yn Bar

ic silence. I sat by the window, noise-canceling headphones on, staring out at the endless

g at me, his brow furrowed with an anxiety that was almost comical. He was used to my forgivene

e," he tried, his vo

n' t

flight attendant said we shou

, pretending I couldn' t hear him o

ation. He reached over and tugged one of the headp

, my expression a blan

of my voice. He sank back into his seat, a flu

a ridiculously trendy part of South Beach. The whole weekend wa

ough the strained quiet. "Are all t

he last possible second, confess. That he might show one sh

' s taken care of. You know I trust your judgment on these

d secretly dismantled, a wedding he had stolen from me. The trust I had so freely given him ha

, hard resolve settled deep in my bones, solid

ght I' d found out about the venue change. He was likely already rehearsing his excuses, planning how

ar and buttercream. On a pedestal in the center of the room was a sample cake, a masterpiece

mpagne-infused cake to my lips, a famil

yn! What a craz

e was a permanent fixture in my nightmares now. She sashayed

r that time we came here after that gallery open

her piece of their hidden life together, casuall

uava," Annmarie chirped, completely ignoring my rigi

, setting the fork do

hy," she insiste

tep back. "I' ve alr

her eyes welling with crocodile tears. "Oh. I... I' m so

ot out, his hand closing around her wrist. "Don' t

"What is your problem, Brooklyn?

d, "Besides, you should get used to having her around.

smantled my happiness, my future, was going to stand beside me as I pledged my li

repeated, the word

idea," I said, my

h stared at me, stunne

en, maybe it' s too much. I don' t want to intrude..."

ly. He kissed her forehead, a gesture so int

at me. "See, Brooklyn? Was that so hard? You' ve b

, darling. Don' t be upset. She

lking on eggshells around your delicate feelings." He gestured wildly, his face contorted in a sneer. "Are

g silence fell over the ridi

pain. The permanent alteration of my senses. To him,

urgent neuro-ophthalmology appointment when I' d woken up with a terrifying blind spot. I' d had to take a cab, alone and terrified. He' d forgott

my bones, weighing me down. I had been fighting for a lo

time to

of the shop, leaving them standing ther

o. Then, he turned to the shop owner, forcing

loser, his lips brushing her hair. I saw it al

and. A long, rambling t

nd the pressure I' m under. I' m trying to manage two very important women in my life. You need to

ain, the words a perfect crystallization

manage two very

smile spread

en, I thought. I' ll remove one

lling my chest. For the first time in five years, I was walking away fr