“At least your dress is black. And I’m pleased I took his call.”
Erica made a sound that was somewhere between a grunt and a growl. “What did he want after all this time?”
“He wanted to get back together.”
“Oh, Claudia—” Anna bit her lip to stop herself expressing her horror at the very idea.
“No need to oh, Claudia me. That isn’t happening.”
“Good.” Erica reached for a fresh napkin. “But why didn’t you say so right away instead of creating all this tension? And why is it that a glass of wine feels like nothing when you’re drinking it and a massive lake when you spill it?”
“Hush.” Anna put her hand on Erica’s arm so that Claudia could finish her story. “What happened?”
“I know you think I shouldn’t have talked to him, but it was the right thing to do. When he walked out, he was calling all the shots. I felt as if I hadn’t been given a choice.”
“You hadn’t.” Erica dropped the napkin on the table. “He walked out without a discussion.”
“I know. And it has been hard, and then losing my job, too—” Claudia took a deep breath. “It made me feel helpless and out of control. But being here this week, spending time with you two and falling in love with cooking again, I realized that I have plenty of control over what I do next.”
Erica examined the stain on her dress. “I can’t believe you took his call.”
“We were together for ten years. We had no closure, and I wanted to hear what he had to say. And it wasn’t what I expected.”
“Don’t tell me—he loves you,” Erica did a fair imitation of a breathy voice “—he made a big mistake, he wants you to forgive him so that you can both live happily ever after.”
Anna nudged her. “Of course he didn’t say that. Drink your wine, Erica, instead of spilling it on yourself.”
“Actually, he did say that,” Claudia said. “Or pretty much that.”
Erica stared. “Seriously?”
“Yes. I was shocked, too. I wasn’t expecting him to come crawling back. And it was strange, because my thoughts have been so tangled up and all over the place lately. I’ve been angry, I’ve been sad, I’ve been confused—but while he was talking, everything cleared in my head.”
“And? There are more cliff-hangers in this story than in Catherine’s book.”
Claudia snuggled into the cushions. “After you’ve been with someone a while, it’s easy for everything to become a comfortable habit. It’s not like the first flush of romance, but you tell yourself that’s normal in a long-term relationship. I thought I was happy—” she frowned “—maybe content is a better word, and when he walked out it was a terrible shock because I didn’t see it coming, but now I realize there were plenty of things wrong with our relationship. Things I just accepted and didn’t think about. Being with you two this week brought that home to me. The things you’ve said about Pete and Jack have made me realize that what I had with John wasn’t as great as I thought it was. And really, I should have known things weren’t right. The fact that he changed the subject whenever I mentioned marriage should have given me a clue. And I never forced the issue, which should probably tell me something, too.”
Anna had often wondered about that. “If he had asked you, would you have said yes?”
“I don’t know. The truth is we had settled into a comfortable habit. Our life together was okay, but not great. My work paid the bills, and it was what I was trained to do. And I never challenged that, either. Like my relationship, I accepted okay in my work as normal. People don’t get excited about their jobs when they’ve done them for a while, right?”
Erica reached for her glass. “I’m usually excited by my job.”
“You’re not normal,” Claudia said. “Anyway, I was approaching forty, and I suppose I thought that excitement is for the young. And then John left, and I lost my job. But now I can see it was the best thing that could have happened. Without all that I’d still be living that life instead of being here at the beginning of something new and exciting.”
“Slow down!” But Erica was smiling. “You need to breathe.”
“I suppose what I’m saying is in a way he did me a favor. If he hadn’t made the move, would I ever have done it? I’d like to think I would, but if I’m honest I think I’m too much of a coward to make those big changes myself,” Claudia admitted. “I’m not the sort who walks out of a job when it isn’t working. I stick with things. I needed change to be forced on me. And now here I am.”
“Did John really expect you to welcome him back?” Erica shook her head. “Unbelievable.”
“I know. He actually sounded broken up when we finished the call. And I’m obviously a horrible person because I was a tiny bit pleased about that. Not that I wanted him to meet a sticky end.” Claudia gestured to Catherine Swift’s book. “He wasn’t that bad.”
Anna’s head was throbbing. “He hurt you.”
“And also cost you a lot of money.” Erica was ever practical. “He left you with an apartment that was too expensive for one person.”
Anna frowned. “Is he going to move back there permanently?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. That’s for him to sort out. My new home is the converted Sugar Shack in Hattie’s backyard. And the new love of my life is this place.” She gestured to the bookshelves and the flickering fire. “Hattie and I are going to have fun.”
Erica sat up straighter. “We should celebrate your new job properly. Congratulations.” She reached for her glass and Anna did the same.
“Congratulations.” She didn’t want to be a killjoy and admit she had a headache, so she took a tiny sip. “So no more relationships?”
Claudia shrugged. “I’m not saying never, but if it happens then I’ll be more discerning. I suppose I aspire to have what you and Pete have. Sure, you’ve been together a long time but there’s still a spark. You make each other laugh. You tease each other. You’re pleased to see each other. You always treat each other with respect and do thoughtful things. Pete even cooks for you sometimes. Do you know John never cooked a meal for me in all the time we were together? You’re the perfect couple.” She spread her hands. “Even saying all this aloud is making me envious.”
The perfect couple?
Anna felt emotion rise up so quickly she couldn’t contain it. It overwhelmed her, pushing past her defenses.
“Anna?” Claudia sat up and swung her legs off the sofa, horrified. “What’s wrong? What did I say?”
“We’re not the perfect couple. I’ve hurt him.” Anna covered her mouth with her hand, giving up all pretense that she was fine.
“Who have you hurt?”
“Pete. He thinks about me constantly and I’ve been thoughtless, and careless of his feelings. I’ve done that terrible thing—I’ve taken him for granted.” She felt regret and something close to panic.