AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mr. Donald’s phone starts ringing momentarily, distracting me for a moment.
“Hello,” he says.
“Oh, I’ll be right there,” I hear Mr. Donald say.
Aunt Maryann returns minutes later with a brown envelope.
“Here you go,” she says as she hands the envelope to him.
“Thank you. I’ll work on this,” he says.
“If you don’t mind, I need to leave. My next appointment is waiting for me,” he says.
“Of course, we don’t mind. Thank you for stopping by,” my aunt says.
“You’re welcome, ma’am. If you have any more questions or need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me,” he says.
“Sure, I will.” I give him a bright smile as he removes his wallet and brings out a black card.
“Please, have this,” he says, and I collect the card. I curiously turn it before giving him a smile.
“I’ll see you around,” Mr. Donald announces before leaving.
“So, you will be staying,” my aunt says, and I release a sigh.
“I’m not sure, Aunt. My life isn’t here anymore. What will I be doing? I wanted to finish this and go back to my life. Look for a job, possibly sort out a few things and now, considering all these expenses, it’s not advisable to go back,” I reply.
“How long did Mr. Donald say you will be here for?” She asks.
“He said possibly three weeks,” I tell her with a sigh.
“Phebe, dear, may I speak with you?” she asks. I glance at her. She acts like a mother to me, which is why she holds a place in my heart. I recall how the gentleness in her eyes has been there for as long as I can remember. She cared for me until she had to leave Sausalito with her husband, leaving me and John alone. That was when I lost the love and affection of a family. It took a while before I realized John had always been like that, but I didn’t take note because I had Aunt Maryann around.
“Sure,” I tell her. She sits on the couch, and I follow suit. I turn my attention to her when she places her hand on mine.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this bit. I didn’t want to disturb you during these past few days. I figured I should let you enjoy your stay, but you’ve been holed up in your room most of the time. Is there a problem?” She asks.
“Not at all, Aunt. I just prefer it that way. I like being in my own space,” I tell her with an assuring smile.
“It doesn’t make sense. For the past few years, it feels like the distance between us has grown larger than I imagined. What happened, my sweet bubbling girl? I remember how you always loved outdoor activities. As a matter of fact, you always told me how you wanted to live in Sausalito forever. All of a sudden, your father tells me you decided to get married. By the way, I’m still hurt that you would allow me to miss such an important aspect of your life. Not only were you too young, but you got married so fast,” she says.
“John told you I decided to get married?” I ask in utter amazement. My aunt was confused, possibly with the way I was addressing my father.
“Well, yeah, he did. But now, I feel there was more to the story,” she says.
“It’s no use now, Aunt Maryann,” I tell her with a sad smile. If only she knew the depth of what John did. My heart clenches as I recall Jeffrey. If John didn’t ruin things, we would have been happily married by now.
“Does your friend know you are in town?” She asks.
I give her a puzzled look. I don’t have any friends here, so I don’t understand what she means.
“Jeffrey. You were so close to him then. Do you even keep in touch with him?” she asks, and I become tense. Of course, she would remember how I was always glued to Jeffrey.
“We lost touch,” I shrug while trying to act nonchalant about it.
“Oh, does this have anything to do with your marriage to Jason?” she asks. Talk about inquisitive Aunt Maryann.
“We simply lost touch. Fortunately, we’re both doing well in our separate lives, and that’s what truly matters,” I say, shrugging in the hope that she’ll understand I’d rather not discuss Jeffrey.
