The Vows Unspoken

t call from Liam came that afternoon. I let it ring until it went to voice

me?" His voice was

es

ng with Sarah soon. Just wanted

h. He didn't even bother to hide it. He was with her, right the

I said, my

e hung up before I co

anniversary. Five years ago, he' d given me a cheap silver locket on that day, promising it was just a placeholder until he

d hit "Decline Transfer." I sent the money ri

on a beach, smiling. The same picture Sarah had posted. He had made her his public face. I

nd began to systematically remove him from it. I pulled his clothes from the closet, his toothbrush fro

work phone, which I still had. "Your things

antly. "What the hell

swer. He called again. And

y things?" he demanded, his voice

hey're not anymore. Come get them o

You're emotional beca

teady. "I'm being clear. Our rela

ed up the two bags, walked them down the hall to the trash chute, and shoved them inside. He didn't even look in them. All those years, all those shared memories,

h like adults." I agreed, mostly out of a morbid curiosity to see what

m one of those people for whom cilantro tastes like soap, a fact I had reminded him of dozens of times

hair. "Your uncle called my father.

ushing the shrim

're just trying to make me jealous. It's n

hing to figu

t, a shadow fell

I was hoping I'd

rs was a vibrant, confident red. She slid into the booth next to Liam, wrapping her ar

a hand she had no intention of