Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 2 March 2015 | Page 30

WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE
"I’m here."
"Happy anniversary, sweetheart."
His tone was warm, intimate, and a sudden flare of annoyance shot through her.
After all this time, and all that had happened, how could he think he could call and she
would forget everything? "Which anniversary are we talking about?" she asked into
the expectant silence. "The one where you married me? Or the one where you walked
out on that marriage with another woman? I seem to remember it was the same day."
"Jessica."
She steeled herself against the hurt in his voice. "It’s been 12 years, Mark. Don’t
you think it’s time we both moved on?"
"I’m not ready, Jess." He sounded almost scared.
She sighed, more annoyed with herself than with Mark. He had chosen to leave,
why couldn’t she let him go? Why did she wait with such eager anticipation for one
miserable phone call a year? But then, she had always liked the fact that Mark hadn’t
been able to cut himself off completely, that he’d felt he had to keep in touch on this
one day. Almost as though she still possessed a part of him. Now, she accepted that
it wasn’t enough.
"I’m ready, Mark. I don’t want to be alone any longer." She paused then braced
herself to go on. “I don’t want you to phone again."
He was silent for a long time before he spoke. "I saw you out the other night."
"What? How could you?"
"You were at that bar we used to go to. You were with a man. I’ve seen you with
him before, other times, other places."
Jessica couldn’t believe Mark had been there, watching them. But the sharp stab
of guilt was quickly replaced by another flicker of annoyance. It had always been like
this, even before he left for good. Mark had been unfaithful over and over again, but if
he thought she so much as looked at another man, well…
That was what these calls were all about. He didn’t want her, but he didn’t want
anyone else to have her either. Well, he was going to have to get used to it. Dave was
in her life now and one phone call a year wasn’t going to change that. Besides next
year she’d be gone. But was she really ready for a final goodbye? She’d loved Mark
so much. Even when he had made her unhappy, she had still loved him. He was the
father of her children, and she could never put him totally from her life, never forget
him. But it was time he realised that this was her life. She was still young, and she
wasn’t willing to spend the rest of it alone.
"It’s none of your business, who I see now," she told him.
“What?"
"Mark, you left me time and time again."
"I always came back."

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