I’d thought his apology was about what he’d
done to me. It turned out he was just worried
I’d go after Sarah.
Sarah came storming out of the restaurant.
“Ethan! What the hell are you doing talking to
that bitch? Tired of me already? After
everything I’ve given up for you?” Her voice rose hysterically. “I flunked my auditions
because of you! My career is ruined! And
you’re screwing around behind my back? You have no idea…I’m pregnant!”
Pregnant? I stared at them, my mind reeling. Just then, a cab pulled up. I jumped inside, praying Sarah wouldn’t do something drastic and that I wouldn’t end up back in Ethan’s
crosshairs.
Later, I heard the whole story. Sarah had found out she was pregnant and wanted an
abortion. Ethan, remembering her death in my past life, had refused. Typical Ethan. He had to fix everything, control everything, even
Sarah’s body.
The rest of the story unfolded with
く
predictable melodrama. Ethan and Sarah got married (not legally, they were too young).
Ethan got a job teaching piano to toddlers. Sarah spent his meager earnings. Then she
left, running off with some rich guy, abandoning Ethan and their four–month–old
son. She resurfaced a few years later,
demanding the child back. Turns out, the kid
wasn’t even Ethan’s. She’d been with another
guy all along. She’d run off to him, he’d
gotten rich, and now they couldn’t have kids
of their own. Ethan went ballistic. The whole
thing ended up in court, with Ethan getting arrested for assaulting Sarah (not seriously,
thankfully), and losing custody of his son. The
Millers had to sell their house to pay Sarah
off.
I heard all this secondhand, through the high
school grapevine. It was a messy, pathetic
<
Surovi grapevine. It was a messy, palnenic
saga, but it had nothing to do with me.
I went to college, built a successful career,
made my parents proud. They kept bugging me about getting married, settling down. “Are you still hung up on that Miller boy?” my dad
asked one day. I hadn’t heard Ethan’s name
in years. He hadn’t become a famous
musician. He’d vanished into obscurity. “Dad,”
I laughed. “What are you talking about?”
(C
“Just saying…heard he’s in the city, started
some small business. Doing pretty well,
apparently.” Ethan, with his memories of a
future that never happened, would probably
always land on his feet.
“He’s married with a kid, Dad. What do I
care?”
L
“Never mind. Your mother’s calling me for dinner. Take care of yourself, honey.”
I hung up, a strange feeling settling in my gut.
I ran into Ethan a few weeks later. A blind
date. Fancy little restaurant. We’d met a few
times, this guy, Jason. Nice guy, good job,
seemed genuinely interested.
He was already there when I arrived. “Cold
out, huh? What can I get you? My friend owns
this place, they make a killer latte.”
“Anything’s fine,” I said, my eyes scanning
the room, landing on a piano tucked away in
a corner. I walked over to it, a jolt of
recognition running through me. There was a
chipped piece of wood on the side, covered
with a faded Doraemon sticker. I remembered
that sticker. When I was twelve, during a
power outage, Ethan, the new kid next door, had kept me company, playing the piano all
night long. I’d accidentally chipped his piano,
and we’d covered it with the sticker. Some
first loves leave a mark.
“You play?” Jason asked.
I shook my head, pressing a few keys. “No.
But someone I used to know did. He was very
good.”
Jason grinned. “Funny, my friend plays too.
Or he did. Injured his hand. I always told him,
if it wasn’t for that, he’d be a concert
pianist.”
“Your friend?”
“Yeah, the owner. Over there.”
I turned and saw him, standing by the bar,
wearing a black shirt and an apron. He looked
older, worn down, not like the boy I
remembered, but a man weathered by life. He
was limping. I realized he had a prosthetic
leg.
He didn’t seem to recognize me. He walked
over, greeting Jason. “Your girlfriend? Very
pretty. You should’ve brought her around
sooner.
وو
Jason blushed. “Don’t embarrass me, man.
Quinn hasn’t said yes yet.
وو
Ethan looked at me, his eyes widening in
recognition. “Quinn?”
“Ethan,” I said, a small smile playing on my
lips. “Long time no see.
99
“You’ve…changed,” he said, searching my
face.
“I’m sure I look different than I did in high
school,” I replied dryly.
Jason, sensing the awkwardness, excused
himself to go to the restroom, leaving us
alone.
“So,” Ethan said finally. “How…how have you
been?”
“As you can see, I’m doing just fine.”
He nodded, glancing towards the restroom.
“Jason’s a good guy, Quinn. Honest,
<
naraworking, good тamily. He a treat you
right.”
I chuckled, not bothering to respond.
“Do you…still play?” I asked.
He looked up, surprised, then a wry smile
touched his lips. “Sometimes. But you know…
my hand. I’ll never be what I was.‘
