Five Years Too Late, Ryan

a hand on the butler

d, my voice flat and

understand.

an. I had called him a dozen times. Each call was rejected instantly, sent

, enjoying a candlelit dinner with Jessica, completely absor

ned, her face a ma

relationship with Ryan was getting better. He came b

t me, her ey

a. Just try o

ain, and I closed my eyes, a w

e came ba

he came back for Jessica.

umped him unceremoniously and moved abroad. Ryan had been a wreck. He spent every day

e one who picked him up when he was too drunk to stand. I was the one who made sure he ate,

focused, and he called me Jessica. He pulled me close, and in his

to settle in. He looked at me with a strange mixture of regret and resi

winter, and he took me to a park as the snow was fal

d put a diamond ring on my finger. He promised me a

e. I actually

t full of hope. And then, just as the ceremony was

from

she was in a hospital in Germany. She told him she was pregn

om his face. He dropped the bouquet of flowers he was hold

eve, my voice a d

leave me here. Don't do this

off his arm, one by one. His face was as cold and hard as a bloc

sor

alked away. He didn'