Chapter 15
Vanessa returned to Boston for her brother’s wedding.
Four years after the gala.
Julian knew.
No panic.
No secret meeting.
She asked whether she could attend the public reception where several Lombardis would be present.
Julian said yes.
Avice would not be there.
Boundary maintained.
I saw Vanessa across the room.
She looked almost the same.
Less jewelry.
No false belly obviously.
I hated that my brain noticed.
She approached me.
“Mr. Lombardi.”
“Vanessa.”
Formal.
Fair.
She asked about Avice.
“Well.”
“Julian?”
“Well.”
She nodded.
Then:
“I’m not asking to see them.”
Good.
She had built a new life in Chicago.
Event production.
No partner currently.
Not important.
Then she said:
“I used to think if I lost Julian I would become nothing.”
I waited.
“I didn’t.”
No bitterness.
Just discovery.
“Good.”
She smiled faintly.
“That’s all?”
“What would you like?”
She laughed.
“Nothing.”
Better.
Before leaving, she looked toward the ocean exhibit photographs decorating the reception hall.
“I still think about that fake stomach.”
“So do I.”
“I hated wearing it by the end.”
“Then why keep wearing it?”
She looked at me.
“Because every day I wore it made taking it off harder.”
That was the best description of a lie I had ever heard.
We nodded goodbye.
No absolution.
May you like
No hostility.
Distance could carry maturity too.
