Chapter 4: The Version She Had Been Saving
Gary stared at the phone.
I read the message over his shoulder.
Four words.
*I have more than one copy.* Simple.
Calm.
Like she had been waiting to send it.
"She planned this," I said.
"I know."
"She didn't come on this cruise by accident.
She came because she wanted to do this here.
Away from home.
Away from the kids.
Just the three of us, nowhere to go."
Gary set the phone face-down on the nightstand.
"What else does she have?"
"Nothing," I said.
"There's nothing to have.
Patrick and I were never together.
We had coffee twice.
Rachel was there both times."
"Rachel can confirm that?"
"She was sitting at the same table."
Gary nodded.
He picked the phone back up, turned it over, and typed a reply to his mother.
I watched his thumbs move.
He turned the screen toward me so I could read what he'd written.
*We'll talk in the morning.
Not tonight.*
Donna's response came in under a minute.
*Fine.
But you should know — I sent a copy to your email six months ago.
Check your inbox if you don't believe me.*
Gary's expression didn't change.
He opened his email.
Scrolled.
Found it.
An email from Donna dated the previous February, subject line blank, with the photo attached and a short message in the body: *Thought you should have this.
When you're ready to talk, I'm here.*
He had never opened it.
"She sent it six months ago," he said.
"And you never saw it."
"It went to the folder I never check.
The one that catches newsletters and stuff." He set the phone down again.
"She knew I hadn't opened it.
She's been waiting."
I thought about that.
Six months of waiting.
Watching us make plans for this trip.
Buying her own ticket.
Packing her suitcase.
Carrying that photo in her robe pocket like a card she'd been saving for the right hand.
"Gary," I said.
"I need to call Rachel."
"Now?
It's after midnight."
"I know.
But I need you to hear it from her directly.
Not from me."
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
I called Rachel.
She picked up on the fourth ring, groggy and confused.
I put her on speaker without asking Gary's permission.
Some things didn't need permission.
"Rach," I said.
"I'm sorry it's late.
I need to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest."
"Okay," she said, more awake now.
"What's going on?"
"The summer before Gary and I got together.
Patrick.
Do you remember?"
A pause.
"Your neighbor Patrick?
Of course I remember him."
"Were you there when we met?
Both times?"
"Both times and then some.
He came to my birthday dinner too, which you also attended, along with about fifteen other people." Her voice sharpened.
"Why?
What's happening?"
I looked at Gary.
"Gary's mother has a photo of me and Patrick outside a restaurant.
She's been telling Gary it means something."
The silence on Rachel's end lasted exactly two seconds.
"She has got to be kidding me," Rachel said.
"That was before you and Gary were even official.
I was standing ten feet away when that photo was taken.
My friend Cassie took it.
We were all going to the same movie afterward."
Gary leaned forward.
"Rachel, this is Gary.
I'm sorry for the hour.
Did anything happen between my wife and Patrick that summer?"
"Absolutely nothing," Rachel said.
"They barely talked.
He had a girlfriend.
I remember because she came to the movie too." A beat.
"Gary, your mother has been sitting on a photo of your wife laughing with a group of people and cutting everyone else out of the frame.
That's what she's done."
Gary sat back.
"Thank you, Rachel," he said.
"I'm sorry we woke you."
"Don't apologize to me," Rachel said.
"Handle your mother."
She hung up.
The cabin was very quiet.
Gary looked at the phone in his hand like he wasn't sure what it was anymore.
"Cropped," he said.
"Yes."
"She cropped everyone else out."
"Yes."
He stood up.
Walked to the small window.
The ocean outside was dark and flat and went on forever.
"I owe you an apology," he said.
"You don't.
You asked a fair question and you listened to the answer."
"I hesitated."
"For about thirty seconds.
Then you threw the photo off the balcony."
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Then his phone buzzed again.
Another message from Donna.
May you like
*I think the three of us should have breakfast together tomorrow.
I have a few more things I'd like to share.*
