The Art of Starting Over

tation. "The community dance is next week. Oliv

o study for an important exam." It was a lie, but it came easily. Any excuse

months. She's a good girl. She even dropped off your fav

gesture, seeing it as a sign of her quiet affection. Now, he saw it for what it was: a performance. She was playing th

books, her uniform crisp and neat. "I heard you were studying fo

ve sought out. She knew his study habits, his preferences, his ambitions. In t

his tone clipped. "B

ther told me you were upset that I was spending time with Daniel. It's not what

spent sixty years married to her, only to find out she loved another, was now being accused of petty jea

ew days ago. "Can you believe it? Olivia Hayes bought the Lees a new refrigerator. One of those fancy import

al act of support for Daniel's family. It was the kind of thing you did for family, for someone you cared ab

rd. He scanned the names, his eyes stopping on one particular assignment: "First Waltz Performance: Ethan Mil

iring read: "First Waltz Performance: Daniel Lee and Olivia Hayes." He stepped back and looked at his work. It was a small act of sabotage, but it was a clear statement.