One evening, she visited my workspace.
She saw the crooked coffee table.
"You built this?"
"Careful."
"What?"
"It has feelings."
She ran a hand over the wood.
"It's actually beautiful."
"One leg was short."
"Was?"
"Fixed it."
"So you saw the problem and repaired it."
"Eventually."
Emily smiled.
"Good skill."
I knew what she meant.
Our relationship became serious gradually.
My family liked her.
My mother especially.
Which was dangerous because my mother had already mentally planned our wedding after meeting Emily twice.
I told her to calm down.
She pretended not to understand.
The last time I saw Sarah happened by accident.
Emily and I had been dating for several months.
A new restaurant opened downtown.
Emily wanted to try it.
We had reservations for seven-thirty.
I remember the evening because I was genuinely happy before anything involving Sarah happened.
That matters.
We weren't staging happiness.
We weren't at the restaurant to prove anything.
Emily and I were walking inside, laughing because she'd spent ten minutes trying to parallel park and eventually admitted defeat.
"I could've done it," I said.
"I know."
"So why didn't you let me?"
"Principle."
"What principle?"
"I don't know, but a strong one."
I opened the door.
We entered.
Then I saw Sarah.
She sat alone near the entrance.
Small table.
Half-finished drink.
Phone in her hand.
She looked different.
Thinner.
Tired.
Her hair was pulled back carelessly.
The polished appearance she'd always maintained was gone.
For a second, our eyes didn't meet.
I hoped they wouldn't.
The hostess led Emily and me across the room.
We sat.
Ordered drinks.
I didn't mention Sarah.
Emily noticed anyway.
"That's her?"
I looked at her.
"How did you know?"
"You stopped breathing for half a second."
I smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
Emily looked across the restaurant.
"Want to leave?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
She nodded.
Conversation continued.
Ten minutes passed.
Then I glanced toward the entrance.
Sarah was staring at us.
Not casually.
Directly.
Her face had gone pale.
I looked away.
Emily reached across the table and touched my hand.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
And I was.
That surprised me.
Seeing Sarah didn't create longing.
Didn't create anger.
She looked like someone I used to know.
A painful chapter.
Not my future.
Then Sarah stood.
I knew immediately where she was going.
Emily saw it too.
"She's coming here."
"Yeah."
"Want me to leave?"
"No."
Sarah stopped beside our table.
Up close, the exhaustion was even clearer.
"Alex."
"Sarah."
Her eyes moved toward Emily.
Then back to me.
"Can we talk?"
I remained seated.
"Sarah, this is Emily."
Emily gave a polite nod.
"Emily, Sarah."
Sarah barely acknowledged her.
"Can I talk to you alone?"
"No."