A New Beginning After Divorce

After preparing the meal and setting the table, I called everyone to come eat. By the time I stepped out of the kitchen, having washed the pots, they had already started without me. No one waited. I carried my plate to the far end of the dining table, sitting in a spot where the food felt out of reach and the conversations dwindled into barely audible murmurs. It was like being back in school, alone in the lonely corner of the classroom.

Julieta leaned over, whispering something to Derek, my husband, making them both share a knowing smile. When she turned back, her eyes met mine, filled with a hint of confusion.

"Hey, Michaela, Derek was just asking if there were any spots left in the ballroom dance class I joined," she said brightly. "He thinks he might sign up too. Want to come along?"

Before I could respond, Derek chimed in without even glancing up, “Michaela’s not really into that kind of thing.”

I was about to say something, but they had already shifted to a new topic. I quickly shoveled a few bites of pasta, then got up to chase Mathew around the house, trying to coax him into eating.

Later, as I was washing the dishes, Julieta came to say goodbye. “Michaela, I’m heading out now. Got a meeting with the art club this afternoon.”

Her life always seemed so exciting. Sketching, pottery, watercolor painting...

I dried my hands and offered, “Hey, let me walk you downstairs.”

But Derek interrupted, “Your sister is busy with chores. I’ll walk you out.”

When I finished tidying up, the large house felt strangely empty. Everyone had gone to see my sister off, even though she was only heading to the local arts center a couple of miles away.

As I sat on the couch, rubbing my tired legs, Derek's phone buzzed between the cushions with a call. It was Kyree, calling on Derek’s phone: “Mom, did Dad leave his phone at home? We thought it was lost.”

As we age, memory tends to slip. Even Derek, a celebrated author, wasn’t immune.

On the other end, I could hear Julieta's voice, playfully engaging with Mathew, before the call abruptly ended. I stared at Derek's phone, watching it light up with the interface of a short video app.

Life was too hectic for me to indulge in technology, what with taking my grandson to preschool, visiting Marianna at the nursing home, grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning... there simply wasn’t time to play with a smartphone.

I curiously navigated the app, using my fingers awkwardly as I mimicked the actions of younger people. A video appeared on the screen: an amusement park, Julieta, my grandson, and there was my husband.