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“Twenty-two,” she said, her voice strained.
“Was this before your parents passed?”
“Yes.”
“Before your relapse?”
“Yes.”
One-word answers. The scraps and pieces of stories she revealed began to piece together.
“And what happened to the band?”
She cleared her throat. “Remember I told you there was one once who couldn’t handle my OCD? It was our band. I walked away. Not that I had much choice, at first. I wasn’t functioning. But even later, once I had a hold on it again, I couldn’t be in the band with him while he moved on.”
I pointed to a photo of Minty leaning against one of the band members. “Is this him?”
“Yes.” Her voice was soft, almost nostalgic. “You know, I miss the band more than I miss him at this point. And I don’t really miss the band. Sometimes staying causes more hurt. But there were some good times.”
“Has he ever been in contact since?”
“Sporadically over the years. He married, had a couple of kids, divorced, remarried, had a couple more.” She grinned at me. “All in all, I think I dodged a bullet.”
I laughed. “Looks that way.”
She turned a page and I zeroed in on her outfit. “Did you dress like that all the time?”
I looked at her sitting demurely beside me, her ankles crossed and tucked to the side. Her floral sundress nearly hitting the floor, blond hair upswept, silvery-blue pearls at her ears and a single teardrop pearl dangling from a silver chain at her throat. “I can’t imagine you dressing any other way than you do.”
She shrugged and smiled. “Well, I certainly didn’t dress like that.” She pointed to the picture. “That was my on-stage persona and was a ton of fun.” She tapped her finger on the man beside her in the picture. “I think he loved her, not me.”
“He was a fool,” I said softly.
She laughed softly and shook her head. “You don’t know how bad it was, how bad it can be.”
“I wouldn’t leave you, Minty. If I told you I loved you, I would never leave you.”
She dipped her chin for a moment before looking back at me, her smile sad. “You’re going to make some woman incredibly happy someday.”
Her words cut me, and I had to take a moment to draw my breath.
Minty
Was that reminder for him or for me?
The idea of him being with someone else now or ever was beginning to grate on me.
“Well, lucky for you, I’m all yours right now.” He broke the silence. “And I really need to elicit a promise that you’ll dig up your on-stage persona and wear it to one of my shows.”
I laughed though it sounded forced. “Maybe I’ll do that.”
“Would you ever get onstage with me?”
“I won’t lie and say I don’t miss it; I do. But that me I keep under wraps for your eyes only?” I tapped his chin and teased. “Everybody will see her up there.”
“It just might be worth it,” he retorted, making me laugh.
It had been a long time since I’d looked at those pictures and not felt the humiliating sting of rejection. Up until now, I don’t think I’d ever seen those pictures and felt happiness, or at least a bittersweet nostalgia, rather than heartbreak and loss.
