e

sorry

d in my chair and release

ht now. The woman was a complete piece of work, and she was s

finitely start something when I ended the call;

ngement. I have no interest in being in anyone's space, especially n

tely for me,

or she would smell my desperation and use it against me. I didn't

out that too well. And I'd never

g to finish up some paperwork. I was exhausted

time to

one and texted

he office in

rushed to open the door for me. I gave him a nod a

the driveway and exited the compa

hinking about my schedule for the next day. Bu

I was thinking or I woul

woman inside t

tighter. He briefly turned to look at me and I saw his eyes

n in this c

, but it

I watched him closely through the front mirror. C

ide and he bowed his head slig

ive me lately? Did I have an invisible

e wife, and

ungratef

car!" I

cause the car came to a screeching halt on the

down. I walked around to the d

I can explain

I slammed the door in

oblems. And men always seem to

d in the wiles of women and would n

ed the keys to the valet who was waiting and entered the mans

y tie as I approached the table. Jerry had success

ve of my white shirt, ready to dig into the nicely presented food

r of the cozy dinner table, radiating a sa

my sauce that clung to each strand like a warm embrace. The noodles t

" I waved th

but another hand came out of nowhere and sl

other than

, she was there in the hospital room when we were born. Growing up, I

en me and Benjamin, who she'd follow to start our own familie

, I had no doubt

ast her, so I gave her a questioning look. "Mama Canda,

e bowl again but she sla

nk you're doing

never Ben. Or she would call my

eat?" I was

" she said, and waved me towards the

eep breath

the food for me, making sure to

e little boy she nannied, fo

sat down and

a smile on her face. I igno

She asked, s

I wondered what

lip from behind her and straighte

inted at an image of a man in a navy suit, standing with a woman. The m

liev

aid to act as my wife. They must have taken the pic

nd without any fuss. I had no idea the fuc

tention. Written in bold black letters, it said: DUMPED AT THE ALTA

Mama Canda continued as she tenderly tou

" I

eaded straight to my home office. I