On the phone, Jared asked, "Gabrielle, where have you gone?"
"I moved out," I replied, laughing softly.
Leaning against the window, I gazed out at the deep crimson maple leaves. Across the yard, a few tall orange trees stood, their leaves growing greener with the chill in the air. Among them, bright yellow fruit hung like jewels, dotting the branches and creating a picturesque scene.
In my own yard, the persimmon tree had long since ripened. With no one living there, naturally, no one had picked the fruit.
Now, as the leaves had fallen and the trees had endured the frost, the persimmons hung from the branches like little lanterns, glowing bright against the bare winter trees. They looked almost like ornaments, adding a splash of color to the grey landscape.
This simple life—was nothing short of blissful.
"When did you move out?"
"Where did you move to?"
"Why are you making decisions without talking to me? Why are you acting on your own like this?"
"By the way, did you pay the rent for Mrs. Green's place yet?"
"Where are you now?"
I smiled, feeling completely carefree.
"Jared, where I move to is none of your business," I said, and hung up the phone immediately, blocking his number. Yvonne had amnesia, forgetting everything except for him. So, she took the kid and ran back into his arms.
Jared treated her exactly the same as before, their love and commitment as if time had reversed to the days before I existed. Since that was the case, I decided to be understanding.
I let them be.
I withdrew from Jared's life, taking with me every little piece that was mine.
I could selectively remember everything else, but him—he didn't deserve to be part of my memory.
