he didn

estion had worn a

d I ma

less. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the way he'd l

ning room already brac

crisp white shirt, scrolling through his pho

up when sh

d you go

lled out

done

answered my

s none of yo

some coffee, keepin

his pho

nd. Of course i

smile touch

sk questions. Last month, you were gone for four nights. Wh

ped halfway

be ab

m

ook a

u turn your phone face-down every time it lights up. I've stopped aski

ession h

reful,

go missing, it shou

t the sauc

at yest

frow

ha

here a

ly laugh rose

it across a table without hiding behind a newspape

wer

me a d

became un

have m

almly. Final. Li

stared

hy

n't re

eing married to me, why wou

ned hi

noticed the previous night. A man standing at

stomach

rolled through he

r her mouth, shoved he

e cool washroom tiles when she h

st

on th

e sink, rinsing her

intended

she heard

ing what w

fr

was a

't know. She s

filled t

you this woul

e went through h

r, which never quite met its frame,

rstand. You said she

phone. Smooth and patient. The voice he used

hriss

ith me? That's not an answ

opped br

ing

her fathe

. I give you your he

ice sh

are what you promised her. I care that you pro

ded like a d

.

er heard that

how, she

ight calls. The turned-over phone. The four n

.

ed into a bright

nightmare was that C

that he'd never

ess she hadn't chosen, towards a man

posed to protect her had signe

ach turn

made it t

e woman staring back at her in t

nted t

suddenly and refu

with

ed further than she understood. Even victoria's little shop, the one place

ney, lawyers,

er had a

xcept a handbag and a

ght were merely unha

ixed her hair, and wal

g in the hallway,

scussed selling her f

he asked.

ared a

een on o

fro

. You spent most o

ria

eing vi

im before he could

smelled of pap

e Toria didn't feel the need to m

ear the poetry shelf,

nothing,

beautifu

ddest shelf

your

hrew a dus

before pulling her towards

he doorway, clut

small

that reached for each

or a moment longer

en touched like

by her

ove the ent

tu

doorway, his coat

d me. I wa

fell from vic

ere changed

t stepped away from her as though he'd

a no

that she

and careful around her husband, like

and disappeared into

, Chriss

t us t

turned

rway, his expression

y w

U

ared a

ighteen

dn't

alking about a son, you

, list

the baby comes? Be

ilence f

id, "You'd

est ti

ep

tody. I'd go back to Italy. I

unable to believe

times a

everything

t a fa

Chriss had

ighting the tears ga

ot my dress. Not my wedding. Not this

ice tr

g what was best for me while I smiled and said thank

swal

walked into that church with a whole

linc

said roughly. "There was love

sto

eyes n

se l

id no

love, C

her shoulder, somewhere far away tha

s answe

ever been m

hen fell

unds from the shop

orry,

ounded dragge

d and wa

er, the shop

anding among the

elt h

sibly, a l

noticed s

s's p

the sugar bo

in eighteen months,

tared

he shouldn

rd in the study was st

.

reen l

age ap

any longer. Tell m

pulse th

her

ained fixed

er hand reached