Page 38 of Echoes

“She’s in town because she’s moving, and she called and asked if I wanted to have a drink. I invited her over.”

“She’s moving? Well, at least there’s that.” Ami sat the bag on the counter.

“What is your problem with her?”

“She loved you, Rosie,” Ami argued.

“Four years ago. Andshelovedme.”

“You loved her, too,” Ami said softly.

“What are you talking about?”

“It was there, but you couldn’t see it. I could. I saw it. And when you chose to keep traveling and started spending more time at work than with me, I assumed you two were… having an affair.”

“What? No, I–”

“I may know that now, but imagine being in love with someone and watching them fall in love with someone else,” Ami interrupted. “I already couldn’t compete with your job, and then you were training this woman to go on these trips with you, who wanted to do the same thing and got you in a way I never could.”

“Nothing ever happened with–”

“Again, I know that now. But, Rosie, tell me something. And be honest, please. In the past year, when have you been the happiest?”

“Ami…”

“When? It’s okay. I already know the answer.”

“On the ship.”

“On the ship, or on the ship with Felicity?”

“On the ship. It was nice seeing Felicity again, sure, and it was great having her there, but it was more about just–”

“Not being here with me,” Ami finished for her and sighed. “What are we doing here, Rosie? I feel like I’m your jailer. It’s making you miserable, and it’s making me miserable because I’m makingyoumiserable.”

“Maybe we should talk to someone. A therapist or something. They could give us some new things to try.”

“You’ve been home for days, and we’ve kissed once. It was a quick hello when you got home.”

“I know,” Rosie admitted.

“I think I’m going to stay at my sister’s place tonight.”

“Ami, we should talk about this.”

“I know. But not right now. Seeing her in our kitchen just brings back all the times that she was here before, and it makes me feel like you… should have chosen her.”

“Ami, I–”

“Please don’t.”

Ami left the bag of food where it was and disappeared from the kitchen. Not long after that, she came back down the stairs carrying a suitcase and left through the front door without saying goodbye.

Rosie was at a loss. She sat back down at the table and looked at the unfinished glass of wine. Was Ami right? And if so, was what Rosie had seen that day the path she’d been supposed to take?

Rosie walked upstairs and into the closet, where she uncovered the metal briefcase and opened it. She stared down at the device and sighed before she pulled it out and held it in both hands. Her wife was gone, and it was wrong to be thinking about someone else; Rosie knew that. But it still didn’t stop her from bringing forth that memory. She’d cupped Felicity’s cheek in the kitchen in that moment that neverwas, and she’d watched herself make plans for a date. The other Rosie had been so confident, too. She’d smiled so wide at the idea of taking Felicity out on a date. But when Rosie had returned to reality, instead of asking Felicity about her feelings, she’d chickened out and had gone to coffee with Ami.

“Were you trying to tell me to be with Felicity?” she asked the inanimate object in her hands.