Not Like A Movie

“It’s not like the movies,” Jerry sighed.

“I don’t understand,” Ivory cried. They had been together forever, classmates in grade school, high school sweethearts as teenagers, engaged as college adults. Now they had graduated with their degrees and he was saying this to her. “What are you saying?”

“You know what I’m saying,” he said, emphatically. 

He ran a hand through his hair. Something Ivory knew he did when he made a decision that he wasn’t going to change his mind about, no matter how hard it was. “We’ve been engaged for two years. We planned this. Our wedding. Our life.” He was breaking her heart piece by piece. “You asked me! You were the one who proposed!” she exclaimed, not caring if the neighbor apartment tenants could hear.

“Calm down. Here, sit down,” he tried consoling.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” she hollered. She was entitled to her emotions. And, in all honesty, she would rather be angry than sad. The former made her feel stronger rather than the latter. “Why now?”

He paused.

“I deserve an explanation.” Chin up, she looked him in the eyes and waited.

“I proposed because I thought I had to,” he started. “Because I thought I was supposed to.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” she grounded out.

“It doesn’t have to make sense to you.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to be with you,” he snapped.

And there it was. The words that shattered Ivory to her core. She had listened to her parents, his parents, when they all said to wait until after they finished school to get married. 

“I have dreams,” he continued.

You were my dream, she thought.

“And they don’t include you.” He didn’t hold back or spare her feelings. “It’s over. Sorry.” He punctuated his apology with a door slam.

She stood in her apartment alone, empty. A person she’s known forever walked out of her life, so easily and effortlessly. Time and energy that she had invested had been wasted. The only result: heartbreak. 

It didn’t matter. None of it had.

The next few days went by in a blur. Her family was as shocked as she was by the break up but said that Ivory and Jerry had been too young anyway. They tried to encourage Ivory by telling her that she had plenty of time to find someone new to spend her life with. They may have been right, but she didn’t want to hear it.

Ivory didn’t want to give up. She kept calling and texting Jerry, hoping to work it out, but he wouldn’t answer or reply. Not even to come over and take his stuff back, stuff that he had left when he would come over to visit her.

I miss you.

Nothing.

Was she that unbearable? More time went by. Weeks turned into months and months turned into years. Heartache that seemed excruciating also left with Jerry. 

At thirty-two, Ivory studied her reflection. She stood tall and strong, stunning in her wedding gown. She had met someone else. A man named Tom that had given the fairytale romance she wanted. She hadn’t expected it. They’d met at a supermarket parking lot. After she bumped the back of his car.

“How are things going?” Her mother asked as she entered the room.

“Everything’s okay,” Ivory replied.

“You look beautiful.”

“I feel beautiful. To tell you the truth, I didn’t think I could feel this in love again.” She had convinced herself that her Jerry meant to be. That was how it went in the movies. Best friends met, grew up, and married each other. 

“I know you were hurt after Jerry ended things. But he wasn’t the one, honey.” 

Ivory knew her mother was right. But it wasn’t until she met Tom that she understood what she meant. “You were right, mom.”

“I know,” she smiled.

They laughed. Ivory was absolutely elated. The rest of the day was wonderful. Her and Tom would welcome two kids in the next five years and watch them grow. Then three decades would pass and they would be welcomed by grandchildren. Two more decades and they would be greeted by great grandchildren.

Ivory would hold Tom’s hand and say her goodbye while he laid on a hospital bed. He looked so peaceful, she thought as a single tear fell down her cheek.

Her children suggested that she move in with them. Ivory considered it, knowing that she would love to be surrounded by her grandkids. But she didn’t want to be a burden.

But she also hated being alone. She had gotten so used to Tom’s loud snoring that the silence at night brought by his absence had become disturbing to her. She couldn’t take it, yet she wouldn’t bring this up to anyone. She would lie and tell her neighbors that she was fine. She didn’t want their pity.

Jerry had been long forgotten. She hadn’t been thinking of him when she received his Facebook message. 

How are you? It read. I hope you’re doing well. I see you got married and had a family. I’m happy for you. He went on about how crazy it was how life turned out. 

Ivory didn’t know what to do. He had dumped her, hurt her. Now, he was messaging her like they were old pals. She wanted to slam her laptop shut and be done with it. She didn’t owe him a response.

Yet, she found herself typing. Happy that he replied back, suggesting that they meet up. 

She watched him walk into the diner. He didn’t look the way he did when things had ended. His hair was silver and skin was wrinkled. But his eyes held the same charm.

They started with small talk. Then onto the past. 

“You were right,” Ivory told him.

“About what?”

“Us,” she said. “We loved each other, but we weren’t in love. We were comfortable.”

He paused, processing her words. “No, we weren’t. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love you.”

“I know. You were my best friend.” It wasn’t painful anymore, looking back. It took decades, but she finally understood what he meant.

“We can still be friends. Like we used to,” Jerry hedged.

He was going to let it be up to her. Ivory would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the small plea in his expression. She hadn’t had a choice when the relationship ended. But she did have a choice whether or not it would begin again. “We can.” She reached out for his hand. “And we will.” Life wasn’t like a movie, it was better.