A Lovely Story

Nicole's visit

Kate's phone rang, on the screen "Nicole" (she smiles, she's very happy) her friend from medical school.

-Hi how are you?!!, I thought you weren't coming to these conferences because you already went to the ones in Chicago.

-at the last minute a friend couldn't make it, he gave me his pass.

-let's get together to catch up.

-how about tomorrow after the conference, I can be there at 8

-see you tomorrow, don't have dinner, we'll have dinner here,

The next evening at 8:10 ding, dong

-hi how are you? So happy to see you, how's Timmy?

Small hug entering the door, she's been there before so she knew her way around the room, Caterina knew her.

-Hi Caterina !!, you gorgeous cat...I'm good, Timmy is taller than me and getting taller.

They started talking while having dinner.

-before you ask, things are ok with Jim but nothing serious it's ok right now, how about you? You are going to flip out when I tell you what I heard

-oh no

-guess who I ran into.  Vivian! well, let me ask you what she told me, I know that it's not true, but I want to see your face......are you in love with Tony?

-what!!!? Tony, Tony Carson?...NO, ARE YOU KIDDING!!, he is a very nice guy but no, no, did she say that I told her that I was in love with Tony?

-we were talking, and Tony came up in the conversation, she said that you told her that he had such a beauuuuuuutiful office.

-yes, he has

-then Vivian said to me, his office is nice, but nothing out of the ordinary, but you know Kate she's in love with Tony.

-so, I'm in love with the guy because I complemented his office??.... wow

-that's what she said, I got it straight from the horse's mouth

-wow. It's really embarrassing cos Vivian is on the phone with Michael all the time and Michael is a very good friend of Tony, ....so they think that I'm in love with him...when did she tell you this?

-oh, about a year ago

-a year!!, why didn't you tell me?

-oh, forget it, people won't believe her, I think it goes with the territory, your old, not married, you're a good target for conversation, (opening the refrigerator getting some milk for her decaffeinated coffee she adds), hey I believe you when you say you are not seeing anyone for years, but I don't think anyone else does,...speaking of anyone, have you heard from Bob?

-oh yes, last week,

-you're kidding, I thought you were going to say no, what happened tell me, tell me

she added with a big smile and quickly got in to position to get all the juicy dirt.

-nothing

-ohhh... that's too bad I don't like him but at least a little excitement, I know that you are not into him anymore but at least a little something ...no....nothing?

-nope, on the contrary.....what happened was that he send me a message that he was coming to the conferences, he invited me to dinner,....we made plans for dinner after the conferences and breakfast, he was leaving the next day, we met for dinner at a French restaurant at 8:30, he was very attentive catching up with each other and with friends who has he seen lately what are they doing, we had a very very very nice time, very nice conversation, it was like having dinner with an old friend not an old fiancée, we were there until they closed, we talked a little bit more in the side of my car and when we said goodbye, he tried to kiss me and a little bit more in a hug, I just moved my head and my body to the side, he knew that that was that, the nightwatchman was 20 feet away I made him realize that I'm not doing anything because someone is there watching, but he knew if I was interested I would've said meet me at home, I just softly said see you tomorrow, he said see you tomorrow....the next day at breakfast he was in a hurry like he was just there because he did not wanted to stand me up, we had breakfast in 20 minutes he did not talk, he was watching his phone the whole time, I felt so stupid, I was going to tell him, I don't want to hold you up, we can leave if you want, but I didn't want it to be felt like I was hurt or mad, so I just went along with it. When he finished, he asked for the check and got up, I got up, we said goodbye and that's it.

-he hooked up with Dorothy, she was still waiting for him at his room, he wasn't going to waste his time coming to another city and not hooking up with someone, that's not him.

-oh, I'm so glad you said that I thought that, but didn't what to jump to conclusions.

--it's not the first time, he comes here about 4 times a year and he hooks up with her, everyone knows, they have an understanding, it works for them, a nice encounter for a night or a couple of nights, they both leave happy, the strange thing is that this time he tried with you, I don't get it, trying with you when he's got Dorothy, and sooner or later he's going back to his ex-he's hooked on her, Dorothy knows that, she doesn't care she's also hooked on her ex,  I had that arrangement for a couple of years with an oncologist, when he came to Chicago or I went to Philadelphia we hooked up, we were both recently divorced it was nice while it lasted, we helped each other threw a hard time. You can try just going out with someone and see if you like the guy.

-I want to fall in love again

-if your waiting for that, you have a long wait, and sometimes you don't find it anymore, and if it doesn't exist anymore ...I'm going out and taking a chance, having fun, sometimes it's a heartbreak or an embarrassment, but I feel I'm living my life, you need to find something like that too, get out there even if it's Bob, be happy.....but I know, I know, it's your life.

Kate was stirring her coffee... with her head tilted down, looking up at her and smiling a little bit, then Nicole stopped talking for a second, looked at Kate and said....

-you know what? Maybe you got the right idea, I don't know who is happier,....a person that's married hating their spouse because they've hurt each other so much, or a divorced person that wants to get married again, so we continue to date, for a week, months....or a person that stays home alone watching tv ....who's happier?....ones a patient asked me if I was married, I said, divorced, and she said to me, "when did you know you wanted a divorce?", I told her, don't know exactly I just felt it was over, there was nothing there anymore....she said to me,...sometimes I'm home with my two boys and we are so comfy, helping them with homework or watching tv, I hear my husband's car coming in to the driveway, and I cringe, just can't stand that's he's coming in and making my life miserable, and I transmit that to my kids because I hear them say ....oof....she looked at me, I didn't say anything, she's about 32, has 2 boys, 7 and 5, ...how sad, I didn't tell her that I knew, I knew the exact moment I wanted, needed a divorce ....it was bad for some years cheating, lying, ignoring me, I thought that with time it would stop he just said it was my imagination, but I remember the exact moment that I knew....I remember...Carl was on the phone talking to Mark, I think you know him Mark Stapleton an anesthesiologist, they were talking about a gadget for Carl's racing car, he was all excited laughing, I just looked at him, I don't know when it happened , I just wanted to tell him, wipe that stupid smile of your face and slap him, I hated his smile, his laugh, his voice, everything about him,....I shouldn't have waited so long to ask him for a divorce, specially, because when I did he smirked and said "great", he didn't even stopped, he continued walking to the garage, you know it hurts knowing that I hate him, I hate him, I really hate him.

Kate said in a soft voice.

-they say that when time passes that hate disappears, you will just see him as Timmy's dad, and the hate will be gone, it takes a long time...but it happens, that's what I've heard.

Nicole said with an optimist voice

-I want to get married again and fall in love again and for my new gorgeous husband to love me a whole lot

-me too

After a few minutes of silence, Kate said.

-my sister has a good marriage, also my mom and dad had a good marriage.

They both cross their fingers and smiled sipping coffee.