Page 4 of Perfect Convergence

I cringe. There she goes again with her traditionalist bullshit. If that’s what a woman wants, then fine. After dating Adam for a while, I thought it was what I wanted—he always told me he was going to be the provider for me and the family we were planning on having eventually.

Funny, considering he wasn’t. We both had to work our asses off to make rent.

I sigh. As if I needed another reminder that I either have to get a new roommate or find a cheaper apartment. Or a better job. My savings will only last for a few months.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I grumble. After wishing Ava a quick goodbye, I start the walk home. Thankfully, the sidewalks are shoveled.

My mom answers her phone on the second ring. “Wren! Finally! Why have you been ignoring me?”

“I’ve been at work.”

Of course, she wouldn’t understand that. She hasn’t had a job—besides raising me—since before I was born.

“Well, whatever. Maybe if we talked more often, I would be able to remember your schedule.”

I roll my eyes. It’s been the same for almost two years—first shift, Monday through Friday. “What do you need?”

“What do I need? Are you kidding me? Your boyfriend was in the hospital over the weekend, and Mary Anne says you didn’t even visit him.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Wh-excuse me?”

“He’s not my boyfriend, mom.”

“Last I checked he was!”

“Well, I broke up with him. A while ago.” I just didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to deal with you freaking out on me.

Of course, my mother doesn’t even ask why I ended our years-long relationship. Doesn’t even assume that maybe Adam was the problem. Instead, she launches into a rant I’ve heard a thousand times over the years whenever one of my “rebellious” cousins is brought up.

I barely listen, focusing more on avoiding people on the sidewalk and watching out for patches of ice. At least the sun is out, which helps to counteract the bitter cold biting at my skin.

“Adam was going to give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of. Everything a woman could want! Financial stability, a loving husband and father of your children. What more could you ask for?”

I grimace. Loving? Once upon a time, I would’ve called Adam that. If we were still together, I probably still would be. But now? Now that we’re broken up, all I can see are the ugly parts of him.

The parts that made me feel unwanted. Annoying. Like he was bored with me, only staying with me out of obligation. I was never good enough, never submissive enough, never like his friends’ girlfriends.

“He was going to propose, you know. And you didn’t even visit him in the hospital. How could you be so cruel?”

“He was going to what?” I screech so loudly that I get a few surprised glances from people walking past.

He was going to propose? While he was actively cheating on me?!

I’d tell my mother that, but I know her well enough to be able to predict how that will go. Either she’ll tell me it was my fault, or she won’t believe me.

Best to avoid that trainwreck.

“You broke that poor boy’s heart. And then he got jumped in his own home! Can you believe it?”

“He... what?” My voice is too high. I ball my free hand into a fist. There’s no way I can let on that I know what happened to Adam—or, more specifically, who happened.

“That’s right! He could’ve died.” My mom sighs. “I thought this is what you wanted, Wren. Adam is on track to be a very successful young man. What happened to your future together?”

I hesitate. Is that what I want? Before I met Adam, I had a plan—a dream. It was silly, maybe a little naïve, but it was mine.

All I wanted was to become a freelance graphic designer, learn a lot of languages, and travel the world. I figured that if I could work from anywhere, I could stay in lots of different countries, learn their languages, and experience their cultures.

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