Right then, my phone buzzes in my back pocket. Pulling it out, I see that it's Ralph.
"Speaking of the devil."
I respond to his text saying hi and then stare at the screen, chewing my lower lip. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask, and maybe I have been a little too hard on the guy. It's not like he is a jerk or anything. We've had some good times together. Sitting up on the couch with determination, I begin typing out my invitation to the California wedding when my phone buzzes again.
I stare at the message and have to read several times before the words fully make sense in my head.
I'm so sorry for doing this over text, but honestly, I don't really see a future between us, and I just met someone. So I want to stop seeing each other.
The last four words practically glow at me like a neon sign.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," I groan.
Elinda looks at me curiously.
"What happened?"
"Fuck!" I whine, slouching down on the couch and throwing my head back against the pillow. "Goddamn it!"
3
Floyd
The lake's cool water pushes against me as I take my last lap around. Peeking up at the surface, I see the June sun dancing on the stillness of the water. It's now been over a year since I made this change, and every day I feel more and more grateful that I did.
Taking a U-turn to head back to the cabin, I immediately spot a rainbow trout moseying past me with a couple of its buddies nearby. The June sun cuts through the surface of the water and dances off its silvery green back with its dark lateral stripe running down it. He seems oblivious to me, and I continue on my way, speeding up as I make my way home.
The morning June air hits my skin as I step out of the water. Walking toward my back porch, the air warms my bare skin as the water drips down my chest to my swim trunks. When I reach the deck, I grab the beach towel I tossed over the chair's back and start squeezing the water from my long, silver hair. After rubbing my face and chest dry, I hear my phone buzz on thetable and look to see that it's my sister calling, so I press the speakerphone button to answer.
"Hey, Florence. How goes it?"
"You just swam, didn't you?" She says, with obvious envy in her voice.
"I sure did. I'm drying off right now. Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Everything's fine. I was just calling to bitch to you about the LovLogic date I went on last night."
"I'm amazed you're still putting up with that app," I say, slumping down on a chair and letting the sun do its job.
"What can I say? I'm a romantic at heart," she quips.
"Just like when we were younger," I say, unable to hold in my snort.
"Hey, so were you back then!"
"Yeah. Well, that was before I got divorced at 28," I grumble.
"That was over twenty years ago!"
"Well, whatever. It helped me grow up quickly."
"And then you became married to your job."
"Hey! There's nothing wrong with that. I had a great relationship with my students."
"I know. You are an amazing teacher, but you're also an amazing man, Floyd. Don't you think you'd like to share it with someone?"
"Well, unless a woman is just going to drop in my lap here on the mountain, I'm not sure how easy it is to date up here," I mumble, staring at the lake.
