Louis knocked on the door of his parents' house before entering. "Mom, are you in?" he yelled although he knew she was since the door was unlocked.
"Louis! Come on through, it's so good to see you," his mom said smiling as she poked her head out of the kitchen door. "You should come around more often."
"I've been busy," he mumbled unconvincingly as he stepped into the kitchen.
"Too busy for your own family?" He didn't miss the accusation in her voice but there was no way he could make her understand that after a long day at work forcing himself to be sociable, he preferred to be alone.
"I'll try and make more effort," he said instead. "I'm still adjusting."
"That excuse is wearing thin," she said with a sigh. "So what prompted you to grace me with your presence?"
He shrugged. "I dunno, I've just been catching up with a few people this week. I saw John and Darlene the other day." She nodded, eager for him to continue. "Just to check the arrangements for Brad's funeral."
"Are you sure you want to go?" she asked as she began to fill the sink up with water.
"Not particularly but I will. It could just as easily have been me who didn't make it."
"That's why I can't go. I keep imagining that it's me burying my son." Her eyes clouded over. "I feel so guilty because, in all honesty, I'm relieved it's happened to them and not us."
Louis nodded. "That's kinda how I feel." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as his mom turned to the kitchen sink and began washing up. "You'll never guess who I ran into at John's house? Charlotte Harper."
His mom paused, holding a plate aloft. "Did you not know she was back in town?"
"No, no one told me." He couldn't believe John, of all people, had never mentioned it.
"Yeah, she's Lucy's teacher." The frown on his mother's face deepened. "I can't say I approve of her teaching kindergarten kids."
Louis gaped at her. "You've lost me. Charlotte's a teacher?" She always was bossy so it probably shouldn't be that much of a surprise.
"A kindergarten teacher," his mom said as if that made a difference. "Charlotte, or Mrs McKenna as she is known nowadays, teaches your niece Lucy."
"And why is that a problem?"
His mom shot him an exasperated look. "Apparently she's getting divorced. It's not appropriate for her to be teaching young children. I know people say times have changed-"
"Wait up, she's getting divorced?"
"Yes, at least that's what I've heard." She threw a plate into the sink. "Rumour has it she's living with her brother so I'd assume the fault lies with her."
Louis was silent as he processed his mom's words. "Do you know why she's getting divorced?"
"No I don't," she said her patience wearing thin. "And I don't understand why you're so interested. You split up years ago."
"I'm just curious that's all," he said trying to sound blase.
His mom turned back to the washing up and he thought she wasn't going to answer but after a long pause, she spoke again. "Charlotte was pregnant, a year or two ago but the baby was stillborn, at least that's what Mark said. One moment she was pregnant and the next she was absent from school. When she returned she was no longer pregnant."
Louis frowned deeply. "Maybe she had the baby?"
His mom shook her head. "No, it would be common knowledge if she had, and she'd probably have stopped teaching so she could look after it. No one at the school has said a word about it so we've all assumed she must have lost the baby. She split up with her husband shortly afterwards."
"Jeez, poor Lottie."
His mom spun around. "Stop feeling sorry for her, she doesn't deserve your sympathy."
"Even so, losing a baby..."
"It's sad but it's nature's way." She threw another plate into the water before turning to look at him. "To be honest, I find it pretty hurtful that I've been trying to talk to you for months and the first time you are remotely animated is when we're talking about your high school girlfriend. Move on, she has."
"I have moved on," he said while his thoughts were elsewhere. "I'm just surprised, that's all."
"Well don't go getting any ideas." She gave him a hard look. "Assuming the baby was stillborn, she must have been grief-stricken and that probably caused the breakdown of her marriage. With time she'll sort things out with her husband."
"Maybe."
"They will, they have another child to think about, it would be wrong for them to get divorced." She narrowed her eyes. "Surely you don't still care about her? She left you broken-hearted."
Louis scoffed. "We were just kids."
"Keep away from her, I've not forgotten what she did to you and I hope you haven't either." She slammed a cup onto the draining board. "I'll never forgive her."
"Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively.
"I'm serious, she always did think she was better than us. It's hardly surprising she dumped you for one of her professors."
Louis winced, she was repeating his own words but he wasn't entirely sure it was the truth. It had just been easier at the time to tell himself that. "Is my room still made up?"
"Of course it is," she said her face breaking into a smile. "You know you're welcome to come home whenever you want." He knew she didn't understand why he insisted on staying in some dilapidated apartment on the outskirts of town when he could have his home comforts.
"There's something I want to check on," he said taking a step back. "I'll be down in a minute." He headed upstairs to his old bedroom.
~~~
He knew exactly where to find it, an old shoebox that had all the mementoes from his relationship with Charlotte inside. He pulled it out from the back of the wardrobe, not having looked in it for years. He was grateful that for all his mother liked to interfere, she wouldn't throw his stuff out.
He picked up a photo frame with a picture of Charlotte in it. After they'd split up, he'd left it by his bedside until a new girlfriend had told him it was damned weird to keep a picture of your ex on display. He'd removed the picture and the new girlfriend shortly afterwards. Next, he pulled out a collection of photos taken during the three years they were together, idly flicking through them. There was an even smaller collection of letters that Charlotte had written to him whilst in college, and with a pang, he remembered he didn't write to her nearly as much.
Lastly, he opened a small box containing a diamond ring. He sat quietly contemplating it, remembering how he'd planned to win her back. He'd convinced himself she wasn't serious about splitting up, she'd just been hurt after he'd admitted seeing another girl and she wasn't being reasonable. Even now he remembered that fateful call.
"Hey Lottie," he said pleased to finally hear from her. Whenever he'd tried calling he hadn't got through.
"Hi, Louis." Her voice sounded uncertain.
"So what have you been up to?"
"This and that," she said sounding distant.
"I can't hear you very well." He waited for her to speak, unsure if he'd lost the connection.
"I can't do this anymore Louis," she finally said. "Being with you, seeing other people, it's too hard."
Even with static on the line, he heard her words clearly. "What are you saying?" he asked his stomach sinking.
"I think we should split up." Her voice was breaking and he didn't think that was down to the connection. "This isn't working."
"What's not working?"
"You know what I'm saying, don't make this any harder," she said with a sob.
"So that's it?" he asked, stunned by her words.
"I'm sorry, I do love you," she sobbed.
"I love you too Charlotte," he said numbly.
She continued to cry down the line. "It's over Louis, I can't carry on like this. It's too hard."
She'd cried some more, and he wasn't entirely sure what he'd said or she'd said, but deep down he hadn't believed she was serious. It was typical Charlotte. She was simply having an emotional outburst or else trying to teach him a lesson. He was sure it was her idea that they should see other people so it wasn't like he'd done anything wrong. He'd decided he should give her some space, and then when she came home for the summer he'd propose. A big romantic gesture would convince her he was committed and they'd soon get back together.
However she did not come home, and he heard from Judy that she was seeing someone else and spending the summer with him. He'd cursed himself for being complacent but the feeling that she was probably seeing the other guy all along crept upon him. He was even more convinced when heard that she'd only gone and got married shortly afterwards. Closing the lid on the box he put it back and went downstairs before his mom could wonder what he was up to.
~~~~
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