His Mistake, Her Liberation

woke me from a light, restless sle

prised to see me. "What

same sweet perfume. Brittany'

rushed birthday cake box on the coffee table. I had bought it for myself ear

r of something in his eyes, but it was gone

" he snapped, loosening his tie. "I was

My voice was flat. There

rateful, gentle man I had nursed back to health had been replaced by thi

o change. Phoenix-he' d named it that because he had risen from the ashes

thes, a new car. He started talking about Brittany Blake, wistfully, as "the o

brushed off as a smudge of ink. Late-night texts he quickly deleted. Th

hirt unbuttoned. On his chest, just over his heart-the heart I had place

d been dying a slo

u need to take your anti-rejection med

e of management. A lifetime of medication to keep h

dy walking towards the stairs. "I

motherin

sharp. "I'm not a patient anymore. I'm not

e, not looking back. He left me

more. He was strong, succes

thing. It felt like we weren't just in s