The Replaced Lover's Thirty-Day Silent Escape

ia's

y, and a brilliant golden su

the sheets, and vacuumed

of my life h

rfume-everything had been packed into six heavy shipping b

ent was the small carry-on suitca

or, and threw out the expired milk, the wilted l

e last page of the

er flat on the

arker and wrote one l

e. Don'

en the sound of the front do

ned, and Dam

bloodshot, dark circles under

, and he'd stayed at the private

he foyer, took tw

wept the l

apartment

one. The wall

d been on the shelves, the

ked like a vacant prope

voice trembled, h

bag and stumbled in

? Where is everythi

nd, my hands resting ca

an," I sa

rew out what was broken, and

st heaving as if he'

lking about? What do you

master bedroom at t

threw open the bedro

as complet

only empty plastic hangers

s gone. The dress

to the kitchen, his fa

s this? Is it because I missed

as Octo

y-fourth

ly, just like he'd forg

's bedside, holding her hand whil

a joke," I

ide, with a look of

ake box out of his coat pocket, and sla

he begged, his voice

ning! I got you passion fruit mango mousse cak

own at the

n frui

loved trop

c to mango. One bite, and

't even tell his live-in partner ap

looking at him with a p

ergic to

an f

ering over the r

f color draine

...

kind that can kill you," I said, enun

at Thai restaurant three years ago.

mouth, but no

iff beneath his feet was cr

the phone on the counte

wed: Mrs. Cros

was sharp a

e phone, then at me

please... l

" I said calmly, wa

needs

, but his instinct to obey the Cross fa

r and held the p

. Cr

woman's shrill cry cam

ribs hurt! The nurses here are all useless! Get back t

, his knuckles whit

. I can't leave ri

nvested in your father's first company, it

How dare you abandon her

ox, scooped a bite of vanilla cream that hadn't

ingly sweet

cake box, walked to the tr

shouted, pulling the

e them find another doct

necessary, Da

gloves and pulled up

her finger and you came running. Don't

houted, reachi

e've been together for three

ded at the note on the counte

know is on that paper.

pulled it shut behind me. T

r look