Her Rose Bloomed Elsewhere

Martin Irwin soon withdrew his hand as if he had just noticed the cake and candles.

"Sorry, was I imposing?" he asked, waving his phone with a helpless look. "I was going to have dinner with a colleague, but he had to leave since he had an emergency surgery.

Ann Liston nodded without hesitation. "Join us. You're already here anyway."

I turned to look at her.

During our past dates, she would start complaining if a waiter asked one too many questions.

But now, she was already on her feet, pulling out a chair for Martin.

Still, Martin didn't sit down immediately. He instead turned to me and asked, "You wouldn't mind, would you, Mr. Jenkins?"

I was still looking at the roses blooming beside Ann's feet, but I shook my head. "No."

Soon, Ann picked up the menu, flipped through a couple pages and quickly made her order: steamed bass, mushroom soup, and lobster salad.

As she finished, she added, "No nuts in the salad, and no peppers in the soup. Poor stomach."

Martin smiled. "I just mentioned it casually in the mountains. I'm surprised you remembered."

Ann's smile was perfectly natural. "How could I forget? Your stomach was aching the whole night during that rescue operation."

With that, they smoothly moved on to how the stars looked within reach at the towering peaks, and how they had to press against each other to survive the freezing night in a cave, and the beauty of first light piercing through the snow when rescue finally came.

As for me, I kept my head down. I quietly ate while they kept reminiscing. Those memories were an invisible wall that kept me out completely.

Even so, Ann didn't forget about me. She was impeccably attentive as she put food on my plate and refilled my glass.

Only I could see the bright red flowers growing out from beneath the table, the roses even creeping up to her ring finger.

Then, more grew past the table fringes, and crept around Martin's fingers as well.

Vibrant, yet subtle.

Even on the way home, Ann was busy texting, and I could see Martin's contact name popping up repeatedly on top of the screen.

She blackened the screen when she caught me looking. "It's just work. Don't worry about it."

My expression was obscure under the dim streetlights. I kept staring at our wedding ring finger, now covered under roses.

Then, I said calmly, "I want a divorce."