- 17.
The last time I saw Mark was when I brought
my fiancé, Jack, home.
My mom looked at Jack and said, “He’s not
as good as…”
But then she looked at me and kept quiet.
“He’s good.”
While they were cooking, I ran into Mark.
He was smoking.
He had been fired.
He went home to rest.
Mark stopped me. “Jen, it’s been a while.”
iviain Stopped me. JO11, ILO Noon a willo.
I said “It has been.”
We were both silent.
After dating for ten years, we had nothing to
say.
Mark spoke first. “I saw you and your fiancé,
you are a good couple.”
I nodded.
I went to leave. He asked to apologize.
He had to be so hard on me because his
father had been hard on him.
“You are good, beautiful, and smart, but I
would alwaye nut
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would always put you down.”
I said “Okay.”
Mark asked if I would forgive him.
I shook my head. “No.”
His problems weren’t my fault.
Even now, I was uncomfortable.
I checked my clothes and hid my pink toy.
I needed to go back to Jack.
I wanted him to hold me and tell me I was
great.
I never got that with Mark.
L
>
Mark’s head went down. “Okay, I’ll leave you
alone.”
I said “Don’t talk to me again. I don’t feel
good around you.”
Before Mark could react, I left.
I needed to go home.
Someone was waiting for me.
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