Confessions of a Broken Heart

Chapter 6

The whole week after Glenn and Maggie's wedding reception I felt like I was on top of the world. All the sadness and hurt that I'd gotten so used to after everything that happened with Mike seemed to take a back seat. I felt a renewed sense of confidence.

After the breakup I got stuck in this bubble of resentment. I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself and for my son. But after my somewhat scandalous evening...and morning...with a handsome stranger, all those negative feelings seemed to shake themselves loose from my brain.

My heart still ached whenever I dwelled on thoughts of Mike, but I didn't have to spend hours circling around and around those memories. I'd been telling myself for months that I would move on and live a happy life without Mike. Now I actually believed it.

My good mood spilled over onto Andre, who seemed to have more energy than ever. I took him to the park near our apartment building almost every evening to play on the jungle gym and dig in the sandbox. I even went out for drinks after work with my coworkers Friday night.

Saturday afternoon I decided to take Andre to the county fair. We walked past the Ferris wheel, the midway games, and the funnel cake stands straight to the main attraction. The petting zoo.

Andre was bubbling over with excitement as he pet bunnies, baby goats, calves, piglets, and even a llama. I must have taken close to a hundred pictures. His little smiling face was so precious. I nearly gave in and let him adopt a duckling, that's how cute he was. I don't know what I'm going to do when he gets older and starts asking for a dog.

After Andre said a tearful goodbye to his new best friend, a tiny duckling that he named Benji, I decided that we should go get some ice cream before he got too attached to the other animals.

We were walking out of the Petting Zoo tent when suddenly I came face to face with the man who, at that point, I had seen naked for probably more time than I'd seen him with clothes on. We both froze for a long second and I opened my mouth to say an awkward 'hello', but didn't get the chance. Before I fully registered what was happening, he spun on his heels and practically ran in the opposite direction.

I felt a flash of anger. What kind of a reaction was that?! The man who only days ago was telling me how incredible I am, not to mention how he practically begged to get in the shower with me, was now turning his back on me in public like he was too ashamed to even look at me.

What if we'd run into each other at the courthouse instead of here? Would he do that to me at my place of work? I've never been one to tolerate blatant rudeness from anyone, so I followed after his retreating back, pulling Andre along behind me.

He didn't get very far because he was pushing a stroller, a fact I noted only after I loudly called his name, forcing him to stop and turn back to face me.

"So is that how it is? You're too embarrassed to even stand in front of me?" I demanded.

I knew I was letting my anger get the better of me. I hated the idea that he thought of our night together as some horrible mistake that he regretted.

"No!" Rick blurted, clearly panicked, "No, it's not like that!"

"Then what is it?" I asked, my expression cold.

He frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to pick the right words to somehow save him, "Michonne, please. I didn't know what to do, so I tried to...I don't know. It was really stupid and I'm sorry. I didn't think you wanted to see me again."

I could hear the sincerity in his voice and my own indignation turned into embarrassment.

Who was I to yell at him in the middle of the fair? I wasn't his girlfriend. We were two consenting adults who hooked up with the clear understanding that it was a one-time thing. He didn't owe me anything.