Seven years into my long romance with Quinn Swanson, the Swanson family invited my mother and me to spend New Year's at their old residence.
Mother was overjoyed. To make a good impression on her future in-laws, she spent the whole afternoon getting ready, even wearing the cheongsam she hadn't touched in years.
On the way to the old residence, Quinn suddenly got a call from his childhood friend, Lorraine Galloway.
He told us to find our own way and grab a cab, then hurried off alone in the car.
Less than a minute after we got out, the cold triggered Mother's old heart condition. It stopped. She collapsed into the snow.
I called Quinn's phone over and over.
There was an AED emergency device in the car. If he just came back, she could be saved.
But call after call, he cut me off.
When I finally got through, his voice was thick with impatience.
"Miriam Coleman, I told you to grab a cab yourselves. Can't you understand plain English?"
"Lorraine's old stomach trouble is acting up. I have to go check on her."
"Have Aunt Pansy Coleman put up with it for now. When you get to the Swanson estate, I'll apologize to her myself."
Then he hung up. When I called back, the phone was already off.
I held my mother, tears streaming down, and watched her die in my arms.
An hour later, Lorraine updated her social feed.
She and Quinn stood in the courtyard of the old residence, nestled sweetly together, holiday decorations in her hands.
"Spending the holidays with the person I love most is the greatest joy and happiness of my life!"
My heart went cold as ash. I threw the engagement ring I'd prepared into the trash.
Then I liked the post and left a comment.
"Wishing you both a happy New Year and a lifetime of togetherness."
——
The moment I finished, Quinn, whose phone had been off this whole time, called me instantly.
"Miriam, what's your problem?"
"Lorraine posts to celebrate the holiday, and you leave some snide little comment? What's that about?"
"And it's dark out now. Dinner's about to start."
"Lorraine's stomach is bothering her, but she pushed through it anyway and made Aunt Pansy's favorite, breaded pork."
"The whole family's waiting on you two."
"When are you and Aunt Pansy finally going to get here?"
Hearing him interrogate me, I felt nothing but a still, dead calm inside, drowning in grief.
After Mother died, I thought about a lot of things. I saw through a lot of things.
I said flatly, "We're not coming. Have your dinner without us."
Quinn's volume shot up several notches. "Miriam, you'd better think this through!"
"My parents invited you to dinner mainly to discuss our wedding."
"If you're going to turn around and go home over some petty little thing, then I'd say there's no point discussing the wedding at all."
I nodded. "Then let's not."
"Quinn, let's break up."
Quinn went blank for a full ten seconds.
In seven years of love, we'd had our conflicts, our fights.
But neither of us had ever said the word breakup.
He couldn't believe those words had come from my mouth.
Then Lorraine's voice came from beside him. "Quinn, I think my stomach's acting up again."
"Could you help me back inside to rest?"
Quinn agreed without a shred of hesitation, then said coldly into the phone, "Miriam, you said it yourself."
"Fine, we break up. Just don't come crying about it later."
I said nothing and pressed end.
By the time I'd handled my mother's funeral alone, it was already the seventh day of the new year.
In those days, Quinn didn't call once. Not a single message.
His feed stayed silent, but Lorraine updated hers every day, more diligent than clocking in for work.
Today the flower market, tomorrow the fair, the day after, skiing.
