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“Married?”
“Yes, married. I heard about his engagement some years ago. I assumed he would be happily married with kids by now,” I say.
“Oh, dear, you didn’t hear?” She says, and I give her a puzzled look.
“Rosalina, his ex-fiancé, called off the wedding,” she says, and I gape in shock.
“What?” I ask in utter surprise.
“Yes, she did. It was big news around here.”
“Why?” I ask while my mind is racing. Why did I not hear about the broken engagement?
“No one knows. There are rumors that Rosalina broke it off with him with claims that he isn’t the man for such commitment,” she says. I frown. That doesn’t sound like Jeffrey. I recall how we would always talk about getting married and raising kids.
“Wow, I had no idea. It must have been devastating for him,” I say.
“That’s what we all thought, but Jeffrey took it in stride. It didn’t even seem like his engagement was broken. In fact, that year, he started breaking more records with his art. It’s an amazing thing that someone like Jeffrey is still resides in our town despite his global achievements. Did you know that for the past ten years, he has consistently been listed as one of the top ten renowned artists worldwide? As a matter of fact, he’s one of the richest in the USA,” she reveals. My eyes widen in surprise as I take in all this information. I knew Jeffrey was doing well for himself, but I didn’t think it was at this rate.
I smile, happy that he was able to get his life on track. I don’t want to think about how it would have been if our story was different.
“That’s good for him,” I tell Aunt Maryann.
“I agree with you. He works too hard for his own good. It’s like he is married to his art. At one point, we were worried he would never settle down again. Thankfully, he has found someone else,” she says, and it feels like my world is crashing down again.
“He has?” I ask sadly.
“Well, yes, that’s what everyone thinks. His girlfriend Mildred is the one he has been with the longest after Rosalina. Everyone thinks they will get married soon.” The more Aunt Maryann provides information about this, my heart keeps breaking. I shouldn’t care about all these because Jeffrey is a closed chapter, but I can’t help it.
“That sounds good for him,” I say, not wanting my aunt to suspect anything.
“I don’t think so. For some reason, Mildred isn’t the type of girl a man like Jeffrey should settle with, but it’s his choice,” Aunt Maryann says.
“Why is that?” I ask.
“Nothing, really. My opinion doesn’t count. It’s just that I’ve seen them together, and they don’t have that spark. Besides, Mildred is nasty when Jeffrey isn’t within range. She is like a chameleon, do you understand?” Aunt Maryann says. All these don’t matter; Jeffrey is in a relationship. As much as the news hurts, I know better than to dwell on it.
I snap out of my thoughts when my phone starts ringing. I bring it out of my jeans pocket. A smile graces my lips when I see it’s Michael.
“Please, excuse me. I need to take this call. It’s Michael,” I say. Aunt MaryAnn’s eyes light up on hearing this.
“Michael, oh please, I’d also love to speak with him,” she says, and I nod.
“Hello, my pumpkin,” I smile when I get the usual groan.
“Hi, Mom,” he says with a sigh.
“How are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m doing great. How are you? How is Sausalito?” He asks.
“I’m fine, and Sausalito is good. What about you? How is school? Are you eating well? I hope you’re not overworking yourself.” I know how Michael can stretch himself thin. He is such a hardworking young man. My mind drifts to Aunt MaryAnn’s comment about how Jeffrey also works hard. I wonder what other traits Michael shares with his father.
“Argh, Mom, that’s a lot of questions. School is fine, I’m eating well, and no, I’m not overworking myself. Are you happy now?” He says, and I smile.
“More than you know,” I say. I stare at Aunt Maryann, who is eager to speak with him.
“You’re grand Aunt wants to speak with you,” I tell him.
