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III

The Heart Never Forgets

Four Years Later

Chapter Sixteen

Rosalie

After graduation,I moved to California just like I told Shane I would one day. Not a day went by where I didn't think about him. Despite not seeing him in years, I still remembered the time we spent together like it was yesterday.

My father and Joanna divorced shortly after I finished college, but remained friends. Even when they were together, I never felt comfortable enough to ask her about Shane and she never mentioned him. I dated several guys through college, but none of them could compare to his memory.

I had fallen into the habit of Googling Shane regularly over the years but never found any trace of him. Other than my memories, Shane didn't exist. Despite not finding him even on social media, I still kept hoping I'd get a glimpse of him again and see how he was doing. Did I make the right decision by letting him go?

I knew I needed to get over him, but it was tough. I’d regularly kick myself for having feelings for him still and then one night, while I was out with some friends, I met David. David was nothing like Shane. He was tall and lanky with perfect dark hair that never moved out of place. He was very serious and rarely joked around. He was the complete opposite of my ideal guy, but for some reason, I kept dating him.

David was at my apartment watching a DVD when the phone rang. I reached for the remote to turn the volume down, but he swiped it out of my hand and glared at me.

I looked at the caller ID, then blinked and looked at it again. My mother’s name flashed across the screen. We hadn’t spoken in years, despite my regular calls to her. My old feelings of dread crept back and twisted my stomach, and made my heart pound as the phone rang again.

“You going to get that or not?” David snapped.

My hand jerked and picked up the phone before David could say anything else. “Hello?”

“Hello, Rosalie. It’s your mother.”

“Umm hi, Mom.”

I didn’t know what to say. Why was she suddenly calling me? She must want something, why else would she call?

“Jim is dying,” she said matter-of-factly. “He was diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of years ago and it traveled to his brain. The doctors said he has at most a month to live.”

“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said reassuringly. “He’s been tough to deal with, very angry and needy, so I’ve been traveling to keep myself sane.”

“You’ve been traveling?” I said with disbelief. This was the woman who put her husband’s needs ahead of everything in her life, even me. How could she not be there for him now? “Who’s taking care of him?”

David shot a look at me that said I was interrupting his TV watching. I got up from the couch and quickly headed into the kitchen.

“He’s a grown man, he can take care of himself. I shouldn’t have to stop living just because he’s dying,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I just got back from a resort in Scottsdale. I had such a great time. I can see why you wanted to head west, it’s beautiful there.”

“You went by yourself?” I asked, my mind spinning.

“Yes, and no. I met a friend there at the hotel.”

“A friend? Gladys?”

“No, Gladys? Are you kidding? She never wants to do anything fun. Anyway, it’s not anyone you know. His name is Johnny, and we met on Facebook.”

“Johnny? You have a boyfriend? You’re married! What about Jim?”

“I already told you, he’s dying.” She let out an annoyed sigh. “Johnny’s really nice, you’d like him. He has a big house in Southern California, and he tells me how beautiful I am all the time.”

“Umm okay,” I said, trying to not let the shock creep into my voice. “That’s nice, Mom.”

Good to see nothing has changed, Mom.

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