Chapter 2
But when I was on my last legs, barely hanging on, there he was, standing in front of me.
That was when I learned he'd been with Mandy those twenty years.
They'd adopted a boy, gave him all their love.
Mandy passed before him, her one regret being she never got to be his wife.
Ellery said he was sorry, but in the same breath, he blamed me.
Blamed me? That made no damn sense.
If he didn't love me, why not just say so?
He could've divorced me, built a life with Mandy.
Instead, he ghosted his wife, his kid, his own folks.
What gave him the right to point fingers?
And my son—the one I raised all by myself—he told me he was jealous of the kid Ellery and Mandy raised, the one who grew up wrapped in love.
He blamed me for bringing him into the world without his say-so.
That was when I found out he'd been talking to his dad for years. And he'd kept it a secret from me the whole damn time.
I hung out at Muriel's for about an hour, chatting over coffee and catching up.
When it was time to split, I gave her a quick hug and pedaled straight to the marriage license office.
When I rolled up, I caught Ellery helping Mandy to her feet.
His eyes were locked on her, like he was seeing a sunset for the first time, totally mesmerized.
That grumpy look he'd been sporting melted into something like wonder.
In my previous go-around—my old life, I suppose—I was too busy helping Mandy up and yakking with her to notice Ellery's stare.
But now, watching from the sidelines like some nobody, it was all crystal clear.
"Hey, Ellery, I'm here! Didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?" I called out, forcing a cheery tone.
Ellery went stiff as a board, then started tripping over himself.
"Oh, uh, Helen, hey! You're, uh… here," he mumbled, looking like a guy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
I caught Mandy's glance my way. Unlike last time, her eyes had an edge—jealousy, maybe?
But when I looked again, she was all smiles, like I'd imagined the whole thing. Weird.
I couldn't stop wondering. This time, we hadn't gotten our marriage license yet, and here was Ellery running into Mandy early.
What was he gonna do?
Ditch me for her? Or stick with me like before, grab the license, but still sneak around with Mandy on the side?
"C'mon, it's getting late. Let's go get that license," I said, flashing an eager grin.
Ellery's face went pale, like I'd just asked him to walk a tightrope.
"Ow, my foot!" Mandy yelped, right on cue, breaking the awkward silence.
Funny thing—last time, she was fine, no injuries.
Now she's hobbling at the perfect moment?
Made me wonder if she'd somehow jumped timelines too, like me.
I gave her a good, hard look, trying to read her, but got nothing.
Ellery, all worried, took her to the clinic.
The doc said it was just a scratch, practically healed already.
Mandy's face turned beet red, maybe embarrassed, but Ellery? He looked downright thrilled.
On the way back, we passed the marriage license office again.
Ellery's face twisted up, like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Helen, they're closed now. Wanna try again tomorrow?"
I shrugged, keeping it cool. "Maybe. Gotta pick a good day for that kinda thing, right?"
Truth was, there wasn't gonna be a "good day" this time around.
A small smile crept onto my lips.
Ellery let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, I'll let Muriel know."
We'd ridden our bikes to town, me and Ellery.
On the way back, Mandy didn't even hesitate—she hopped right onto Ellery's bike, no questions asked.
He shot me an awkward glance but didn't tell her to get off.
I pretended not to notice and pedaled ahead.
The breeze carried their voices back to me.
I couldn't hear the words, but the vibe? Pure happiness.
And Ellery's laugh—soft, like he was trying to keep it under wraps.
When was the last time I heard him laugh like that?
In previous life, after he met Mandy, he stopped smiling at me altogether.
But now, none of it mattered anymore.
Back in the village, folks noticed Mandy on Ellery's bike, her arm slung around his waist.
They shot me looks—some winked, others coughed or shook their heads.
I knew what they were getting at, but I just smiled and rode back to my place.
*****
Ellery had already rented a little house for us to move into after the wedding.
Most of our stuff was already there, ready to go.
I stopped by it on my way, just taking it in.
Two bedrooms, a living room in the middle, and a small yard out front.
In my old life, after we signed the marriage papers, I came home to find the place decked out like something from a magazine, my heart all warm and fuzzy.
Nobody would've guessed that just the night before, the groom was buzzing around, grinning ear to ear as he hung streamers and fluffed pillows.
But on our wedding night, the vibe was stone-cold—no spark, no nothing.
That night bled into countless others, each one lonelier than the last.