Old Love Is Like A Sinking Ship

“I know you don’t want to acknowledge me.”

I had not seen Justin Cornwell in seven years, but he had barely aged. In his trench coat, he was as handsome as ever.

Yet, his eyes were brimming with tears. His voice was thick with emotion as he said, “But Bunny, I’ve missed you so much. Have you thought about me at all these past few years?”

Bunny.

I had not heard that nickname in so long. Only my parents and Justin had ever called me that.

I finally looked him in the eye and smiled.

“I have.”

His eyes lit up.

My next words wiped away that hope.

“Every time I remember sharing a man with a woman who’s now fifty, it makes me sick to my stomach. Tell me, are things still as passionate between you two as they were when you were married to me?”

Justin stiffened.

I stepped around him with a pointed, “Excuse me.”

Some things were long over, but some memories left scars.

The slightest reminder was enough to tear them open again.

Fifteen years ago, for instance, Justin broke a leg saving me from a gang of thugs and missed his scholarship exam.

His face had been deathly pale as he lay on a stretcher, yet he still managed a smile for me.

“It’s okay. Maybe it’s better this way. Wherever you go, I’ll go with you.”

Then, there was the pregnancy test I found in the trash seven years ago. Two lines. Positive.

There were only two women in the house.

Me, five months pregnant, and our forty-three-year-old housekeeper, Sally Mack.

So, when I teased Sally about finding love again, it never crossed my mind that that plain, dark-skinned woman, who had always seemed so honest, was also pregnant by the husband I loved.

Back then, I really did think of Sally as one of my closest friends.

I would often confide in her. “Do you think Justin might cheat because we’re not sleeping together? He’s a director now, and he works with all these pretty young women. What if one of them makes a move on him?”

She would always reassure me in her quiet, gentle way. “Have you seen yourself, ma’am? None of those girls can hold a candle to you. Besides, you’ve been together for over a decade. No one can compete with that.”

Reassured, I would affectionately link my arm through hers.

“I’m so glad I hired you. You always know how to make me feel better!”

When I first met Sally at the staffing agency, she had been turned down for one job after another.

She was from a rural town and had little education.

Newly divorced, she also had a young daughter she could not leave alone. No one wanted to hire her.

I had felt for her, trying so hard to support herself and her little girl, so I offered her the job.

“So, when did you start seeing someone? Why am I only finding out now?”

Sally had stared at me with a stiff expression. My smile widened.

“I saw the pregnancy test! Come on, Sally. Were you really going to keep that from me?”

A loud clatter came from behind me.