The guest house now belonged to her for the term of the lease.
Not to Vanessa.
Not to Colin.
Not even casually to me.
To Ruth, under the agreement we had both signed.
After everyone left, I stood inside my kitchen and looked through the window.
Ruth was arranging books.
She turned her table toward the window and placed a faded blue chair beside a lamp I never would have chosen.
For a moment, I watched.
Then I moved away.
She was home.
I needed to respect that.
The following weeks were harder than I expected.
I missed Colin.
Sometimes something funny happened at school and my first instinct was still to text him.
We had been together for four years.
Ending the engagement did not erase everything good overnight.
There was also the wedding to dismantle.
Family members had bought plane tickets.
Appointments had to be canceled.
The wedding dress had to be picked up.
