When?”
“A couple of weeks ago. Remember the Saturday you moved? Renee was at the office, too. After my appointment, she suggested we grab a bite to eat. We had a greattime. I had no idea what a wonderful sense of humor she has.”
Anne Marie was having trouble assimilating all this. “Mel, are you being honest with me?” She wanted to make sure he wasn’t fabricating this story in order to ease her conscience.
“The truth is, I probably wouldn’t have given Renee a second glance if it wasn’t for the fact that I already knew I was losing you.”
“Oh, Mel.”
He gave her a wry smile. “I found out she’s had her eye on me for quite a while.”
Anne Marie laughed out loud. “You have no idea how much better this makes me feel.”
Mel laughed, too, his expression almost boyish. “Tim’s a good man.”
“I think so, too.”
“I regret the way I behaved earlier. I wish you both the best.”
Rather than explain that she hadn’t exactly worked out the situation with Tim, she let Mel assume all was well between them.
“I hope you and Renee find happiness together,” she said. Mel had graciously wished her the best and it seemed only fitting that she do the same. Besides, she meant it. He deserved to be with a woman who cared about him with the same intensity she felt toward Tim.
“Let’s keep in touch,” he said.
“Let’s,” she agreed.
“I’ll update you on what’s happening with me and Renee.”
“I’d like that.”
They finished their wine, and after Mel had paid thebill they walked outside into the still-bright evening. On the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, they hugged, then went their separate ways. For the first time in weeks, Anne Marie felt she could smile.
Then she thought of the coming conversation with Tim, and all her anxieties returned.
Eleven
May 7
I doubt that I could be more surprised than I was when Mel announced he’d met someone else. When I got home my head was spinning. But I didn’t really have a chance to think about it because Ellen came home soon after I did, talking up a storm about her visit with her new friend Bailey. She’s teaching Bailey to knit, too, and wants to start a knitting camp for her friends during summer vacation. The backyard will be perfect, since I plan to get a picnic table and a large umbrella. She’s going to invite Lydia to come and teach. Ellen seems to have everything figured out. If she teaches five friends to knit and each of them teaches five friends, by the end of the summer the whole school will know how to knit. Oh, if only life was this simple…
S aturday morning the doorbell rang while Anne Marie sorted laundry. She’d started taking every other Saturday off in order to spend more time with Ellen. When herdaughter didn’t immediately rush to answer, Anne Marie left the stack of soiled laundry in front of the washer and hurried toward the hall. Baxter was barking wildly. She calmed him and told him to sit—to her great satisfaction he obeyed instantly—then opened the door.
When she saw Tim standing there, she nearly gasped with shock. He was the last person she’d expected—and the most welcome. While she yearned to yank open the screen door and throw herself into his arms, she resisted.
“Hi,” she managed, her voice, even to her own ears, sounding breathless and strange.
“Is Ellen here?” he asked stiffly.
“Would you like to come in?”
“Not really. I came by to make sure her bike’s working properly after I fixed it.”
“It’s fine.” His excuse was so flimsy, she had to suspect there was another reason—one that had to do with her. Now that
She blinked, certain she’d misunderstood him. “You’ve…met someone else?”
“Yes, a woman from my office, who’s closer to my own age. We have a lot in common.”
“When?”
“A couple of weeks ago. Remember the Saturday you moved? Renee was at the office, too. After my appointment, she suggested we grab a bite to eat. We had a greattime. I had no idea what a wonderful sense of humor she has.”
Anne Marie was having trouble assimilating all this. “Mel, are you being honest with me?” She wanted to make sure he wasn’t fabricating this story in order to ease her conscience.
“The truth is, I probably wouldn’t have given Renee a second glance if it wasn’t for the fact that I already knew I was losing you.”
“Oh, Mel.”
He gave her a wry smile. “I found out she’s had her eye on me for quite a while.”
Anne Marie laughed out loud. “You have no idea how much better this makes me feel.”
Mel laughed, too, his expression almost boyish. “Tim’s a good man.”
“I think so, too.”
“I regret the way I behaved earlier. I wish you both the best.”
Rather than explain that she hadn’t exactly worked out the situation with Tim, she let Mel assume all was well between them.
“I hope you and Renee find happiness together,” she said. Mel had graciously wished her the best and it seemed only fitting that she do the same. Besides, she meant it. He deserved to be with a woman who cared about him with the same intensity she felt toward Tim.
“Let’s keep in touch,” he said.
“Let’s,” she agreed.
“I’ll update you on what’s happening with me and Renee.”
“I’d like that.”
They finished their wine, and after Mel had paid thebill they walked outside into the still-bright evening. On the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, they hugged, then went their separate ways. For the first time in weeks, Anne Marie felt she could smile.
Then she thought of the coming conversation with Tim, and all her anxieties returned.
Eleven
May 7
I doubt that I could be more surprised than I was when Mel announced he’d met someone else. When I got home my head was spinning. But I didn’t really have a chance to think about it because Ellen came home soon after I did, talking up a storm about her visit with her new friend Bailey. She’s teaching Bailey to knit, too, and wants to start a knitting camp for her friends during summer vacation. The backyard will be perfect, since I plan to get a picnic table and a large umbrella. She’s going to invite Lydia to come and teach. Ellen seems to have everything figured out. If she teaches five friends to knit and each of them teaches five friends, by the end of the summer the whole school will know how to knit. Oh, if only life was this simple…
S aturday morning the doorbell rang while Anne Marie sorted laundry. She’d started taking every other Saturday off in order to spend more time with Ellen. When herdaughter didn’t immediately rush to answer, Anne Marie left the stack of soiled laundry in front of the washer and hurried toward the hall. Baxter was barking wildly. She calmed him and told him to sit—to her great satisfaction he obeyed instantly—then opened the door.
When she saw Tim standing there, she nearly gasped with shock. He was the last person she’d expected—and the most welcome. While she yearned to yank open the screen door and throw herself into his arms, she resisted.
“Hi,” she managed, her voice, even to her own ears, sounding breathless and strange.
“Is Ellen here?” he asked stiffly.
“Would you like to come in?”
“Not really. I came by to make sure her bike’s working properly after I fixed it.”
“It’s fine.” His excuse was so flimsy, she had to suspect there was another reason—one that had to do with her. Now that
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