Mason and I think of him that way too.
So all in all, I’m in a good mood today, and it’s not dimmed in the slightest by the knowledge that Lorraine and Aria are sending me covert glares in turn from over at their stall.
I was their drudge, and I’m not anymore. Of course they aren’t happy about it.
I don’t much care anymore.
I’m only half listening to Mason and the butcher’s conversation since it’s focused on the quality of beef this year, and when I catch a familiar face coming this way in the crowd, I smile and wave.
Gregory, the freckled guard who asked me to marry him years ago, strides over with a lopsided grin.
I move out from the stall so I can chat with him without disturbing Mason’s conversation.
After the preliminary questions about the health of ourselves and our spouses, he tilts his head down and asks, “So how’s life with Mason? Are you happy with your choice?”
“Yes,” I say, surprised that anyone would even ask. “It was a great choice. Life is good. Much better than it was.”
“That’s not surprising.” He shoots an annoyed look toward Lorraine. “I still haven’t forgiven her for how she rejected me.”
“Oh no. You’re not… I mean, I thought you were happy with?—”
“I’m happy. I ended up with someone good. But there was no reason for her to tell me no like that, especially when you were on board with it too. You could have been spared years of bad treatment, and I think we could have made a success of it.”
He’s not being pushy or inappropriate. As far as I can tell, he’s simply reflecting on the past with matter-of-fact authenticity.
And he’s right. If I’d married him back then, I could have gotten out of Lorraine’s house years sooner. We might have had the three children that Gregory and his spouse have now. I think we would have been able to get along just fine. It wouldn’t have been a bad life.
But for some reason I’m relieved—vastly, astonishingly relieved—that I didn’t marry him.
Not because there’s anything wrong with Gregory, back then or right now.
But because he’s not Mason. And I don’t want to be married and go through life with anyone but Mason.
“Sometimes people do wrong things that hurt us, but it still ends up getting us to where we’re supposed to be. Maybe that’s what happened back then.”
“Maybe so.” He glances back toward Lorraine’s stall. “But that doesn’t mean I forgive her.”
I laugh. “You don’t have to. I’m not inclined to forgive her either. Not that she’ll ever apologize.”
“The world would have to flip upside down for that to happen.” He’s chuckling too, but then his eyes move to the side, over my shoulder, and his expression changes.
I look to see Mason coming toward us. Frowning.
I haven’t seen him frown like that in more than a week.
“Hey, Mason,” Gregory says with his normal laid-back friendliness. “All I’m hearing today is about that new cheese.”
Mason nods but doesn’t reply. He puts an arm around my waist, moving me farther away from Gregory and planting his body between us.
It’s strange. Him moving me that way. And his expression doesn’t make any sense.
Does he not like Gregory or something?
“The cheese is delicious,” I say, smiling and trying to return to good humor. “Mason is so good at it.”
Mason still appears to be stewing. He’s looking between me and Gregory. “What was funny?” he asks in a mutter.
Gregory arches his eyebrows, and my mouth falls open as I stare at Mason. He sounds almost rude.
