Maria Undone

Chapter 3 (Brian)

Sarah: Can you pick me up tomorrow on your way to mom's?

Giving my date an apologetic smile, I quickly thumbed back a reply to my sister-in-law. Well, technically, Sarah was my former sister-in-law. That's what you're told, anyway. Once your spouse died, the legal bonds that tied you to their family died with them.

Brian: Sure thing.

Ignoring that dull stab of guilt in my chest, I placed my phone face down on the table and returned my attention to Brenda. She beamed at me before launching back into her story about a new fancy restaurant that had just opened in her town. I scraped my fries through the ketchup as I nodded along, making the appropriate noises to show that I was listening. I knew Brenda was angling for an offer to take her there, but I continued to play dumb. I never took my hookups to five-star restaurants. The most I did were bar dates before heading back to theirs for a night of sexual release. That's how I liked to keep it.

My phone vibrated again. I tried to ignore it, but just as quickly, another message pinged through.

Brenda paused and glanced down at my phone, a look of annoyance crossing her pretty features. I didn't blame her. It was pretty rude of me to keep it on.

It buzzed again.

"Sorry, last time, and I'll put it away."

Sarah: What do you think?

She had attached a picture of a rather large rectangle cake with white frosting and a light pink border made out in some wavy pattern.

My brow furrowed before I read her latest message.

Sarah: I've asked them to write: "Happy Heavenly Birthday, Hannah" in a darker pink icing. Or should it be another color?

I swallowed hard as a wave of fresh grief washed over me. My thumb hovered over the keypad as the previous annoyance I felt from Sarah's constant interruptions bled away, and the inevitable sorrow filled me at the mention of my late wife. And the reminder that tomorrow was another year she wouldn't be here to celebrate. Forever thirty.

The pain wasn't as sharp as it used to be, but there was always this constant aching loss. A scab that wouldn't heal, especially since I was still so close with Hannah's mom and sister. They were a second family to me. Or, rather, my only family.

Brian: Pink is good. Cake looks great, I'm sure she'd love it.

Brian: I'm just out for dinner. I'll text you back when I'm done.

Brenda gave me a brittle smile as I pocketed my phone just as I felt it vibrate again.

Ignoring it, I reached across the table and stroked Brenda's hand. "I'm sorry about that." I gave her a flirtatious smile, even though the anticipation I felt at the start of our date had depleted a little after Sarah's messages. And the reminder of what tomorrow was. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

A soft blush touched her cheeks, and her eyes softened into swirling pools of desire. Brenda and I had been out on a few dates and had slept together after every single one. She was older by eight years and an absolute wild cat in bed. She was twice divorced and adamant that she was done with relationships, only interested in physical intimacy. Precisely what I was after.

I felt my phone go off again and breathed past the mixture of conflicting emotions. Needing a distraction, I fixed Brenda with a lazy grin.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get out of here. What do you say?"