Page 27 of Sassy & Sixty
The lunch with Derek had stirred up old memories and emotions, but it had also clarified something for Rosie. She wasn't the same woman she had been when Derek left. She had grown, changed, discovered new parts of herself. And while partof her would always care for Derek, she wasn't sure if there was room in her new life for old patterns.
As she approached her house, Rosie made a decision. She would take things one day at a time. She would be honest with both Derek and Mike about her feelings and her uncertainties. And most importantly, she would prioritize her own happiness and growth.
HOUSE OF CHAOS
Rosie stood in her kitchen, surveying the chaos that had overtaken her once-peaceful home. Dishes were piled high in the sink, mismatched shoes littered the floor, and the dining table had disappeared under a mountain of magazines, makeup, and what appeared to be half of Mary's wardrobe. Her daughter had only come round to collect Elvis, but seemed to have brought most of the contacts of her house with her.
Upstairs she could hear Maria pottering around, tidying up.
"How on earth did I end up running a halfway house for the displaced?" she muttered to herself, reaching for the kettle. If ever there was a time for a strong cup of tea, this was it.
Just as the kettle began to whistle, a crash from upstairs made Rosie wince.
"Everything's fine!" a voice called out, not quite masking the note of panic. "Just a small...accident!"
“Be careful, Mary,” shouted Rosie.
“I’m here, don’t worry,” shouted Maria.
Rosie closed her eyes,counted to ten, and poured her tea. It had been three days since Maria had shown up on her doorstep, suitcase in hand, mascara streaking her cheeks.
"Maria? Goodness, what's happened?" Rosie had asked, alarmed by her friend's red-rimmed eyes and trembling chin.
Maria opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a choked sob. Without a word, Rosie pulled her into a tight embrace, ushering her inside and kicking the door shut behind them.
"There, there," Rosie soothed, patting Maria's back as she continued to shake with silent sobs. "Let's get you settled, and then you can tell me all about it. How does a nice cuppa sound?"
Maria nodded weakly against Rosie's shoulder, allowing herself to be led into the cosy living room. Rosie deposited her gently on the sofa, tucking a soft throw around her shoulders before bustling off to the kitchen to put the kettle on.
When she returned a few minutes later, armed with a tray of tea and biscuits, Maria had managed to compose herself somewhat. Her eyes were still puffy, and her usually immaculate hair was a mess, but she'd stopped crying at least.
"Now then," Rosie said gently, pressing a warm mug into Maria's hands. "What's all this about? Has something happened with David?"
At the mention of her husband's name, Maria's face crumpled again. "Oh, Rosie," she whispered, her voice raw with pain. "He's... he's been having an affair."
Rosie felt her heart drop. "Oh, Maria. I'm so sorry. Are you certain?"
Maria nodded miserably. "You know when we saw them together in the park? David and this... this girl. She can't be more than thirty-five. At first, I thought there must be some explanation. Perhaps she was a colleague or a friend's daughter.But the way he was looking at her..." She trailed off, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
Rosie reached out and squeezed Maria's hand. "What happened then? Did you confront him?"
"I couldn't bear to," Maria admitted. "I went home and waited for him, pretending everything was normal. But he must have sensed something was off because he kept asking if I was alright. And then... and then he just blurted it out."
She took a shaky breath, staring down into her tea as if it held the answers to the universe. "He said he was sorry, that he never meant for it to happen. And then he told me... oh, Rosie, it wasn't just this one. There have been others."
Rosie felt a flare of anger towards David. How dare he hurt Maria like this? Sweet, kind Maria who colour-coded her spice rack and always remembered everyone's birthdays.
"Oh, my dear," Rosie murmured, pulling Maria into another hug. "I can't imagine how you must be feeling."
Maria clung to her, her words muffled against Rosie's shoulder. "I don't know how to go on, Rosie. I love him so much. We've been together for thirty years. How could he throw all that away?"
As Maria's sobs subside, she pulled back, wiping her eyes with a tissue. "You should have been there at our twenty-fifth anniversary party,” she said, a wistful smile flickering across her face. "He surprised me with a second honeymoon. Two weeks in Italy, just like when we were first married. It was magical, Rosie. We walked hand in hand through the streets of Rome, ate gelato by the Trevi Fountain, danced under the stars in Venice..." Her voice cracked. "How could he do this to us? It was all a lie. It was a horrible, mean lie.”
"Perhaps it wasn't all a lie," Rosie said gently. "The good times you shared, the love you felt – that was real, Maria. David's actions now don't negate all those years of happiness."
Maria shook her head, her expression hardening. "But how can I trust any of it now? How do I know he wasn't thinking of someone else every time he told me he loved me?"
Rosie sighed, wishing she had the right words to ease her friend's pain. "I don't have all the answers. But I do know that you're stronger than you think. You'll get through this, one day at a time. And you won't have to do it alone."
