Page 22 of Sassy & Sixty
The choice, she realised, was hers to make.
“We’d all be OK if it weren’t for men,” said Emma, shaking her head. “Look at how much fun we all have when there are no men around to ruin things.”
Mike satat a corner table in the cafeteria, surrounded by his colleagues from the GP practice. The conversation flowed easily, as it always did, but Mike found his thoughts drifting to Rosie.
"Earth to Mike," chuckled Sarah, a fellow GP. "You've been staring at that coffee like it holds the secrets of the universe. What's going on in that head of yours?"
Mike looked up, a slightly sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, just thinking about someone."
"Someone?" Tom, the youngest doctor in their group, leaned in with interest. "Don't tell me our confirmed bachelor has finally met his match?"
Mike felt a warmth creep into his cheeks. "Well, there is this woman I've been seeing. Rosie. She's... different from anyone I've ever met."
"Do tell," Sarah encouraged, her eyes twinkling.
Mike found himself talking about Rosie with an enthusiasm that surprised even him. He told them about her wit, her adventurous spirit, and the way she was embracing life in her sixties with such vigour.
"She sounds wonderful," Sarah said warmly. "But I sense there's a 'but' coming."
Mike sighed. "Her ex-husband is trying to get back into the picture. I know I shouldn't feel threatened, but..."
"But you do," Tom finished for him. "It's natural, Mike. You're invested in this relationship."
"Exactly," Mike nodded. "I really like her. And I want to be patient, give her the space to figure things out. But I can't help worrying I might lose her before we really have a chance to begin."
Sarah reached out, patting his hand. "From what you've told us about Rosie, she sounds like a woman who knows her own mind. Trust in that. And in the connection you two have."
Mike smiled, feeling some of his anxiety ease. "You're right. Thanks for listening, all of you. Now, who's for another coffee? My treat."
TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES
Rosie clutched her mug of tea, the porcelain warm against her palms, a stark contrast to the chill that had settled in her stomach. Around the table, the other members of the Sensational Sixties Squad sat in uncharacteristic silence, the weight of their impending task hanging heavy in the air.
Maria sat at the head of the table. Dark circles under her eyes hinted at a sleepless night, and her hands trembled slightly as she raised her cup to her lips.
Rosie caught Emma's eye across the table, seeing her own uncertainty reflected back at her. How does one go about shattering someone's world?
Trisha cleared her throat, breaking the tense silence. "Maria, love," she began gently, "how are you feeling this morning?"
Maria attempted a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, I'm fine," she said, her voice overly bright. "Just a bit of a headache. I'm sure it's nothing."
The others exchanged glances. They all knew it wasn't "nothing," but Maria's determined façade made the task ahead seem even more daunting.
Lisa leaned forward, her posture radiating calm authority. "Maria," she said softly, "I think we need to talk about what happened yesterday in the park."
Maria's smile faltered for a moment before she hitched it back into place. "Oh, that? It was silly of me to get so upset. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for?—"
"No, Maria," Emma interrupted, her usual bluntness softened by genuine concern. "There isn't. What we saw... it wasn't innocent."
The colour drained from Maria's face, her carefully constructed mask crumbling. "You don't know that" she whispered, but there was a note of desperation in her voice.
Rosie felt her heart breaking for her friend. She reached out, covering Maria's trembling hand with her own. "Maria, we saw David with a young woman. They were... intimate."
A choked sob escaped Maria's lips, quickly stifled by her hand. "No," she shook her head vehemently. "No, you must be mistaken. David wouldn't... he couldn't... He was having a work meeting."
"I'm so sorry, Maria," Julie said, her artistic sensitivity making her particularly attuned to the raw emotion in the room. "But he wasn’t. We all saw it. David was... he was behaving like a man in a relationship with this woman."
Maria's composure finally shattered. Tears streamed down her face as she curled in on herself, her body wracked with sobs. The other women moved instantly, surrounding her with comforting touches and soothing murmurs.
