Erasing the Woman He Promised Forever

ays until the flight to New York

ted severing t

lf from old photos with Floyd. She changed her relationship sta

leting them would be too obvious, an act of aggress

e popped up on her persona

ict

her finger, resting on top of Floyd's hand.

ple: Woke up like t

een. In her past life, a photo like this would have sent her i

a distant, cli

back a s

atula

er. A small act of rebellion.

f Floyd's aunts in the city. The w

. I always knew you and Floyd we

ke ghosts from an

ve misunderstood, Mrs. Meyers. Floyd is engag

ding her features. "Oh. Oh, I see. I

n. The core of his cruelty wasn't just leaving her; it was

d away, leaving the woman spu

ht, she

, pale and still. She was holding his hand, singing softl

, a genuine, warm smile. "I heard you, Eliz

with tears o

a bitter residue. It was a dream of a man who never existed. The rea

was a final, painful reminder of what she ha

e rest of th

ividing them into two piles: things

all. Her clothes. Her a

d. Books they had read together. Mementos from trips t

of old art magazines when

the half-empty room. A f

s all

ng cleaning," s

from the 'leave' pile. She had bought it at

his out?" he asked

," she said, not lookin

, then at her. "It doesn't matter

ng a possession being discarded. An asset written off. It wasn't

it anymore," s

ching, as if trying to find the adoring

asn't

back on the pile, h

said, changing the subject. "Jay

she was coming.

there,"

rewell to this house, to this life, to hi