Sea Foam

Chapter III

− Marco! We have to take care of something, once and for all!

− You're in a bad mood, Lou. By the way, you're yelling...

− Of course, I am!! Last night, I spent hours waiting for you!! Once again, you didn't even bother to warn me that they would keep you in the company all that time! We had agreed to go out...

− I agree with you, it was really upsetting, but when we're called for had hoc meetings we have to leave everything and run to the conference room, where we're unreachable. There's no way around that...

− Lately, there have been many!

− They have.

− I got used to not complain about the urgent trips abroad you need to make, and sometimes you're more than a week without giving news, but now this has crossed the line...

Marco interrupted her, answering vehemently and raising his voice to make himself heard:

− This is my job! When we got together I told you it was secret! Everything I do is confidential, so I can't comment anything with you, not even where I go. It's like that, it's part of the contract I signed, I can't change anything!

− Might as well be alone... That's the only way to know what I can count on. With you, it's like I'm alone, without the freedom of being able to act as I want! – Lu sat on the light blue pouffe in the hallway, sobbing bitterly and hiding her face in her hands.

Marco took one step forward to fondle her head like he did countless times until he heals his girlfriend's heartache with a good dose of sex and caresses, but this time he halted and gave up. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong, however, his girlfriend's irritation was justified. He shouldn't live with anyone, considering his professional situation. It wasn't fair to his partner. The relationship had been going on for about one year and a half and it was full of arguments, always for the same reason. Lourdes was feeling betrayed, not only because her partner was hindered from revealing his day-to-day life at work to her, but also, above all, by the secret last-minute absences, of days or even weeks, without hearing from him. Marco admitted to himself that Lu was completely right, taking the decision of ending the relationship right then and there, once that, clearly, it had no future, adding to the fact that he was sick of feeling disharmony destroying his home, the only place he could truly relax and be himself.

Marco's professional life was covered with constant tension and struggle. The element of "surprise" was part of his role and in the majority of the cases, he dealt with violent situations.

He let her stop crying while he was standing, looking at her.

Lourdes, finding the silence weird, unusual for him, raised her head and gazed at him with an inquiring expression, between tears.

− Lu... you are completely right... But, as you know, I can't do anything about it. Nothing will change. I accept your proposal to end our relationship. – he said calmly, with droopy shoulders and distant look.

The partner abandoned herself in tears once again, and he grabbed his jacket and went out, softly closing the door, ending this chapter of his love life.

Marco returned in the late afternoon and checked, relieved, that the house was empty from Lurdes' presence and her things.

An old vase, of estimation, that his mother inherited from her grandmother, laid in pieces on the clear parquet floor of the living room, next to the heat recovery system built into the granite slab.

He went around the enticing villa, mainly in the marquee where his precious bonsai were housed and ascertained that, at first, the only damage seemed to be only the porcelain piece, although the destruction of that object was well picked to make him sad. He forgave the author of the wreckage so that he could, finally, be at peace with himself. The ex-girlfriend was often carried away by irritation. She was still too young, being twenty years younger than Marco, she was twenty-two years old and she was always spoiled by her father, a very influential man.

He ordered a pizza and sat down, lonely, in front of the television, watching a tennis match with no will to do anything.