Page 13 of My Wife
Or so I thought.
The prolonged silence and darkness presses against me from all sides. I tune the radio until I land on a Taylor Swift breakup song which is oh-so perfect. I sing along until it turns to static. Unable to find another station, I switch to the AM frequency. It isn’t lost on me that it’s past midnight, technically a.m. now as I barrel north.
A late night, er, early morning talk show comes on and the DJ invites listeners to call in to discuss their love life woes. Before the commercial break, I catch the back half of a guy concerned that his girlfriend won’t introduce him to her BFFs. Sounds familiar. When DJ Melody comes back on the air, I learn the show is called Love Lines After Dark. Dawn still feels far away, so I tell my phone to dial the number.
DJ Melody’s cool, soothing voice welcomes me to the live call. “Give us the report on your relationship and we’ll see if we can dial it in.”
I blurt, “I’m a jilted bride on the run.”
Belatedly realizing that might sound like I committed a crime of passion, in barebones detail, I relay what happened.
DJ Melody says, “That’s how it ended. Go back and tell us how it started.”
As I cruise along the empty ribbon of road, I retrace my steps back to the beginning when Rexlan kissed me after a particularly intense fight scene on his video game followed by his character getting cozy with the woman he rescued from a belligerent bear.
DJ Melody chuckles softly, sweetly. “We’ve all been there. Well, notthere, but when physical feelings get the best of us, reason goes out the door.”
“His mother encouraged it ... I think it was because she didn’t like the woman who turned out to be his real girlfriend.” I don’t say Cassleigh’s name, but from what I’ve gleaned, she didn’t buy into the whole skink thing. I didn’t either, but I do have a habit of looking on the bright side, smiling, and nodding politely.
“Do you think Sorsha was the type never to find fault with her son?”
I snort a laugh through my nose. “You got that right. I take it you’ve heard stories like this before.”
“Every night. So now what? What’s next for our jilted bride?”
“I guess I’m going home to pretend this didn’t happen.”
“That seems like it will be hard to do.”
I say, “Not really. My grandmother makes really good cookies.”
She chuckles. “I mean the forgetting part.”
A long sigh escapes because she's probably right, but in the last hours, I’ve gone from feeling panicked to dazed, but now something like a wave of relief washes over me.
DJ Melody says, “I only know part of the story and it’s still fresh, but in case we never speak again, I’d like to suggest something. Take it, stash it somewhere in your mind, and it’ll be there waiting for you when you’re ready.”
Even though she can’t see me, I lean in, eagerly wondering what she’s going to say.
“In time, allow yourself to forgive your ex-fiancé, Sorsha, and everyone who hurt you, maybe even going all the way back to when things happened that made you cling to a need to feel wanted.”
The advice is like pouring alcohol on a wound. It stings for a moment, but I know it’s for the best and will ultimately help me.
“And don’t discount love in your future. I don’t think your ex was the one. Perhaps you came close to jumping into things with him before you were ready and this was a wake-up. A rude one, but still. Maybe you came across a prince when really what you deserve is a king.”
We end the call, but DJ Melody’s words stick with me for the remainder of the drive. I did think Rexlan was my prince charming, which would make me a princess—something I could only dream of as a child before I realized that the world is made up of rakes and rogues, bounders and cads, more than real royalty.
Will I find a king? Doubtful, but I lift my chin and keep on keepin’ on.
5
JESS
Hello,Hockey Town.
As I roll into Cobbiton, the small town where Grandma Dolly lives, I pass the massive Ice Palace sports complex. It’s the home arena for the Knights, the Nebraska hockey team. While I’m here, I’ll definitely be taking a break from all manner of men, whether they wear a crown or a helmet.
I have nothing against the sport, in fact, Grandma Dolly is a super fan, but I left here telling myself when I returned, I’d be a new and improved version of myself, having succeeded at life. Employed, married, and with a happily ever after at the ready.
