(Lydia)
When will I ever be able to erase him from my memory and never get reminded of him again? I thought as I stared at the email Pike had sent me.
“Denver’s a big city!” Ruby protested when I repeated my concerns. “You would never run into him there. And, besides, it’s not as though you’re going to live there.”
“Yeah, it’s only going to be for a couple of days,” chimed in Adam. He and Ruby had perhaps planned this intervention after I had first told Ruby about the offer.
“Honey, this is a great opportunity for you,” continued Ruby. She clasped my hands into hers, her eyes pleading for me to acquiesce.
“It’s literally your life’s dream,” agreed Adam, “I would never pass up a big shot like this.”
He stared at me intently from across the table.
“It’s just that …” I gasped in exasperation, “I’ve spent so long trying to forget him like he forgot me. If I catch even a glimpse of him, I’ll come crumbling down.”
“Pfft!” Adam shook his head.
“When has that man ever even been interested in the arts?” said Ruby, “He wouldn’t be found dead in a theater.”
She had a point. They both did.
***
I signed my agreement with Giovanni’s for the play and began preparing for it. At the rehearsals, I sometimes stumbled over phrases. So Adam started coming home to help me: we rehearsed the dialogues and gestures down to the arches of my brows until the words spilled out from inside me like butter and my motions became as smooth as cream.
We all decided that Mabel and Miles would accompany Ruby, Adam, and I to Denver. They practically jumped up and down when I told them.
“Vacation!” Miles exclaimed. My heart warmed at how quickly he had picked up a new word. The twins were both exceptionally clever. And, oh, how proud I was to be their mother.
The day before my departure for Denver, I looked at myself in the mirror and felt proud of who I had become. I was no longer a weak girl who was hankering after her estranged ex-husband; I was a woman who was holding, in the palm of her hands, the very beginning of all of her dreams.
The young girl who had fallen in love with Thomas had been bright and pretty but this woman who stared back at me in the mirror … She was beautiful, strong, and supported. She had suffered and survived. This was the best version of me.
I could not wait to show it to the world.
***
In the make-up room, I took another look at my sheet. I wanted to make sure I remembered everything. My hands were running cold and sweaty.
I hadn’t had a bite of breakfast and the egg sandwich that Bonnie, the assistant, had brought me three hours ago was now cold and still untouched in its paper bag.
This was possibly the most significant moment of my life after the birth of the twins; of course I was nervous.
I just hoped I wouldn’t bumble it up on stage.
In fifteen minutes, we would start. The door behind me creaked open and Bonnie and Sylvester entered.
“You good?” Sylvester asked. He was one of the setup staff.
“I’m fine,” I smiled weakly and followed them backstage.
The performance was a whirlwind. I deliberately placed my focus on nothing except the dialogues that I had practiced for countless hours.
I knew that Ruby and Adam would be in the front row but I tried hard not to look towards the audience. Today, I would not let anything distract me. I wanted to stay on as a lead actor with Giovanni’s. I need to prove myself to them.
So I gracefully glided across the stage and melted into the act.
When the curtains were drawn, my team and I arranged ourselves horizontally into a queue in order to take a bow and receive our applause.
I had delivered a flawless act. And, now, it was time for me to be seen.
I gazed intently at where I knew the front row would be, readying myself for the warmth in Ruby’s eyes and the excitement in Adam’s when the curtains were pulled back.
I did not see them then. Instead I found, front and center, a man giving us a standing ovation. Three years had not changed him in the slightest. In fact, the excited look on his face was just like his son often wore.
Thomas was clapping and cheering. And, for the first time in three years, he recognized me.
I gulped down my shock and felt a pit in my stomach. The moment seemed to go on forever. But I quickly regained my composure and noticed that the rest of the crowd had also stood up. They were all applauding us. My eyes scanned the room for Ruby and Adam but instead caught Sarah’s blonde hair.
In her elegant black evening dress and hair pulled up into a braided bun, she and Thomas looked perfect together.
And then, mercifully, the curtains fell. The sight of them was cloaked from me. I hurried backstage and gulped down a glass of water.
“Lydia!” Adam darted in my direction.
“Where were you?” I exclaimed, putting down my glass.
“I was in the middle row but I guess you couldn’t see me. You were absolutely remarkable!”
He clasped my forearms and smiled warmly at me. His eyes brimmed with adoration and pride.
“Where’s Ruby?” I asked and craned my neck over his shoulder.
“She’s in the parking lot,” he said, “I came here to fetch you.”
Ten minutes later, Adam picked up my bag and we left the make-up room together. The whole crew was hugging and congratulating me.
“Adam, I need to tell you something,” I said when the crowd left. I opened my mouth to tell him but, just then, Richard Pike appeared. He beamed brightly at me.
“You’ve done a spectacular job, young lady,” he said.
“Yes, thank you—”
“In fact, there’s someone who would like to come to see you in person,” he continued.
Thomas approached in the corridor behind him. Richard turned to look at him.
“Ah, Mr. Lombardi,” he exclaimed. Thomas nodded his head at me politely but his gaze was piercingly intent.
I felt Adam shift to look at me. And then he said to Thomas, “What brings you here?” His voice was cold and discouraging as though he were issuing some sort of secret warning.
“I just came here to congratulate the actress,” Thomas replied.
“Well, thank you. Now, would you please leave? We’re getting late.” Adam snapped.
“Of course,” said Thomas gruffly and left.
Pike shot Adam an angry stare. But I finally heaved a sigh of relief. I hoped I would never encounter him again.
“How are you enjoying Denver, Lydia?” asked Pike.
I smiled and nodded, “It’s very nice here, thank you.”
“Excellent!” he exclaimed, tilting his head comically, “Because we’re coming back here soon. Mr. Lombardi just bought the company!”
(Thomas)The theater lights dimmed and the stage lights went up. I squirmed in my seat. The palms of my hands were getting sweaty and I nervously rubbed them together. My stomach turned. I couldn’t believe that I was about to see her again.***Everything had been going well. In the beginning, Sarah had quarreled with me. She had been upset about the prolonged engagement and I had sometimes suspected jitters. It had seemed as though she felt as though the wedding would not take place at all.“Sarah,” I had once told her softly as we had dinner together. Her eyes had been shooting daggers at me all evening. She had thought I was putting off the wedding on purpose.“I’m trying to expand the business to New Mexico. I am completely swamped with work,” I had explained, showing her the palms of my hands “It doesn’t seem, to me, like the best time for a wedding.”She had sniffled and turned her eyes away. She would not say a single word. An emerald earring dangled from her lobe and sparkled
(Lydia)The shrill sound of the doorbell ringing punctured the peaceful quiet of my hotel room. I glanced at the wall clock. 11 p.m. Who could it possibly be?I pulled the blanket over my daughter’s back. Her sweet face glowed like an angel while she slept. Padding along the plush carpet, I peered through the peephole and felt my stomach churn.Sarah.I drew in a steadying breath, unbolted the door, and opened it a crack. “What do you want?” I exhaled in a harsh whisper.Sarah’s face was ashy white and her lips were drawn into a tight line. “Let me in!” she shrieked.She thrust herself against the door but I stood firm, blocking entry. “You need to leave. Now.” I said, quietly but firmly.A soft whimper came from the king-sized bed and my heart clenched. I couldn’t let this racket wake up my children. As I stepped aside to check on my daughter, Sarah took advantage of the distraction and brushed past me into the room.“Quiet. You’ll wake them up!” I hissed.“Is that … Thomas’s?” Sarah
(Lydia) “And after we’re done getting candy, we can then go to visit my house.” Thomas said. He stroked Miles’ chin and then cast me a look, seeking permission but all that I could feel was dread and overwhelm.What in the world was happening here?“Do you have a car?” Miles asked him.“Yes, I do,” Thomas replied.“Which one?” Mabel hopped up and down.“Well, let’s see. I have a Mercedes…”“A Mercedes!” Miles shrieked happily.“Mommy, can we go to see the Mercedes?” Mabel looked at me and Miles joined his sister. The twins gazed up at me expectantly, hope welled up in their eyes. Thomas’s eyes mirrored the same look.“No!” I snapped. And all three of their faces fell.I grasped Thomas by the arm and pulled him to the side. “What do you think you’re doing?” I whispered harshly.“Lydia, I’m just trying to get to know my kids.” Thomas reasonably explained.“They’re not you—”“Seriously? You expected me to believe that that boy,” he gestured towards Miles, “is not my son?”I didn’t thin
(Lydia)My jaw dropped when I stepped inside the mansion. I had been expecting that, after all these years, Sarah would have completely redecorated it. Or, perhaps, Thomas’s mother, at least. But the rotating crystal swan centerpiece that I had carefully selected and gotten installed inside the lobby was still glinting and shimmering in its spot. The wall-sized mirror with the gold rococo frame that I had hung up on the wall by the doorway had not been moved a single inch either.I turned towards the other side. The painting. Raphael. Thomas’s mother had never liked it. And yet it was still hung on the wall. I looked up at the ceiling. The golden chandelier. I took a step towards the corridor on the side. The tables. The décor. The candle-holders. I opened the door to the drawing room and let up a quiet exhale.The whole mansion, insofar as I had seen it yet, was exactly the way that I had left it.A torrent of memories carried me away: Thomas kissed my hand as he led me into this d
(Thomas)Mabel and Miles ran in circles all the time. The twins were an energetic bunch. Outside, their laughter soared the breeze like a beautiful melody that I had been waiting to hear my whole life. Every word that spilled out of their baby mouths was like music to my ears. Soon, the house was full of their toys.I had never been a happier man.Mabel hopped with her arms outstretched. My phone was ringing and she was trying to grab it. It was Lydia.She had been the first to Facetime me since she left. I felt my heart beat faster and joy well up in my chest. But it was not me she wanted to speak to.“Where’s Mabel and Miles?” she had asked as soon I answered the phone. So, I turned the camera around and showed her a live video of the twins playing with their new train set.“You don’t need to worry about them, Lydia,” I had said.“It’s the first time I’ve been away from them since they were born.”I understood her hesitation. So, I made sure to call her at least three times a day to
(Lydia)The last three weeks have been a whirlwind. We have traveled through Aspen, Aurora, and Boulder before making our final performance at Colorado Springs. I received so much praise and accolade from the audience there that I was glad I signed up for this.While I was touring, Adam phoned to let me know that he had signed on to a contractual research position for the Children’s Welfare Foundation for Leukemia. Since Adam had been one of the top candidates for the job, CWFL had been chasing him for a while now. But now that he was finally here, he had accepted the role.“Good luck for your tour,” he had said, sounding genuinely pleased at my report to him, “I know you’ll do great!”I had dreamed of acting since I was a little girl. And I felt that pursuing this goal now was important in the upbringing of my children. I needed to set a strong example for them so that Mabel and Miles, too, would grow up to chase after their passions.Even though we FaceTimed every day, multiple time
(Lydia)I examined my glittering champagne evening dress in the mirror. The buckles of my creamy heels sparkled as I turned around.I chugged down a glass of water. The thought of meeting Thomas at this party had my stomach turning knots all afternoon. Mabel and Miles sang along to the chorus of a nursery rhyme that their sitter, Ella, had played on TV. She seemed like she was good with kids, and I at least felt relieved about leaving the twins in her care.I glanced at my silver wristwatch and realized that Adam would be here any minute. I was dreading the very sight of Thomas but it would be easier to go through this with my friend by my side. Just then, my phone chimed. It was Adam.My palms moistened when I read the message. “I’m running a bit late. Will join you there.”I sighed. Very well.My taxi pulled up at the venue and I exhaled deeply, steadying myself.The party was being held outdoors. The glowing orange lights, din of chatter, and music was causing quite a commotion an
(Thomas)The sound of a woman’s scream cut through the crowd and everyone froze in their tracks. I hastily grabbed a hold of Jack’s arm and instructed him, “Get the party back to normal. I’ll go check and see what happened!”Jack immediately gave the guests a warm smile and began an entertaining monologue. I shot through the lawn towards the building and skitted through the half-open doorway. Part-running and part-sliding across the floor, I caught sight of Sarah crumpled on the floor and Lydia standing over and staring down, irate but clearly befuddled.“What happened?” I panted as I helped Sarah up.“She – she pushed me,” Sarah whimpered, dusting off her dress.And then she began to wail.I looked over at Lydia. Her round, innocent face exhibited outraged confusion. Sarah continued yowling in despair. I hushed her, “There are guests outside!”I turned back towards Lydia. Her expressions had morphed into contempt. She held out a fist before I could speak.Nodding, and silently plead