Five years after my divorce from my ex-wife, the special forces captain, I came across her again during the rehearsal for the Army Commendation Ceremony.
Just as the security staff were about to look over my ID, she stepped inside and their voices softened. “Captain Morales! You’re here too.”
She gave a small nod, her eyes landing on me.
“He came with me.”
I calmly declined and took my pass from my pocket.
“There’s no need. I brought my pass.”
She glanced at the pass in my hand and stayed silent for a few seconds. “Archie Ortiz, after all these years, you still blame me.”
I smiled without replying.
My thoughts had already been taken up by the person who was about to get the award; nothing else had room to enter.
——
When the rehearsal finished, I gathered the clothes I needed to collect on the way home, threw my bag over my shoulder and headed out.
With the early autumn wind kicking up dust, the sand was hitting my eyes by the time I got to the camp shuttle stop.
After I wiped the dust from my eyes, I noticed Charlotte Morales’s military-plated SUV waiting in front of me.
Noticing my red eyes, she frowned. “Get in. I’m giving you a ride.”
“There’s no need, I planned to take the shuttle.”
She stared me from top to bottom and when her eyes stopped on the bag hanging from my shoulder, her tone softened.
“How have you been all these years?”
“Pretty good.”
Charlotte clearly didn’t believe me.
“Get in, I’m giving you a ride.”
The shuttle bus behind us kept honking, yet she still didn’t move.
With everyone staring at us, I had no choice but to open the door.
“Odette Villa Compound,” I told the address.
Everything paused for a second and the woman’s voice became tight.
“Why are you still living there? That place has been on the demolition list for years and you stay there alone and…”
She stopped. But I already knew what she meant.
That was the place where my mother lost her life.
Ten years ago today, she refused to attend my wedding with Charlotte.
I jumped from the tenth floor.
Even though the back seat had some space, the heat was too much, so I lowered the window.
“You’ll catch a cold if you sit in the wind, close it. If you feel warm, I’ll turn it down.”
Smiling, I shook my head.
“I haven’t done that in a long time, do whatever you want.”
The car stayed quiet until her phone rang.
“Honey, is rehearsal done? Are you heading back?”
The voice coming through the speakers was familiar, but it sounded deeper than before.
“I’m on my way. I met Archie and gave him a ride.”
On the other end, it went quiet for a while.
“Archie came back? It’s been ages! Why didn’t you tell me? We should get everyone together.”
I had known Alexander Johnson for more than ten years and I had never heard him talk like this.
He used to speak little, always buried in tactical drawings.
When someone with connections took his spot in the competition, he only wiped his tears in secret.
It was I who smashed that person’s sand table in front of the whole unit, wrote a full report and sent it up the command chain to help him reclaim his place.
I later learned that people who received support really did look brighter.
“It was just running into him. He had something to do, so I dropped him off and came back.”
“Running into each other was luck. What was wrong with inviting an old teammate to eat?”
“Alexander, enough.”
The other end of the call went silent.
Charlotte always spoke softly when she wanted someone to listen, but once she settled on something, no one could sway her.
Alexander should have understood this more than I did.
The call ended suddenly, right as the car stopped at the family apartment building.
“Thanks.”
I stepped out of the car, but she still called after me.
“Archie, who was the dress you picked up today meant for?”
“My wife.”
Letting out a small snort and a weak smile, Charlotte seemed to think I was still acting stubborn toward her.
