Chapter 6
Every brick and stone, every blade of grass and leafy bough in this courtyard was handpicked by Baillie and me. Even the grandest tree In the backyard–a towering ginkgo–was ours by choice.
We’d transplanted that ginkgo from the park beside our old basement apartment. Back when money was tight, strolling together through that park was the highlight of our week, a small luxury we could afford
I remember Baillie saying, “Let this tree stand as a monument to the ten tough years you weathered by my side, Veronica. I’ll never betray you. As long as the tree stands, so does my promise.”
Now, with spring still a distant prospect, the ginkgo’s branches were bare and lifeless.
Much like the last ten years with Baillie–empty, drained of hope.
I fetched the electric saw from the utility closet and called on our neighbor’s husband to help me cut the tree down.
He looked genuinely shocked. “Every fall, when the ginkgo turned gold and shed its leaves, my wife and I could see you and Baillie from
our rooftop terrace–sitting under that tree, sharing tea and books. It’s been, what, ten years now? And you really want to just cut it down? Are you and Baillie sure you’re ready for that?”
I took a sip of tea and offered a faint smile.
“Life obbs and flows; mountains and rivers pass. Nothing lasts forever. There’s nothing I can’t let go of.”
He fell silent, no longer trying to change my mind.
And so, after ten years, the ginkgo fell in the courtyard. My heart ached, but oddly, I also felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had finally been lifted
I arranged for someone to come take care of the remains.
Our neighbors worked up a sweat helping out, so to thank them, I gifted them a cherished tea set–a keepsake from when Baillie and i first found success in business and attended our first auction together, I had treasured it for years.3
On a whim, I began sorting through the other things Baillie had given me over the years: emerald bangles, a gold necklace, a bespoke wedding veil–followed, in more recent years, by a string of designer handbags chosen with little thought or care.
It hardly mattered. I wouldn’t be needing any of it
I made arrangements to sell it all off for a fraction of its worth. Between the proceeds and my half of the assets from the divorce agreement, I’d have more than enough to live comfortably for the rest of my days.
At the end of it all, I realized there was nothing I truly wanted to take with me.”
I showered, changed into fresh clothes, and looked in the mirror. I was grateful for the years I’d spent caring for my skin and body, at thidy–nine, I could easily pass for twenty–nine.
I could wear delicate pearl earrings and still pull off a stately jade bracelet–proof that I’d aged well.
With low heels on my feet and a single bag in hand, I headed out.!!
But unlike every other day, I didn’t take my house keys with me.
I left them inside, just as I left behind twenty years of manage and love X
From this day forward. I would never retum.
After settling Jenifer and Aster, Baillie drove home, imtation and restlessness written all over his face!
He didn’t understand what had gotten into him lately i
Seeing Aster like that today, hed completely lost control–he’d actually hit Vemnica for the first time. He hadn’t even given her a chance to
defend herself.
He kept recalling the way Veronica had looked at him before leaving the hospital with the signed divorce papers calm, emotionless,
almost distant. E
“Damn it
Baillie slammed his fist against the steering wheel, then pulled over and rolled down the window letting the cold night air wash over him. He hadn’t lost his cool like this in years–not since he was a restless teenaget long before he leamed to keep his composure}
A bitter laugh escaped him. Funny–back when his business was struggling, he’d been just as quick–tempered and volatile.
