The Parting: Heart to Heart

It was a few days before Charlotte was able to meet with Nancy. Charlotte considered talking to her over the phone but felt she needed a face to face talk. Actually, she believed it needed to be a heart to heart and it was necessary to see Nancy’s face. She didn’t want to come across as a child telling on another or as a jilted lover. She wanted to pour out the hurt she felt and to ensure Nancy was aware of Jack’s actions. Despite the pain, Charlotte still cared for Jack’s well being.

Charlotte invited Nancy to her house. She didn’t want to be in a public place since she was certain there would be tears. She was right. She started by saying that she may or may not know that Jack ended their relationship. Though Jack had not directly told her, Nancy surmised that to be the case due to Jack’s lack of obvious communication and time spent with Charlotte. Once that fact was established, Charlotte shared a few details of Jack’s behavior with assurances that she did not want to appear petty or trite. While she was deeply hurt the relationship ended, she knew she would survive but honestly feared for Jack and his ability to get over his time in Afghanistan.

Nancy related to Charlotte sympathy for her broken heart and expressed her concern for Jack. She mentioned Jack’s upcoming trip to visit MIA’s family believing Charlotte knew about it. Charlotte was unaware of this and the expression on her face upon hearing this news clearly revealed that fact. Therefore, Nancy gave what little information she had on the subject.

The time together, though heart breaking for both of them, was appreciated and mutually beneficial. Nevertheless, they parted feeling empty. Charlotte had feelings of guilt for thinking she should have been more receptive to Bob. She felt it best they were left unsaid. She also realized that in spite of the hurt, it was better to do the right thing than to feel guilty for doing the wrong thing.

While it felt good to reconnect on a deeper level with Charlotte for the first time since Jack returned, Nancy couldn’t shake the feeling this was the last time they would do so. Why would Charlotte continue to stay close to her? She was sure to find another man and the closeness of their relationship would be a distant memory. This thought made her sad.